A Promise Taken Seriously

I know a lot of people are going to think that I’m happy as can be that Obama won the presidency. After all, I think most have figured out by now that I favored him heavily during the campaign and lean left on most issues. However, as pleased as I am with the outcome of last week’s election, I am also filled with apprehension.

During the past eight years, it’s been easy for me to blame the current President for many of the ills of our nation. Right or wrong, I’ve taken the “blame Bush” route many times in the past for problems our country is facing. Now that a candidate I like is heading to the white house, I have to decide how I am going to respond. I will promise one thing about my attitude towards President-elect Obama. He’s not going to get a free pass from me on anything. I think it is the duty of those who support a candidate’s bid for public office to be the first ones holding them accountable when they make a bad decision, and understand those who oppose said candidate’s reasons for distrust.

I don’t believe that you have to blindly support the President whether he is right or wrong. I certainly did not do that the past two terms, and as much as I might want to be a cheerleader for Barack Obama, it would not be fair or right to do so. I am going to hold this President to a very high standard, expecting him to deliver on the promises made during his campaign. If he does not hold true to the ideals he set forth during his bid for the highest office in the country, I’ll be quick to criticize and even vote against him during his second term.

I will not do what some supporters of President Bush have done to me over the last eight years. So many times I’ve been told that you have to support the president even if you disagree, and I will never tell anyone they have to agree with Obama simply because he is president. One of the great things about our country is the right to dissent, to disagree with the majority, and while I may not agree with someone’s views, I believe they are vital to our sense of balance as a nation. I do not want our democracy to become a mob rule form of government, whether democrats or republicans are in office. All I ask in return is that those that dissent base it on facts rather than rumors. Disagree with policies all you want, but leave the rumors to the message boards. I’ve never thought that Bush is an evil man who hates America, so I ask for that same civility from the right.

We are one nation, one people, and while we have differences that may divide us at times, I want to make clear that I respect the rights of those who disagree with me and celebrate the freedom that allows us all to have a voice.

Philip Gibson

Staff Columnist

philagan@gmail.com

Musings on the Election Results

“I weep for my country. America is lost.”

So read the status update of a friend on Facebook newsfeed the night after the election. I rolled my eyes in frustration. That night, I too wept for my country – because my country has found itself again.

Now, before you write me off as a “socialist”, allow me to explain. I wasn’t raised liberal. Actually, I was raised to be the perfect little conservative Christian. In fact, I still know all the motions. I loved George W. Bush and I knew Iraq was the right thing. I knew liberals, in fact, hated America and were brainwashed into being liberal by CNN. I knew abortion was killing babies, so maybe Eric Rudolph wasn’t quite so wrong. I knew Roe v. Wade was the work of god-hating liberals that it was my job, as a good Christian, to help overturn.

And then, I read the Bible without the 13 years of conservative, private, Christian school education. And then, I realized something was wrong. I didn’t have the backbone to stand up for it in high school, because those who did usually didn’t come back to school after the next break. Instead, I convinced myself that this was normal “teenage rebellion” from God, and tried to pray my way out of being a “horrible doubting sinner”. Then, I came to college and I took a philosophy course as a freshman. I was forced to protect my views without the Bible – which, in many ways, I couldn’t do. My political view stance on facebook changed from “conservative”, to “moderate”, to “no opinion”, and then, finally, to “liberal”. It took a few years for me to really come to grips with what I believe and why. Partially based on Biblical reason, partially on logic, but mostly on what my heart tells me is right.

Following this, I’ve come to the conclusion that this Jesus fellow did indeed exist and was indeed the son of God who rose from the dead to save us from eternal damnation that is inherent for all sinful beings. But, where me and my fundamentalist friends differ – is I believe in Jesus – not the Bible. I believe when Jesus said “love your neighbor” – he meant the gay people too. And that whole “don’t judge” thing – means if you damn them to hell, you might be going there too. Oh, and the whole “sell everything you have and give it to the poor” principle – doesn’t mean just for really rich people. Nope – Jesus was a “socialist” too, at least in this sense – because he believed it was our duty to help those less fortunate than ourselves, even at the expense of our own paycheck. Why do we need money? Our reward is in heaven, right?

But this is not a sermon – just some background for further reading. Many conservatives write me off as just another liberal with no idea of what or why conservatives believe the way they do. But I was raised in a small town, with “small town values” and a private, conservative, Christian education.
I think many McCain supporters grew to hate Barack Obama without ever listening to what HE, the man, had to say. We get really biased by the media, and learn never to trust candidates at face value. Sometimes, I agree – but most of the time, I think people really tend to over analyze the situation. If the president doesn’t “keep his promises”, it isn’t always because he didn’t try. (Don’t forget that it takes Congress to make the law – the President can only suggest and protest.) So, I took McCain at face value. Four years ago, I liked what he had to say. But once he was named the GOP nominee, his tone changed. McCain’s policy was based on fear, resentment, and hatred. Being a seeker of peace, I could not support him as a candidate. But even in listening to McCain, I did have to admit that some of his points could work. I respected John McCain until he allowed his supporters to become violent against Obama, without speaking out to reprimand them. He allowed them to run a dirty campaign. It was sad to see such a great man wither under the pressure of the contest.

I have to admit, had McCain won, I would have been sore for a while – but I still would have given the man a chance. I listened to McCain when he spoke during the campaign, even though I disagreed with much of what he had to say. But, I have few fundamental friends who would not even listen to Obama himself speak, because they were so convinced by the negative media that he was a liar. Well, according to the media, McCain was a liar too – but I still listened to what the man had to say. I was willing to trust him and take him at his word. You can’t just trust one of them, you have to trust both of them – because both are equally human and equally capable of lying. Listen to the man first, because he knows what he’s trying to say. Do your own research to decide whether or not they are lying. And for heaven’s sake, don’t let your preacher, parents, media superstars, or anyone else decide for you.
When both candidates spoke on election night, they both talked of unity. They both talked of reconciliation, because they both know that THAT is what this country must have to get through these dark times ahead. I listened to McCain (and honestly thought his speech was better than Obama’s that night), because I respected the man, even if I didn’t respect his views. But what happens with some hard-line conservatives won’t even listen to what President Obama has to say? He is trying to compromise. He is virtually begging for unity. But no one is there to even listen to his invitation.
What will this country come to if we cannot come to some middle ground? What will we become if we remain divided?

When Barack Obama was elected, I realized that most of our country is ready to take a chance to change. As we rejoiced, the majority of the world rejoiced with us. That’s right. The WORLD wanted Barack Obama. And yet, there are people within our own country who think we have made the biggest mistake in our history.

Take it from a former right-wing, hard-line, conservative – we don’t share the same fundamental logic. Both sides think the other-side is brainwashed. So how do we even begin to cooperate? Here’s the problem – both of us have to be WILLING to give a little. And I’m beginning to wonder if either hard-line side (liberal/conservative) is ready to give, even the slightest bit. Now most of the liberal wing is all about tolerating people’s beliefs, but that’s apparently what got us into trouble to begin with. So if we’re willing to tolerate, but toleration is bad – what are we to do?

McCain was a true patriot on election night – because he bowed out, asking his fellow countrymen to join him in cooperating with President Obama to attempt to save our shattered country. I doubt, however, that McCain’s most hard line supporters will listen to him in this.

And yet, even in my frustration with those unwilling to give a man a chance, Barack Obama’s words ring in my ears – “Yes we can.” But they aren’t really his words – they are the words of the people of America. They are the words of all those before us and all those who will come after us. Those who believe that hope is dream worth dying for – that unity is not impossible – and that we can, and will, overcome all obstacles in front of us. Somehow, all Americans will come together to save the country we have allowed to crumble. And maybe, just maybe, we can see it in our lifetime.
If we are all willing to give a little, then we shall be free. God let us all be willing to sacrifice our pride when the time comes.

Do not weep, my friends, America is not lost. America has reunited with the spirit in which she was created. America has found herself again.

Elizabeth Perkins

Staff Columnist

lizbit@live.com

Politics at UAB

Our UAB campus has been more volatile this fall 2008 semester than I have ever seen it in the three years I have been a UAB student. The cause of all this controversy stems from the 2008 Presidential Elections. Students of all types and backgrounds seem to have had something to say about their preferred candidate and even more about the one to which they are opposed.

Personally, I have considered myself a pacifist throughout the turmoil and am glad that the heated election season will be dying down now that the ballots have been cast. Even in my own family there have been struggles to maintain composure, as I have one parent who is a Democrat and one who is a Republican. Thankfully, this is the only time of the year when the issue of political ties ever surfaces. Although we are a reserved family, during these times of election for our nation’s future president, tension materializes out of the political differences of opinion. Opposition, fueled by the conflicting views, creates momentary drama, but our strong familial bonds manage to limit the hostility.

But as for students at UAB, there are no familial bonds to be found. Sometimes students passing one another on sidewalks seem to have no visible bonds whatsoever. Often these trying times when each one of us has opinions to state that imply our opposing ideologies, leave many of us bereft. After all, for many of us, these ideologies help us to define who we are as individuals.

To avoid conflict with my peers I have personally chosen to avoid any topic that can take on political connotations (which, as one can imagine, is extremely difficult and sometimes makes striking a conversation nearly impossible). However, everyone cannot simply push his/her “off button” on command. I understand this, and admire those who speak what they think whenever they wish. It just is not my personality. Perhaps all of this newfound reflection about individuality has a greater purpose. It has made me more appreciative that we do have such a diverse student body here at UAB. After all, more than one intellectual has said a phrase to the effect of: “difference makes the world go ‘round.”

Amy Pedigo

Guest Columnist

greyhound1168@yahoo.com

Jefferson County in the Dumps…

I recently received an e-mail from a concerned citizen asking my opinion about the current sewage and waste debacle and what I would do about it if I had the opportunity. It’s a fair question, though one without a simple answer. To start off, I want to sum up the situation as I understand it. The Commission has been unable to meet the payment requirements for the bonds they took out to fund the construction of the sewage and water system that is currently employed by the Birmingham metropolitan area. The situation has become so horrific that the bond status for Jefferson County is now in default, which is a level below junk bond. What this means is that the County has no options for getting loans to pay for the system they have purchased, and it is incredibly unlikely that they will be able to get any new loans for capital improvements. It’s a stinky situation. (Pun intended)

Now, as far as addressing the resolution of this problem goes, there is simply not a feel good solution that is going to make anyone look electable. The only option other than going into bankruptcy would be to increase revenue either through raising water and sewage utility bills or increasing taxes. Neither of these options is particularly feasible, as voters will not respond well to increased taxes and consumers are already feeling strained by the utility costs. This leaves bankruptcy, which would ruin the already disastrous credit rating for the county. Unfortunately, this is the choice I would advocate for. I don’t like it any more than the next person, but I think its the only option on the table that has any potential of functioning. Beyond that, I do have a simple way that the voting populace can voice their opinion of the way this matter has been handled. Vote the bums out! There is no good evidence to suggest that the Commission to continue to function under its current leadership. I don’t have anything personal against any of our current commissioners, but there is only one appropriate response to cases where a governing body has led its public into a situation such as the one we face. You cannot continue to lead people when you have failed them in a way that will have lasting effects on the ability of the County to improve the lives of its citizenry.

That’s about all I have to offer in terms of the currenty situation our county finds itself in. Like I said, it isn’t pretty by any means, but we face ugly times and are going to have to endure some unfortunate decisions that have to be made if we are ever going to recover. Putting off the inevitable in this situation is only going to bury us deeper in debt.

Philip Gibson
Staff Writer
philagan@gmail.com

What Are We Going To Do?

If you are in college or graduate school right now, chances are that you are pretty worried about your career future. Unlike recent college graduates, classes going into the world face a receding job market that decreases the options one might have for employment post graduation. As a graduate student, I constantly wonder if my education alone is going to be enough when people with much more experience than me are being let go from the careers I might consider when I finish here.

I want to here the presidential candidates talking about people my age and what we are supposed to do to support ourselves and climb the economic ladder. So far I’ve heard a lot of talk about the middle class, but very little about those trying to get into the middle class. At the current stage of my life, I am not the richest of individuals, but I have the skills, the will, and the education to be a productive member of society. I just want to hear someone tell me what we’re doing to provide opportunities for others such as myself for success. Right now, it seems like the job market is shrinking and the number of college students seeking well paying jobs is increasing. Could I go work in a retail outlet or something similar? Probably, but that’s not why I’ve worked my butt off for the better part of a decade for my Master’s Degree.

If someone in politics was talking about the twenty-something year olds like me who are being affected by the current recession, that would really be something. Instead, I’ve heard plenty of talk aimed at people who have established themselves. There’s nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but we are citizens too, and need the guidance of our leaders to move into the future during this time of turmoil.

Philip Gibson

Columnist

philagan@gmail.com

Trouble

I’m going to take a break from my normal political rantings to talk about our generation as a whole for a moment. I believe that our generation has been raised in a culture that believes in a “me first” philosophy that is incredibly dangerous to the future of this nation. We don’t believe in national isolation. We believe in personal isolation. The trouble here is that it leads us to seclude the ugly problems that occur in our own backyards.

There is so much poverty in Alabama, but you would never be confronted with it unless predisposed to seek out opportunities at addressing it. If you go through undergrad and get a normal job with benefits, chances are you could spend your days going out and shopping, hanging out with people just like you, and never have to encounter someone that might make you think twice about the way the system works. I don’t know if this is intentional or not, but it frightens me. We are so detached from the struggles of people in our own state that we can fight for lower tax burdens on our already luxurious lives without caring that there are people in true financial turmoil, and by that I mean people who are uncertain where their next meal is going to come from and how they are going to maintain housing.

Do yourself a favor. Go to a homeless shelter, drive into a delapidated neighborhood, or just step outside your front door and talk to someone about what is going on in their lives. Find out how they got to the point they are at now. Chances are you’ll find similarities and differences between your upbringings, but you’ll also be able to see the humanity in people who are different from you. It is in this kind of dialogue that relationships between the haves and have-nots can form, and these are the seeds of real change.

I can understand why people disdain religion these days. On the surface, it seems our religious institutions simply affirm our way of life without challenging us to truly improve the circumstances of those around us. The very faiths that call for justice are often used as safe-havens for what are, in essence, secular views. This can be disheartening at times, but it is not the whole story. There are many within the ranks of our religious institutions who see the need to provide a voice to those who are oppressed instead of simply helping themselves. It’s easy to ignore in a you-tube society, but it is there.

I would encourage you to explore what your core values are. What is important to you? Is it promoting your own status in society, or making a truly positive, lasting impact on society that will leave it better than you found it. Wrestle with the question, because if no one does, we could be in real trouble.

Philip Gibson

Columnist

philagan@gmail.com

Palin vs. Biden

I am hoping that most of you watched Thursday night’s Vice Presidential Debates with as much interest as I did. I must admit that I have already chosen the candidate I will be voting for come November but as a journalism student I have some kind of strange fetish for political events such as conventions, debates, etc. OK, so maybe you didn’t watch with quite as much interest as I did but that’s OK you are probably healthier for it. I also must admit that I was kind of rooting for Biden and that I was curious in a slightly malevolent way as to how Governor Palin would handle herself. I have to say that she defied my expectations and did very well.

We learned some interesting things about both VP hopefuls such as Biden’s penchant for referring to himself in the third person and Palin’s fun accent and tendency to use phrases like ‘darn it’ and ‘heck’. Anyway comedic moments aside I thought both candidates performed well and much like the first presidential debates there was no clear winner. I’m sure by the time anyone reads this that someone somewhere will have claimed that both candidates won in different ways and that every media outlet has a different opinion on who it was.

As for myself I got exactly what I expected from Joe Biden and more than I expected from Sarah Palin. Let’s face it, she has not been impressive in any of her recent interviews and so it was hard to expect much out of her. Add to the fact that she was up against someone as fiery and experienced and Joe Biden and I just assumed she would play defense all night. She did seem to be on the defensive several times but she also seemed to have a pretty good handle on the situation and the knowledge of what she was debating.

As expected both Biden and Palin stuck to their guns and slogans. Obama and Biden stand for change and McCain and Palin are mavericks. Palin was still unable to convince me to change my vote, not even close, but she did manage to convince to at least give her some respect. This is probably an opinion that many will have and I it is something that the Republican ticket needed. Now all that’s left to be seen is how it all reflects in the polls.

Religion and Politics, Round 8,977,427

For this post, I’m going to leave the argument about whether or not religion should play a part in politics alone. Whether or not it should happen, a person’s faith will always end up playing a part in their politics, I believe, because our beliefs are fundamentally tied to our priorities and ethics.

What I will say is that the way faith interacts with politics is largely misconstrued, both in our society at large and within the UAB community. I think people often align the Christian vote with the right, and I’m not so certain that is always accurate.

Take a look at what is happening in the evangelical community in our country. Such individuals as Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) and Jim Wallis (God’s Politics: Why the Right is Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It) have discussed the ways that different Christian values are represented in each of the major political parties in the United States. While Republicans may have a lock on the Pro-Life vote, many Christians are drawn to aiding the poor in our country, something that causes many Christians to resonate with the Democratic platform.

I don’t think there is one right and one wrong answer when it comes to faith and politics. I know many Christians whose views I respect that have valid reasons for voting conservative. On the other hand, I know many devout Christians who, due to their faith, feel compelled towards a more liberal point of view.

The problem comes when we brand all liberals as God hating baby killers and all conservatives as closeminded biblethumpers. Stereotyping can never lead to at true dialogue about the important issues facing this country. It takes an open ear and a willingness to understand that faith takes many shapes and forms in different people to make progress in solving our problems together.

I’ll keep things short this week, but I want to invite the student body to discuss the role faith, whether it be Christianity, Islam, Atheist, or anything inbetween, plays in politics. Keep things civil, and have an open ear to your neighbor.

Do We Really Believe in Capitalism?

I am not going to go into some kind of critical analysis of whether or not capitalism is a good economic system in this article, so those expecting a rant about the evils of the free market may be sorely disappointed. What I will do is raise the question of whether or not we as an American people truly believe in capitalism. In the midst of the current economic crisis, it seems that the answer is, at the very least, unclear. One of the things that is appealing about the capitalistic approach to economy is the prospect of growth. Within our economy, the only barrier to wealth generation is one’s own choices (at least in theory). Make good investments, and you will prosper. There is a downside to this, of course. If one makes a bad financial decision, then all may be lost. It is a system that allows for big gains and big losses.

The last decade or so has seen a huge amount of growth, creating support for allowing the free market to run on its own. Unfortunately, we are now seeing the downside of allowing the market determine economic outcomes. I am not saying this as a criticism of capitalism, but rather to simply point out that one of the inherent risks of a free market economy is that the market can, and inevitably will, crash at some point. Now that we are not benefiting from this economic system, it seems that people, including many on the right, want to see the government take control of our financial markets. We want to reap the benefits of capitalism, but are not willing to take responsibility when things go sour. This mentality is what I have a problem with. It’s the same mentality of a spoiled child, who wants the benefits of independence from his parents, but not the difficulties that come with it.

We are on the verge of a huge bailout of the financial institutions that helped us get into this mess, which I understand. What is wrong in this is that the very people who have lobbied for less government regulation now want the golden parachute when they messed up. I think that, if we are really going to be capitalistic about it, these individuals should be allowed to be accountable for their actions and feel the same financial pain as the individual who is at the bottom of the financial landscape and has lost everything in this crisis.

Ultimately, I think this bailout will end up passing. I hope there will be some protection for the taxpayers whose dollars are being used to finance this undertaking. There is a huge chance that the ones who will end up suffering the most are those on the fringe of the lower middle class and below, which is unfortunate. Many of these individuals have received little benefit from economic growth, yet stand to be hit hardest by a recession. I’m not an expert on economics, but from what I can see, it seems that the biggest touters of the free market economy quickly become the biggest denouncers of it when things go badly, and that makes me sad. I believe we are a nation of principles, not a nation of convenience, and that in the face of a crisis we should come together to help one another out instead of selling out in order to gather whatever scraps are available.

Philip Gibson

Columnist

philagan@gmail.com

Back to Beijing

You could say that I’m ignoring the present state of things.
I know there are a lot more things that I could write about. Some people who read this might wonder if this story is even relevant, now that the economy is falling around Americans’ feet and politics are the heaviest they’ve ever been. But a person can only take that for so long.
That’s why I’m rewinding back to the Beijing Olympics. That’s about the only time in the recent months where things seemed the calmest and the happiest. And who doesn’t like the Olympics? So I hope this column serves as a release to those like me, who are bogged down with politics and the economy.
One thing that I felt was lacking in my weekly Olympic columns was a perspective from a UAB student. I knew what I thought about the Olympics-that it was a grand time for China and, hopefully, for the world, and that perhaps, the welcoming spirit of the Olympics would expand into life after the Olympics-but as LeVar Burton would say, “You don’t have to take my word for it.” So I decided to ask Pearl Shin, a student in my interviewing class who is majoring in communications and fulfilling her pre-requisites for optometry. Here’s what transpired:
MJ: What do you think the Beijing Olympics mean to the Chinese?
PS: I think that the Chinese have made a great effort to welcome the world into their country. As a communistic nation, I believe they feel the need to prove themselves to the rest of the world and to show that their type of government is just as effective, if not more. I feel that the greatest testament to this truth is shown in the advanced, architectural structures made specifically for the 2008 Olympics such as the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest. The buildings themselves were a great spectacle to behold, and many were [blown] away at the architectural genius that went into designing the buildings. I believe that the Chinese wanted exactly that reaction from everyone.
MJ: There are a lot of political problems facing China, for example, doing business with Sudan’s government and their stance on human rights.  Since the world’s eyes are focused on China, could this pressure cause any changes in the Chinese government’s policies?
PS: Honestly, I believe China would not make any change even under such heavy pressure from other countries. The Chinese government has proven this time and time again from their track record.  They are known to be against the grain and do what they want.
MJ: Newscasters on NBC have focused on the potential positives the Olympics might cause China, but are there any negatives? In other words, could such heavy focus on China, their politics, etc., cause China to become more estranged from other countries or vice-versa? Could the Olympics cause bad blood to form between China and other countries?
PS: Negative outcomes of tension growing between China and other countries are something to be expected. However, more than the superficial look of friendly competition, I feel that the Olympics do have underlying issues which are more internal than external. I feel that China, with the elaborate and grandiose structures [they] built, must have suffered some economic strain. The country itself must have suffered while trying to show off its nation’s government.
MJ: Other countries’ views of China are varied, but how does China view the rest of the world? Since there are many dignitaries from other countries visiting China because of the Olympics, do you think the Chinese government would find elements in other countries’ policies that they would adapt?
PS: China has been evolving and does well in adapting. I feel that capitalism is a major aspect of the country that was not inherently their own until it was adopted after the following the steps of others like America.  As for China incorporating elements from other countries, I do not believe that the Olympics will be an eye-opening experience for China; if they have not already learned that the policies of other countries are good additions to their own, then the Olympics are not going make any more of a difference.

MJ: Do you agree with the now cliché statement that the Beijing Olympics are China’s ”coming-out party”?
PS: I have to agree with the statement that it is almost like a “coming-out” party. Since China has been virtually exclusive over such a long period, I feel that this has been the most social “coming-out” that China has made an effort to display. The Chinese are proud of their country and want to reinforce it by showing their ingenuity, prosperity, and superiority through the games.
Shin’s comments made me revisit some themes that made up NBC’s commentary of the Games. Perhaps the NBC commentators were a bit too enamored with the opening ceremony to actually look at the more realistic picture.

Monique Jones
Editor in Chief