Eugenics...what's the big deal anyways?

Last week, at the NCFCA National Tournament, I learned a lot.

I learned from two consecutive speakers in Persuasive that parents should have the liberty to raise their children as they see fit, providing that they do not harm the child in the process, and that homeschoolers are upset that the government is essentially legislating morality by forcing themselves into the role of the parent. As it turns out, in the realm of parenting the government is not well equipped to solve matters of personal liberty. Huh.

I also learned that eugenics is a big problem. Apparently, there are some wicked people out there who arbitrarily kill babies because they don't meet our arbitrary standards of perfection and beauty. I mean, I don't get it...we can sometimes kill children, or even adults who don't meet those same standards, but killing babies is suddenly this raging epidemic that is going to conquer all that is good and holy in society? What's the big deal with killing innocent people? It's not like their quality of life was going to be that great anyways if we let them live, and we wouldn't want to have to spend our hard earned money {aka, tax dollars, if you're Barack Obama} to support people who are bound to be screw ups anyways. Better to just end their life, because redemption is too expensive, and the right to life doesn't mean a lot if we aren't rich & attractive, anyways. Patrick Henry, ftw!

Speaking of Patrick Henry, it turns out that America has become evil again. This is something else I learned at the mercy of homeschoolers, last week. This may surprise you, but America has walked away from God, and is evidently ignoring the ongoing alter call. I'm so glad that I now know that a nation can actually fall away, and be saved again--there is hope for John Piper after all! I was a little confused as to why we were supposed to be praying for America (like the White House? the Washington Monument? I'm still not entirely sure I understand what "America" is other than a collection of some people, a few of which used to wear funny hats and grow corn with the Indians) until I found out that America was God's favorite place to hang out, excepting Israel. I'm glad I don't have to worry about the rest of the world, because honestly that was a bit of a drag.

It's amazing how much you can learn in a few very long days.

"The Trading of an Evil for a Lesser One"

First post–instead of awkward introductions, here is an article I wrote a month or so ago, following the elections. If it looks familiar, it’s because you probably read it in the Collegian.

I don’t remember who was president when I was 5.

I do remember moving from my hometown of Orlando to a strange town. I remember celebrating my birthday with a bunch of kids from school I barely knew, who were more interested in my pool than my party.

I do remember who was president when my mom first got sick, but I don’t remember if that made taking over household chores any easier, or if George Bush did anything to help my family.

With all of the excitement and media hype over the election, it is startling to reflect over your past, the experiences that the mean the most to you, and remember how few of them were affected by whichever political figurehead happened to be in office at the time.

In the end, the president of America does not change the identity of American people. Politics do not shape the content of your character; burnt Thanksgiving turkeys, raking leaves in the fall, cleaning the pool in the summer, white Christmases, candlelight services, late night conversations and moments spent with loved ones (or without them) are the things that mold your experiential understanding of the world.

President Barack Obama will not change your character. John McCain would not have changed your character. Politics will not change who you are, and ultimately, that is the most important element of the American experience.

In short: chill out.

If politics are understood as a hollow kind of reflection of America’s will, there is a more profound victory in Obama’s win; his race. But race doesn’t matter, right? If you’re the first African-American president in a nation with a long history of racism and bigotry, it does. If Obama played the race card in his favor preceding the election, his demands that racism be dealt with were certainly justified in light of the responses to his presidency. If Americans refuse to look more closely at the advantages of Obama’s policies, they can at least rejoice with the African Americans in their victory over a heritage of suppression and slavery. If nothing else, the Berlin wall of racism has been torn down. We are perhaps the luckiest generation in that we are now witnessing a groundbreaking moment in history. Racism remains a very serious problem in America today. When citizens like James Jackson of New York go to work, only to find a noose hanging as a blatant racist symbol, or workers like Charles Hickman, are nearly strangled as a sign of hatred, America is clearly sick. But Tuesday’s victory was a triumph over this history of bigotry. Maybe, just maybe, America is recovering from an illness with which she has struggled for centuries.

Politics do not change our lives, but perhaps this time around they are an accurate representation of our beliefs which make a powerful statement to world.

And hey, if Obama’s “socialism” really bothers you—move to Canada. But don’t come rushing back in 8 years, hoping things will be better. In the words of Derek Webb:

“you can render unto Caesar everything that’s his
you can trust in his power to come to your defense
it’s the way of the world, the way of the gun
it’s the trading of an evil for a lesser one
so don’t hold your breath or your vote until
you think you’ve finally found a savior up on Capitol Hill.”