Sometimes you have to follow a politician's career a bit to get an idea of where they want to go. The one-minute video below is from a speech on June 30, 2003 from Illinois State Senator Barack Obama to the Illinois AFL-CIO. In it, he clearly affirms that his long-term goal is a single-payer, universal health care system but that "we may not get there immediately. First, we have to take back the White House, and we've got to take back the Senate, and we've got to take back the House." Hmm. He now has all three. So why is it that with a filabuster-proof majority in the Senate, and a strong … [Read more...] about Obama’s Universal Health Care Goals
Archives for August 2009
College Students, Expectations & Performance
The recent story of Trina Thompson filing a lawsuit against Monroe College for lack of career placement support prompted me to reflect on my own interactions with college students. I try to watch for the occasional disparity between a student's self-estimation and their true level of giftedness or skill. Paul writes in Romans 12:3, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment." I've noticed that some of my strongest students (academically) are often the most mindful of their … [Read more...] about College Students, Expectations & Performance
Alumnus Sues College Over Inability To Secure Job
Over vacation with my family recently I poked around a book entitled Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before by Dr. Jean Twenge. As a college professor, I want to be aware of the cultural ethos of the so-called "Gen Y" (aka, Millennials). The book definitely contains insightful commentary, with some scholarly material that's tougher sledding for the uninitiated (and hence soporific on a vacation). Twenge notes that Gen Y (what she calls "Generation Me") tends to put themselves first and to have high expectations … [Read more...] about Alumnus Sues College Over Inability To Secure Job
Gay Marriage, Democracy, and the Courts
There is no doubt that Dr. Robert George, Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and founder of the American Principles Project, is one of the most articulate spokesmen in our day on the issue of same-sex marriage. Today he penned an outstanding WSJ article on the possibility of the Supreme Court weighing in on Proposition 8 (which restored the historic definition of marriage in CA as the union of husband and wife). Excerpt: Lawyers challenging traditional marriage laws liken their cause to Loving v. Virginia (which invalidated laws against interracial marriages), insinuating … [Read more...] about Gay Marriage, Democracy, and the Courts
Sons & Daughters – New Sovereign Grace Music
Sovereign Grace Music will be releasing their most recent album, Sons & Daughters, this Wednesday (August 5) at their WorshipGod09 conference. Bob Kauflin introduces the album a bit: The songs are primarily meant for congregational worship, and focus on themes related to 1 John 3:1: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." The project came out of a perceived lack of songs that help us meditate on the unfathomable love God has shown us in adopting us through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5). We are now part of God’s family - in Christ … [Read more...] about Sons & Daughters – New Sovereign Grace Music
Pakistan Christians Burned to Death in Islamist Attacks
Compass Direct News Service: By Islamic extremists today set ablaze more than 50 houses and a church in this town in northeastern Pakistan following an accusation of “blasphemy” of the Quran, leaving at least 14 Christians dead, sources said. (Other news reports say six were killed and another ten injured.) The dead include women and children, with several other burn victims unable to reach hospitals for medical care, according to the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS). The attack came amid a protest by thousands of Muslim Islamists – including members of banned militant … [Read more...] about Pakistan Christians Burned to Death in Islamist Attacks