State of the Wolf-report Union

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State of the Wolf-report Union. In recent weeks we have seen a bombardment of ads, and endorsements. From a wide range of people, speaking out on who they think is best suited for the role of presiding over our country for the next four years. Ranging from ideas of what platform is best to have to ideas of what kind of values the country should have. For some reason receiving an endorsement can mean a jump in momentum for a certain candidate to begin a roll onward gaining popularity and value. Everyone has their own base of what they believe things should be, what values should be practiced and what policies should be directing the government’s role.

 

In an attempt to follow popular suit I shall provide my endorsement as well as my current platform as what I feel is important and should be a focus of our leaders. In an attempt to preempt the State of the Union address that will take place later on tonight I shall give my address as follows. The last decade has been meet with harsh challenges. Challenges that forced us to bend at the knee, weep and come to grips with the trials we have faced. We were met with unprecedented terrorist attacks that have ushered in a new wave of global combat and terrorism. We faced an economic collapse that could only have been superseded by the great depressions of the 1930′s. Although recessions and down times are a natural occurrence that run on what can be said as a cycle, this one was far more severe that previous ones. It took it’s toll, and we are still trying to recover. These things take time. It is unrealistic and irrational to expect a recovery in a year. It will take time. Along with the recession we have seen levels of income inequality stretch the bands of previous years. It has become statically evident that of all the developed countries, the US owns one of the largest gaps in wealth disparity. The debate and battle over this topic will rage. But I feel this is an important issue that must be met head one. We have been a country that has been at war for over a decade. My little brother-in-law, who is ten, has only known a time when his country has been at war. We must reevaluate.

 

The world has seen events that have become historic. From the Arab Spring, the transformations of governments, the collapse of economies, and power shifts. The world is becoming increasingly more flat, as Thomas Friedman once said. Globalization has made its mark on the world. China, for example is the poster child of globalization. This past week’s issue of the Economist points out that over the past 30 years China’s GDP has grown at an average rate of 9.5% a year, and over the past 10 years its GDP has more than trebled to $11 trillion-the 2nd largest economy in the world. We have seen manufacturers move over seas because they can produce cheaper goods at a lower rate. These jobs now gone, leave ghost towns of empty plants all across the US. We need to again, refocus, and reevaluate. The current trend we hear lately is that we need to grow our economy, and shrink our government. Both claims I can agree with. Issues of what kind of society do we want? What role do we want our government to play in our lives. I think are valid and important. I will like to touch on a few issues that I think are important, at least to me.

 

1. The role of income and equality. I’ve been working out in my mind for a while what I think and how I feel about this. I want to be successful, I want to be wealthy to the ability to be able to provide for my family and have the ability to have a life that if possible is less stressed having to worry about finances. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with people being successful and becoming wealthy. We all want that and to say that becoming successful is wrong is focusing on, I think, the wrong issue. I think that there are people who have greater chances and opportunities to be successful than others. I think that the constant drive to accumulate more and more wealth can become a problem, and I think that our society redesigns the meaning of society when there is a visible and measurable distortion in wealth. I’m not going to dive into the theories of John Rawls, or argue which economic/political theory is best, but nevertheless our society is structured in a way that gives some a head start at the race and holds those at the bottom with heavier boots to run in creating it much more difficult for equal success. I believe this should be addressed and dealt with.

 

2. Healthcare. I believe healthcare is a human right and should be granted to each person. No one should have to ask themselves well if I don’t get this treatment because I can’t afford it them I will become more sick and the chances of death are greater. No one should have the worry about going into debt to get surgery, or cancer treatment because they can not afford it. Plan and simple. What kind of society are we if we grant healthcare based on economic prosperity? Immanuel Kant said it best, and it boils down to one thing: Respect for human dignity. Either you have it,or you don’t.

3. Investing in our future. By this I mean we need to take heed of where our future is going to look like. What is our educational system looking like in comparison to rest of the world? In reading we are ranked 17th, in math we are ranked 32nd, and in science we are ranked 23rd. If we are going to compete with the world, how are we going to do so when were are falling behind? Our infrastructure as well is in need of some serious updates. How’s our roads and bridges? How’s our airports? Why do we not have modern high speed trains like other countries? A 2010 GAO report, for instance, found that one in four bridges in the country is either “structurally deficient” and in need of repair or functionally obsolete. What’s more, the United States now has the worst air traffic congestion in the world , partly because U.S. air-traffic control still relies on 1950s-era ground radar technology. And key parts of the nation’s electric grid are still quite vulnerable to crushing blackouts during storms. Again, China is showing us what it means to be immersing itself into the modern world. Now China can claim another title – the fastest builders on the planet after putting up a 30-storey 183,000-square-foot hotel in just 15 days, or 360 hours.

 

Now, with all this I am optimistic that we will get our act together. I hope it’s sooner rather than later. But first what we need is the hostility and asinine bickering that is bastardizing any attempt for future success and growth of our country. I believe in this idea that our communal values, our sense of mutual responsibility and social solidarity should express themselves not just in the church or synagogue, not just on the blocks where we live, in the places we work or within our own families, but also through our government. Like many conservatives,” I believe in the power of culture to determine both individual success and social cohesion, and I believe we ignore culture factors at peril. But I also believe that our government can play a role in shaping the culture for the better—or for the worse.”

Let’s break away from our selfish views and grips and come to an understanding that there are needs to be met and government can facilitate them. We are a government by the people, for the people and of the people. This government is not an alien nation that got placed in Washington, We sent them there, They’re us, We’re them. In the end we’re either a society or we’re not.

So with that, I will like to provide my wise, intellectual and hopeful endorsement for the re-election of President Obama. I believe he is in a position to continue to place us forward. His ideals of community, valuing equality and being strong on matters of foreign policy, yet not straying from the importance of diplomatic situations. I believe President Obama has made an impact for better things, and will support him in this years election. Whether that is the right step will be an issue of debate down the road. But as something his detractors use as a mocking tool, the idea of Hope. Befallen to laughter and ridicule, this idea that we can hope for better things is a spring board to action.

Finding what we want in ourselves, in others, and our country. Life long personal development, generous consideration for others, due service to society.

Hope

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Upon my latest trip to Goodwill, I came across President Obama’s book, “The Audacity of Hope.” I purchased it, and have enjoyed reading it so far. I am drawn to the title. The Audacity of Hope. While not neglecting the need to be realistic one can never negate the need for hope and the need to hope.

There was a paragraph in the early chapters that stated something I liked.

“One of the things that make me a Democrat, I suppose, this idea that our communal values, our sense of mutual responsibility and social solidarity should express themselves not just in the church or synagogue, not just on the blocks where we live, in the places we work or within our own families, but also through our government. Like many conservatives, I believe in the power of culture to determine both individual success and social cohesion, and I believe we ignore culture factors at peril. But I also believe that our government can play a role in shaping the culture for the better—or for the worse.”

With this being an election year I will continue to hope, because come on with out hope, what are we left with.

 

-Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope

If you want to be hero, come follow me…on Twitter and FB

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I do not have time for a full post today. However, with the Iowa Caucus kicking off 2012, I wanted to share with you some of my social network projects.

Follow me on Twitter at chrishenrichsen.

Also, I have a Facebook page which includes my Tweets and additional comments on religion, politics, and the Bloggernacle. Please like the Chris H. Review of Politics and Religion.

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Of course, you do not need to actually like me or agree with me. Either way, I welcome your comments on Twitter and Facebook.

@askmormongirl (Joanna Brooks) for 2011 Mormon of the Year

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Times and Seasons has opened voting for the 2011 Mormon of the Year. Such contests are always to a degree exercises in silliness, however, I want to argue for one of the people that I nominated. (I also nominated Matt Bowman, I hope he forgives me)

Joanna Brooks is Associate Professor and Department Chair of English at San Diego State University.

While Joanna has long been a familiar figure to the Bloggernacle, during 2011 she became the leading Mormon public intellectual on Mormonism. She has primarily done this through her regular columns at Religious Dispatches. However, Joanna has also become the voice of Mormonism on Public Radio with appearances on Talk of The Nation, All Things Considered, and On Being.

There have been others as well who have broken into this Mormon public intellectual realm. Of particular note, Matt Bowman’s essays in The New Republic have stood out to me. If anything, I have loved seeing Mormon scholars discussing Mormonism in my favorite venues such as NPR and TNR.

While I disagree with Joanna on many things, in particular her approach to Open Mormonism, she has become the intellectual face of liberalism Mormonism. For that, I must give her credit. I hope to follow her lead.

I am not quite sure if this is really “The Mormon Moment” or not. However 2011 was surely the @askmormongirl moment.

Santa as the Ghost of Christmas Present (What Santa Means to Me)

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Author’s note: Originally posted at FPR on 12/17/2010.

Ghost of Christmas Present

Starting today we will have a number of posts about Santa Claus. If you have something that you would like to add to this series, let me know in the comments. Here is my attempt. Merry Christmas.

I like Santa Claus. He is not real, but he has spiritual significance for me. In this way, Santa is like Job. I do not think that Job was a real person, but I do think that Job is one of of the most powerful books of the Bible. Symbolic meaning sometimes has the greatest impact.

Watching A Christmas Carol (the George C. Scott version…of course) last night, I realized that, for me, Santa Clause is the Ghost of Christmas Present. Now, I am not an expert on Dickens as a literary figure, but I have always loved this story and I have grown to appreciate it even more in recent years.

The Ghost of Christmas Present (GCP) focuses on two things: the merriment which we have as family and friends at during the holidays. This is symbolized by the joy which nephew Fred has with his wife and friends. It is also symbolized by the joy which the Cratchit family has despite the their poverty and worry about tiny Tim. Yet, they are together.

The GCP also draws attention to those who are suffering. Not only are they suffering at Christmas, they are suffering while Scrooge has much. He also introduces this suffering to Scrooge to show the cruelty of his own comments about the poor and disadvantaged. Ebenezer Scrooge is the embodiment of 19th century Social Darwinism. Christmas is the cure for this vile outlook.

What does this all have to do with Santa? Santa Claus is the symbol of holiday cheer and giving. While he has become the symbol of Christmas consumerism, it is not Santa Claus that is the problem. Our society is the problem. It is our greed that is the problem. The mall has ruined Santa in the way the it has ruined Che t-shirts. But, we must not give in.

Santa has also been given the God role of deciding who is good and who is bad. I reject this view of Santa…much in the way that I reject this view of God. What about those children who receive nothing for Christmas because of poverty? Well, let us do away with poverty.

Like the story of Job, I think that the meaning and principles, not the myth itself, is what we should preserve. The best part about my children getting older is that the older ones now get to be part of the fun. They know that Santa does not come down the chimney. However, they now realize the joys that can come from being Santa in the lives of others…particularly their little sister.

I am reclaiming Santa. He is about giving to family and friends, He is about connecting with our fellow humans at the coldest time of the year. Now we could probably do these things without the symbol of Santa Claus, but I think that symbols are useful in bringing us together. They are also worth fighting for.

Who will you be this year? Ebenezer Clause or Santa Claus?

Does Santa distract from the Christian themes of Christmas? If you serve the Cratchits and the family living under the viaduct, you understand Him who came. That is what Santa Claus did. That is what Jesus Christ has taught us to do. Go and do likewise.

Pluralism

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Rawls defines pluralism as the existence of many conflicting comprehensive doctrines (religious and secular) within a society.

I think my Shem (9) was an example today of what pluralism might symbolically look like.

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Mary knew! Stop asking stupid questions!

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Note: I originally published this December 3, 2010 over on FPR.

The popular Christmas song “Mary Did You Know?” by Mark Lowry is a pretty song is many ways. However it is also stupid.

Did Mary know? Well, she was visited by an angel of God. See the following from Luke Chapter 1:

26. And in the sixth month the aangel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27. To a avirgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among awomen.

29. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

30. And the angel said unto her, aFear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name aJESUS.

32. He shall be great, and shall be called the aSon of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the bthrone of his father cDavid:

33. And he shall areign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no bend.

My guess then is that she knew. Unless she somehow totally forgot about this visitation by an angel. The song is meant to be simple and cute. But it treats Mary like she is clueless. While it is not unusual to see female characters treated this way…the is inconsistent with how Mary is portrayed by the Bible.

Did Mary know? Heck ya! And she was one of the few who did know. She was an active player in one of the greatest stories every told. She was the mother of the Christ and she knew it.