Searching for Faith in the 2004 Election

I just thought I would add a post to let you guys know I was still around and not too afraid to post.  I have just been extremely busy - business, clients, child and all.  Scott and I have been having our own personal battle of the emails.  I figure if I have lasted this long that I have pulled off an absolute miracle. 

This is an excerpt from our most recent email:

"You can pretty much look at any war and find a strong religious connection.  The reason our forefathers came to America is based on the strong relious
beliefs of our people.  Most wars are based on religion -- look at Israel
and Palestine.  How ironic is it that these groups seek peace yet they must
find war first of all.  In many cases, it feels that the war will never
reach a conclusion. 

As to this election, faith whether religious or not speaks loud to the
people of our country.  Followers of George W, have a faith that he brought
us into this war to end the devistations brought on by Saddam, faith that
Ossama will find his end at the end of a missle attack by the US, faith that
the Iraqi women are no longer forced into servitued.  Followers of Kerry,
have a different kind of faith.  Faith that he will bring the American
people out of this war, faith that Kerry is the better answer of Bush, and
faith that we can feel free and and peace in our homes again. 

I am a believer that faith is not always about religion but what is in our
inner gut of what seems right or what we dream to be the right answer.  I
think that each individual must live for an individual faith.  If you
believe in nothing, then you are left with nothing. 

I am not a person of great spiritual faith myself.  I think that religious
icons have forced us into a point of uncertainty.  We have had too many
"pit-preachers", too many priests molesting young boys, and too many corrupt
religious leaders.  I believe that faith must come from within.   If you
were to look at me and my overall beliefs you would most likely guess that I
would vote for John Kerry.  I do agree with certain things that he has said
through out this campaign.  My problem with him is that I don't believe that
he has faith in himself or his internal beliefs.  Nor has he convinced
enough people to believe and support him.  Bush however, has not proven his
case fully either.  But once he makes a decision he has stood by it. 

As to the question of religion, the funny thing is that both of these
candidates show there religion on their sleeves.  The question, left to many
is which one do you feel more strongly about.  Bush has stood his ground on
all of his beliefs and decisions -- right or wrong -- he has stood by his
decisions.  Kerry's primary downfall is that he has not stood by his faith
and his indecisive manner has caused many to question his capabilities as a
Senator and future President. 

Religion when it comes to the citizens:

Kerry is strongly in need of support of the "black" vote as they call it --
This group has always had an extremely strong religious faith.  They needed
their faith as they were being enslaved by the Southern Plantation owners.
Kerry is having a hard time connecting with this group on multiple levels.
You may question yourself, why Bush isn't getting more of these votes since
they know what is was like to live in an Iraqi type of enviroment prior to
1865. 

Bush is strongly in need of the support of the votes of the soldiers and
family members -- This group must gather each of their strengths to feel
they are safe in a foreign country.  Bush is the President who has sent
these families overseas.  However, Kerry has given them no reason either to
make them feel safe or to make them believe that they will be able to come
home any sooner that Bush will bring them home. 

In today's world, I think faith does not always boil down to a book or
religious leader but how do you feel your decisions are the right one for
the people.  I think that we each need to see the light at the end of tunnel
and to feel safe again.  I believe to a degree that our religious leaders
have forced us from their flocks so that we are filled with uncertainty.  I
also believe that I enjoyed going to a church previously.  It gave my soul a
good cleansing feeling.  However, the problem arose when the members of the
church opened their mouths and inserted their foots.  I do believe the
American people need to find a faith and spiritualness that can bring
gladness to their soles again.  For me, I'm not sure where that can be
found. 

I don't know if this answered any of your questions.  Religion will always
unfortuanately be the center of most wars.  I guess idealism is the route of
religion.  In religion, we are searching for our idealistic world.  But this
idealitic world must begin from a faith in what we are or aren't doing is
the right thing to do.  I think that is why Bush is getting more votes than
the democrats are/were expecting because he feels that what he is doing is
the right thing to do.  However, realistic Kerry is or thinks he is.  He has
not given anyone the faith to believe in him. 

Ironically, in the 2000 election, I wasn't sure who I would vote for up
until just before the election.  After, 911 I was certain I had made the
right choice because I knew that Gore would not have gotten the strong
backing that Bush got.  I think that we the American people ride a fine line
of what is right and wrong.  We each have to find the spot in our heart to
justify our beliefs and have faith that we have made the right decision."

I hope this has given each of you a little incite.  I do believe tomorrow will be the turning point for the future of the USA.  It is up to each of us to decide which path we would like our world to take.  Neither of these candidates are the perfect candidate however our destiny will be decided tomorrow. 

Dan:  I apologize for the long post.  I am exhausted and couldn't figure out the extend. 

To be bombed or stand up!

When Mary is 21 years old, I hope for a few things.  I hope that she is a graduate of a fine university, preferably not Duke.  I hope that she is a good upstanding person.  I hope that she is does not make some of the same stupid mistakes that I made.  But my greatest hope is that she is able to make her 21st birthday! 

In today's world, terrorists have bombed our embassy's, they have put planes through the World Trade Center and the pentagon, and they have infiltrated our country in ways that we will never ever imagine.  I personally believe that we need a leader who can stop these terrorists before they do anymore damage. 

Since my freshman year in high school, Saddam Hussein has murdered his people, created chemical arms, and funded terrorists like Ossama Bin Laden.  Over the past 4 years, President Bush set the Iraqi people free and put Hussein behind bars.  Granted, we have not captured Bin Laden yet, but it will come one day.  If we were to elect Kerry as President, we would enable terrorists like Bin Laden to run free around the world.  We need a President who will stand his ground and tell the people of the world that America will not just roll over.   Vote W in '04!

The Growing Years

Back in the day, I was known as the Old Lady of the group and then as the KIA.  Today I am still the Old Lady in our crowd but being pregnant you lose brain cells.  So until tonight, I thought the Kristel Intelligence Agency was out of commission for good.  That was until I was talking to Scott when he and Stacy were planning their seating arrangements.  Liz earlier in the night had told me Kevin was attending.  However, Scott had not heard this little fact and the KIA was back in business.  It's amazing how many useless facts I can store in this brain of mine.  I guess that's how I managed to spend $40K on a degree like Sociology.  Good thing I managed to make a lot of wonderful friendships at UNC.  At least I got something out of it! 

As we have each grown up, things have changed - burnt bridges have been mended, a man who wore my purple nightie around HJ is marrying a beautiful lady, we now teachers, lawyers, web designers, doctors, nurses, and business owners, and parents in our midst.  Who could have imagined when we were drinking on the breezeways of MoTown that we could achieve so much. 

As a sociology and history major I should have known I wouldn't get hired in any reasonable field.  So I sought out my own destiny.  Luckily it found me!  I found out in the working world that I was not a very good team player.  I learned that the corporate world was about mergers, busy body secretaries, and not a world I wanted to be in.  So I realized that my "TEAM" did have an "I" in it and that I could only fullfil my dreams by starting my own business. 

However, I would have never made it this far without the wonderful friendships I made at UNC. I realized that without friends you truly can't be successful in life.  Scott, got me through times that I thought were the end of the world (yet they were only the stepping stones in life).  Dan and Eric were always not only good shoulders, but good laughs.  Even Rob and Kevin were a good buddies when it came to it.  Dwight and Eric B. were always good drinking pals.  And the list goes on and on!

Thank You for teaching me how to be an individual.  Thank You for being a shoulder and cheerleader.   Thank you for accepting me back in the day, even when I was being psycho. Thank You for being you!