Indian Corn: my thoughts on diversity

Done blogging for awhile

2009-03-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

I won't be posting on here for awhile... I feel like I've shared my heart and hope it's helped others to be aware of issues they may have not thought of before. But I feel like it's started to become more of a hostile place (at times) and that's not what I need or want. I am taking a break for awhile. Peace.

My thoughts on Obama's first month...

2009-02-24T11:45:00.000-08:00

He's been in office for a little over a month now. My thoughts are a bit mixed on what he's done in his first month. I really enjoyed his Inaugural Speech. A few of the highlights I found most moving were:

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

I was disappointed that he signed the Freedom of Choice Act. While I DO believe that women globally should be given more access and information about contraceptives and responsible sexuality, I don't believe we should be helping to fund abortions. Period.

I am mixed on the stimulus package. I am personally fiscally conservative. If our nation is going to take out 800 billion to "stimulate" our economy, I'd much rather see us give it toward eradicating world hunger and the AIDS crisis. I would gladly go into debt and send my children into debt if it meant millions of others could live. I don't know whether or not the stimulus package will work... I've heard arguments on both sides and I have a feeling that our economy will rebound eventually as the ebb and flow of economies go through these times and eventually come out again. In the meantime, I'm thankful for the perspective it's given us on how frivolous it is to even complain about our jobs. Thank God we have jobs and can afford the luxuries like clean running water, heat, electricity, television, and internet!

What are your thoughts on his first month in office?

Is it because I'm white?

2009-02-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

Had a couple of interesting interactions with the police lately:

1. My neighbor and I were walking our babies around the neighborhood on an unusually warm February day. Several people were out and about. A police officer pulls up and asks what we were doing here. We said "We live here". He said, "Where?" We said, "The 2800 block". He asked what house specifically, to which we didn't reply, but just said, "Down there." He looked at us oddly and drove off. We wondered if our skin color was different if he would have stopped us?

2. I stopped at a gas station just north of my house to pump some gas. It was cold and I was in a hurry. A man came up to me and asked if he could pump my gas for me for some money. I never carry cash on me, so I honestly told him that I was fine and I didn't have any money on me. He left. A few minutes later a police officer came up to me and asked me if I was okay. I said I was fine. He asked if the man was harassing me and I said, "He asked if he could pump my gas." The officer left and a few minutes later I see them arresting the man. The police said that he didn't want people to feel "unsafe". I told him I didn't feel unsafe. He said the man had crack cocaine on him. I hope they are able to get him into a good rehab program (of which there are unfortunately none in our area). And I couldn't help but wonder if my husband had been the one pumping the gas and the man had approached him, would the cops have been so quick to arrest him?

Some examples of white privilege

2009-02-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

I'm listing this from an article written by Peggy McIntosh. I list this simply so we can be more specific about exactly what white privilege is and how we benefit/suffer from it. I have highlighted ones that I feel I specifically benefit from. This is not to say that this list applies to everyone or that white people across the board benefit from it all the time. I agree whole heartedly that we all experience discrimination for various things, but I want to dedicate a little more time on this blog to talking about white privilege. My hope is that it will bring awareness to the things we *may* take for granted that others are not given the same courtesy.

1. I can, if I wish, arrange to be in the company
of people of my race most of the time.
2. The day I move into new housing that I have
chosen, I can be pretty sure that my new
neighbors will be neutral or pleasant to me.
3. When I am told about our national heritage or
about “civilization,” I am shown that people of
my color made it what it is.
4. I can be sure that my children will be given
curricular materials that testify to the
existence of their race in all classes, in all
subjects, at all grade levels.
5. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a
publisher for this work on white privilege.
6. I can go into a supermarket and find the
staple foods that fit with my cultural traditions,
or into a hairdresser’s shop and find someone
who can cut my hair.
7. I can swear, or dress in secondhand clothes
without having people attribute these choices
to the bad morals, the poverty or the illiteracy
of my race.
8. I can do well in a challenging situation without
being called a credit to my race.
9. I am never asked to speak for all the people
of my racial group.
10. I can remain oblivious of the language and
customs of persons of color who constitute
the world’s majority without feeling in my
culture any penalty for such oblivion.
11. I can criticize our government and talk about
how much I fear its policies and behavior
without being seen as a cultural outsider.
12. I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture
books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and
children’s magazines featuring people of my
race.
13. I can go home from most meetings of
organizations to which I belong feeling some
what tied in, rather than isolated, out of
place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a
distance, or feared.
14. I can choose blemish cover or bandages in
“flesh” color and have them more or less
match my skin.
15. I can turn on the television or open to the front
page of the newspaper and see people of my
race widely and positively represented.
16. Whether I use checks, credit cards, or cash,
I can count on my skin color not to work
against the appearance of financial
responsibility.
17. I can arrange to protect my children most of
the time from people who might not like them.
18. I can take a job with an affirmative action
employer without having co-workers on the
job suspect that I got it because of race.
19. I can choose public accommodation without
fearing that people of my race cannot get in or
will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.
20. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical
help, my race will not work against me.
21. If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need
not ask of each negative episode or situation
whether it has racial overtones.
22. If a cop pulls me over, or if the IRS audits our
tax return, I can be sure it is not because of
my race.
23. If I get angry and ask to speak to the “person
in charge,” I can be fairly sure I will be talking
to a person of my race.
24. I did not need to teach out children about
systemic racism for their own daily physical
protection.
25. I can go shopping alone in department stores
near my house without being followed or
harassed by store detectives on the grounds
that I may be shoplifting or soliciting.
26. We were able to teach our children that the
police were their allies, and that they should
dial 911 if they had and emergency.
27. In my neighborhood, I can be sure that the
police will not harass me because of the color
of my skin.
28. In my neighborhood, any police officer who
might need to arrest people in my family is
likely to be a person of my race.
29. Criminality is not imputed to me as a genetic
component of racial character; I am not
assumed to belong to a group of people
predisposed to crime.
30. The word “criminal” in the dominant culture
does not conjure up the faces of people
whose skin color is like that of my father,
mother, brother, sister, husband, nieces, or
nephews.
31. I have never heard or read the suggestion
that ll the people of my color ought to be
locked up or killed. Even Islamic
fundamentalists do not call for the killing of all
people of my color, only certain “morally
corrupt” ones.
32. In World War II my grandparents, despite
having German ancestors two generations
ago, were not locked up by the U.S.
government in internment camps on the
suspicion or pretext that they might be
traitors.
33. Nearly all of the lawyers and judges who
study, write about, argue, debate, and
practice law in the U.S. are people of my
race.
34. Lawbreaking by the U.S. government with
regard to treaties with Indian people was not
taught to me as a criminal aspect of my racial
heritage.
35. Deceiving Indians is not described as a
genetic or inherited trait of Caucasians.
36. Refusing to honor Indian treaties today is not
shown to me as lawbreaking by white people.
37. The U.S. government has never made it a
crime for me to speak my native language or
observe the religious ceremonies of my
parents and grandparents.
38. The prison system is thoroughly controlled by
people of my race.
39. The constitution I am subject to was created
by people of my ethnic heritage to apply to
some people of my ethnic heritage and to not
apply to people of other races.
40. I am assumed to be entitled to whatever legal
defense I can afford, even if it allows me to be
acquitted of a crime I have committed.
41. If I am suspected of being guilty but am
acquitted, I will be seen as someone who got
through the cracks rather than as a person
who especially deserved not to get through
the cracks.
42. Those who have been able to afford the high
costs of legal training have been, for the most
part, people of my race.
43. Lawyers featured as experts by the media are
overwhelmingly people of my race.
44. Those who have been able to pay lawyers’
fees and legal costs have for the most part
been people of my race.
45. A successful tax evader in my ethnic group is
usually portrayed as a cheater or even a
victor, but not as an innate criminal or a
representative of a whole race of people who
drain society.
46. A deadbeat dad in my ethnic group is
portrayed in the media as financially but not
sexually irresponsible.
47. When I walk into the courthouses of my
country, I can expect respectful treatment
from the receptionists.
48. As a child, I heard jokes and sound tracks
that cast people of other races as habitually
dumb and coarse, or else sneaky, shifty, sly,
malicious, or underhanded, and left people of
my race protected from such typecasting.
49. The voiceovers of criminals, shifty individuals,
and villains in Disney films and in ads rarely
sound like people of my racial/ethnic group.
50. If I stand in line at the bank teller’s window, no
one looks strangely at me, as though they
have a problem with my being there.
51. If I suffer damages and decide to take a case
to court, the people I see in the legal system
will probably be people who were trained to
trust my kind and me.
52. I can stand behind another person at an ATM
machine without being feared as a potential
mugger.
53. If I am laughing with friends on a street at
night, it is not assumed that we are in a gang.
54. A realtor has never discriminated against me
to “protect property values.”
55. No one has ever suggested that I might have
dealt drugs in order to afford a certain car or
house.
56. The men of my race who took 400 billion
dollars in the 1994 U.S. S & L (savings and
loan) scandal are not branded as criminals or
seen as enemies of the U.S. people, even
though the money has never been returned.
57. When I think of prisons, I do not have to think
of people of my race as disproportionately
serving time in them, having longer than
average sentences, and being executed in
greater numbers.
58. I am allowed to believe, and encouraged to
believe, that people of my race are in general
law-abiding rather than law-breaking.
59. TV shows and films show people of my color
as the main defenders of law and order;
cleverest detectives, best lawyers and judges,
and wiliest outlaws.
60. Portrayals of white males on TV as criminals
and violent individuals do not incriminate me
as a Caucasian; these males, even the
outlaws, are usually presented as strong men
of a quintessentially American type.
61. Illegal acts by the U.S. government, in the
present and in the past, around the world, are
not attributed by whites to Caucasian
immorality and illegality.
62. Bad race relations in the United States are
not attributed by whites to criminal behavior,
despite a history of race-related breaking of
laws by whites over the entire span of Anglo-
European life on this continent.

It doesn't need to be fair, and that doesn't offend me

2009-01-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

I have gotten into quite a few discussions with people recently about racial reconciliation needing to be "fair". As in, if they are going to listen to people vent their frustrations with how they've been discriminated against unfairly (etc...), then they should also be able to vent about how they've been the victims of injustice. If their injustices are not seen as "equal" to the injustices the other person has experienced, they become defensive and take things personally.
I truly and honestly wonder why I have never ever felt the need to have it be fair? I have had rude looks, comments, ect. made about my race from time to time. But to me, it's not a daily, weekly, or even monthly occurrence. I am well aware that the benefits (aka privileges) I receive because of my race far outweigh the injustices.
And when someone of another race tells me about the ways they've been treated unfairly because of their race, I don't get defensive. I may have even done some of the things they've complained about before. For instance, one of my Korean friends was telling me about how difficult it was for her growing to be made fun of by all the white children for her slanted eyes. When I was a child, I did this too. But instead of getting defensive and making up some excuse like, "oh, children don't know any better...", I resolved to make sure that I educate my children about the beauty of God's creativity in us all.
Finally, I am really and truly not writing this post to sound arrogant or like I'm better than anyone else. I am truly curious to find out why I don't get defensive or feel that things need to be fair and others do? I want to have an open and loving discussion about it if you're willing to...

From my parenting journal:

2009-01-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

This morning at church I had an interesting conversation with a man that has started coming the past couple months. He's black and has two biracial sons that come with him. He commented on how light skinned one of my twins is compared to the other. He said, "L, you're a lucky one. You're gonna be able to pass if you want to." (He was referring to the fact that L will be able to pass as white if he chooses to in most circumstances.) He then said, "But black people always know their own." We went on to discuss our experiences living in the Midwest, being in interracial relationships. He asked if I had any negative comments from people. I responded that people usually don't say anything, we've had looks before and comments under their breath, but nothing blatant. I can recall a few times feeling very uncomfortable in wealthier parts of the city because of looks people would give us. And in my neighborhood, which is primarily African American, being chastised for having the babies in direct sunlight during the summer (even though my doctor wanted them to have limited sun exposure for Vitamin D). But truthfully I am thankful to say that I have not experienced much negativity at all from either sides.
Going back to his comment about L being able to "pass"... I discussed this with my husband on the way home. E said that he hopes that it's not even an issue, that L would not be treated any differently if he was seen as white, black, Hispanic, or biracial. I also told E that I can not ever recall a white person commenting to me about the babies being of a different or mixed race, but many black people have commented about it. Not in a negative or positive way. E and I both feel that it's always important to acknowledge someones racial identity b/c it is part of who they are... but obviously we do not treat them any differently because of it. I realize that if L can "pass" there are certain privileges he can utilize that my husband can not (currently). I wish white privilege did not exist. My hope is by the time my sons are old enough to know, it will not exist. Working towards that goal is difficult, though, and means we must be willing to discuss it honestly.

The Promised Land

2009-01-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

"To be a poor man is hard, but to be a poor race in a land of dollars is the very bottom of hardship." -W.E.B. DuBois

My father sent me that quote nearly 8 years ago. Today, homicide is the leading cause of death amongst African American males, 91% of whom are killed by fellow African Americans. 62% of all African American homes are run by single parents. 15% of young African American men are incarcerated. 23% are living below the poverty line and 58% are living just above or below the poverty line.

"But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land... He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this eve of MLK Day and the Inauguration of the first black President, not much has changed statistically for the black community. And yet so much has changed. What once was a distant glimmer of hope has now come to fruition. Is Obama the Savior? No. Will Obama change the statistics of crime and poverty for the community. Probably not drastically. But he does represent a continual climb up the mountain towards the Promised Land.

Every year since we've been married, E and I set aside MLK Day to honor the struggle that so many endured so that we, as an interracial couple, could marry and have a family without persecution. We are thankful. And we are excited to share this with our sons for the first time this year. Even though they will not understand or remember it, it is important to practice this family tradition every year together. We will be heading to the History Center. What will you be doing?

Is it racist?

2009-01-11T10:44:00.000-08:00

Is it racist for minorities to choose to be part of churches/support groups/schools/communities that are predominantly their own race? The common argument is that if white people did the same thing it would be racist. Which it would be. So, why is it okay for minorities to exclude themselves from everyone else based on race? I submit that the very fact that they are a minority gives them the right.
I am part of a twin moms support group. Am I discriminating against non-twin mothers by being part of this group? No. Being the mother of twins is not incredibly common in our society. The majority of people are not the parents of twins. There are certain unique experiences that I share with other parents of twins and I find the support encouraging, empathizing, and helpful. It makes me a better mother and woman.
I think minorities joining groups specific to their race is somewhat similar. Their experience as a minority is different from the majority white experience in our society. Having a group of people that understand, empathize, encourage, and relate to their experience is important. I don't find it a double standard or racist against white people.

What does a truly integrated church look like?

2009-01-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

This is what we desire to see on earth in our lifetime. A church that is able to love one another well, through differences in background, color, culture, and socio-economic status. How do we do it?

I want to hear your thoughts and we can discuss...

Can I shop for a church?

2009-01-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

My husband is one of about 5 minorities at our church. He is partially comfortable with this because he attended a predominantly white high school and college. We love many things about our church. We are connected to many people there, some of whom feel like family to us. Now that we have children, we must consider what is best for them, though.
If I could choose my perfect church, it would be small-ish, simple, with diverse people, leadership, music, community outreach, and good childrens' programs. But (thankfully) I will not "shop" for a church the way I would for a new car.
If we didn't already have good friends/family that are of diverse backgrounds in our lives, then I don't know if we could stay at our church the way it currently is. Our children are young enough that it doesn't matter... but one day it will. And it is something we deeply value. We value reflecting the Kingdom of God on earth. In heaven, there are many people of very different backgrounds all glorifying the Lord. What better way to demonstrate the reconciling power of the gospel than to bring people of many different backgrounds together to worship and love one another?

Christmas, Hanukkah, and God's provision...

2008-12-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

My evangelical Christian friend wrote a very thoughtful and insightful post about incorporating Hanukkah into her family's Christmas celebration. I think it is a wonderful way of embracing a culture that is not her own, but respecting and honoring it.
I have been blessed this year by the generosity of our church. Ethan and I wanted to bless a woman at our church through buying a rather expensive gift for her that we knew she both needed and would be blessed by. Without question, dozens of people gave money this morning towards the purchase of that gift. We are humbled and encouraged by this. Merry Christmas indeed.

Going against my party on this one...

2008-12-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Many people are outraged with Obama's choice of Pastor Rick Warren to pray at his inauguration next month. Mainly due to the fact that Warren has spoken out against gay marriage and many democrats and Obama supporters are pro-gay marriage.

I don't believe that Obama is betraying his party by choosing Warren. I think Warren is staying true to his vocation (a shepherd/preacher/teacher) and speaking about what the bible says on the issue. Obama agrees (from a biblical standpoint). However, politically speaking, Obama knows that religion can not always dictate civil rights for individuals. Therefore, I don't believe Obama is contradicting himself to betraying his party by choosing Warren.

I would probably never attend Warren's church (mainly b/c I don't prefer mega-churches), but I do support his right to teach what is in the bible.

In Democracy, should the majority speak for the minority?

2008-12-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

The recent passing of Prop 8 in California has once again raised the question: Does the majority have the right to speak for the minority's rights?

I am torn on this issue. If this was the case, then I would probably not be allowed to be married to my husband (who is black). Then again, our country also went to war with Iraq and Vietnam against the opinion of the majority...which I think should have been taken into consideration.

When it comes to the gay marriage issue, I am personally for civil unions. I don't think that in our country where freedom of religion is one of our key foundations, should we dictate some one else's rights (through the Govt.) based on our religion. Civil unions seem to be a good middle ground to me. My marriage is not sanctified based on whether or not gay people are allowed to marry. Nor is it sanctified b/c the Govt. recognizes it as legitimate.

Back to my original question, though... I think this is a gray area. I don't think we can say definitively that the majority should rule on all issues all the time.

Rich Mullins

2008-12-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

I spent over 7 hours in the car yesterday for work. I popped in a Rich Mullins CD and gave myself some soul food. I grew up on Rich's music. It speaks to a depth in my heart that not many other musicians have achieved. It is not only his music, but also his life that is amazing to me. Rich grew up about an hour away from where I live. God's hand was upon him in a special way. Rich was a thinker, a struggler, a questioner. He was never satisfied with status quo. He wanted to push the boundaries, make people uncomfortable, seek truth, love recklessly. Though he made millions of dollars through his career, he lived in a trailer. Near the end of his life, he moved to a Native American reservation and lived amongst the people, teaching music classes. He never cared for possessions, though he could have lived a lavish life. He is a true hero of the faith, one of the inspirations for me to continue pursuing a deeper relationship with God. This afternoon, I've spent time reading more of Rich's thoughts. Here are a few that I picked out. Once again, I've been humbled, encouraged, and challenged by his wisdom...

On Jesus' sacrifice:
"Never forget what Jesus did for you. Never take lightly what it cost Him. And never assume that if it cost Him His very life, that it won't also cost you yours."

On scriptures and humility:
"I think if we were given the Scriptures, it was not so that we could prove that we were right about everything. If we were given the Scriptures, it was to humble us into realizing that God is right, and the rest of us are just guessing."

On prayer:
"We never understand what we're praying, and God, in His mercy, does not answer our prayers according to our understanding, but according to His wisdom."

On God's love for us:
"If you've ever known the love of God, you know it's nothing but reckless and it's nothing but raging. Sometimes it hurts to be loved, and if it doesn't hurt it's probably not love, maybe infatuation. I think a lot of American people are infatuated with God, but we don't really love Him, and they don't really let Him love them. Being loved by God is one of the most painful things in the world, it's also the only thing that can bring us salvation and it's like everything else that is really wonderful, there's a little bit of pain in it, little bit of hurt."

On closeness with God:
"I’m all the time being asked by people, ‘How do ya feel closer to God.’ And I kinda always want to say ‘I don’t know.’ When I read the lives of most of the great saints they didn’t necessarily feel very close to God. When I read the Psalms I get the feeling like David and the other Psalmists felt quite far away from God for most of the time. Closeness to God is not about feelings, closeness to God is about obedience… I don’t know how you feel close to God. And no one I know that seems to be close to God knows anything about those feelings either. I know if we obey occasionally the feeling follows, not always, but occasionally. I know that if we disobey we don’t have a shot at it."

On spiritual fakeness:
"I think many times we are afraid to drop our guard because we are afraid that people will think that we are spiritually fake. Well, the truth is that we are. And so are they. And we're all trying to fake each other out"

On politics:
"See, I think a lot of my songs are really political. I think nobody gets it, but it's hard for me to divide up my politics and my religious convictions. There's something offensive to me about having an American flag in a church building. When the CIA pretended to be missionaries and caused trouble in Chile so that all missionaries were kicked out, I think that makes the United States the enemy of the kingdom of God. I think a government that requires 18-year-old boys to register for the draft is anti-life. See, all the pro-lifers, they only think life is sacred if you are a fetus. I agree that life is sacred to fetuses, but I also think it's sacred to 18-year-olds. Where were you people when Nixon was in the White House? When Lyndon Johnson was escalating the war? Not that I necessarily think that everybody has to be a pacifist; I don't. But it does seem funny to me that so many people who are anti-abortion are pro-capital punishment. So many people who are anti-capital punishment are pro-abortion. All I ask of anybody is that you make a little effort to be consistent. Life is one of those things that G. K. Chesterton says almost makes sense, which is the really tragic thing about life. I really struggle with American Christianity. I'm not really sure that people with our cultural disabilities are capable of having souls, or being saved. People who grow up in a culture that worships pleasure, leisure, and affluence. I think that's where the church is doubly damned when they use Jesus as a vehicle for achieving all of that. Like, if you give a tithe, He'll make you rich. Why? Are you hacking Him off or something? If you give a tithe, you get rid of ten percent of the root of all evil. You should be giving ninety percent. Cause God can handle money better than we can."

Transracial Adoption

2008-12-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a very interesting article about transracial adoption. I'm including a few different quotes from the article to highlight different points, but would encourage you to read the entire thing if you have time (particularly if you're thinking of adopting transracially).

"A black woman who was adopted by white parents boils it down: 'Don't think you can make black friends after you adopt a black child. If you don't already have black friends, you shouldn't be adopting a black child.' Then the lights go up. There are several white people in the room who have said they have already adopted black or Asian or Guatemalan children, or that they are right now waiting to leave for Ethiopia to pick up their adopted children. All of those people—the white people—are crying. They are crying because they have heard things they did not want to hear. But there is more to it than that. They are also crying because they do not know how else to respond to the great, big cultural silence that has been broken here."

"It would be easier for white people if race did not exist. Or if everyone could agree that race did not matter, that is."

"Transracial adoption is awkward to discuss at first, because although it is designed to chart a radically integrated future, on the surface its structure repeats the segregated past. Just look at the basic structure of a family and apply race to the equation. The most crude way to put it: Whites are in charge, children of color are subordinate, and adults of color are out of the picture. And that's not even talking about class."

"I can't be alone in thinking that being transracially adopted, we have lost something: lost our languages, traditions, cultures, and most importantly the subtleties and nuances of those cultures. We have lost something we never had, which we may not have even valued had we had it, and yet we continue to mourn. Am I alone in this grief?"

"In international adoptions, the poverty of the parents is usually blamed on corrupt governments or bad political situations, Pam says. 'But when it's domestic, we blame the parents.'"

I'm going to let people discuss what they think and not comment yet on these excerpts from the article...

The Real Face of Jesus

2008-12-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

For probably the last decade there's been something that has really been bothering me... the fact that the majority of depictions we have in our society show Jesus as white/European decent. Now, this does not annoy b/c he is depicted as white. It annoys me because it is a completely false depiction of him. Having grown up seeing this image over and over again, I automatically envision a European Jesus whenever I think about him.

My twins were given a children's bible for a gift a few months ago. I don't know that I will ever read it to them, though. Of course I will teach them bible stories, music, ect. But I don't want them to grow up with the ingrained vision of white Jesus in their heads. Although this battle is probably futile in our society due to the fact that it's all around us. But I can control what is in my home. I want them to know the truth: His skin was dark, his hair was short and curly, he had brown eyes. Many people will say that it doesn't matter what he looked like. Everyone should relate to Jesus. If they are black, have a black Jesus... if they are Asian, an Asian Jesus. I want to teach and embrace truth. And part of that means embracing the true heritage that Jesus came from. If anyone knows of children's books that depict a more accurate version of Jesus, let me know!

Here is a great article about the research done to discover a more accurate depiction of Jesus.

I'm glad my President is smarter than me

2008-12-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

I am a decently intelligent person. I did well in school, catch onto concepts quickly, have a fairly good memory... but could I be President? Heck no! I am so glad that our new President is far more intelligent! Now, I think McCain and Palin are smart... but no smarter than me. And I know I'm not qualified to run a country. Of course, I don't vote for someone based only on their level of intelligence, but I am glad that Obama's policies lined up with mine AND the fact that he is very very intelligent. I probably have more in common with Palin. We're both mothers, have conservative values in our homes, and grew up in small towns. But just because we are similar doesn't mean I think she (or I) should be running the country.

Ethic of Responsibility or Socialism?

2008-12-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

This article by Brian McClaren is talking about a recent interview with Obama in which he discusses his desire to see an ethic of responsibility returned to wall street and the board room. I like it. I wonder if some would think it borders on socialism, though...

The moral and social decay of our country...

2008-11-19T14:22:00.000-08:00

I commented on a link to an article that someone posted on facebook today. Another person responded to my comment reminding me that "it's safe to assume that many of the people who claim to know and agree with his (Obama's) policies have never taken into account the kind of moral and social decay our country could end up in on account of obama's plans."

Okay, I can respect the fact that people feel convicted to vote based on issues that are important to them (ie abortion). What I can't respect is someone telling me that I am contributing to the moral and social decay of our country because I voted for Obama. I voted for him b/c of the moral and social issues that I am passionate about and I have biblical backing for my positions. My ideal candidate would be someone who stands for all the things that Obama does, but is also pro-life. Unfortunately, I couldn't have both. I had to weigh out ALL the moral and social issues that I think should be priorities for Christians and then see which candidate fits those the best.

I struggle with the abortion issue. However, I really and truly don't foresee Roe V. Wade being overturned in our lifetime. I've had 19 years of Republican Presidents in my lifetime (8 years of Dem.) and nothing's changed. I know the argument that there could be new Supreme Court justices appointed, but there have been a majority of pro-life judges prior to this and still nothing has changed.

I feel that if you are passionate about the abortion issue, then DO something more than just voting pro-life. Support your local Pregnancy Assistance Centers. I've said before that I respect my friend Angela for voluteering every week as a counselor for young women there. She (in my humble opinion) is doing much more for the cause than someone just "standing up as pro-life". I work for an adoption agency, so in that way I'm able to (hopefully) support the healthy formation of families. My point is that I hope we are taking whatever we are passionate about beyond just our political position. Okay, off my soapbox now!

Talking to our children about race...

2008-11-15T07:25:00.000-08:00

Most people I know would say that they are raising their children to not be racist. I wonder what exactly that means and how we do it?

Here is an interesting article about a woman in New York and her thoughts about her child's view of race. Of particular note, some of her comments included:

"As parents, many of us tend to focus on what we want our kids to see and disregard what we are actually showing them. As in, "I want my kids to eat a healthy diet, and never mind the fact that they watch me skip breakfast, work out obsessively and complain about my figure." Or, "I want my kids to be truthful and honest, and never mind the fact that I screen my calls, or encourage them to lie about liking a present they actually loathe." Or in my case, "I want my son to see that I have a library of books left over from my days as an African-American Studies major and a pictorial montage of him dressed in a series of Obama onesies and never mind the fact that I have no black friends, that we live in a neighborhood that is overwhelmingly white, and that the non-white people we meet are either delivering food, caring for other people's children, or working behind a register."

I am partially torn on the topic of talking to our children about race. I must admit that there is a part of me that loves the innocence of children and how they will make comments, observations, etc without knowing about race. They are children, they don't care, and I want to keep that innocence. However, I also realize that there is great value in having my children learn about other cultures. And it's more than just exposing them to "diverse areas". It's having friends to our house that are different from us (or the same as we are an inter-racial family). It's discussing race/ethnicity/culture in our home. It's traveling to different places. It's talking respectfully about other people's cultures.

My friends who have adopted internationally place value in incorporating their child's original culture into their homes. This is a good thing. Many of them begin talking to their child about their culture from the time they are very young.

So, is it appropriate for us to do the same thing? Should we talk with our white/black/latino/asian/ American children about race? If so, how and at what age?

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T06:21:00.000-08:00

It's no surprise that I am a pacifist (for the most part). I come from a line of pacifists and I actually wouldn't be here today if they weren't. My grandfather was one of 8 children and when WWII began calling on young men to serve, they took this call seriously. However, due to their religious beliefs, they could not justify fighting in the war. Instead, he served the Govt. by testing dairy farm milk around the country. My grandmother was a dairy farmer's daughter in Maryland. He ended up at her farm. 7 children, 16 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren later, they are still happily married. I am thankful for the many veterans that have served our country, both in war, and in other ways. Particularly those that have given their lives in service. I don't know if I would have the same courage.

*Interesting side-note: About a month ago, we visited the Indiana State Museum. They had actors playing different characters. We spoke to an African American "civil war soldier". He told us that during the civil war, the north did not pay their soldiers as much as white soldiers and they had to wear the uniforms off of dead soldiers. They also were not allowed to have guns for the first several months.

Criteria I used when voting

2008-11-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

Here is an article written by Jim Wallis (Sojourners magazine) that outlines the criteria he (and I) used when choosing a candidate. I post this is give credibility to the biblical backing used when choosing this candidate. I didn't go "blindly" by "hope". I also want to reiterate that I don't think that I'm better than anyone else for choosing based on these principles. I think each Christian votes according to their convictions... and God doesn't take sides in politics. :)

Unity among believers...

2008-11-09T16:45:00.001-08:00

Here is an article that shows some of the polarized reactions amongst believers to this election. I spoke with a woman at my church this morning. She and her husband served as missionaries in Asia for many years and she is a wise woman of prayer. She is an Obama supporter. We spoke about our joy over the election, but also our sadness over the division we've seen amongst believers because of this. She posed the challenge that rather than ignore this division, we ought to face it head on and discuss the reasons WHY we are so divided.
My heart is truly for unity in the body. I admit that I have been hard in my heart towards fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I know it saddens Jesus.
So, I want to hear from you all WHY you think this is so divisive in the church and where we should go from here...

Hope won

2008-11-07T15:35:00.001-08:00

I have a tattoo on my right hip that says "hope" in Greek. I got it after a very difficult time in my life. It is the mantra of my life. Hope is what we have when we are at the end of our rope. Christ gives us ultimate hope, and we are to spread that hope to the ends of the earth.
I have battled against the many many negative comments since this election and at times have felt very hurt and discouraged. I feel that though we've made great strides in our country, we still have a long way to go when it comes to race relations. No surprise there really. Not for one moment did I believe that things would magically be better if Obama was elected. However, his win brings us hope that things are improving.
I have really appreciated those who voted for McCain setting aside their disappointment and try to join in the joy of those who are rejoicing for this win and what it means for racial healing in our nation. I truly do.
On the other end, I've been very hurt by those who have continued to bash Obama from the second he won, without regard for how their comments are received by others. Our friend Soong-Chan Rah wrote a great article about his feelings. Click here to read it. I speaks about some of the language that is used about Obama and how offensive it can be.
I choose hope, no matter what the outcome will end up being. I don't believe Obama will be able to accomplish everything he'd like to. But I will hold out hope that things will be better than they are now. I could (and have) allowed myself to get wrapped up in this negativity, but ultimately, I feel that Obama's campaign was about spreading hope. McCain's was about spreading fear. And hope won.

Our family's experience last night

2008-11-05T16:59:00.000-08:00

After casting our vote in the later afternoon, Ethan suggested we make a spontaneous mini-trip up to Chicago to be part of the celebration and hear Obama speak. I was a bit reluctant to head there with 6 month olds, but thankfully they are still pretty easy going and can sleep most places. We felt that it was important to take them so they would know they were part of this historic moment in time. So, we headed up and spent the evening in Grant Park. We pretty much stayed at the edge of the crowds because of the babies, but still felt the electrifying joy that permeated.
A few of the highlights of the night for me.
1. Talking with Diane, a 50 year old African American woman from Chicago. Diane reminded me of the significance of this time in history. I spoke with her about many other interesting topics of which I'll blog about later.
2. When Obama was announced as President. We were in the Congress hotel in the lobby to watch the television. Everyone counted down "5...4...3...2...1"!!! Tears, hugs, kisses. Something I'll remember always.
3. After he was announced as President, we decided to go outside to try to watch the Jumbo television to see the speech. We got caught in the middle of the crowd and things were getting a little to tight and dangerous for the babies, so we went back to the street and listened to his speech outside of the park. There were two types of people that we noted were there. Those that were rejoicing for the extraordinary meaning of this time in history, and those that were using it as an excuse to party. It was a sobering thought for us and Ethan later spoke about how we must be careful to walk the line between rejoicing and still being aware of the spiritual warfare that is happening all around us. Though we rejoice, we realize that Obama will not all of the sudden change the world or save the world. He is human, brings hope to many, but is not God and we must pray for him like any other man.
4. We parked on the south side and rode the El into the city. When we went back to our car we were surrounded by so many joyful people in the streets, dancing, honking their horns, and shouting. It was truly a memorable to see. I remember one car in particular that had written "My President is black" on the back windshield. We also saw several teeshirts with this slogan and what a statement this is! I can only grasp a small piece of what that means to the many African Americans who never thought they would see this day in their lifetime.
5. And to add a cherry on top, my state went Democrat for the first time since 1964! I feel like my vote really made a difference!

To be able to see this day...

2008-11-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

I stole this picture from my friend Jody's page. I think it's beautiful and I am very thankful to be a witness to this day. Tomorrow I will go cast my vote. I am privileged to live in an area where many African Americans will also show up to cast their vote, and for the first time we will all have the choice to vote for a black man.
Whether or not you like Obama or agree with his policies, I hope that if you are a believer, you can rejoice with those of us who are rejoicing.

Gray Areas...

2008-11-02T07:05:00.001-08:00

I find it kind of interesting and ironic that while I hold more liberal political views, my home is pretty traditional and conservative. Though we choose to have conservative values in our home, it doesn't mean that I think everyone has to abide by our rules, nor are our rules what's best for everyone. I'll give a few examples:
For one, I am choosing to basically be a stay at home mom. I did not know if that's what I would want to do when the twins were born, but I feel it's what's best for our family. However, I would never judge anyone who chose to work outside the home (this is why I never jumped on the band wagon of criticizing Palin for her choice to work outside the home when she had a baby and a pregnant teenage daughter- I trust she's doing what she thinks is best for her family).
We did not conceive our twins right away and though they were not the result of fertility treatment, we prayed and have determined the limit to which we would ever be willing to go with fertility treatments. This is probably much different than someone else. So though we would probably never go the extent of doing IUI or IVF, I can not judge someone who does. It's a gray area in my opinion.
Several people have brought up the abortion issue during this campaign, particularly late-term abortions. I personally know two women who have carried babies full term that they knew had fatal issues. They chose to carry and deliver, knowing the babies would immediately die. I would like to think I would do the same, however, I can't know until I'm in the situation. I can not imagine how difficult it would be to carry a child you knew would die. I think it's a gray area.
Another is the gay marriage issue. I hold a pretty traditional stance on marriage being between a man and a woman. However, I realize that my views based on my faith are not shared by everyone, and therefore I do not feel right about denying a couple the rights afforded by the Govt. based on my personal view of marriage.
As far as stem-cell research, I don't have strong opinions on this one way or the other, so I'm open to discussion about it.

The 80/20 rule

2008-10-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

The call to racial reconciliation is something very dear to my heart. Not only because I am part of an interracial marriage, but because I see the extraordinary need for it in the church. Our country is the most segregated on Sunday mornings. This is unacceptable in the Kingdom of God.
When it comes to reconciliation, I have taken on a personal theory that I call the 80/20 rule. I have blogged about this a little bit before, but wanted to dedicate an entire post to talking more in depth about it.
I have heard many minorities assert that in order to survive and thrive in a country that is run primarily by white people, they have had to learn and abide by the "rules" of white culture. They often feel that they do not have a choice in the matter, it is necessary to survive and certainly imperative if they want to get ahead. Pair this with the discrimination, racial prejudice, and division that already exists in our country (and I'm not talking just about black people). Imagine how that must feel.
I have taken on the 80/20 rule, meaning that I make every attempt to go 80% of the way and hope the other person will be willing to come the other 20.
In practical ways, I do this by trying to listen, value, and hear their stories. Oftentimes, I think white people can hear the experiences of minorities and become defensive. "I didn't do that you! It's not my fault. I'm not racist." This devalues their experience and makes them feel unheard. It gets us nowhere. Instead, I find the most effective approach is to listen and try to empathize with their experience. Try to see the world through their lens. Value their life experience without becoming defensive of yours.
Apologize. Even if you weren't the person that hurt them. I saw a program where Bishop T.D. Jakes had a group of women who had been sexually abused in the room. He was speaking about healing. At the end of the program, he had men in the audience apologize to the women for what men had done to them (even those these particular men weren't their abusers). It was powerful. I can apologize for things people in my race have done (and things that I have done, whether intentional or not).
And because I am a parent of biracial children, I take it a step further than most. I try to learn what and why the AA community values what it does. I try to incorporate some of these values into our home, along with the values that I have been raised with b/c most of them are the same or at least similar.
These are just a few of the things that I have found to be both powerful and effective in bridging the gap.

And now... what is our responsibility as Christians?

2008-10-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

So, I've written about the many causes of poverty. I've also linked to an article that shows the extreme wealth we hold compared to others throughout the world. Even the poorest in our nation (excluding the homeless that have no income) are still in the top 12% of the world!
So, the question is: How do we, as Christians, accurately respond to our call to care for the poor, the orphans, and widows? It should be universally accepted amongst Christians that it is our duty to care for the poor. The bible speaks of this dozens of times in scripture.
I think much of our response stems from our view of what causes poverty and our world view. I tend to see the cause of poverty being cyclical, cultural, and discriminatory in nature. I think there are three main approaches that we have to take. One is on a personal level. The second is what can our church or Christian community at large do. And third is politically. While I do believe in the separation of church and state, I think that our political views are shaped by our morals, which are shaped by our faith.
In this post, I want to focus primarily on what is our responsibility politically (since we're a week away from elections). This is not to deter or detract from our personal and communal responses.
I think our responsibility politically is to vote for politicians that take a stance against poverty and put laws into practice the benefit and help the poor.
From what I've seen of McCain's campaign thus far, the poor is not even on his radar. Obama worked with the poor both as a community organizer and in the State Senate. But McCain seems ever so concerned with those that will make more than 250K getting taxed! Ha! Do you realized that if you make 250K, you are in the top 0.001% of the world!? If you get taxed more so that others that are working JUST AS HARD can receive health care, I'm not going to be crying for you. And if I were to be completely honest, I would question Christians as to why they are striving to make so much money? Maybe it's not for more possessions, but is it for "security"? Either way, it seems like an idol (I don't exempt myself from this category as money can certainly be an idol for me as well... which is why Jesus warned against it so much!)
Obama wants to improve the education system so that ALL children have access to quality education. I hope that his approach will be more holistic in nature than to just throw money at the issue, as I think it requires a more holistic approach (though I submit that part of this falls on the individual and communal responsibility).
I think the US has proven to be generous to other countries regardless of which party is in office. I think both McCain and Obama would continue that benevolence, I just feel that Obama's approach is more "love your enemy" when it comes to foreign policy, while McCains is "fear your enemy, cold-shoulder your enemy, and bully your enemy".

Discuss respectfully please.

I'm in the top 6% wealthiest in the world

2008-10-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent and convicting piece to read. I encourage us all to read and really pray about where our idols and priorities lie. Click here

Causes of poverty in the US

2008-10-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

I think that it is very important to discuss this topic and is long overdue on my blog. I have discussed it to some extent on others blogs, but want to delve more deeply into the topic here. General contemporary literature identifies 5 main theories of poverty.

1. Poverty caused by individual deficiencies
In this theory, typically, politically conservative theoreticians blame individuals in poverty for creating their own problems, and argue that with harder work and better choices the poor could have avoided (and now can remedy) their problems. At times, they even go so far as to ascribe poverty to lack of genetic qualities such as intelligence that are not so easily reversed.
Their research supports the fact that "They [welfare programs] have introduced a perverse incentive structure, one that penalizes self-improvement and protects individuals against the consequences of their own bad choices". (Gwartney and McCaleb)
At a basic level, their response to poverty is to create programs that will emphasize individual responsibility, primarily through work initiatives and eliminating any monetary assistance in the hopes that it will be incentives for people to work. There have been varied results in this approaches' effectiveness.

2. Poverty is caused by cultural belief systems that support a sub-culture of poverty
This theory suggests that poverty is created by the transmission over generations of a set of beliefs, values, and skills that are socially generated but individually held. Individuals are not necessarily to blame because they are victims of their dysfunctional subculture or culture.
An example is Daniel Patrick Moynihan who found the concept particularly applicable to his study of Black poverty in the early 1960s and linked Black poverty to the largely “dysfunctional” Black family found in central cities.
There are other studies that have been more positive. After a number of generations they recall the “heroic” efforts of Irish or Italian immigrant groups and their willingness to accept hard work and to suffer for long term socio-economic gains; however, it is often forgotten the cultural discrimination they faced for not fitting in during the first generations after they arrived. Today the sub-cultural values for higher education and entrepreneurship among Asian and Indian immigrant groups are prized as an example of how subcultures can work in the favor of groups trying to escape poverty.
One solution to this theory of poverty is to attempt to replace dysfunctional cultural values with a more functional culture that supports rather than undermines productive work, investment, and social responsibility. These initiatives have not been very effective.
Another solution is to work to re-shape the values of the youth through after-school programs, Head Start, and other teen initiatives.
The final, and most effective way is to work to enhance and build upon cultural values with the subcultures of the poor which can become assets for economic development.

3. Poverty Caused by Economic, Political, and Social Distortions or Discrimination
Theorists in this tradition look not to the individual as a source of poverty, but to the economic, political, and social system which causes people to have limited opportunities and resources with which to achieve income and well being. The economic system is structured in such as way that poor people fall behind regardless of how competent they may be. Partly the problem is the fact that minimum wages do not allow single mothers or their families to be economically self sufficient. The problem of the working poor is increasingly seen as a wage problem linked to structural barriers preventing poor families from getting better jobs, complicated by limited numbers of jobs near workers and lack of growth in sectors supporting lower skilled jobs. Fringe benefits including health care and promotions have also become scarce for low skilled workers. These and related economic changes show the way the system has created increasingly difficult problems for those who want to work.
The solution to poverty according to this theory is to change the system. Though quite difficult to do, probably the best example is the Civil Rights movement.

4. Poverty Caused by Geographical Disparities
This theory asserts that the misdistribution of resources based on geographical location leads to poverty. This is particularly true in third world countries. Advantaged areas stand to grow more than disadvantaged areas even in periods of general economic growth and that there will be some “trickle-down” but not an equalizing as classical economists would have us believe.
The more common responses are directed towards solving the key dynamics that lead to decline in depressed areas while other areas are growing. Instead of focusing on individuals, businesses, governments, welfare systems, or cultural processes, the geographical theory directs community developers to look at places and the processes by which they can become self-sustaining. Community development programs attempt to help communities identify their assets and address their condition.

5. Poverty Caused by Cumulative and Cyclical Interdependencies
This theory uses components of all previously listed theories to build its case. In short, the cyclical explanation looks at individual situations and community resources as mutually dependent. A faltering economy, for example, creating individuals who lack resources to participate in the economy, which makes economic survival even harder for the community since people pay fewer taxes.
One example at the community level is that a lack of employment opportunities leads to outmigration, closing retail stores, and declining local tax revenues, which leads to deterioration of the schools, which leads to poorly trained workers, leading firms not to be able to utilize cutting edge technology and to the inability to recruit new firms to the area, which leads back to a greater lack of employment.
Another example would be individual lack of jobs and income leads to deteriorating self-confidence, weak motivation, and depression. The psychological problems of individuals are reinforced by association with other individuals, leading to a culture of despair, perhaps a culture of poverty under some circumstances. In rural communities this culture of despair affects leaders as well, generating a sense of hopelessness and fatalism among community leaders.
Just as the cause of poverty is complex, the solution is to try to address issues like poverty from a multifaceted approach. the emphasis is on providing both “deep and wide” supports and services for people. A full step from poverty requires six interdependent elements of self-sufficiency that can be identified and tracked (Miller, 2004).
1. Income and economic assets
2. Education and skills
3. Housing and surroundings (safe, attractive)
4. Access to healthcare and other needed social services
5. Close personal ties, as well as networks to others
6. Personal resourcefulness and leadership abilities.

Though these are brief explanations of each theory, I hope I encapsulated the heart and key elements of each accurately. Personally, I think that poverty is a mix of all of these elements. I tend to believe (for the US) that it is mostly a mix of culture, discrimination, and cyclical reasons. While I do believe in personal responsibility, I think that the sins of the poor no more led to their poverty than my sins led to middle class or the rich American's sins led to wealth. I'm curious what you all think. I will blog about what our response ought to be as Christians in my next blog.

*This famous photograph that I included was taken at the height of the Great Depression. The woman had just sold the tents that she and her children had been living in to buy food for them.

Our drum is broken

2008-10-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

I host a mom's breakfast every Thursday with a group of women from different backgrounds and walks of life. We love getting our children together and talking about our common experiences as mothers, and we love talking about our hopes and dreams for the future, along with the differences in what we've experienced.
Two of the women are a mother/daughter that are Indian, but lived in Nepal and are now in the US. The daughter is my age and the mother is my mother's age. We started discussing how their countries (both India and Nepal) view the US. Thankfully, they were able to be very honest with us. They said that the US is seen as very selfish, bullying other countries into having our values, the way we think things should be, ect. This didn't surprise me at all, but it does make me sad.
I just read an interesting article that was interviewing Republicans that are voting Democrat this election. There's a video attached to the article and one man articulated it very well. He said, "We expect others to march to our drum. But our drum is broken."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-hirshberg/republicans-voting-for-ob_b_136997.html

How can we improve our reputation in the world? Should we care?

On a lighter note: Let's laugh at ourselves :)

2008-10-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

My friend Christin told me about this hilariously (and satirically) true website
www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com
Click on this full list of things to amuse yourself for hours on end!

A few of my favorites that I'm certainly guilty of:

#9 Making you feel bad about not going outside (my husband and I often bicker about this one!)
"As mentioned earlier, white people love to be outside. But not everyone knows that another thing they like to do is make people feel bad for wanting to watch sports on TV or play videogames. While it would be easy to get angry at white people for this, remember it is hard wired in their head that the greatest thing a person can do in their free time is to hike/walk/bike outdoors."

#12 Non-Profit Organizations
"It is a known fact that white people make up 95% of non-profit organizations. They can’t get enough of them. They like working there for a number of reasons, the most important of which is that it gives them a sense of self importance. This is important so that they can tell their friends and parents that they are “helping” society, and not just working to make money."

#20 80's Night
"White people cannot get enough of 80s music, partially out of nostalgia, and partially since it was the last time that pop music wasn’t infused with hip-hop or R n’ B stylings. Artists like Joy Division, New Order and Elvis Costello were all pretty well respected and had solid runs at the charts. Also, less respected artists like Wham, Rick Astley and Cameo are still easy for white people to dance to."

#19 Traveling
The second type of white person travel is Third World. This is when they venture to Thailand, Africa or South America. Some do it so that they can one up the white people who only go to Europe. But like with Europe, white people like to believe they are the first white people to make this trip. As such, they should be recognized as special and important individuals. That’s right, by going to a country, riding around on a bus or train, staying at a hotel or hostel and eating - they are doing something important for the world. If a white person shows up in your country, you can make them feel fantastic by saying how you’ve never seen a white person before, and that you are amazed by their iPod - “a device that plays many songs? impossible!”

I'm guilty of so many more!!! Which ones are your favorites?

But it's not just about the color of his skin...

2008-10-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Why have minorities overwhelmingly supported Obama? Is it because he is a minority? Partly.. but it's not just about the color of his skin.

I've had the opportunity to speak with many, many minorities from different walks of life, different parts of the country, and different experiences... yet all share overwhelming support for Obama. They support his stance on health care, redistribution of wealth (or at least more fair and equal wages), education, and foreign policy. We had a lengthy conversation with an older black middle class gentlemen this afternoon about Obama. He said he really appreciates that Obama is willing to sit down and talk with our enemies. He said, "Finally a President that will be willing to listen to why other countries dislike us so much. We need to stop being the bully."

Now, I have some real questions for people who are parents of minority children or work with minorities and don't support (or even vote AGAINST) Obama. Is it true that if you have a minority child or are invested in working with minorities that you should make your best attempts to value and respect that person's culture, and what does that truly look like? And if the minorities in our country are overwhelming supporting Obama, and not only because of his race but also for his policies, is it fair to say that these are things they value in their culture?

Now, to be completely honest, many of the black people I've talked to feel that the reasons people would vote AGAINST Obama is because of race. This speaks to a level of apprehensiveness (or even mistrust) on the part of blacks when it comes to dealing with whites. Most blacks that meet a white person that supports Obama creates in them a sense of ease and helps build more trust. Conversely, if a black person hears that you are voting against Obama, it tears down that trust. Whether or not it's about race for you, it is for them.

*Please note that I am not trying to speak for all minorities, just reporting the information that I've gathered from the many I've spoken to.

The "White Savior" Mentality

2008-10-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

I am somewhat reluctant to even blog about this b/c I fear I will offend people that are close to me. For the record, I'm not writing this about anyone in particular, more about the general concept.

For the purpose of this blog, I'm defining the "white savior mentality" as a mentality that drives the notion that the white way of life is ideal and that the only means for “salvation” of minorities is to begin to “act white.”

Growing up in a predominately white, evangelical, middle class community, I was not very aware of different ways of thinking, acting, or believing. When I started to become exposed to poverty in our country (both rural and urban), I soon became quite compassionate for that "plight". I was a bit of a bleeding heart, if you will. I felt sorry for these poor children, growing up with little or no values (or so I thought). Their parents obviously didn't care about them as much as mine cared about me!

But as I opened myself up to people in the community. Moved there, became neighbors, friends, and family, I started to try to see the world through their lens. It was not the way I had viewed the world, but it didn't mean it was wrong. I came to try to "fix" the problems there, and instead I ended up learning more than I taught, and receiving more than I gave. Focusing on the strengths in the community rather than the problems made all the difference. And perhaps, it was not my "job" to fix things anyways. I think my purpose was to develop trusting relationships where both parties gave and received. This was reconciliation in his purest form.

Abortion: What is the most loving response?

2008-10-20T06:26:00.001-07:00

I'm stealing this article written by our friend Maurice Broaddus. I think he articulated my feelings on the topic quite well.

So in light of my black Republican yet pro-Obama stance, the number one question I’ve been asked of late is “I thought you were pro-life?” My stance on the issue isn’t that different from Senator Obama’s. I fear a ban would force women to seek unsafe abortions. I am also not going to be the one to tell a woman she can't have an abortion in the case of rape or her life being in danger. I would rather reduce the number of women who feel the need to have abortions in the first place. But I don’t stop there.

A lot of those babies folks work themselves into a tizzy to see born are put up for adoption, enter our foster system, or otherwise become neglected. It’s like most folks quit caring for them once they are here. If we’re to be true pro-lifers, we need to always be about the “least of these”, the poor, the exploited, the abused, the abandoned. For those focused on their Christian duty to have as many kids as possible, to “have a full quiver” as it were, if you have room in your quiver we need to be the first to be adopting babies.

None of my pro choice friends cheer for more abortions though they are demonized as holding that position. The abortion issue is not my litmus test for politicians because I don't see Roe vs. Wade overturning or necessarily want it to be, if I’m being completely honest. I am very much about letting people have choices, and a bad choice should be folks option (and back alley abortions does no one any good).

However, in this day and age, with contraception being so easy and relatively inexpensive, it's far more safe and humane to prevent pregnancy rather than terminate one. The whole abortion as contraception thing bothers me to the core. Late-term abortions are pretty much indefensible.
Abortion is a moral issue, a battle that needs to be waged on the level of the individual, not legislatively (though if folks want to be done with it as an issue, it should be put to amendment vote).

So yes, I’m still pro-life. I still believe life begins at conception, but being pro-life means that I don’t stop worrying about kids once they’re born. Being pro-life means I don’t get to move away from all “the problems” of the city and build personal compounds in the suburbs. It means that all life is valuable, the unborn, the underserved, the abandoned, the forgotten. Here’s the bottom line, a nuanced position is hard to encapsulating into a bumper sticker.

Jesus is a socialist

2008-10-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I dare say if Jesus was on earth today, he would be much more of a socialist than a capitalist. The bible speaks about money and caring for the poor dozens of times.

In an article written by David Chandler, he speaks more eloquently than I:

America is as much an economic phenomenon as it is a nation. It is built on a system whose driving force is the profit motive. Our economy blatantly rewards greed. In classic economic theory greed is good. A person who is motivated by greed will create, as unintended byproducts, benefits for everyone, such as employment and the development of new goods and services. Let the rich get richer, the saying goes, and the benefits will "trickle down" to the rest of us.

Jesus' response to economic inequality is very direct: we are to share the wealth. I once heard a talk about world hunger. The point was that we produce far more food than is needed to feed everyone on earth. The problem is not lack of supply; it is maldistribution. Many people are simply too poor to buy the food they need. This talk gave me a new perspective on the story of the feeding of the 5000. Jesus was out in the desert followed by a huge crowd. The disciples were concerned that it was getting late in the day and they didn't have enough food to feed the crowd. My suspicion is that Jesus sensed there was plenty of food in the crowd, but whereas some had plenty, others had nothing. Sensing an opportunity to make a point, he instructed his disciples to take their five loaves and two fish and distribute them freely to the crowd. By the sheer audaciousness of this act he induced those with food to join him in giving it away. The result is everyone was fed that day with twelve baskets left over. If Jesus simply did a magic trick and made food appear, what's the point? Whoopee! He's divine. He's not like us. But if, by his act of giving away all he had in the face of the overwhelming crowd, he demonstrated the power of a sharing community, he achieved a real miracle! Sharing is a lesson we especially need to learn today.

Is concern for the poor to be simply a private matter to be handled by charity, or does it have anything to do with politics or government? The Bible calls upon the rulers to create a just society. In a democracy, we are the rulers. We have the power to make the rules. The actions of the nation are extensions of our own actions. By our active participation or passive consent we share responsibility for what our nation does in our name. We have inherited a system that works efficiently to produce tremendous wealth, but fails to distribute that wealth equitably. It neglects the poor and it corrupts the rich. On both counts it destroys community. A decent life for all is a matter of simple justice, not charity! There are remedies that will make the system work better in the interests of all the people, but it takes active political involvement to bring them about.

Is this "bleeding heart" liberalism? You bet it is! Jesus is the definitive bleeding heart, and he calls us to follow him.

Blogging during the debate...

2008-10-15T18:02:00.001-07:00

I'm blogging during the debate tonight, so this might be a little muddled...

First of all, both candidates say that Americans are "innocent victims" of greed on Wall Street. I actually don't agree with this entirely. I think Americans in many ways participated directly in the greed of Wall Street. We often took mortgages we knew were "too good to be true" without thinking it through. We lived beyond our means. We are responsible for it and must make necessary cuts in our lives to remedy the situation. Simplifying our lives is not a bad thing!

On "spreading the wealth around":
Well, AMEN! If you're making more than 250K a year, you can AFFORD to pay more in taxes than someone who is making 40K a year. That doesn't mean that someone making 250K is suddenly going to be taxed to the point where they'll be in the poor house. And it doesn't mean that someone who makes 40K a year works any less hard than someone making 250K a year.

"I'm proud of the people who come to our rallys"- John McCain
WTH!? They have been saying "kill Obama" "Obama's a terrorist". Ridiculous. They are the most dedicated, patriotic citizens??

"Mr. Ayers will not advise me in the White House."- Barack Obama
-Nuff said.

"My campaign is about a brighter future for America..."- McCain
Why are you constantly trying to defame Obama's character then? The majority of this debate so far has been you trying to defame him?

"She understands special needs families better than almost anyone I know."-McCain
Really? She has a 5 month old Down Syndrome baby and suddenly she's the expert on special needs families?

I love how McCain constantly talks about Obama wanting to raise taxes, but McCain refuses to address the issue that he wants to keep giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. Talk about continuing the issue of greed in our country!!!

Obama wanting to sit down without precondition: McCain continues to bring this up and Obama has continually said that this is not the entire story. In the last debate Obama brought a great point- when Bush took talking off the table, nuclear missiles went up 10-fold in Iran and N. Korea. What happened to loving our enemies? That means we ignore them, give them the cold shoulder? Yes! That will certainly solve the problem, lol!

"Joe, you're rich, congratulations. Now you'll have to pay a penalty." -McCain
That's right. With great wealth comes great responsibility.

One of the only things I don't agree with Obama on: abortion issue. I wish he wasn't pro-choice. I do appreciate that he wants to bring to light the issues of REDUCING the amount of women that are in that position to choose whether or not to get an abortion. This is an interesting journal to read about a woman who was in the position to get a late-term abortion: click here

Vouchers for schools: I think this is like putting a bandaid on lung cancer and expecting it to be fixed. We need to work from the inside out in order to fix the education system. Parents need to be mroe involved in whatever school their child is enrolled! Teachers need to be supported more by the entire community. And I can't believe McCain is criticizing Head Start! Head Start has made some of the greatest progress in the education system in the last ten years. Unfortunately, once the children get into public kindergarten, they stop learning what they've learned in Head Start.

Rednecks for Obama? And our responsibility as white people...

2008-10-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is a great example of two men doing their part to bridge the racial gap in the US. Rednecks tend to carry a more negative connotation in the country as being uneducated, ignorant, and yes, even racist sometimes. In this article, two men from Missouri have started a group called "Rednecks for Obama", trying to bridge the gap between this group of people and the candidate.
Now, this leads me to another subject: As a white person, what is my responsibility in bridging the racial gap. My views may be more radical on this subject than most... but I feel that because my race has been the predominant oppressors of minority races in this country, it is my responsibility to go above and beyond in bridging that gap. I term it that I should try to go 80% of the way and hope that the other person would come the remaining 20. How this has worked in practical ways in my life is that I try to listen and understand their point of view, ask intentional questions about their experience in this country, and not discount or downplay their story. It is real to them, even it if is hurtful or difficult for me to digest. I realize that my ancestors never owned slaves and were not necessarily actively responsible for continuing racism in this country (we are mostly from the north), but it doesn't mean that I am able to just use that as a "get out of jail free" card. I realize that the way race is in our country, I am lumped as a white girl (and every positive or negative connotation that goes along with it). It may not be "fair", but it is what it is. And therefore I do what I can to not add to the problem by being stubborn or toting how "unjust" it is that I'm labeled "racist" or "insensitive" just b/c I'm white. It doesn't do anything to help change things.

Our rally adventures!

2008-10-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

We made it there and safely back and had a fabulous time, even in the cold drizzle of an October morning! My husband ended up being able to take us, so we didn't have to ride the bus (which would have been quite challenging with a double stroller!) The place was packed by the time Obama got up to speak. The energy was palpable. It felt like we were making history. I looked around at the many different faces; old, young, child, mother, grandfather, black, white, middle-Eastern... and thought to myself, "I wonder what their story is. I wonder what this election means to them." Particularly the older black people. We were standing in the midst of a few older black men that stood quietly while the rest of the crowd cheered and hollered. It was as if they were taking it all in with a glint of a tear in their eye. For if they allowed themselves to show emotion, they would break down crying. And it wasn't so much his speech that was inspiring, but the crowd that gathered to show support. On a lighter note, the boys did wonderfully there. They were full of energy when I first arrived. One of my sons was more fascinated with the child playing in the mud nearby, something that already has me a little worried! And both were asleep by the time we left.

Going to the Obama Rally with the twins!

2008-10-06T09:32:00.001-07:00

On Wed. Obama is coming to my town. He'll be about 3 miles from my house, so my neighbor and I are going to try to take my 6 month old twins to the rally. This should be quite the adventure as neither of us have a car and we'll be attempting to ride the bus with a double stroller, lol! I'm sure I'll have some exciting stories to come :)

Small town mavericks...

2008-10-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Just finished watching the debate and I am quite disgusted with the smugness of Gov. Palin's responses to the majority of questions. She repeatedly talked about being a maverick and McCain being a maverick, the mavericks that will "fight for the middle class". What about the poor? I didn't hear a thing in her policies that will care for the poor (other than her agreeing with what Biden said about Darfur, but yet does not have any plans in her current policies to do anything about it, only agreeing with what Biden is already proposing to do).
She plays into "small town values" as if they are better values than those of us who live in the city? This really gets on my nerves b/c there are just as many sins happening in small towns as in the cities. It's offensive and condescending.
And her lack of understanding of foreign issues is scary. She did a good job of repeating the McCain stance on foreign policy, but it was scary her actual position on things with seemingly little personal knowledge, compassion, or understanding.

Can she be impartial?

2008-10-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Gwen Iffil is set to moderate the VP debates. She is an African American journalist and has written a book about the historic significance of Obama's campaign.
This article is questioning her ability to fairly moderate a debate:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10012008/postopinion
/opedcolumnists/impartial
__vp_debate_host_pens_book_laud_131515.htm

The writer of this article said,

"Like Obama, Ifill, who is black, is quick to play the race card at the first sign of criticism. In an interview with the Washington Post a few weeks ago, she carped: "No one's ever assumed a white reporter can't cover a white candidate."

It's not the color of your skin, sweetie. It's the color of your politics."

I have serious issues with this statement. This is assuming that because she is black, she will be unfairly partial to Obama/Biden. I can understand questioning her loyalty because of the book, but I think it's unfair to bring her race into it by making that statement. And I think part of the purpose of this article is to throw more controversy into the debate b/c most people know that Palin is not an experienced debater and will probably not fair well.

Another comparison on race

2008-09-24T11:43:00.001-07:00

From Letters to the Editors @ Fort Worth Star-Telegram -
> > today
> >

> >
> > How racism works
> >
> > What if John McCain were a former president of the
> > Harvard Law Review?
> > What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of
> > his graduating class?
> >
> > What if McCain were still married to the first woman he
> > said "I do" to?
> >
> > What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife
> > after she no longer measured up to his standards?
> >
> > What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became
> > addicted to pain
> > killers, but acquired them illegally through her
> > charitable organization?
> > What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?
> >
> > What if Obama were a member of the "Keating 5"?
> >
> > What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?
> >
> > If these questions reflected reality, do you really
> > believe the election
> > numbers would be as close as they are?
> >
> > This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and
> > minimizes positive
> > qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative
> > qualities in another when there is a color difference.
> >

On a personal note, I don't understand why people are considering Obama "elitist" and "arrogant". Clinton and Bush both graduated from Ivy League schools and didn't carry these titles. Is it because he's eloquent? Well spoken? Intelligent? I don't get it.

How race plays into the election

2008-09-21T19:57:00.001-07:00

This article is very interesting (and unfortunate in its findings) relating to the current election. I encourage you to read it in its entirety. They basically took a polling of 2200 white people (both Dem., Rep., and Independent) and their views of Obama and black people in general.
http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-
political-pulse-obama-race
Of particular note:

"40 percent of all white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward blacks, and that includes many Democrats and independents."

"Statistical models derived from the poll suggest that Obama's support would be as much as 6 percentage points higher if there were no white racial prejudice."

More than a quarter of white Democrats agree that "if blacks would only try harder, they could be just as well off as whites."

"Just 59 percent of Clinton's white Democratic supporters said they wanted Obama to be president. Nearly 17 percent of Clinton's white backers plan to vote for McCain. Among white Democrats, Clinton supporters were nearly twice as likely as Obama backers to say at least one negative adjective described blacks well, a finding that suggests many of her supporters in the primaries — particularly whites with high school education or less — were motivated in part by racial attitudes."

I love this article on white privilege!

2008-09-17T18:43:00.001-07:00

For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.
White privilege is when you can call yourself a "f.....' redneck," like Bristol Palin's boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their f.....' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot sh.." for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.
White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.
White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don't all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you're "untested."
White privilege is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn't added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.
White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you. White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she's being disrespectful.
White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you're being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you're somehow being mean, or even sexist.
White privilege is being able to convince white women who don't even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."
White privilege is being able to fire people who didn't support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.
White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God's punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you're just a good church-going Christian, but if you're black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you're an extremist who probably hates America.
White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O'Reilly means you're dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.
White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a "light" burden.
And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

Not so much love from her home state...

2008-09-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Just saw this article that says there was a rally to welcome Gov. Palin back to the state. About 1000 people showed up. Later in the day there was a rally for those who are against Palin and more than 1500 showed up for that. Sounds like not all Alaskans are happy with the Gov.!

Capitalism and simplicity

2008-09-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

As a Christian, I have some issues with capitalism. I think it is a breeding ground for greed, selfishness, pride, and sin. If "our treasures are where our hearts lie", then simplicity seems to be the better route to go as a Christian. Working up the corporate ladder of success seems to rob people of the freedom and joy, rather than give them "freedom to earn". Always striving after the next thing rarely brings a person true fulfillment (monetarily speaking).
Now, do I think we should do away with capitalism in our society? No. Do I think there needs to be major reform in the churches as far as what they spend their money on and how much accountability there is for how we spend our money? Yes.
Thoughts?

Remembering 9/11

2008-09-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

So, I realize the timing of my previous post was not the best, considering it's the 7th anniversary of 9/11. I hope I didn't appear callous to the loss that our country suffered that day. My intention was to simply remember that our loss is also felt by many other nations who have experienced loss at the hands of our Govt. and other Govts. But I certainly don't think that justifies 9/11 by any means.
Seven years ago, I was a junior in college and woke up that morning to people talking outside my room about a building being hit by a plane in NYC. I remember thinking it was probably an accident, but wondered how a plane could accidentally hit a building? Well, everything soon unfolded... the rest of the day was a blur. My parents would often comment about how they will never forget where they were when they heard that JFK had been shot. I remember that day thinking that it was kind of the same thing with 9/11. I will never forget where I was when I heard. The airlines of course grounded all flights after the attacks and I remember looking up at the sky and thinking it was strange that there were absolutely no planes flying that day.
Due to some personal loss a few months earlier, it was difficult for me to have the capacity to process or grieve much of what was happening. It seemed a bit surreal.
What I do know is that I can identify with losing someone very close to me and on this day I always empathize with the many families that are still grieving that loss. You never "get over it", the pain just goes to a deeper place.

Taking it back a few months... my views on the Rev...

2008-09-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

As in Reverend Jeremiah Wright... schooled at University of Chicago, under the teachings of James Cone, founder of Black Liberation Theology.
Okay, so Rev. Wright has been possibly one of the most controversial figures in the elections thus far. Most people see him as crazy, fanatical, and egotistical. I disagree... to an extent.
When you look into Black Liberation Theology and the teachings of Trinity United Church of Christ, you see many many elements of truth. In it's core, BLT seeks to free the bonds of oppression that people find themselves in due to ongoing persecution and discrimination. "Oppression relates to physical, economic, psychological, and political repression. In view of this oppression, black theology (and liberation theology in general) seeks to speak to "this-world" problems, rather than "other-world" issues; to concrete circumstances, rather than abstract thought; to the sinfulness of man's plight in a ghetto rather than sin in man's heart; and to a savior who delivers man from earthly slavery, rather than a Savior who saves man from spiritual bondage."
Now, I would hope that their church would be teaching both (I don't know b/c I don't attend). I have heard members say that they do in fact teach both.
Now, I must say that to focus an entire church around this issue can lead to serious problems. But I don't believe that this church is completely doing that in reality. They have many successful ministries in their community and are a long-standing and respected church. Again, I don't agree with everything about BLT or the teachings of Rev. Wright.
BUT, I will say that much of what has been shown of his preaching in the media, I DO agree with. His analysis of 9/11 was correct in my opinion. Not that innocent people deserved to die, but that a corrupt Govt. that has been responsible for oppressing and killing many people in other countries was not going to go unchecked for much longer. He said, "We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," Rev. Wright said in a sermon on Sept. 16, 2001. "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."
I certainly am empathetic to the victims of 9/11 and their families. I don't for one second think they deserved any of this. However, there are many other victims across the world that have suffered b/c of the policies of our country. It makes me ashamed to be an American and have our country associated with Christ. Christ would condemn this kind of behavior (both of 9/11) and of nuclear bombing.
While Wright is clearly on the extreme with many of his topics, I believe his view of the sins of this country are correct and I appreciate his boldness in calling it out. His experience as a black man in this country is something I will never know and can not judge. I have to take him at his word when he says he's experienced a great deal of racism. I know it still exists. As a pastor, I think he needs to practice more of Christ's forgiveness... but some of what he says reminds me of the anger Jesus showed when he turned over the money changers tables in the temple. Our country may not do things "in the name of God", but we are certainly known as a predominantly Christian nation, so the two unfortunately go hand in hand.

McCain's affair...

2008-09-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

'In 1979 – while still married to Carol – he met Cindy at a cocktail party in Hawaii . Over the next six months he pursued her, flying around the country to see her . Then he began to push to end his marriage . Some of McCain's acquaintances are less forgiving, however . They portray the politician as a self-centered womanizer who effectively abandoned his crippled wife to 'play the field' . They accuse him of finally settling on Cindy, a former rodeo beauty queen, for financial reasons . Ted Sampley, who fought with US Special Forces in Vietnam and is now a leading campaigner for veterans' rights, said: 'I have been following John McCain's career for nearly 20 years . I know him personally . There is something wrong with this guy and let me tell you what it is – deceit . "When he came home and saw that Carol was not the beauty he left behind, he started running around on her almost right away . Everybody around him knew it . Eventually he met Cindy and she was young and beautiful and very wealthy . At that point McCain just dumped Carol for something he thought was better . " 'McCain is the classic opportunist . He's always reaching for attention and glory,' he said . After he came home, Carol walked with a limp . So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona . And the rest is history . '

Now, I'm not so hard-nosed to believe that just because he had an affair, he's incapable of leading the country. But, besides the fact that Cindy McCain looks like a deranged old barbie doll that's been played with for too long, I worry that if he is capable of having an affair and lying to his wife, then what would he hide and lie to our country about? I'm still very very wary of his political ties to lobbyists and special interest groups.... will he continue to be swayed by money?

Count the non-white people at the RNC!

2008-09-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

I was going to post about Palin's speech last night, but that's been overblogged today already. So, I will write about a side topic of note. I counted 3 non-white people at the RNC last night. LOL. This is kind of funny from the outside, but in all seriousness, what does it really say about the RNC? I did see many "good 'ol boys" waving their cowboy hats and swinging their nooses (I kid!)
Nearly 30% (91 million people) of the country are non-white. So, why were less than 1% represented at the RNC? I don't believe that the Republican party is overtly racist or blatantly insensitive to minority issues. However, I also haven't heard anyone at the RNC discuss issues of race at all. And I guess why would they when 99% of people attended are white.
Just my observations...

Can't have your cake and eat it too...

2008-09-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

So, I just read that there are bets going that Sarah Palin will drop out of the race b/c of her family issues going on. This got me to thinking...
Can you have an influential career and not sacrifice family life? Look at MLK, Billy Grahm, John Perkins... all great men of history that have influenced countless people through their ministries/careers. However, if you hear from their wives and children, they were barely home and family life suffered.
So, which comes first? I believe we don't take Paul's warning about marriage seriously enough. We want to have our cake (ie family life) and eat it too (successful career). Paul says that if you can stay single you should! It makes it so much easier, not being torn between family and career. But if you are already a family man/woman, then how do you balance the two? Should Palin leave the race? Will her family suffer because of it? Or will her presence as a potential female VP do so much good for so many that it is worth the "sacrifice" of her family life?

Maybe we should listen to the rest of the world???

2008-08-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

I just read this very interesting article written by a journalist from Jakarta, Indonesia. I'm including an excerpt from the end of the article, but encourage anyone to read the whole thing if they have time:

"While Obama may be the breath of fresh air that many people in the international community have been waiting for after 8 years of holding their breath with the Bush administration, the same things that have given many people around the world a reason to support him are the same things that his opponents have been using as ammunition against him. The Obama camp made the point that if other nations were allowed to vote in the American election, Obama would beat McCain by a sound margin in almost every country where there's been a poll. Unfortunately for him, the United States is still in the undecided column."

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/08/09/barack-obama-the-international-president.html

Clearly, the majority of the world is in favor of electing Obama. Is this for selfish reasons? Perhaps a bit... but can you blame them after so many have suffered under the self-serving and arrogant policies of the Bush administration?

Some have argued that Obama's foreign policies are weak and "fear" what will happen to the US if we elect him. I actually think that Obama would place us in a much better position internationally. If he is more respected internationally, we will have the world's support, rather than just a select few countries! Who would want to attack us if the rest of the WORLD is going to back us? And from a Christian perspective, I believe that we are our brother's keeper and have a responsibility to show compassion to the rest of the world, so much as we're able. I see Obama displaying a heart and dedication for this. Though much of his energy will be spent fixing Bush's mistakes in our country!

Why "the lesser of two evils" is hurtful

2008-08-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

I have heard several people say that they feel in the upcoming election that they will be voting for "the lesser of two evils". I find this offensive on many levels. First of all, demons and Lucifer are evil, not Obama and McCain. They are men that are capable of both good and bad, but not evil. Secondly, I feel that many people see Obama as inexperienced, a "dreamer", or they don't agree with his policies. Fine. But I find it hard to understand (especially from Christ-followers) how they could say awful things about him, knowing that the mere hope of him being President means so much to so many.
Edwin David, who served with the famed World War II unit of black fighters known as the Tuskegee Airmen and, at age 83, and retired in the Pocono Mountains, pleaded: "Just let me live 'til voting time in November. In my lifetime, we just might get to see the first African-American president." Particularly for the older generation which is not far removed from slavery, emancipation, lynchings, Jim Crow, lunch counter bigotry, voting rights, integration, oratory, intermarriage, black pride, assassination, riots, marches — so many marches — and now a nomination!
I've heard many say that they "fear" what Obama's policies would do to our country. Personally, I fear what would happen if we elect another Conservative white man into office. How refreshing for other nations to have the leader of the free world be a person of color, someone who understands oppression, discrimination, and other cultures in a much more intimate way.
I'm not saying that everyone needs to agree with Obama on his policies or even vote for him. But perhaps we can at least "rejoice with those who rejoice" in understanding their long-time struggle to be seen as equal in society... and knowing how much this nomination means to them. Do not take a piece of that joy away by calling him evil.

Church hopping...

2008-08-22T08:20:00.001-07:00

So, in most cities in the US there is an overabundance of churches (and liquor stores for that matter). My husband and I have often wondered why so many churches exist when we are all loving and hopefully serving the same God. I suppose b/c we are humans and humans can't ever get along with one another for long periods of time. We get our feelings hurt easily and look for our needs to be met, etc.
I grew up in a fantastically supportive church. Our pastor left when I was 14 and the my father didn't agree (doctrinally) with the new pastor. We stayed for about 2 years and then left. To this day, I'm not sure I agree with that decision. I feel that we should have maybe tried harder to be part of the solution rather than just leave.
So, at what point is it okay to leave a church? What makes you join a church in the first place?

Personal life vs. political stance?

2008-08-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

Which is more important? John Edwards affair has been all over the news lately. As in the era of Bill Clinton, it brings to light once again: Is personal life/character more important than political stance when it comes to our country's leadership? If you asked me this question 4 years ago, my answer would have undoubtedly been YES! However, we have had the last 8 years of a President that has a seemingly "moral" personal life... he's been faithful to his wife, proclaims to be a born-again Christian, doesn't have any immoral vices that we know of... yet, he's also made some terrible (in my opinion and 70% of our country's opinion) choices as Commander in Chief.
So, it makes this topic a bit more foggy for me. My ultimate answer would be that both are important. But if I had to choose just one, it is very difficult. Personal morality doesn't necessarily make you a good leader. And yet, can we trust a leader that may lie and betray those most close to them? Ugh. I'm at a stand-still on this one.

I'm feeling a bit unpatriotic...

2008-08-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

In light of the Olympics, I am more keenly aware that my one-time zeal for the US has faded over the years... I remember as a child, I would get quite excited watching the Olympics and cheering for our teams. Not so much this year... This has nothing to do with the athletes, I think they are all dedicated and fine representatives of our country. I think it has more to do with the fact that our country uses 60% of the world's resources (signifying our "dominance" in so many areas). I feel much more excited for smaller countries that win at the Olympics. It seems to me (I get my views from watching CNN, BBC, and talking with friends from other countries) that the US has a fairly negative reputation in other parts of the world. I realize that we also are benevolent in supporting crisis relief and other relief organizations world-wide. But are we being greedy? Do we even care what our reputation is in the world?

Do we live in a spirit of fear?

2008-08-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

(Maternity shirt)

I've been really bothered lately with the fact that so much of what we do (as Americans and Christians) is done out of a spirit of fear. I could go on and on about different ways we live out of fear... but specifically I'll address the issue of the war. First of all, I don't think the war is necessary. There is supposed to be a "war on terror", though I don't think Iraq was "terrorizing" us before we attacked them. I have heard many Christians justify the war saying that they are "keeping us safe". Why are we so afraid? Perhaps it's b/c we elected a President (twice) that is more interested in attacking others than "loving our enemies". The bible is very specific about this point. We are to love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us. I don't think there's much wiggle room for interpretation in that passage. I suppose I lean more towards pacifism.
Now, I want to make a side note that I am thankful for the troops that are willing to risk their own safety. I am actually pretty upset with the Govt. for putting them in that position for what I see as unnecessary reasons. Families have been split apart for months and years at a time, babies have been born without their fathers present, lives have been needlessly lost on both sides. I don't vilify our troops at all. I think they are quite sacrificial. Back to my first point... "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love" -1 John 1:18 "For he has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind" -2 Tim 1:7 Perhaps I am naive to think that as a nation, we could change the way of politics from being driven by fear to being driven by love, respect, and sacrifice. But I can't ignore what we've been commanded in the bible either. Not to be overly political, but this is one of the main reasons I'm voting for Obama. I think his stance on foreign policy is far more biblical than anything we've seen in the past. He has said he wants to sit down with our enemies and actually talk. What a novel idea! Because he is a minority and has lived outside the US, I think he has an appreciation and understanding of the world that most of our leaders have not had. I'm ready for a new approach, I'm ready for change.

Does it matter?

2008-08-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

Our twins look quite different. One is darker complected and resembles my husband (who is biracial..black/white) and one is lighter complected. The other day we were in Walmart. We split up and he took the lighter complected twin with him and I took the other one with me. Some silly teenage girls made the comment to him, "Is that your baby?", inferring that the baby looked too light to be his. This really bothered my husband. He is proud of his heritage and wants his sons to be proud as well.
This brings up a whole slew of different issues... What race will the boys identify with? How will we handle it as parents? Does it matter at all? Do we not discuss it and let them figure it out on their own?
I've often heard white people talk about how it doesn't matter. Color doesn't matter. Race doesn't matter. I won't speak for all minorities, only what my husband feels about the subject: Because he is darker complected for a biracial person, he is often assumed by society to be African American. He therefore identifies with that race. He feels that race does matter. He has overcome (along with many others) adversities, discrimination, and felt deep camaraderie with other minorities due to his experiences.
We both want to see the walls of racial tension to be broken. We feel the best way to do this is through talking and acknowledging the differences, instead of just ignoring them. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in our colorful family.
Do you think race/color matters?

Dare I broach the topic? I'm gonna go there....

2008-08-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

In light of the surge of newfound political interest (especially in my generation and younger)... what issues do you think God cares about the most? Or to phrase it differently, what social issues would Christ be campaigning for if he was on earth? Abortion? Poverty? Education? Environment? Economy? Healthcare?
I don't pretend to think that any candidate is entirely doing the will of God, nor that God supports one candidate in particular. I think God cares about all of these issues (mentioned above). Probably about the same. And scripture commands the Church to take care of these issues. Boy are we failing in so many ways! Maybe I've even become cynical at trying to get the church to all come together to tackle these issues. It seems easier to accomplish it through our Govt.
But God's purpose and heart is to be in relationship with us. We love Him because He first loved us. And it seems that a great more people would come to love God if the Church really took care of poverty, education, environmental issues, healthcare, war, etc. But is it realistic to think that it could do that? And if not, how do we as Christians become involved in what is close to God's heart through the Govt?

Is it my responsibility?

2008-07-31T11:28:00.000-07:00

Many times as I walk around my neighborhood, I am asked for money. Sometimes they tell me it's for bus fair, sometimes for food, other times they just ask. Most of the time, I don't have money on me. However, it's hard for me to not judge what they will use it for.
So that leads me to my question: If Christ called us to love our neighbors as ourselves, take care of the poor, etc... is it my responsibility to give regardless of how they choose to spend the money?
Part of me feels that I would be (potentially) enabling an addiction. The other part of me feels that it is arrogant and wrong of me to assume this about a stranger. Thoughts??? Discuss...

Indian Corn

2008-07-31T10:10:00.001-07:00

I grew up in the middle of the midwest cornfields. Raised in a conservative, loving Christian family, I had quite an innocent a blissful childhood. I attended college in the middle of the cornfields. Unexplicably, this is where God seemed to stir a passion in my heart for racial reconciliation. I studied social work and went on to live in many different cities and learn about many different cultures. I married the first black man I dated. We have two sons.
I watched my path come a bit full circle. I leaned quite far (politically speaking) to the left in college. I still held many of the values with which I was raised, but also "rebelled" against much of what was taught in the church in regards to politics. I thirsted for new Christian perspectives on the world.
Now as a mother, I find many of the values I was raised with coming back around. However, with a little more color. Indian corn is something we would traditionally buy in the fall and decorate our home with. I always found it beautiful, the reds, yellows, oranges, blues, purples. I hope that I am becoming more like it. Being interracially married and having biracial children is now coloring a part of who I am. Yet, at my core, I am still very much a midwest gal, playing hide-n-seek in the green cornfields.
So I title this blog "Indian Corn" and will write about life, with special focus on racial issues as they relate to my faith.