A divided nation

This week in Knoxville, a deluded individual opened fire in a Unitarian-Universalist church, killing two people and wounding eight. His alleged motive? A hatred of the church and its "liberal" stances on social issues (including its support of women's and gay rights) and a general hatred of "the liberal movement.

Stories like this are always shocking in their brutality. One always wonders what kind of person can callously walk into a church and shoot innocent people. Something I else I wondered when I read this story was, is this what we've come to as a nation?

We've been a divided nation for almost decade. We have "red states" and "blue states." We have "flyover country" and "the beltway" of Washington, D.C. What we rarely have anymore is a united America.

When did it become a crime to be a liberal in this country? When did it become a crime to be a conservative? Whatever happened to our ability to discuss issues intelligently and agree to disagree? Are we really so far gone that we have to resort to violence to settle our differences? For the sake of our children and our nation, I certainly hope not.

Is experience a must?

Is experience a must for someone who wants to be president? For my money, experience is highly overrated.

Look at some of our most celebrated presidents. Abraham Lincoln, widely considered to be one of our best presidents, was a state legislator and someone who served one or two terms in Congress before being elected to the White House. Yet all he did was help guide us through the Civil War and help reunify our nation. Franklin Roosevelt was governor of New York, but he had no federal experience when he was elected to the White House. Yet, he helped guide us through the Great Depression and World War II. He is widely considered to be the greatest president of the past century.

The problem with "experience" is that it helps limit your view. You get used to the way things work in Washington, and are less able to see or accept new approaches or ideas.

Of course, there is a steep learning curve for anyone who wins the presidency. But if you're reasonably intelligent and willing to listen to more experienced people, you can learn the things you need to know to be successful. And truthfully, right now, I think our nation needs a change of direction in the worst way. I don't want someone in the White House who is going to maintain the status quo. I want someone who is willing to take our country in the new direction that it so desperately needs.

An Obama bias?

There's been a lot of talk recently about whether the media has a bias in favor of Sen. Barack Obama. Is the media really some liberal bastion that is giving Obama favorable coverage, while ignoring or downplaying his opponent, Sen. John McCain? Personally, I don't think so.

To be fair, I can see where that assumption comes from. Every time you turn on the news these days, you see Obama's face. Or you see him giving a speech. He's everywhere. But I think the perceived bias is really a function of our cable news culture.

Cable news channels like CNN and Fox News need stories. They have a lot of air time to fill each day. And let's be honest. Obama is the better story. He's charismatic and a captivating speaker. When he went to Germany last week, he managed to draw 200,000 people to a speech about nuclear disarmament. He's a rock star. And face it, McCain just catch match him when it comes to charisma.

Obama is a great story because, like Ronald Reagan before him three decades ago, and Bill Clinton 15 years ago, he excites people. He's preaching a positive message of hope. It's what people want to hear after eight years of terror alerts and five years of war. With McCain, all we're getting is more of the same. People want a change, and Obama is the agent of that change.

An introduction

First, I guess I should start with an introduction. I'm 35 years old and live in Tennessee. As far as my politics go, I consider myself a moderate (although my mother always disagreed with me. She used to call me her son, the flaming liberal!)

Socially, I'm a liberal. I'm pro-gay marriage. (I agee with Dolly Parton on this one. If they want they pain and misery that marriage brings, they should have that right!) I'm anti-death penalty and mostly anti-abortion. Specifically, I don't believe abortion should ever be used as a form of birth control, but I'm undecided on the "big three" exceptions -- rape, incest and health of the mother. Certainly, I believe the decision should be made by both the man and the woman, but I don't believe a man should ultimately tell the woman what to do with her own body.

I believe in personal responsibility. I believe people should be able to do what they want to do with their lives (as long as it's legal and doesn't hurt anyone else). At the same time, people have to be willing to accept the consequences of their actions. They shouldn't be able to sue because of their own stupidity, and they shouldn't expect the government to bail them out. At the same time, I don't believe "government" is a bad word. I believe the government should help people who really need it, who can't help themselves.

There, in a nutshell, is my political philosophy and my philosophy of life. I hope y'all enjoy reading my thoughts and will respond. Happy reading!