Dear Siblings,
I just finished watching All the President's Men for the first time, which, if you haven't seen it, is definitely worth the time. It's apparently a classic that I had never heard of until recently about the journalists who broke the Watergate scandal. It's an inspiring story for any writer (or wannabe): after all it's about how two nobody reporters were able to essentially singlehandedly bring down the Nixon administration. It's not only impressive, but makes me proud to be an american (and a Washington Post reader). In what other country could a corrupt government be brought down, without force, by a single newspaper?
Anyway, as I was thinking about the power of words (and missing my typewriter a bit - hence the font) I started to go over the events of the day in my head. I started this morning early - 6:00 - which as you may or may not know, is before the sun gets up. There's just something not right about getting up before the sun. It's unnatural. I was up because I had plans to make it over to stand in line at the Supreme Court building to get in to hear oral arguments about an upcoming religious liberty case Hein vs. Freedom From Religion Foundation. The case is fairly technical and not all that interesting until you pull back a bit and examine the ramifications. It involves a suit against the government over executive sponsered conferences about community initiatives that were allegedly partial to faith-based groups.
That's actually not the issue at hand though. The case is really testing the court on whether or not taxpayers have standing to sue under the establishment clause of the first amendment. That means (for those of you that didn't go to a discussion panel in order to get it more properly explained) that the debate is whether or not the ordinary taxpayer is injured enough by executive spending to have standing in the courts to sue the government. The government is of course arguing that they do not have standing. You should check out the BJC's position. Be sure to look at the blog if you do - it's got a transcript (kind of funny actually) and lots of surrounding articles.
So I got up at 6:00, and made it to the line outside by 6:30 (most of that time was spent, not getting ready or walking, but convincing my groggy self that it wasn't ok just to go back to sleep and pretend I didn't hear my alarm). According to the green card I got from the nice policeman I was 50th in line. Since they only let 50 of us in, that was pretty handy. They didn't actually let us inside the building until 9:15 or so with the arguments starting at 10:00.
Pretty soon after I got there a kid walked up behind me who immediately started talking to me. I was a little annoyed at first, since I had brought my 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to help me pass the time, but he was a nice enough guy. He seemed uber excited to see the justices, though he didn't know anything about the case and didn't really care. He's a freshman at George Washington and just wanted a celebrity citing I think. We got to talking, which, as you know, is pretty rare for me. It became clear quickly that he was a republican and described himself as a George Bush republican, something that he seemed to think was a dying breed. I'm not so sure that that's true, sadly, but I also am not sure he's really a GW republican but just thinks he is.
He assumed that I, being a Baptist which he found out from where I worked, was also a republican, I think, though I made it clear from the outset just how much of a moderate I really am. As a side note, I find myself playing the roll of true moderate more and more. Even though I'd really think of myself more as fairly liberal leaning I always seem to be explaining one side to another in a political or religious conversation. It's like when I was dating Meghan (always defending Meghan to Mom and Dad and Mom and Dad to Meghan), but on a bigger scale.
We talked a little bit about religous liberty since the opportunity presented itself, and I think I may have sold him on it from the "Nobody can tell me what I should or shouldn't believe" stance. I don't think he had really thought it through before. It's amazing how many Christians don't think about what it would be like if members of some other religion had the power to enforce or even just governmentally support their beliefs.
At some point during the conversation, although he was pretty nice about it, he brought up that he hated that democrats had won the recent elections on negativity: that they had won because they were against something rather than for it. I disagreed as to the extent that he was suggesting and how he was putting all democrats into one lump, when democrats are (as the saying goes) barely an organized political party in the first place, but he had a good point. Only I'd go ahead and apply it to all politics for the last 20 years.
I suppose that if you're against something (the war, a woman's right to choose, whatever) than that implies that you are for it's opposite, but I firmly believe that the way you talk about something matters. I'm so sick of everyone being against the other guy, just because polls have shown that it's more effective. It's more effective because it's easier. It's a Machievellian "better to make the people love you, but since that's hard to do make them fear you instead" approach to politics. Maybe that's smart, but it's bad for the country.
What has happened to our great speeches? What is the last great speech that we can culturally remember? I bet you jump all the way back to Kennedy. There were so many powerful lines that stick with us even today, even among those of us who weren't alive to hear them. They were passionate and importantly they were full of hope. I don't know how great a president kennedy really was, but his words were inspiring. As Charlie says on West Wing - "If they're shooting at you, you must be doing something right." The US government has more potential than any other organization maybe in the history of the world, either for bad or good. Government, Politics should use that potential to inspire us to become better than ourselves. I just want to be caught up in something great, in a period, a movement to which history will look back and say at least they had hope. At least they believed in something. At least they spoke courage and defied the surrounding dark, if only for a little while.
I don't know, I'm getting a little carried away maybe, but that's why I want to do some kind of political writing. I don't know if I have the skills to do that, to write speeches that inspire, or if I'll even get the opportunity, but I know it's what I want to hear, and no one else seems to be doing it.
- Warnie
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Crazy Runners
Okay I just thought this was amazing and you guys should check it out. Crazy, but amazing.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/runningthesahara/about.html
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/runningthesahara/about.html
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Bell towers and alarms
Hello Brothers,
This will probably be a short post because I am absolutely exhausted. This is one of the photos I recently took for our newspaper. It didn't make the final cut but I think that was because another article came up. Anyways its of our new bell tower and I don't know why but I really like it.
I'm quite exhausted and right now I seem to be asking myself "How can I be a photographer, a sculpture, a sister, a girlfriend, and a daughter when I am too tired to be myself or anything else?" I know all this worry and slight depression is just simply that: exhaustion but I'm still letting it get to me a little bit. I saw a funny thing today though. In one of the school buildings there was a sign on the door that said "Door is Alarmed" and then someone had taken a marker and written under it "window is astonished." I don't know why but that cracked me up...maybe its just because I'm weird.
I just got done with my major assessment which doesn't really mean much. However I had to go through most of my work and title it. I never realized how hard it is to title work and not sound retarded. I went through some poems and stuff to try and get ideas but it was still reeeeeeally hard. You come up with things like "entrapment" and "the darkness of my soul." It always gives me a good laugh at myself. I'm starting to ramble. Sorry my entries have been so random and not very thoughtful. I promise to do better.
love to all,
Boo
Thursday, February 15, 2007
God and Clifford the Big Red Dog
Dear Brother and Sister,
The original post was actually nothing like this one. It was about how, while smoking a cigar outside, I saw some lights reflected off the DC cloudcover (which always makes the sky look orange, like it's on fire) that reminded me first of UFO's or of fairies jousting because of the way they circled out, collided, and then circled out again. But that was unrelated to the bulk of the passage, which would have been about how I actually wrote a bit for Pilgrim that I really enjoyed writing. No I'm still not done with my part, and it seems to get longer every time I sit down to write, but it was fun. And I think it was pretty good - it involves a 9 year old ripping his own eyes out, it must be good right? While sitting there with my cigar, I thought, "You know, I may not be the most eloquent writer that ever put pen to page (nice eh?) but sometimes I have some pretty good ideas." Then I thought, "No, that's wrong. God has good ideas and sometimes he lets me write them down." Sappy maybe, but I still think that that's true.
______________________________________________________________
So anyway, tonight I was going to write a little about the following article and the ridiculousness of politics and the media today:
----------------------------------------------------
There's much huffing over puffing on Hill
By Christina Bellantoni
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Feb 15 2007 12:00AM
----------------------------------------------------
Smoking has become the hot topic on Capitol Hill.
Who is, who isn't, and where the lawmakers puff -- closeted or not -- are among the whispers in the hallways and on the presidential campaign trail.
There have been at least 35 news reports about Sen. Barack Obama's long battle with a cigarette habit, and how the Illinois Democrat has been chewing Nicorette to kick that habit as he runs for president.
And in the latest installment, staffers for Rep. Keith Ellison tattled to Capitol Police that Rep. Tom Tancredo was smoking a cigar inside his congressional office.
"We already have the biggest air-purifying unit you can get, and I would be happy to try to make sure that it's even less odiferous around here, but I'm not going to stop because we still have the right to do so," Mr. Tancredo, Colorado Republican, told The Washington Times.
&! nbsp;An officer investigating the report informed Mr. Ellison, Minnesota Democrat, that smoking is allowed in the private offices, the Hill newspaper first reported yesterday.
Calling his office in the Longworth building "our own little castle," Mr. Tancredo said he would have preferred a personal visit from his next-door neighbor.
Mr. Tancredo, seeking the 2008 Republican nomination for president, added, "He can get an air-purifying system for his office."
Mr. Ellison's office did not respond to calls for comment yesterday, but spokesman Rick Jauert told the Hill that he first called the Capitol superintendent when he noticed smoke "coming through the walls." That office referred Mr. Jauert to the police, and he informed his boss that he had made the report.
Mr. Tancredo said he has never met Mr. Ellison, who has gotten his fair share of headlines.
! ; In November, Mr. Ellison became the first M! uslim in recent times to be elected to Congress. Then, Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., Virginia Republican, protested Mr. Ellison's use of the Koran for his swearing-in. In a letter to constituents, Mr. Goode complained that if strict immigration laws are not enacted, "more Muslims" will be elected and will demand "the use of the Koran."
The dust-up created national headlines and highlighted philosophical differences on immigration policy.
Mr. Tancredo noted that the only time he has even referenced Mr. Ellison was to defend his use of the Koran.
But the Colorado congressman has a friend in Mr. Goode, who delivered a gift to Mr. Tancredo's office after learning of the cigar incident.
Mr. Tancredo said that he knew the envelope from Mr. Goode contained a cigar, but that he hadn't yet read the letter. He opened the note and read it to a reporter for The Times.
! ; "We have a policy in my office of allowing one to smoke from tobacco country if he or she so chooses," Mr. Tancredo read from the letter, pausing to stifle laughter. "We extend this courtesy to an outstanding presidential candidate. Hope you can use it in your office. If you can't, come on up to mine."
Others, including Minority Leader John A. Boehner, have felt like pariahs lately, especially since Speaker Nancy Pelosi banned puffing in the Speaker's Lobby off the House floor.
Mr. Boehner, a chain-smoking Ohio Republican, told reporters gathered for the Washington Press Club Foundation dinner last week that he isn't fond of Mrs. Pelosi's decision.
"We can still smoke out on the balcony. But, Nancy, it was 20 degrees out there. I think I want a seat on your global warming committee," he told the California Democrat.
As for Mr. Obama, reporters see! m obsessed with him kicking the habit.
! Ma ureen Dowd of the New York Times opened her latest column thus: "Barack Obama looked as if he needed a smoke and he needed it bad."
After a long Chicago Tribune story about Mr. Obama's smoking, ABC News did a piece on its Web site about Michelle Obama demanding that her husband quit those Marlboros before embarking on a rigorous campaign for the White House. Both articles quoted numerous health advocates and pundits analyzing whether a candidate should admit to such vices.
Reporters trailing Mr. Obama to Iowa last weekend made sure to note this comment by the presidential hopeful: "I've been chewing Nicorette all day long."
An article on Slate.com last month even speculated that should Mr. Obama quit, he would lose his trademark deep voice -- identified by the Web site as "authoritative but comforting, rich and resonant and wise."
First of all, who gives a shit? Smoke don't smoke, it's not like it really has anything to do with running the country. Second of all, and I hate to agree with Republicans, but if you are a Congressman then I think you've earned the right to smoke in your own damn office. Yes, you should first be respectful of others, but that just goes with common decency. If Ellison (or his staffer) had had the balls or even just the courtesy to walk next door and see what was going on, and politely explain the situation and then, if the congressman in question had said, "Fuck you liberal. I can do what I want," he would have plenty of reason to be pissed off. I mean - I really hate Goode, and the fact that he was involved in the earlier Ellison news makes his actions a little underhanded - but if I was another congressman, even if I didn't smoke - I'd send down a box of cigars too. Obama should be commended for trying to quit, and it should be left at that. Why do we bother with such trivialities? Did he smoke pot in college during the 70's? OH MY GOD! Is he fiending for a cigarette? Is he chewing nicorette to help him quit? Did his church once say that there should be no middle class? (Which by the way seemed really clear to me that they meant the rich have a responsibility to the poor...). I'm just so sick of how reporters focus on the smallest details that we don't need to know, when there is so much substance out there. Of course they wouldn't do it if we didn't buy into it.
Hope you all had a good Valentine's. I'm going down to C-ville and then home this weekend cause I gets Monday off. By the way HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG!! YOU'RE 44 YEARS OLD or 308 in GIANT DOG YEARS!
Love in Clifford,
Warnie
The original post was actually nothing like this one. It was about how, while smoking a cigar outside, I saw some lights reflected off the DC cloudcover (which always makes the sky look orange, like it's on fire) that reminded me first of UFO's or of fairies jousting because of the way they circled out, collided, and then circled out again. But that was unrelated to the bulk of the passage, which would have been about how I actually wrote a bit for Pilgrim that I really enjoyed writing. No I'm still not done with my part, and it seems to get longer every time I sit down to write, but it was fun. And I think it was pretty good - it involves a 9 year old ripping his own eyes out, it must be good right? While sitting there with my cigar, I thought, "You know, I may not be the most eloquent writer that ever put pen to page (nice eh?) but sometimes I have some pretty good ideas." Then I thought, "No, that's wrong. God has good ideas and sometimes he lets me write them down." Sappy maybe, but I still think that that's true.
______________________________________________________________
So anyway, tonight I was going to write a little about the following article and the ridiculousness of politics and the media today:
------------------------------
There's much huffing over puffing on Hill
By Christina Bellantoni
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Feb 15 2007 12:00AM
------------------------------
Smoking has become the hot topic on Capitol Hill.
Who is, who isn't, and where the lawmakers puff -- closeted or not -- are among the whispers in the hallways and on the presidential campaign trail.
There have been at least 35 news reports about Sen. Barack Obama's long battle with a cigarette habit, and how the Illinois Democrat has been chewing Nicorette to kick that habit as he runs for president.
And in the latest installment, staffers for Rep. Keith Ellison tattled to Capitol Police that Rep. Tom Tancredo was smoking a cigar inside his congressional office.
"We already have the biggest air-purifying unit you can get, and I would be happy to try to make sure that it's even less odiferous around here, but I'm not going to stop because we still have the right to do so," Mr. Tancredo, Colorado Republican, told The Washington Times.
&! nbsp;An officer investigating the report informed Mr. Ellison, Minnesota Democrat, that smoking is allowed in the private offices, the Hill newspaper first reported yesterday.
Calling his office in the Longworth building "our own little castle," Mr. Tancredo said he would have preferred a personal visit from his next-door neighbor.
Mr. Tancredo, seeking the 2008 Republican nomination for president, added, "He can get an air-purifying system for his office."
Mr. Ellison's office did not respond to calls for comment yesterday, but spokesman Rick Jauert told the Hill that he first called the Capitol superintendent when he noticed smoke "coming through the walls." That office referred Mr. Jauert to the police, and he informed his boss that he had made the report.
Mr. Tancredo said he has never met Mr. Ellison, who has gotten his fair share of headlines.
! ; In November, Mr. Ellison became the first M! uslim in recent times to be elected to Congress. Then, Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., Virginia Republican, protested Mr. Ellison's use of the Koran for his swearing-in. In a letter to constituents, Mr. Goode complained that if strict immigration laws are not enacted, "more Muslims" will be elected and will demand "the use of the Koran."
The dust-up created national headlines and highlighted philosophical differences on immigration policy.
Mr. Tancredo noted that the only time he has even referenced Mr. Ellison was to defend his use of the Koran.
But the Colorado congressman has a friend in Mr. Goode, who delivered a gift to Mr. Tancredo's office after learning of the cigar incident.
Mr. Tancredo said that he knew the envelope from Mr. Goode contained a cigar, but that he hadn't yet read the letter. He opened the note and read it to a reporter for The Times.
! ; "We have a policy in my office of allowing one to smoke from tobacco country if he or she so chooses," Mr. Tancredo read from the letter, pausing to stifle laughter. "We extend this courtesy to an outstanding presidential candidate. Hope you can use it in your office. If you can't, come on up to mine."
Others, including Minority Leader John A. Boehner, have felt like pariahs lately, especially since Speaker Nancy Pelosi banned puffing in the Speaker's Lobby off the House floor.
Mr. Boehner, a chain-smoking Ohio Republican, told reporters gathered for the Washington Press Club Foundation dinner last week that he isn't fond of Mrs. Pelosi's decision.
"We can still smoke out on the balcony. But, Nancy, it was 20 degrees out there. I think I want a seat on your global warming committee," he told the California Democrat.
As for Mr. Obama, reporters see! m obsessed with him kicking the habit.
! Ma ureen Dowd of the New York Times opened her latest column thus: "Barack Obama looked as if he needed a smoke and he needed it bad."
After a long Chicago Tribune story about Mr. Obama's smoking, ABC News did a piece on its Web site about Michelle Obama demanding that her husband quit those Marlboros before embarking on a rigorous campaign for the White House. Both articles quoted numerous health advocates and pundits analyzing whether a candidate should admit to such vices.
Reporters trailing Mr. Obama to Iowa last weekend made sure to note this comment by the presidential hopeful: "I've been chewing Nicorette all day long."
An article on Slate.com last month even speculated that should Mr. Obama quit, he would lose his trademark deep voice -- identified by the Web site as "authoritative but comforting, rich and resonant and wise."
First of all, who gives a shit? Smoke don't smoke, it's not like it really has anything to do with running the country. Second of all, and I hate to agree with Republicans, but if you are a Congressman then I think you've earned the right to smoke in your own damn office. Yes, you should first be respectful of others, but that just goes with common decency. If Ellison (or his staffer) had had the balls or even just the courtesy to walk next door and see what was going on, and politely explain the situation and then, if the congressman in question had said, "Fuck you liberal. I can do what I want," he would have plenty of reason to be pissed off. I mean - I really hate Goode, and the fact that he was involved in the earlier Ellison news makes his actions a little underhanded - but if I was another congressman, even if I didn't smoke - I'd send down a box of cigars too. Obama should be commended for trying to quit, and it should be left at that. Why do we bother with such trivialities? Did he smoke pot in college during the 70's? OH MY GOD! Is he fiending for a cigarette? Is he chewing nicorette to help him quit? Did his church once say that there should be no middle class? (Which by the way seemed really clear to me that they meant the rich have a responsibility to the poor...). I'm just so sick of how reporters focus on the smallest details that we don't need to know, when there is so much substance out there. Of course they wouldn't do it if we didn't buy into it.
Hope you all had a good Valentine's. I'm going down to C-ville and then home this weekend cause I gets Monday off. By the way HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG!! YOU'RE 44 YEARS OLD or 308 in GIANT DOG YEARS!
Love in Clifford,
Warnie
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Snow Day!
Warnie and Boo,
You know, this doesn't happen to most adults. But I'm reveling in my snow day, brought on by a nasty little nor'easter. Well, not so little. The state basically told everyone to stay home, and the university canceled all classes. It reminds me of the time Warnie and I got caught in Harrisonburg, somewhat. A strange stolen space where none of the silly requirements of day to day life matter anymore, simply because the weather has trumped it all.
Of course, the basic requirements still exist: food, warmth, etc. and hopefully the storm won't knock out power or cause too much destruction up and down the coast. Right now it's the best Valentine's day present I could get.
Anyway, I actually wanted to post a bit about going to see Barack Obama on Monday night. We went to the fieldhouse, which was a strange venue for the town hall meeting, but packed, which was good. The College Democrats President and Vice took it upon themselves to introduce the Senator, which was AMAZINGLY BAD. If Bozek and I had gone up there and talked about our days, and then said, "Oh yeah, Sen. Obama is here" the crowd would have been more jazzed. But despite that, he still managed to get the people going. Including the people with the stadium style signs behind him that said Go Barack! if they got their act together and did it in sequence. Through much of the talk, they said "O Arack!" which I thought was kind of funny.
I think, and I mean this in a positive way, I've lost my ability to be awed by political pageantry. That's not to say that I've lost my ability to be inspired, or even moved. I just no longer buy into much of the theater of it. Who claps when, how big the American flag is, blah blah blah. Maybe it was just the format, but I felt like it was much more like a press conference. I got some answers I wanted, some I wasn't so sure of, and generally got to weigh the issues in my own mind. I think some of the people missed that part of it, by getting caught up in the other part of it.
But in the end, I was pleased. I'm not sure he's the guy for the presidency--he didn't drip charisma as much in this forum as I would have wanted. That being said, I think anyone who doesn't put him in as a running mate would be foolish, and I think his ideas were actually very good. He spoke in specifics and in terms of current legislation, which was a nice change. Even if he remains in the Senate, I think Barack Obama is doing good things for the country. I'll have to see the rest of the field before I make my final decision on who I support for president, but if he ends up being the guy, then I could vote for him without hesitation.
Ok, off to the old typewriter. Maybe I'll get a poem out of the snow.
Happy Valentine's day to you both.
Jack
You know, this doesn't happen to most adults. But I'm reveling in my snow day, brought on by a nasty little nor'easter. Well, not so little. The state basically told everyone to stay home, and the university canceled all classes. It reminds me of the time Warnie and I got caught in Harrisonburg, somewhat. A strange stolen space where none of the silly requirements of day to day life matter anymore, simply because the weather has trumped it all.
Of course, the basic requirements still exist: food, warmth, etc. and hopefully the storm won't knock out power or cause too much destruction up and down the coast. Right now it's the best Valentine's day present I could get.
Anyway, I actually wanted to post a bit about going to see Barack Obama on Monday night. We went to the fieldhouse, which was a strange venue for the town hall meeting, but packed, which was good. The College Democrats President and Vice took it upon themselves to introduce the Senator, which was AMAZINGLY BAD. If Bozek and I had gone up there and talked about our days, and then said, "Oh yeah, Sen. Obama is here" the crowd would have been more jazzed. But despite that, he still managed to get the people going. Including the people with the stadium style signs behind him that said Go Barack! if they got their act together and did it in sequence. Through much of the talk, they said "O Arack!" which I thought was kind of funny.
I think, and I mean this in a positive way, I've lost my ability to be awed by political pageantry. That's not to say that I've lost my ability to be inspired, or even moved. I just no longer buy into much of the theater of it. Who claps when, how big the American flag is, blah blah blah. Maybe it was just the format, but I felt like it was much more like a press conference. I got some answers I wanted, some I wasn't so sure of, and generally got to weigh the issues in my own mind. I think some of the people missed that part of it, by getting caught up in the other part of it.
But in the end, I was pleased. I'm not sure he's the guy for the presidency--he didn't drip charisma as much in this forum as I would have wanted. That being said, I think anyone who doesn't put him in as a running mate would be foolish, and I think his ideas were actually very good. He spoke in specifics and in terms of current legislation, which was a nice change. Even if he remains in the Senate, I think Barack Obama is doing good things for the country. I'll have to see the rest of the field before I make my final decision on who I support for president, but if he ends up being the guy, then I could vote for him without hesitation.
Ok, off to the old typewriter. Maybe I'll get a poem out of the snow.
Happy Valentine's day to you both.
Jack
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Thursday, February 8, 2007
The Foreign Service
Dear Jack y Bethyboo,
I've had another revelation for my future. I was reading an article in the New York Times (again with the Times) while looking for burried religious liberty in the news, which is the best part of my job. Anyway, I don't remember the specifics, but the article was a back pager about how along with the surge in troops to Iraq, Bush was calling for a surge in civilian personnel. Mostly, he was calling for civilian reconstruction - aka big companies. But there was also a section about how they desperately needed more Foreign Service Officers and were asking for federal employees to take a temporary shift of assignment and to go to Iraq. Now this got me thinking. "Foreign Service? What the fuck is that?"
Well, as it turns out the fuck is that it's essentially diplomatic staff. The foreign service is part of the State Department and does everything from manage an embassy to influencing foreign policy. I was interested at first primarily because, if you remember, my whole readjustment after finding out I wasn't a good enough writer for academia (cough, bastards) started because I felt somewhat guilty for living off the fat of the land while well over 2000 kids my age or younger had died, and had died fighting for America. Even though the war is incredibly stupid and has caused far more problems than it solved (I think the count is about 1,000,000 to 1) these kids were actively trying to change something and most probably believed, believe, that they were making the world a better place. I never really wanted to join the military, but I wanted to use the talents that I had to help solve the problem - to keep 18 year olds from dying for a pointless cause.
Anyway that's what led me to communications and politics: the possbility that I could somehow use writing to fix those kinds of problems. If you can inspire or convince the right person, you can do anything. Well, as I wasted a little time to check out the foreign service I saw that you could do just that - directly. I don't think I'll make the cut for Iraq. I'm not ready, and I don't want to give up on grad school at all - I don't think I was misguided in that plan. But after grad school it's at least something to consider. They divide you into tracks, one of which really appeals to me. They have a political track where your job would be to analyze the political situation in any given country and write back your suggestions to the state department. In a way it would be like specifically political intelligence and you have the chance to influence foreign policy. I don't think I'd do it for the rest of my life, but I could see doing it for as much as a decade.
Part of the attraction is of course just the appeal of being able to tell my grandkids stories of my time in Afghanistan, Ghana, or the Congo and how I helped to stop a civil war or genocide or invasion. Then again, just because I'm a democrat doesn't mean I'm immune to the call of king and country. And as a christian, the opportunity to further peace and religious liberty appeals to me more than anything.
I don't know that I want to do it. All I know is that I got really excited when I saw that it was an option, which is what led me to the BJC as well. So, I think it's at least worth considering. Let me know what you guys think.
Love,
The Other Boo
I've had another revelation for my future. I was reading an article in the New York Times (again with the Times) while looking for burried religious liberty in the news, which is the best part of my job. Anyway, I don't remember the specifics, but the article was a back pager about how along with the surge in troops to Iraq, Bush was calling for a surge in civilian personnel. Mostly, he was calling for civilian reconstruction - aka big companies. But there was also a section about how they desperately needed more Foreign Service Officers and were asking for federal employees to take a temporary shift of assignment and to go to Iraq. Now this got me thinking. "Foreign Service? What the fuck is that?"
Well, as it turns out the fuck is that it's essentially diplomatic staff. The foreign service is part of the State Department and does everything from manage an embassy to influencing foreign policy. I was interested at first primarily because, if you remember, my whole readjustment after finding out I wasn't a good enough writer for academia (cough, bastards) started because I felt somewhat guilty for living off the fat of the land while well over 2000 kids my age or younger had died, and had died fighting for America. Even though the war is incredibly stupid and has caused far more problems than it solved (I think the count is about 1,000,000 to 1) these kids were actively trying to change something and most probably believed, believe, that they were making the world a better place. I never really wanted to join the military, but I wanted to use the talents that I had to help solve the problem - to keep 18 year olds from dying for a pointless cause.
Anyway that's what led me to communications and politics: the possbility that I could somehow use writing to fix those kinds of problems. If you can inspire or convince the right person, you can do anything. Well, as I wasted a little time to check out the foreign service I saw that you could do just that - directly. I don't think I'll make the cut for Iraq. I'm not ready, and I don't want to give up on grad school at all - I don't think I was misguided in that plan. But after grad school it's at least something to consider. They divide you into tracks, one of which really appeals to me. They have a political track where your job would be to analyze the political situation in any given country and write back your suggestions to the state department. In a way it would be like specifically political intelligence and you have the chance to influence foreign policy. I don't think I'd do it for the rest of my life, but I could see doing it for as much as a decade.
Part of the attraction is of course just the appeal of being able to tell my grandkids stories of my time in Afghanistan, Ghana, or the Congo and how I helped to stop a civil war or genocide or invasion. Then again, just because I'm a democrat doesn't mean I'm immune to the call of king and country. And as a christian, the opportunity to further peace and religious liberty appeals to me more than anything.
I don't know that I want to do it. All I know is that I got really excited when I saw that it was an option, which is what led me to the BJC as well. So, I think it's at least worth considering. Let me know what you guys think.
Love,
The Other Boo
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