Tonight, I have officially started boxing my things up and throwing “stuff” away in preparation of moving out. This is actually kinda sad, because I have lived with the Bethune’s for over 2 years now. Levi and Heather Bethune have been very good to me and are very much like family to me. Wit, Charm, Fun, Love, Friends, – Yep, that’s the Bethune’s.
Ok, this weekend I move into the Lockett’s house. This is to be a “pit stop” on my (and Bound4LIFE) way back to the D.C. area so hopefully I will not be at the Lockett’s too long. Now don’t get me wrong I adore the Lockett’s, I am just more then ready to be out of Fort Fail…. excuse me Fort Mill, SC. and back into the DC area. My heart burns for that city, for our government, for (hold your breath) politics, for statesmanship. (Yes, there are still good statesman, both Democrat and Republican, in DC)
I come alive in DC, everything is different there. I don’t feel oppressed there, as some would imagine, I feel right.
Anywho, this weekend marks Phase 1 of moving. Soon shall be Phase 2…(and all the people said: Amen)
After watching a series of videos today – courtesy @stephgrinage and twitter – I became severely upset…
Apparently, the UN is considering passing a resolution that would make voicing your opinion about religion, namely Islam, illegal. What’s worse – this resolution is binding upon all members of the UN, including the US.
Watch this video!
This second video is to make sure we all know why it is wrong to voice our opinion in opposition to Islam! (Please note my sarcasm.)
Below is Gov. Bobby Jindal’s response to President Obama’s State Of The Union Address. I, personally, like Gov. Jindal and hope he will run for President some day. Perhaps, 2012.
The following letter was sent yesterday to Secretary Clinton in response to her remarks that human rights would not be a priority for her visit to China. Besides the horrific practices of abortion, infanticide, and genocide that have killed millions of children and mutilated scores of women. China is known for it’s persecution of Christian’s and it’s intolerant view toward political dissenters — any dissenters actually. This letter is downright amazing. Please pray for Congressman Wolf, whom sent the letter, and for Secretary Clinton. Also, pray for China where justice, freedom, and human rights are no where to be found.
Dear Secretary Clinton:
I write to share my dismay, also voiced by a number of leading human rights organizations, at your comments during your recent Asia trip indicating that human rights will not be a priority in your engagement with China. These statements come on the heels of the U.S. failing to participate in the United Nations review of the human rights record of China, among other worst offenders. Both are deeply troubling commentary on this administration’s commitment to human rights, and are undoubtedly disheartening for scores of Chinese citizens, including the imprisoned Catholic bishops, persecuted house church leaders and repressed Tibetan Buddhists.
Certainly there is a place for pragmatism in diplomacy. It may be that the Chinese government, when confronted with its gross human rights violations, would dismiss U.S. concerns and tell us not to interfere in their “internal matters.” But we need look no further than the Sharanskys and Solzhenitsyns of recent history to know that it is equally pragmatic to believe that bold, public proclamations on the importance of liberty, freedom, and the absence of repression are cause for great hope to those political prisoners who languish behind bars.
In short, words have power. They have the power to inspire, or deflate; they have the power to give vision or to stifle hope. But for words to inspire the hope for a day when the Chinese people can worship freely, where the press is not censored, where political dissent is permitted — they must first be spoken.
Silence is itself a message. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” America has always been a friend to the oppressed, the persecuted, the forgotten. Has our allegiance changed?
Words are, of course, strengthened by policy, and policy is shaped by personnel. You have a number of important decisions before you in this regard: Will the new U.S. ambassador to China be singularly focused on good bilateral relations, and increased trade — or will that diplomat tirelessly work to ensure that our embassy is an island of freedom in a sea of repression? Will the assistant secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor be someone known and trusted by the human rights community? Will the new ambassador for International Religious Freedom worship with the underground church and press the Chinese government to respect this first freedom?
This administration is young and finding its sea legs. My hope is that the solid rock of freedom will be your foundation, rather than the sinking sand of repression.
I urge you to change course, lest this country itself be changed.
I am reminded of a story told by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel which speaks to this very point: “One day a Tzadik came to Sodom; He knew what Sodom was, so he came to save it from sin, from destruction. He preached to the people. ‘Please do not be murderers, do not be thieves. Do not be silent and do not be indifferent.’ He went on preaching day after day, maybe even picketing. But no one listened. He was not discouraged. He went on preaching for years. Finally someone asked him, ‘Rabbi, why do you do that? Don’t you see it is no use?’ He said, ‘I know it is of no use, but I must. And I will tell you why: in the beginning I thought I had to protest and to shout in order to change them. I have given up this hope. Now I know I must picket and scream and shout so that they should not change me.
Well, it has been a while since I have blogged or even had a website to blog on. Nevertheless, here we are. You might have noticed that I have a new look and I would like to thank my friend and comrade Craig Kuhns for helping me out with this great new look.
Ok, I am back at it, in full swing, and ready to go! I will be posting here regularly but I also blog full-time (as in everyday) for Bound4LIFE. So make sure to read that blog as much as possible. (as in everyday)
You may say, “What?! You blog everyday?”. Yes, I do. In fact, I have become a huge fan and have grown a fond appreciation for blogging, micro-blogging, vlogging and social media.
My desire to blog and blog often comes from 3 truths:
Through blogs anyone can be a voice for change and revolution
Without vision people perish
Grass-roots and community are the life blood of this justice movement
More on all of this later but for now let me say, I look forward to building a community here and allowing all my faithful supporters and new friends to catch a glimpse of what I am doing.
