To: Barack Obama From: Penny Patterson

With a little help for my friend.

The fear of
the darkness
again disappears
when my
memory lives,
saving the pleasure
of a natural life;
and a thanks
overcomes, like
a delicate bird
near a shining
fountain.

Francesco Sinibaldi

Oh, and nice job, Penny, writing about an interesting dilemma--thrilled about Obama, but deeply disappointed about Warren. I know the feeling.

Gay mafia ? I guess you don't know know all Americans are allowed to voice their opinion. Dictating is what happens when people do not speak out.

Actually, AShaw, I did listen to and read his ideas. Contrary to what you want people to think, he has them, and they are quite clear. I know it may be comforting to you to think he got elected by a bunch of dummies, but the truth is scarier--there are a lot of smart, thoughtful people out in America who want a lot of things that are very different from the things you want.

You can try to deride change as something empty and meaningless, but the truth is far more threatening to you I'm sure--and helps to inspire all the vitriol you spew on here: the truth is that there are some clear changes that are needed and that are coming.

And of course it's not the first or last time Obama will disappoint me. I don't expect perfection. But I do know that his views and policies more accurately reflect my own than do any of the things done in the last 8 years of VERY BAD MANAGEMENT. Change is here and it's about time. Sorry 'bout your bad luck.

Barack is the anti-Bush, and to many who voted for him, that's all that matters.

What people need to realize is that the enemy of your enemy is not always your friend.

What his supporters don't like to talk about is the fact that he sat in the pew of Jerimiah Wright's church for twenty years and had no problem with what Wright was saying about America until the press got wind of it. Let me also remind the readers (knowing I'm sounding like a broken record) that Obama voted for reauthorization of the Patriot Act in 2006, and I just heard on the news last night that he plans to step up the attack in Afghanistan (peace lovers take note) which is part of his sixteen-month war plan.

Whether or not you are for the war or the Patriot Act, the fact is Obama was touted as being for "hope and change" and he has never made a secret about his plans but his supporters chose to sweep this under the rug.

Good luck folks, and turn off the light when you leave.

"Yes and never has race been more of an issue than it is now. Rev Lowry at the inaugural calling for 'White to do right' " -AShaw-

AShaw: Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the Bible, isn't only God called "Reverend"? If that's the case, why do all these "Reverends" call such attention to themselves? (And for the naysayers who want to attack Christianity, I bring this point up because these people who call themselves "Reverend" are claiming to believe in the God of the Bible)

Here is the Lowery's speech, from a link to the venerable Chicago Times.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/01/...

I don't know what he means by Brown sticking around, but it is clear that his call for yellow (Asians) to be mellow, and Whites to do right is clearly racist P.C. hypocrisy that passes itself off as part of the new progressive world order.

As a "Christian" pastor, he should call on *all* to repent, not just White folks, but the bottom line of the message is Black good; White bad; and he hides behind the cloth to spew this.

Here is the uncomfortable truth: In addition to what we already know about slavery/lynching/W.A.S.P.-inflicted discrimination, there has always been a counter-movement against this, and it was already in place with the then-unconventional actions of John Adams, Ben Franklin and others who had very strong convictions of social justice. Despite this, there are those who prefer to sweep that under the rug and only talk about all the horrible things the White race. not white *individuals" did. "Reverend" Lowery is a bigot because he sees us not as individuals, but as people who are marked by the immutable quality of our racial origin, which is an accident of birth and not a choice we make.

Martin Luther King gave his life for his dream where his children would not be "judged by the color of their skin, but for the content of their character", but the Freedom Train has been hijacked by those such as Lowery who talk out one side of their mouth about justice, but keep telling us that if we should feel guilty simply because of our skin color.

And as AShaw pointed out, didn't the White race already do right by electing Obama?

Don't kid yourself folks, the professional race-baiters such as Lowery and others such as him will be no sooner placated by the endless concessionary gestures of self-loathing Whites as the KKK will be impressed by people of color who live their lives in a dignified manner. While through the sheer force of numbers and economic advangage White bigots have done far more damage than bigots of color, the bigots of color are just as hateful, and given the same opportunities, would inflect the same damage.

"Afghanistan is the graveyard of superpowers and Obama is about to start a quagmire there paralleling Vietnam. Were you listening?" -AShaw-

No, they weren't listening and they don't want to listen. The way it works is this: If Bush uses our military to go overseas and kill people, he's a warmonger; when Clinton did it and Obama is planning on it these people remain silent.

Such is the American electorate.

I think Bush Jr.'s conflict in Iraq is a questionable decision.

I don't think anyone has considered his involvement in Afganistan as being better or worse than any other president's. Quite the opposite, since that was where Bin Laden was supposed to be hunted down and taken.

However, I agree w/ AShaw's comment about Afghanistan being a "graveyard of super powers" as somewhat true. They were able to withstand the Russians well enough, that they were probably a large factor in the breakup of the USSR. The irony is, that the US (we) armed and trained the Afghanis!