Obama in S.C.

I thought Barack Obama's speach in south carolina today to be one of the best i had heard in a long time, and exemplifying all the reasons I am supporting his candidacy. I thought I would post it in its entirety for those of you who didnt get it emailed to you. Warning though, it references a bible story.

The Scripture tells us that when Joshua and the Israelites arrived at the gates of Jericho, they could not enter. The walls of the city were too steep for any one person to climb; too strong to be taken down with brute force. And so they sat for days, unable to pass on through. But God had a plan for his people. He told them to stand together and march together around the city, and on the seventh day he told them that when they heard the sound of the ram's horn, they should speak with one voice. And at the chosen hour, when the horn sounded and a chorus of voices cried out together, the mighty walls of Jericho came tumbling down.There are many lessons to take from this passage, just as there are many lessons to take from this day, just as there are many memories that fill the space of this church. As I was thinking about which ones we need to remember at this hour, my mind went back to the very beginning of the modern Civil Rights Era. Because before Memphis and the mountaintop; before the bridge in Selma and the march on Washington; before Birmingham and the beatings; the fire hoses and the loss of those four little girls; before there was King the icon and his magnificent dream, there was King the young preacher and a people who found themselves suffering under the yoke of oppression. And on the eve of the bus boycotts in Montgomery, at a time when many were still doubtful about the possibilities of change, a time when those in the black community mistrusted themselves, and at times mistrusted each other, King inspired with words not of anger, but of an urgency that still speaks to us today:"Unity is the great need of the hour" is what King said. Unity is how we shall overcome. What Dr. King understood is that if just one person chose to walk instead of ride the bus, those walls of oppression would not be moved. But maybe if a few more walked, the foundation might start to shake. If a few more women were willing to do what Rosa Parks had done, maybe the cracks would start to show. If teenagers took freedom rides from North to South, maybe a few bricks would come loose. Maybe if white folks marched because they had come to understand that their freedom too was at stake in the impending battle, the wall would begin to sway. And if enough Americans were awakened to the injustice; if they joined together, North and South, rich and poor, Christian and Jew, then perhaps that wall would come tumbling down, and justice would flow like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.Unity is the great need of the hour -- the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it's the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country. I'm not talking about a budget deficit. I'm not talking about a trade deficit. I'm not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans. I'm talking about a moral deficit. I'm talking about an empathy deficit. I'm taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother's keeper; we are our sister's keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny. We have an empathy deficit when we're still sending our children down corridors of shame -- schools in the forgotten corners of America where the color of your skin still affects the content of your education.We have a deficit when CEOs are making more in ten minutes than some workers make in ten months; when families lose their homes so that lenders make a profit; when mothers can't afford a doctor when their children get sick.We have a deficit in this country when there is Scooter Libby justice for some and Jena justice for others; when our children see nooses hanging from a schoolyard tree today, in the present, in the twenty-first century. We have a deficit when homeless veterans sleep on the streets of our cities; when innocents are slaughtered in the deserts of Darfur; when young Americans serve tour after tour of duty in a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged.And we have a deficit when it takes a breach in our levees to reveal a breach in our compassion; when it takes a terrible storm to reveal the hungry that God calls on us to feed; the sick He calls on us to care for; the least of these He commands that we treat as our own. So we have a deficit to close. We have walls -- barriers to justice and equality -- that must come down. And to do this, we know that unity is the great need of this hour. Unfortunately, all too often when we talk about unity in this country, we've come to believe that it can be purchased on the cheap. We've come to believe that racial reconciliation can come easily -- that it's just a matter of a few ignorant people trapped in the prejudices of the past, and that if the demagogues and those who exploit our racial divisions will simply go away, then all our problems would be solved. All too often, we seek to ignore the profound institutional barriers that stand in the way of ensuring opportunity for all children, or decent jobs for all people, or health care for those who are sick. We long for unity, but are unwilling to pay the price. But of course, true unity cannot be so easily won. It starts with a change in attitudes -- a broadening of our minds, and a broadening of our hearts. It's not easy to stand in somebody else's shoes. It's not easy to see past our differences. We've all encountered this in our own lives. But what makes it even more difficult is that we have a politics in this country that seeks to drive us apart -- that puts up walls between us. We are told that those who differ from us on a few things are different from us on all things; that our problems are the fault of those who don't think like us or look like us or come from where we do. The welfare queen is taking our tax money. The immigrant is taking our jobs. The believer condemns the non-believer as immoral, and the non-believer chides the believer as intolerant. For most of this country's history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man's inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays -- on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system. And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community. We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity. Every day, our politics fuels and exploits this kind of division across all races and regions; across gender and party. It is played out on television. It is sensationalized by the media. And last week, it even crept into the campaign for President, with charges and counter-charges that served to obscure the issues instead of illuminating the critical choices we face as a nation. So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others -- all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face -- war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down. We can no longer afford to traffic in lies or fear or hate. It is the poison that we must purge from our politics; the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late. Because if Dr. King could love his jailor; if he could call on the faithful who once sat where you do to forgive those who set dogs and fire hoses upon them, then surely we can look past what divides us in our time, and bind up our wounds, and erase the empathy deficit that exists in our hearts. But if changing our hearts and minds is the first critical step, we cannot stop there. It is not enough to bemoan the plight of poor children in this country and remain unwilling to push our elected officials to provide the resources to fix our schools. It is not enough to decry the disparities of health care and yet allow the insurance companies and the drug companies to block much-needed reforms. It is not enough for us to abhor the costs of a misguided war, and yet allow ourselves to be driven by a politics of fear that sees the threat of attack as way to scare up votes instead of a call to come together around a common effort.The Scripture tells us that we are judged not just by word, but by deed. And if we are to truly bring about the unity that is so crucial in this time, we must find it within ourselves to act on what we know; to understand that living up to this country's ideals and its possibilities will require great effort and resources; sacrifice and stamina.And that is what is at stake in the great political debate we are having today. The changes that are needed are not just a matter of tinkering at the edges, and they will not come if politicians simply tell us what we want to hear. All of us will be called upon to make some sacrifice. None of us will be exempt from responsibility. We will have to fight to fix our schools, but we will also have to challenge ourselves to be better parents. We will have to confront the biases in our criminal justice system, but we will also have to acknowledge the deep-seated violence that still resides in our own communities and marshal the will to break its grip. That is how we will bring about the change we seek. That is how Dr. King led this country through the wilderness. He did it with words -- words that he spoke not just to the children of slaves, but the children of slave owners. Words that inspired not just black but also white; not just the Christian but the Jew; not just the Southerner but also the Northerner. He led with words, but he also led with deeds. He also led by example. He led by marching and going to jail and suffering threats and being away from his family. He led by taking a stand against a war, knowing full well that it would diminish his popularity. He led by challenging our economic structures, understanding that it would cause discomfort. Dr. King understood that unity cannot be won on the cheap; that we would have to earn it through great effort and determination.That is the unity -- the hard-earned unity -- that we need right now. It is that effort, and that determination, that can transform blind optimism into hope -- the hope to imagine, and work for, and fight for what seemed impossible before.The stories that give me such hope don't happen in the spotlight. They don't happen on the presidential stage. They happen in the quiet corners of our lives. They happen in the moments we least expect. Let me give you an example of one of those stories.There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organizes for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She's been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and the other day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there. And Ashley said that when she was nine years old, her mother got cancer. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that's when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. Because that was the cheapest way to eat.She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too.So Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they're supporting the campaign. They all have different stories and reasons. Many bring up a specific issue. And finally they come to this elderly black man who's been sitting there quietly the entire time. And Ashley asks him why he's there. And he does not bring up a specific issue. He does not say health care or the economy. He does not say education or the war. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He simply says to everyone in the room, "I am here because of Ashley." By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children.But it is where we begin. It is why the walls in that room began to crack and shake. And if they can shake in that room, they can shake in Atlanta. And if they can shake in Atlanta, they can shake in Georgia. And if they can shake in Georgia, they can shake all across America. And if enough of our voices join together; we can bring those walls tumbling down. The walls of Jericho can finally come tumbling down. That is our hope -- but only if we pray together, and work together, and march together. Brothers and sisters, we cannot walk alone. In the struggle for peace and justice, we cannot walk alone. In the struggle for opportunity and equality, we cannot walk alone In the struggle to heal this nation and repair this world, we cannot walk alone. So I ask you to walk with me, and march with me, and join your voice with mine, and together we will sing the song that tears down the walls that divide us, and lift up an America that is truly indivisible, with liberty, and justice, for all. May God bless the memory of the great pastor of this church, and may God bless the United States of America.

The biggest problem with the World

I have decided that the biggest problem with the world is a lack of respect. I do not know how it started, though there has been much speculation on what causes it. I see it everywhere I look. Something that is important to one person (like, I don't know, their safety) is carelessly risked and treated with disdain. Not only that, but if someone slights another person, more often than not the slighted person responds with escalation. One sees it on the roads. One sees it in public gathering places. One sees it on the internet. I do not think we should all agree on everything, but if you have a disagreement with another person, understand that there can be reasoned views and positions on either side of an issue/disagreement. there is no need to be mean and nasty. Respectful discussion and patience can lead to understanding even if agreement is impossible.

Warming up to Mitt again

So I have been pretty down on Mitt Romney. I really disagree with him on a number of issues. However, for the strangest reason I am starting to like him again, and here it is. I don't think he is telling the truth about where he stands on a number of issues. I really think that he is more liberal than he is letting on. And with the piss poor republican field this year, that is all it really takes for me. Who else is there? Guiliani- he is the definition of unqualified. McCain- He is the definition of keeping a bad thing going. Huckabee- He is a bigot. Thompson- Is he even still alive?? Romney- good for economy (probably), short sighted on immigration (probably), flip-flopper (definately), did good things in Mass. (definately). So while I freely admit that I am probably biased by that fact that we share the same religion and so I tend to relate to him more, I think he is the republican that I support. Not the (hopefully) forceful endorsement that I give to Obama on the Dem. side, but right now that is where I stand, though open to reasoned argument to change my mind.

Double the fun

Today I got my notice that I have been admitted to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. It would be impressive if it had required more than a two page form and a check for $160.

My favorite line from the times today

Bill Ash, a former assistant to Mr. Tobias, said he had told the police that Mrs. Tobias confessed to him that she had cajoled her husband into the water while he was on a cocaine binge with a promise of sex with a male go-go dancer known as Tiger.

Why Romney will not be president

Very simply, because he is running a bushesque campaign and he is a mormon. Bush was elected twice because he appealed to the uber conservative core of the religious right. He won the general election because those people turned out in record numbers. Romney appears to be running the same type of campaign. He talks of guantanamo as if it were the greatest thing our country had ever done. He talks of immigration reform as if it were a capital offense to come to this country illegally (more on this potentially later). I do not know if he actually believes what he is saying, but it is very appealing to those people who ushered bush in. If those people get excited enough about a candidate, I believe that they have the ability to get almost anyone elected.

Now the problem. There are a number of those people who in the primaries are talking of voting for Romney because he is the lesser of evils. They cannot get over the fact that he is mormon. They seem to think that being mormon is evil. I wish a fundy christian read my blog so they could tell me why being mormon is so evil, but I doubt it. Anyway, the point is that Romney cannot get these people excited enough to come out in enormous numbers to get him elected. And the positions he is taking are so contrary to what most of the country believes that he has no hope of winning the swing vote. (though I still dont believe there is a swing vote in this country) The long and the short of it is, his religion will keep him out of the white house because: 1) the groups he is trying to appeal to are intollerant to others, 2) he is taking positions that are also intollerant of others, and 3) if he wins the nomination, those intollerant people he is appealing to fail to support him enough because of their intollerance of his religion to get him elected.

As an update, I had my staples out and it was good. didnt hurt at all.

Staple follow up

So as I have talked to people about my staples, I have begun to wonder a couple of things. How exactly do they hold my skin together, and if they bend under on the bottom, how exactly are they going to take them out without ripping out my scalp. Wiki was helpful, but for a diagram that just explained it beautifully, I recommend this site. Warning, there is a video of a guy taking out staples with wire cutters and tweezers at the bottom.

Staples in the head

Squishy has suggested that I share this story.

I came home from work last thursday for lunch. As i was parking in our garage I thought that I ran my car into the side of the garage. I reparked and went to check the damage. It turns out that the people that owned our house before us left and L bracket without shelves on it stuck to the wall. I didn't see it and walked into it. It obviously hurt quite a bit and I leaned against my car waiting for the pain to pass. As I was waiting, blood started dripping down my face and onto my car. I cupped my hand to catch it all, but that was futile so I got squishy to get me a paper towel so I could put pressure on it and stop the bleeding.

I got the bleeding under control and went to take a shower to rinse the blood out of my hair and assess the damage to see if I needed stitches. I decided that I did and had a quick lunch while squishy figured out where our emergency medicine provider was located. (believe it or not I hadn't been there yet). I got in quickly and saw the doctor. He took a look at my head and decided that I needed staples in my head instead of stitches due to the depth. I lay on my back as he pulled out a medical stapler and put three staples in my scalp. I am not sure exactly how to describe the sound, but it was earily similar to the straitline I have in my desk. So now that I have drawn out the story I can tell you that pictures are at the bottom of this and so go no further if you are squeemish.

















I dont have pictures of the staples yet, but with enough popular demand I will post them. With this one all you can see is lots of blood and my hair is thinner.

I am voting Democrat (Maybe)

So throughout my life I have voted for very few democrats. This is not necessarily because I am republican, but because since I came of age to vote, this country's politics have revolved basically around abortion and gay marriage. since I am closer in view to the republican side of these issues (though by no means 100% on board with their crap). However, for the last 4-5 years I have been a big fan of Barack Obama. The more I have found out about him, the more I like what I hear.

1- He thinks through problems and then comes up with complex answers to complex problems. I am sick of rhetoric that tells us nothing, let alone how a person will handle the responsibilities of the office.

2- He believes that we can make a better world, not just protect ourselves in a crappy one. He thinks that things can get better and tells us that.

3- He calls it as he sees it, regardless of what the party line is.

I do not see this election as war v. no war or even about the issues at all, I see this election as a question of do we as a nation have the guts to still hope for something better. I want to, and there is only one candidate in any party that gives me that option. So I hope that those who vote in the Democratic Primary to give me a chance to vote for a Democrat and hope.

last ones (even morest)

even morer

even more

My friend sent me this, I cut the commentary though

revise the constitution

So those that know me from my law school days remember that I was really into revising the constitution because it was out of date and we could make it better. So imagine my surprise when I am wandering in Barnes and Noble and find an entire book on the subject, calling for a complete overhaul of the consitution. A lot of the ides were things that we had thought of, but there were some new ones that were interesting. Looks like there are more people out there that think its a good idea than I thought. Now I know there are two of us.

Interesting reading

this guy gave the welcome to the federal bar at our swearing in the day this news came out.

story

Key to the Elgin Marbles

So I was reading a deposition this week, and during a discussion on an objection, one attorney said to the other, it is basically the key to the elgin marbles. I did not understand the reference and so looked it up.

It turns out that the elgin marbles are artwork taken from the parthenon by an english man named elgin. He had the permission of the turkish government which at that time was in possession of greece. There is a lot of conflict over whether the english should return the artwork to greece or not.

Here is the wiki article on the elgin marbles. However, this does not solve the problem. There is no reference to the key of the elgin marbles. I googled the phrase key to the elgin marbles. I have theories on what it could mean, but if anyone knows what that phrase actually means, I would appreciate a comment telling me.

Bar Results

University of Colorado passed 95%
University of Denver passed 72%

Yet a lot of people think that DU is for intellectuals

I got a tatoo

Today, I got a tatoo. I got it on my hip. It was of a popular animated figure. Ok, it was a dora the explorer tatoo. Luckily for me it was washable, but for the hour that it lasted I felt like a total fruitcake.

I hate paying taxes

The only thing that makes me happy is that I should get all of them back this year again, and then I enter the wonderful world of deductions for mortgage interest. That should be good, so maybe I shouldnt look at it as paying taxes but as getting my money back in April without any interest, and subject to the whims of congress and the IRS. Yeah.

Cool experience

So I know that some of you are less than thrilled about organized religion (OK religion in general) but I had a really cool experience this week. I found out that one of the people I taught when I was in Mexico is now on a mission herself. I am not going to go into the details of when I was teaching her or anything, but it was amazing to me the change in her life that I got to be a part of.