Government Shutdowns, Amnesia, and Blame

 

Winston Churchill is often quoted as having said, “We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out.”

How true that is. The words we say sometimes become the words we must later eat. If they turn out to be true, they must apply to us. If they turn out to be false, then we are proven false. Either way, our words we must eat.

This weekend the American public witnessed a government shutdown, the first in 5 years. This is the first time in U.S. history that a government shutdown has occurred while the White House, Senate, and House of Reps. all being controlled by a single party. The shutdown is still ongoing. Continue reading

The Obama Era: A Christian’s Reflection

By the time Barack Obama was about to be elected, I had just enrolled in a Master’s program in English, having grown up around conservatives and now surrounded by liberals. I had a respect for both Republicans and Democrats and their differing perspectives, but didn’t feel like either one. I’ll never forget the emerging polarization as Obama was elected: the celebration and the grief. Obama’s presidency is the first I witnessed since coming to a political maturity. Under his presidency, and my college education, I learned the depth and complexity of American politics and culture.
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Teaching Satire Using YouTube

I try to teach “A Modest Proposal” to every senior class I have. I love their reactions to the proposal itself. What really gets me is how few of the students understand that the entire proposal is a satirical piece, that he is being facetious.
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Blacksburgia webisode 21: Revenge of the Plaid Avenger

Blacksburgia webisode 21:

Revenge of The Plaid Avenger

John Boyer is teaching his highly sought after “world regions” course when he is informed that, due to budget reasons, he will still be teaching the class, but that it will now be online.  He shows up in the empty auditorium with a small iPad sitting on a table, filming him.  A local band crew arrives on stage and announces they’ll try not to make much noise while they set up for the show that’s playing that night.  He cries.
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Electing Faithfulness: Part 3: Respect the Charter

[Part 2: the Ron Paul Revolution]
“Why I believe Ron Paul respects the US Constitution much more than Romney or Obama”
or
“Why it is important for each country to respect it’s original charter” (except in cases when a generation sincerely affirms that they have outgrown and risen above a certain law, for morally prescribed reasons, such as when a charter says “the king shall get to kill anyone he wants” and they later decide that is not a good power)

Ron Paul is not a Republican or a Democrat, but a professed Christian and a Constitutionalist.  He tried to run on a Republican this past go around but was rejected in favor of Romney.  He has historically run as a Libertarian on an Independent ticket.  I know a lot of people don’t like his affiliation with the unpredictable pack of angry wolves known as the Tea Party.  Keep in mind, he didn’t give birth to the Tea Party, he was just the one in the delivery room.  It was raised by men such as Glenn Beck and Alex Jones.
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