...So, Get Off Your Ass and DO SOMETHING

If you insist on pointing fingers; on finding someone to blame for our most recent political scandal, then there is no one better I can think of then the big man himself. Mr. Obama definitely has some explaining to do. Unless of course you are one of the many that spend their days intrigued by day time television and have no problems in trusting your lives in the slippery hands of our lovely government. In that case we might as well save our energy and give up on you. Once you've fallen into the hands of manipulation there's no turning back. ANYWAY, that is beside the point. If you have taken thirty seconds out of your day recently to take your McDonalds the few feet from the car to your couch, then hopefully you are updated a decent amount on our government's latest "mistake." He goes by the name of Blagojevich. Ron Blagojevich. How dare the KGB place people inside our government! Surprisingly enough, oh wait... Not too surprising considering America's political attention span...BEFORE this scandal Blagojevich's approval rating was only at 4%. Just a hunch, but maybe that was a hint. Our beloved Bush still has not reached the 4% approval rating. Honestly, how do you get that low?! Hell I'm willing to bet Stalin and Hitler could have squeezed a 5 or 6% out out the people.Then again, perhaps it has something to do using his house telephone to conduct "business" even after the he had been informed his calls were being monitored. Seriously, more than 4% of the entire American public has to sympathize with his love of Christmastime fishing or offer the sympathy vote for the helmet his last barber put on his head.

To President-to-be Obama I must say although I'm not his biggest supporter, it was a wonderful decision to come clean to the public. Thank you for agreeing with us on the fact that perhaps it is time for Governor Blagojevich to resign. Of course this came after the fact his knight in shining armor Barack Obama endorsed him in 2006 and helped to get him elected despite the already ongoing investigations. He must have been offering Obama a percentage of the profit from that senate seat being sold. Barack was a big time Blagojevich supporter. They threw back a couple beers, spent some quality fishing time... I guess all Obama needed was a good night's sleep. He woke up last Wednesday morning (after EVERY SINGLE other politician had already said Blago should resign) and man was he pissed! Come on now conservatives, who ever said Obama couldn't take on his own party?! Congrats Barack, a job well done.

So back to this 4%. Lets put this is perspective. According to Fox's Glenn Beck 4% of the American public are in support of violent crimes. Just imagine his assistant coming in, "Mr. Blagojevich, congratulations! The latest polls are in and people like you just as much as the fundamentalists who blow up abortion clinics." Don't be disappointed though. Look to the bright side. At least you're above the 3% approval rating of full page pop-up ads, cell phone usage in movies theaters, and the use of illegal drugs such as LSD and heroin.

It has been a week or so since this scandal has entered the homes of our families and friends. Fox news now reports that Governor Blagojevich is up to an 8% approval rating. Apparently selling a senate seat for cash doubles your approval rating? Way to go America. Once again, a genius decision.

For a moment I find it necessary to go against everything I have ever mentioned about absorbing our factual information and learning from the media. It seems America’s Most Wanted host, John Walsh is on to something. After years of hosting this popular television show it finally became personal for Walsh. A close family friend, 21 year old Lindsey Harris went missing in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Three weeks after reported missing her remains were found, however her friends and family at Lindsey’s home in Illinois were left to wonder about her until 2008. Three years they spent not knowing where their daughter, sisters, friend was. There was no way to make the connection between the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in the remains found in Illinois and the missing person’s case in Nevada. Unfortunately the Harris’s are not alone. Thousands upon thousands of cases like this one arise every year in the United States.  The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that around forty thousand cases arise every year where remains cannot be connected to a missing person.

            “Imagine it! Forty thousand families, aching for answers. Even if DNA samples from those cases has been submitted to the national DNA data bank, known as CODIS [Combined DNA Index System], those families don’t have much reason for hope. The Justice Department says that the FBI, which oversees CODIS, has a backlog of some 200,000 DNA samples waiting to be entered. And that backlog is growing every day. This country can put a robot on Mars, yet loved ones of missing persons have to wait years to get answers, or get remains back. It’s just wrong.” (Walsh)

An up to date DNA database would help solve this problem. Along with missing persons cases, any serious crimes could be handled in a more efficient and timely manner. Not to mention falsely accused criminals and the wrongly convicted would finally have a walk free. Finally we would be able to utilize a way to prove criminal’s innocence.

 

While many make the claim, much like the wire-tapping whine that this is an abuse of privacy it is necessary to realize that not everyone would have their DNA in the database. This would remain a privilege to whoever gets arrested.  Of course, when it comes the day that each baby born is required to give DNA before leaving the hospital you may want to keep your complaints to yourself. The availability of police to take DNA should lie with other personal precautions. Insurance companies routinely require extensive medical history from clients, mortgage lenders subject applicants to giving a full credit report, and employers have urine tests for drug and alcohol consumption. If you are willing to give out all this personal information to these strangers, then why not to the safe hands of the police?

 

FBI, CIA, and local police officers would all have access to this information to help protect you and to no cost to yourself or to our country. In case you haven’t had the opportunity of hearing, we are in the middle of a rather large economic crisis. However, this database would cost little to nothing compared to other issues political pundits want the American public to fund. The laboratory technology and computers are already available under the name CODIS, it is just not being utilized. It is very unlikely for it to cost substantial amounts to begin to use this resource, but the “issue is properly the price that we should put on justice. The electoral rhetoric of ‘Law and Order’ suggests that the public puts a very high premium on protection of crime.” (Weekes)

 

            Thirty percent of crimes contain blood, semen, or saliva of suspects at the scene. All three are things that can be immediately matched with a person using DNA. However, a database is not being put in place to try and replace conventional crime solving. It would be used to identify the suspects then investigations would be conducted from that point by more conventional means. “There is no possibility of escaping the provision of technical evidence before a court. Doctors, ballistics experts, forensic scientists are already a common feature of the large criminal trial. The jury system is actually a bastion against conviction on account of complicated scientific facts.” (Weekes) Unfortunately, currently we lack the organization to do this. The FBI (overseer of CODIS) reports that they have an estimated two hundred thousand DNA samples backlogged and waiting to be entered. Apparently the government has larger priorities on their “to do lists.”

 

            Perhaps they do not realize the impact this would have on the criminal world. Maybe they do not realize the endless possibilities of having numerous people’s DNA available to match on instant to criminal evidence.

            “He was a church-going father of two, and for more than 30 years Dennis Rader eluded police in the Wichita area, killing 10 people and signing taunting letters with a self-styled monogram: BTK, for Bind Torture Kill. In the end, it was a DNA sample that tied BTK to his crimes. Not his own DNA. But his daughter's…looking for close-to-perfect matches with DNA from crime scenes. A partial match with a convicted criminal could implicate a brother or daughter or father of the convict. Such searches, advocates say, constitute a powerful law enforcement tool that, experts say, could increase by 40 percent the number of suspects identified through DNA.” (Nakashima)

 

This specific case was fortunate as Rader was already a suspect and by pure luck- investigators having access to sources such as his daughter’s DNA. However as a number of states stand, lab analysts who determine potential suspects in this way are required to keep their mouths shut. They are simply not permitted to give this information to investigators. Having a database where all DNA was available for all investigators to use would help solve this insanity in addition to allowing more cases to be solved similarly to the way the Rader case was. 

http://slapstickpolitics.blogspot.com/2008/03/obama-propaganda.html

"The old parties are husks, with no real soul within either, divided on artificial lines, boss-ridden and privilege-controlled, each a jumble of incongruous elements, and neither daring to speak out wisely and fearlessly on what should be said on the vital issues of the day."

It's time for a must needed reflection. Republicans/Conservatives, what went wrong? (I mean of course other than our mid September "meltdown" and the celebrity charisma that surrounded our first serious African-American candidate that together made everything else in the country secondary). First of all, spending. The majority of our national debt can give thanks to our lovely conflict in the Middle East, but obviously still a large sum comes from elsewhere. Republicans have been blamed that their lower taxes are to blame for expanding deficits even when it's been proved that they've brought in greater revenue over the past four years. So lets get this straight for all you finger pointers out there. Republicans got us into this ugly mess we like to call the "war to nowhere." This war is digging a fairly large hole in our pockets. Now, although not ready to give up the war, Republicans are willing to refill some of that hole by creating a tax system that gives back to both you AND to the government. Seems to me like while not fixing the entire problem, that at least we're making progress. Perhaps it's time that instead of demanding to have it all, we learn to make a compromise. As for you Republicans, my advice...from now on, just balance the budget, since apparently the people now deal in psychology and symbolism as much as abstract economic data. 

Secondly, Conservatives are supposed to honor past values and behavior. Let me repeat that for you who don't catch things the first time, VALUES and behavior. Somehow it has been mistaken by opposite party members that the series of scandals (i.e. Foley, Cunningham, Stevens, etc...) were to be marked as values. So, of course the Republicans lost their footing there in addition to their frivilous spending. Now Republicans need to make themselves distinguishable from corrupt career politicians. It would most likely be beneficial to refrain from letting incompetent posers (cough) Press Secretary Scott McClellan at FEMA (cough) from reminding the naive public that conservatives haves standards no different from their opposition when they claim otherwise. My personal recommendation: The Republican party should become exclusive. Start turning down members. I mean they have the money, right?

On to the dreaded populism. Good old Joe the Plumber caught on. He realized the case had FINALLY been made that confiscatory tax rates mean that none of us will ever have the liberty of experiencing the financial success guaranteed to others by birth. Miss Sarah Palin had a shot, but unfortunately her soccer mom, bimbo attitude killed it. Past presidents have demonstrated they can represent the people. Both Eisenhower and Reagan showed the public they came from and were the same as the people. Supposedly the wonderful argument that the liberal party is now anti-populist and one of the largely affluent who wish to have the government create a boutique, utopian social agenda, and the lower class who want redistribution and the guarantee of twenty-four seven government attention was never seriously made. 

So now, lets not be addressed as Republicans or Democrats. So, my Dear America, stop pointing fingers. "Democrats," stop thinking you did something heroic and mocking Republicans. Check the polls, you almost didn't vote Obama into office, thank God the electoral college saved your ass. "Republicans," stop playing the "I told you so" game. If anything, it's annoying and you sound like my nagging little brother. He hasn't even been sworn in yet. Stop fighting as democrats and republicans and you'd be surprised what you might be able to get done. Get the facts and make compromises instead of demands; you might just get what you wanted all along. 

One last thing. These compromises. They happen in time. Just a promises from our new president. If we jump the gun and start placing blame on our leaders as soon as things don't immediately fall into place we will end up repeating history. As for mistakes, unless you're going to help solve them keep your mouth shut. The more you complain the longer it takes. Europeans are already acting shocked that Obama voiced to the U.N. he was "conflicted" about free-trade. He has shocked directors about new capital gains taxes. Oh, and you Silicon Valley pricks were acting a little concerned that your demolished 401(k)s haven't surged back yet, guess by now you've also learned that the 65% combined federal, state, Medicare and FICA income tax really does apply to you despite Obama's sign out on the front lawn. Well NEWS FLASH: He was just elected! He hasn't even been sworn in yet! I will be the first to say I am not Barack Obama's biggest supporter (but let it also be known I did not support John McCain) but even I realize that Rome wasn't built in a day.

So what is the importance of demographic catagories? Is there a method to our madness, a reason that our society continues to sort people into black and white, muslim and hindu? There is no importance visible to my eye. I see no importance existant in creating demographic catagories in which we demote and promote certain ethnicities and races. However, for the purpose of writing, reading, education in general it becomes neccessary to address ethnical backgrounds and racial groups. No matter how hard we try to move forward, history will always have a place of influence creating biases within and towards different demographical groups. 

A naïve society is easy to manipulate. Unfortunately an ignorant, naïve society: even easier. This is perhaps why our most elite can be found rising out of advertising and merchandizing positions. They know how to get into our public’s mind and exactly how to play on our public’s lack of knowledge. Sol Sender understood this concept and when he and his Chicago based company were asked to design the advertisement for Barack Obama’s campaign he knew right where to start. 

The red, white and blue banner for change is perfectly designed for catching the eye of every American. Against a blue background, Obama supporters can be seen standing and holding signs with the “Obama ‘08” logo. Barack Obama is placed front and center looking up to the sky, a heroic expression pasted across his face. The snow white suit and tie only make him more appealing spreading almost an angelic like ore. Under him his logo can be found once again, as if you missed the twenty other times it was advertised across the page. If you follow his gaze up, you are brought to the slogan, 

“CHANGE
WE CAN BELIEVE IN.”

It is here the public finds themselves drawn into this “product” being sold. There is no evidence anywhere on the page of types of change, or what will be changed, not even when this change will occur, but that is not important. The single word “change” is all that matters. The Chicago advertisers knew that in order to intrigue the public they would not need specifics. They were aware that this was a time where society had been looking for change and they understood the level of education people possessed creating a realization that they could take advantage of the American people without facts of any sort. A single word would be enough. 

While the slogan is portrayed at the top of the page, the logo itself is actually separate and although shown multiple times in the background of the ad, the main focus for the logo is found lying at the bottom of the page. Obama’s “logo for change” was meant to be more eye catching than other candidate’s logos. However, the untrained public eye would not be aware of this. Obama’s O-shaped logo does not follow the generality of flags and stars shown by other candidates. It is a cross between Van Gogh’s painting “The Sower” and a Thomas Hart Benton depression-era farm scene. Both are incredibly evocative, if not current to a lot of people. Originally Sol Sender wanted an interpretation of Obama’s logo to be made public; however fellow advertisers neglected to used this idea because it was thought to be simply unnecessary. The general O represented Obama and he could use the logo without his name next to it. He was claiming the O just as George W. Bush had claimed the W. The blue of the O and the three red stripes underneath represented the flag. When combined with the white stripes they then become and representation of the plain; the American farmland. Last, but not least the O’s whitespace represents the sun, shining over the plains. Because it is white, it evokes sunrise, not sunset. This is a beautiful depiction, but not needed. The naïve public would not need this to be pulled in. The fact that a difference between other candidate’s logos would catch their eye would be enough. 

While differentiating between logos would be enough to draw a person in, the rest of the picture had to sell itself once the innocent bystander’s attention had been caught. What better than a picture of Barack Obama himself? Obama stands tall and proud showing his audience that he is strong and ready for action. His eyes directed upward imply he is a visionary leader looking to the future, which is something everyone is looking for. The interesting concept lies in his attire. While it is not uncommon to see a politician wearing a nice white collared shirt, it is not often you see that white shirt paired with a white tie. In fact, not once to my knowledge has Obama been seen dressed completely in white. It seems that this was done to create an angelic like atmosphere; turn him into a savior type person even. The color white is a symbol of purity, cleanliness and innocence. It has been used over the centuries to depict angels, in early westerns the “good guys” wore white, not to mention the symbol of a “white knight.” Our brain associates this white with these types of things and that thought of rescue is implanted next to the name Obama in our heads. 

In addition to taking in all of this propaganda we are also addressed with the layout of the overall advertisement. The logo can remain small and at the bottom of the page because it is not necessary when Obama’s face is blown up across the paper. When you follow Obama’s gaze upward it your eyes are drawn to where he is looking so as to make sure you do not miss the word “Change” plastered above his head. The creators of campaign ads, Sol Sender and company of Barack Obama’s ad in particular are not geniuses. They are not brilliant whatsoever. If anything, they are average. It is our public who remain uneducated and unable to see through advertising tricks and techniques. 

It would be interesting to see where our world would be without advertisements. What would happen if people were forced to venture out and try things for themselves instead of getting manipulated and becoming victims of propaganda as many have by Barack Obama’s campaign ads? Perhaps that would give a different spin to things. Perhaps.

...SCREEEW IT....Ron Paul 08 =P
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Governor Palin said, “No” to a bridge to nowhere, but it seems Mr. Obama is in full support. However, with that handsome face and confident attitude, why question him? He must be right, especially when he starts throwing that word “change” about. Hell, it doesn’t matter that he hasn’t shown us proof he can create change besides his wild imagination. He said the word, that’s all the reassurance we need. Some might say the Senator’s supporters are naïve, ignoring the facts, stupid even… Of course they’re not! They want change. He made “change” his slogan. Job well done.


Our country is currently searching for a change in our energy system. Well, today is your lucky day. Mr. Obama over here just made a speech about change in energy. His experience over this last year as Senator from Iowa has paved the way for him to develop ideas to promote an advanced energy policy. America, he is going to provide every single family with a one thousand dollar rebate for all the money you have past spent. This money will of course voluntarily be given to you by the oil companies. They haven’t actually agreed to this yet, but Mr. Barack put the idea in their heads. The public is probably thinking this seems a little “ify.” Don’t worry, just remember, change. You want it. He said he’d give it to you. That’s all that matters.

Now the United States is also searching for a way out of this economic crisis we have gotten ourselves into. The people of America are asking for a change in the way our economy works. Well Barack Obama told us he would give us a change in our economy. He said that he would raise the minimum wage, raise taxes and will invest one billion dollars towards career path programs. We must have recently climbed out of our colossal debt if we are spending more money. Or perhaps he just assumed this country was as rich as he was. He just didn’t realize that because he has the money to provide his wife with a new seven hundred dollar dress for each speech doesn’t mean that the country also has that much money to spend. Money provides change. Isn’t change what we wanted? Well, here he comes, change you can believe in.

Although it is hard to believe that change will come from money when we have none, it will work. Besides if it falls through there are other changes Senator Obama has in store for us. He says he will change civil rights, change defense, change the environment, change education, change involvement in foreign policy, change poverty, change veteran’s benefits, the changing never ends. In fact, he will probably continue to say the word change throughout his presidency. Unfortunately for him someone may eventually ask when, where, HOW? Perhaps then, in front of the public, he will be forced to walk across his bridge to nowhere.

Neither candidate can speak the truth about the state of the economy.
Neither candidate can tell the American people the truth about the economy and neither has an answer to fix it. Neither can Congress tell the truth or fix it.

The economy is a problem and it has been created by "we the people". We would like to sit back and say that we had nothing to do with it, but "we the people" are the voice that everyone else should respond to.

We, as Americans, have spent ourselves into a debtor nation. This is bad. The majority of Americans have credit card debt that they cannot manage financially. This has nothing to do with the economy. We brought it upon ourselves. We, as a nation, have more personal wealth than than any other nation in the world and we do not know how to manage it on a personal level. The school systems have failed our population miserably. They taught us about sex, made us a nation who worships sports figures, failed to teach us to think critically and taught us absolutely nothing about managing our personal finances.

If the Congress had spent as much time concerned about teaching the the basics of personal finance as they were passing laws to get people into homes that they could ill afford, we might not be in this position. Teaching people how to manage their money would not get them the same number of votes that putting them into houses would deliver.

"We the people" need to step forward and ask the questions and we need to fire people. You fire people by not voting for them, by not buying their products, by not reading their trash and by not giving them your money. You fire people and take over a large part of your destiny by getting your own life in order and holding everyone to an accountability standard. If you are so far in debt that you can't find your way out, blame yourself first and fix it. Hold your elected officials accountable for their every action that is irresponsible and stupid.

Right​.​

Left.​

Why is that all I see every​where​ I look?​ There​ are two sides​ with no middl​e groun​d.​ Here lies our probl​em.​
You say you'​ve had enoug​h of the right​.​ You'​ve had enoug​h of Bush,​ enoug​h of his ways,​ enoug​h of his war.
So now you claim​ that in order​ to rid ourse​lves of this extre​me right​ wing presi​dency​ and way of life you plan to elect​ someo​ne who will lead us into an extre​me lefti​st presi​dency​?​ Excus​e me if I don'​t see the reaso​ning behin​d this.​ Perha​ps I just "​don'​t quite​ under​stand​.​"​ Excus​e me if I don'​t seem to under​stand​ why you would​ like to jump from one shaky​ extre​me to the next inste​ad of landi​ng on solid​ middl​e groun​d.​
Our count​ry is in the middl​e of a war and I'm not talki​ng about​ a confl​ict in Iraq or even threa​ts comin​g from other​ middl​e easte​rn count​ries.​ We are in a war right​ here at home with ourse​lves.​ We are force​d on a day to day basis​ to defen​d ourse​lves from our neigh​bors,​ our teach​ers,​ emplo​yers,​ frien​ds,​ even our own famil​y.​ Until​ we reach​ peace​ with these​ peopl​e,​ we will NEVER​ achie​ve peace​ anywh​ere.​ 


CHANG​E.​


Here is where​ the theme​ in this elect​ion lies.​ But keep in mind,​ that just becau​se you elect​ a presi​dent who'​s goal is to promo​te chang​e,​ does not mean that is what we will achie​ve.​ Just as you can not soley​ chang​e or even alter​ the moral​s and opini​ons of every​ singl​e one of your neigh​bors,​ teach​ers and frien​ds,​ a singl​e presi​dent can not chang​e or alter​ the moral​s and opini​ons of every​ perso​n in this count​ry.​ Keep that in mind durin​g the next coupl​e month​s.​ Do you want an extre​mist?​-​ someo​ne that only half,​ or maybe​ even less than half will follo​w or would​ it benef​it us all more to move to the middl​e?​ Give a littl​e.​ Make a compr​omise​.​ Learn​ to slay your pride​ and conqu​er our war at home.​ Perha​ps then we will have the abili​ty to find peace​ off our soil

I think its time we begin to question ourselves.

Where are we going? 
We're the generation who wanted to bring change; to make a difference. We have potential. We have the knowledge and experience, but look where we are right now. How did we get here? We jumped the gun. In our eagerness to make a difference; to change the world we were careless. We have two presidential hopefuls now. One, will not be the change we're looking for, the other we thought would create change. 
How many times over the last eighteen-nineteen years of your life has your mother told you not to judge a book by it's cover? I know I must have heard that worn-out line at least a hundred times, but for some reason I still haven't learned from it. The second candidate we nominated screamed change on the outside. In our hurry for change I fear that we failed to examine the inside. You drive through town and see a bumber sticker, 

"Before Bush took office gas was $1.49"

What is the relavance of our bashing? How does continuing to discriminate promote the change and difference we're looking for? Do we not realize that neither presidential hopeful is planning to lower this for us? One candidate is content with gas taxes, no change there. The other is pushing for change, a RAISE in taxes. Was that the change we were searching for? 

The word "change" has taken on a hollywood definition by the American people. 
The oldest person to ever take office. Change.
The youngest person to ever take office. Change.
A new color of skin. Change.

However, I'm not seeing where any of these things have an effect on how these two men will change our country. The polls are saying that economic policy is our #1 concern entering a new presidential term. How do these things help change our economic policy? Excuse me for stating my opinion, but I just do not see how the age of someone changes our gas crisis or our entry into inflation.

Now don't get me wrong. Both candidates have spoken on these issues. However, I don't think America heard them clearly. We've been too preoccupied with our "outside change" and as a result we missed the words from one candidate saying that our current tax system is fine, that we're doing a good job in Iraq, that healthcare is a problem-but lacked the plan to fix it. From our other candidate promising a fix for our healthcare, promising a solution for our economy-but whose only plan in place for our problems it to raise taxes, to raise gas costs, to raise income tax. Was this the change we were looking for?
It seems to me that this will only create more problems.
Our problems are growing everyday. Perhaps Bush is to blame, perhaps our education system, perhaps the country itself, but it doesn't matter who is to blame. We've pointed fingers for far to long. Placing blame doesn't fix the problem.

We need action.
We need a leader who will stand strong without making false promises.
We need a leader who will push ahead and who has a solid plan.
We need a leader who acts on our need for change instead of just being the symbol for change.

We don't need someone who will keep us in our current situation.
We don't need someone who neglects our requests.
We don't need someone who just "hopes for the best."
We don't need our leaders to point fingers, we have enough of that.
We need action.

If you've watched the battle for the presidency over the last few days, then you've witnessed the name calling and placing of blame that is suffocating the real issues. One man accuses the other of being Bush #3 and then other lashes back by comparing the other to Jimmy Carter #2...Seriously? 
Are we really about to elect a president that is more overwhelmed by his elementary school fued, than by the life changing issues at hand?

What possibly led us to this?
Why have we become overtaken by the materialistic side of things?
Were people wrong about our generation? - Is this who we really are?
Is it too late to make the change we really were looking for?
How did we neglect the most important things?
What will the next four years look like?
What are we going to do if things take a turn for the worse?
Have we stopped caring?

What happened to OUR change?
We've wanted to change the world.
We've wanted to make a difference.
We've strived to leave our mark on history.

Is this how we're going to do all that?

Charles Darwin was brilliant, but we have begun to prove his theory of evolution incorrect. Of course, we cannot blame him for his logical fallacies. It is not his fault the 1850s lacked adequate research tools, but that is beside the point. Since then scientists have been able to demonstrate that not only did we not evolve from monkeys, but they have come forward and openly admitted that there is no scientific proof whatsoever for the supposed ten-plus billion years where accidental, random atomic collisions resulted in the place we now call home. While we have been able to arrive at the conclusion by lack of factual evidence that there was never any “Big Bang” researchers have also confirmed that there is no scientific support that contradicts the Christian Bible in any way. In fact, most historical and scientific accounts are directly in favor of the Bible. 

As research progresses and we know more and more, still people deny the existence of God. Society has all the facts in front of them, a tree of knowledge so to speak, but they still continue to deny things even more than before…Or so it appears. 

When Stephen Meyer, current acting director of the Discovery Institute in Seattle, Washington was contacted and asked to debate against biologists fighting for evolution he was thrilled. He jumped at the opportunity to put his PhD from Cambridge and knowledge from studying Origin-of-Life Issues into play. Where biblical related creation theories once were said to be based on nothing but faith and evolution based on solid factual data tables had been turning and Meyer as ready with scientific evidence to back up creation.

When the day came Meyer explained thoroughly how he and his biology assistants had begun to understand how Darwin’s theory of cells, being simply a lump of protoplasm was inaccurate. Meyer told the audience how biological life contain element that cannot be explained by natural selection, such as mammalian blood-clotting mechanisms or bacterial flagellum. He acknowledged that cells had actually been found to be so mathematically complex and intricate that the fastest counting tools today would never be able to calculate or process the amount of elaborate interwoven fabric structure and function of a human being. Each cell possesses tens of thousands of proteins arranged in obscure algorithms of communication and synthesis. The body is found to have around six trillion cells and each one of these cells stores DNA coding that is able to replicate in addition to processing each code in three different forms of RNA. Thousands of supporting enzymes exquisitely supply the system with energy and seal it with semi-permeable phospholid membranes. (The opposition retaliated attempting to prove the opposite view).

Open up a watch to observe the parts inside. There is no possible way that something so complex could appear here anyway besides having a creator, the watch maker. The same stands for the world. There's no way the world accidently emerged one day without a great thinker behind it. Is that thinker God? I don't know. You tell me, but my only opinion is that SOMEONE had to be behind this. 

Everyone knows about having a fear of the unknown. I mean, who in this generation hasn’t watched “Lost” and not almost peed their pants when “the others” are coming? It is easy to dread the unknown, but more common to fear what is known. 

When Meyer returned home after the debate he sat down with colleagues to discuss the dispute over evolution.

“The Darwinists are bluffing,” he said. They have the science of the steam engine era, and it’s not keeping up with the biology of the information age.”

A fellow biologist responded by handing him a copy of an article he had found the day before in a copy of Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews. In the article written by devoted evolutionist, Carl Woese, the same person who had been the opposition in the debate described the failure of biology in proving evolution. It was a “page out of the antievolution playbook.” Woese illustrated the downfalls of natural selection and the mistakes of Darwinists. Woese knew the truth and believed what Meyer’s evidence supported, but simply with no explanation had refused to present this to the antievolution/procreation community. So now we ask ourselves, why would this man who knows more pretend to believe less when in a public debate, but then in a private magazine admit to actually expanding his beliefs?

The only way a person can deny something is if they believed it in the first place. The truth, or what is known, is feared to such an extent that denial comes into play. We like to believe what is safe and fear exploring the unpopular views. Our society is in a battle with our inner selves and few win the war. A pat on the back goes to those who branch out and choose not to live in denial and believe what they know is real. More people like this need to step out and voice what they actually believe. Living in denial is living a lie.

As we see groups such as the Ohio school board (the state where Stephen Meyer participated in his heated debate) vote to change the state science standards we are given a perfect example of people who know more, believing more. This past fall teachers in Ohio adjusted their curriculum plans to allow room for lessons that would introduce the basic tenets of intelligent design. This is a huge step in accepting the truth by moving past our fear of what is known and unknown as a collective society. While more people rise up, such as US Senator Rick Satorum who inserted a statement “to help students understand the full range of scientific views” into the No Child Left Behind Act, we hopefully will see a change in how the minds are processing new information. It’s a shame that people still fell compelled to conform to the safest and most popular ideas around them.

As Stephen Meyer stated, “Our culture has been deeply influenced by materialistic thought. I think it’s deeply destructive, and I think it’s false. And I mean to overturn it.”
Our world has had a lack of knowledge, but we are working to improve and expand the way we think. Unlike Darwin, we only have ourselves to blame so we need to step up, branch out and make a stand for ourselves.

With the presidential election process underway, we are now able to see the most likely outcome for our next Commander and Chief. Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton are steps away from taking the presidency with most Republicans having dropped out from the race. What I fear is that we have proposed all the wrong questions to our Presidents-To-Be when getting to know them and as a result are about to elect a president based solely on their opinion on past issues and not how they will perform and act on their duties to come. 
I have heard questions asked to the candidates about when they think troops will be withdrawn from Iraq, we've all heard about their timelines and what they think is best for our country. Our country is obsessed with "bringing our troops home." But are forgetting to look ahead to the future. I have NOT ONCE heard a question proposed to Obama or Clinton about what their action would be if their was another terrorist attack/attempt on American soil. 

Recently, in a private meeting with a group of twenty or so students at Sisters High School, a high ranking FBI agent, Erik Barnes voiced that, "There will FOR SURE be another terrorist attack before the next presidential election"

My concern is not only for the protection of my own life, but for the protection of all the American people. As I side with Obama over Clinton I find it only appropriate to question him. I have written numerous emails and urged others to do so also asking him to answer questions about our future. However, still I watch him over and over address the importance of a timeline to bring our troops home. While I would be thrilled to see our world at peace and our soldiers at rest in their homes, it scares me to death to think that we are electing a president who is so set on this that is not even taking time to think about the possibility of Al Queida brutally stealing more American lives on our own soil. 
As the ADD kicks in I'm starting to go a little off tangent, so let me bring you back to my original point, TO URGE EVERYONE TO GET INVOLVED. We need questions answered NOW. Not when it's too late and we've already been caught in the middle of a crisis. All you people, branch out and stop thinking only about what is being made obvious in the press and on the internet. Come up with your own questions; questions that NEED to be answered and questions that matter. 

"OBAMA, WHEN YOU ARE AWAKEN BY THAT 3AM CALL TELLING YOU THAT OUR COUNTRY HAS LOST INNOCENT CIVILIANS,
WHAT WILL YOU DO AT THAT MOMENT?