What were they thinking?

This is a quick rant about something I heard on the radio as I drove into work. Every year, the government give out grants and funding to NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to do good things and help people. These are usually wonderful things like fighting homelessness, hunger and oppression. Well usually, the USCCB (United States Council of Catholic Bishops) gets a large amount and they deal it out to Catholic Charities in various states. Well, one of the programs that Catholic Charities does helps people who are victims of sex trafficking. They have helped people with the help of government funds for decades. Well now, there are certain people trying to rescind the contract and stop the funding to CC for help for sex trafficking victims because they feel they do not offer every health service to them that they should. What health service are they not giving? Condoms and Birth Control Pills. Because of the Church's stance against these things, they do not supply these victims with this. They give them EVERY other form of medical help, counseling and support they desire, but not that. (Which anyone could obtain free from countless other sources if so desired.)

The thing that caught my attention was, do you really think that after being forced into prostitution and the sex market that these victims would want to hop right into having sex more? So, we should encourage them to go out and have more meaningless sex right away as part of the treatment? Sorry, we were going to help you and address the mental/physical/emotional pains you are going through, but we can't now because if we don't shove condoms and the pill in your pockets right away, we can't do anything for you. This is sad. personal bias and politics stop qualified and eager people from helping those who need it most. And these are not always simply prostitutes, many times these people are drugged, stolen from their families and home countries, or kidnapped while on vacation. They are sold internationally and shipped like cattle. They are forced into horrible things and don't do this for money or desire for more drugs or even to make a living, they do this at threat of death or threats to their family. But sure, let's let them wait while we argue about condoms and telling them to now have sex because it's safe and fun.

Excuse me while I go throw up now.......

Putting things in perspective

I love my new job. I've already in the short time that I've worked there got to me some really interesting people. Tonight I meant to genocide survivors 1 from the congo and 1 from rwanda. After speaking with him for dinner afterwards I realize that the need of some other people are so much simpler than what we think. The young man from the condo, justin, was in need of something very simple to help his cause. He wants to make a documentary about the crimes going on in the congo in all he needs is a good camera. And all he wants is the laptop to make the movie with. I was so moved by talking with him about what he needs an the congo then I decided to talk with others to make it happen. Now working with other groups and religious organization, we're gonna do some fundraisers and thinking and make it happen for him.

What I got in the car, I heard an interview on npr about social media. They talked about the need of social media and cultures obsession with twitter and facebook. They talked about what it is to tweet too much and to go on facebook too much. I wondered, is this our biggest problem in our society? I just spent an hour talking about the congo war people are being murdered for belonging to the wrong tribe. Americans only seem to care about things when it's convenient for them. Is a hypocritical that I'm posting this on a blog? I don't think so. I think this social media can be good if you the right way. If I use it to let you know about raising money to get this young man a camera it's a good thing. If I tweet to tell you what I had for breakfast I should probably stop and think. I've said it before, technology is a double edge sword.

Political prospects

OK, this is probably going to piss a few people off. This is why I could never vote for Mitt Romney. Does religion come into play on politics? Does it form policy making decisions? Perhaps not in the way that most people fear like they did when Kennedy ran for office. They thought the Pope would make his decisions. As if. The thing is though, it does affect the way one makes a decision. For Romney, his LDS belief contains the concept of continuing revelation. So, in essence there is no sustainable truth. There could be something that is dictated that is so pertinent and needed it is determined that it will last forever and never be taken from the earth. But, lo and behold, things happen, times change, needs aren't met and that solid truth changes. The LDS have done this with polygamy, who can hold the priesthood and such. Things that were never supposed to change did. For the better? Sure. But this mind set could have dire consequences. What if it was determined that free speech was no longer acceptable? Could someone like Romney deem that this truth our country was founded on should and could change? That's a scary thought. Also anyone who could change their stance in this way when its convenient, could do much harm to our national identity. Personally, if you believe the LDS faith, good for you. But for me, I can't have someone in the highest office in our land who believes it. It is doctrinally unsound and lacks reason. I can not back someone who I need to use reason so effectively that lacks using it in his faith life. I don't know who I'll vote for, but it can't be him.

The Double Edge Sword of Life

http://bit.ly/pnQlYp I was walking to work today and thinking about the fact that Steve Jobs passed away yesterday. I am sad about it, not only because it is the loss of another life, but also because of his potential. Sure, he had some personal issues in how he worked with people and the way he did some things, but no one can deny that he was an innovator. The products that he developed and sold have changed the world and they way in which we communicate in it. So as I walked, I decided it would be strangely poetic if i listened to my rarely used Ipod. As I plugged it in drawing in all the subtle thoughts of Apple in my life, it wouldn't come on. It was dead. The battery had gone out and i haven't charged it in a while. Ironic, maybe. Too soon? perhaps. But as I took the earbuds out, I started to think it may be better this way. I could listen to the sound of the birds, the hum of the traffic and all the sounds of Nashville coming to life. Then I started to think about how technology is truly a double edged sword in our society. We have it, we feel like we need it, and we do too much with it. We put too much out there publicly. We spend more time virtually chatting and emailing than we do speaking to one another. We can't put our phones down to save our lives. The internet is great and so much is at your finger tips, but the smut and trash that compose over half the available space in the clouds isn't worth a digital pile of dog crap. Do we need all this? Do we need the latest and greatest I-whatever to function in this world? Do we need to post every thought, feeling, breakfast item we consume for the world to see? This double edge sword is immense. Ironic to complain about this in a blog too. =) But then I thought about the metaphor. The Japanese have swords that only cut one way. Does their society have the same effect? What about their internet use? Apparently, they welcome technology open armed. They embrace it, but at the same time, juxtapose it with religious tenets that speak of simplicity, a soft still voice, nature and the real world. They eat better than us. They make some weird packaged food for sure, but many eat very fresh. More rice, seafood, vegetables and things that don't get plagued down with high fructose corn syrup and preservative like we do. So is balance the key? Is technology not wrong, but how we're using it? Perhaps it should free us up to do other things. We should not be slaves to it. I should take my own advice. I'm logging off now, but I won't delete my account. Not yet anyways.

This is a test.............

Enter your guess between 1 and 10:

I think this rings true today.............

Why does our president need to campaign so much???

This is not a anti-Obama rant, nor is it one in favor. What I don't understand is why our current president has spent millions of our dollars retrofitting tour busses to be secret service capable to go talk to the citizens and give speeches, yet insist he is not campaigning. I have a news flash, YOU'RE ALREADY THE PRESIDENT!! please, go back to Washington and do something. Then, he tells the Congress, televised of course, HIS new plan for job creation. Like HE can do anything by himself. Congress will vote and be the downfall if they don't create jobs. Its all a joke. Our government is a joke. I think I'd eager go back to a monarchy. At least their upfront that its THEM who is screwing you over.