On January 29th, President Obama made a bold move and spoke at a GOP Conference in Baltimore. He made some interesting remarks, including this one on health care reform:

“The component parts of this thing  are pretty similar to what Howard Baker, Bob Dole and Tom Daschle proposed at the beginning of this debate last year. Now, you may not agree with Bob Dole and Howard Baker and Tom — and certainly you don’t agree with Tom Daschle on much …

(LAUGHTER)

… but that’s not a radical bunch. But if you were to listen to the debate, and, frankly, how some of you went after this bill, you’d think that this thing was some Bolshevik plot.

(LAUGHTER)

No, I mean, that’s how you guys — that’s how you guys presented it.

And so I’m thinking to myself, “Well, how is it that a plan that is pretty centrist …”

…I’m not suggesting that we’re going to agree on everything, whether it’s on health care or energy or what have you, but if the way these issues are being presented by the Republicans is that this is some wild-eyed plot to impose huge government in every aspect of our lives, what happens is you guys then don’t have a lot of room to negotiate with me.

I mean, the fact of the matter is is that many of you, if you voted with the administration on something, are politically vulnerable in your own base, in your own party. You’ve given yourselves very little room to work in a bipartisan fashion because what you’ve been telling your constituents is, “This guy’s doing all kinds of crazy stuff that’s going to destroy America.”

And I — I would just say that we have to think about tone.

It’s not just on your side, by the way. It’s — it’s on our side as well. This is part of what’s happened in our politics, where we demonize the other side so much that when it comes to actually getting things done, it becomes tough to do.”

I suppose if you wanted to pick apart what’s wrong with politics today, you could make a list a mile long, but this quote emphasizes a flaw (on both sides) that has really bothered me lately. The more I watch the news, the more I recognize how childish a lot of public figures act. Pride plays a huge part in that. It seems everyone is playing the “blame game” and no one is actually working together to bring about real change.

Now, I understand what it’s like to be stubborn about your ideals. But at what point does that idealistic attitude cross the threshold and turn to pride? How can we recognize the difference between integrity and blind allegiance? Any thoughts?

PS – To read the full text of the President’s Q&A session, click here.

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Sorry for the much-delayed post! I’ve been a bit… um… distracted

Quick update for those not in the know: I got a new job starting next week as the Marketing Assistant for Responza, an IT Outsourcing business. A large portion of the job requires writing (yay!) and I’ll even get the chance to help redesign their website! So yeah… I’m really looking forward to that, even though it sucks to think I may have to leave when I move to Rexburg next year.

Gossip spreads fast among my family, it seems, so I doubt it’s really news to say I’m planning on getting married in August. It’s kinda funny, to think the date has been set and an appointment for the sealing has been made before my boyfriend’s even proposed! Ah well… hopefully that will change in the near future…

Speaking of “super” news… Here’s a recent clip about AIG that cracks me up:

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I have a habit of playing “devil’s advocate” when discussing controversial issues. Some people mistakenly think the arguments I make are a reflection of how I really feel, and get all hot and bothered about it… There are two controversial issues recently that have weighed on my mind.

It all started early in the fall of last year, with the “Prop 8″ debate. In June, the First Presidency asked church members in California to “do all [they] can to support the proposed constitutional amendment.” I observed how many of my friends jumped on the bandwagon and eagerly joined “Yes on 8″ groups on Facebook, adding it to their statuses (stati?) and canvassing their communities with their support. I had good friends on both sides of the debate, so I honestly couldn’t show that sort of enthusiasm… I would be lying if I joined a group for or against Prop 8. I chose, instead, to read both arguments and try to decide based on facts, not propoganda. Even today though, months after the proposition has passed, I remain undecided.
I strongly believe in looking at both sides of every issue, and I try not to demonize either party. It seems like if I joined either side, I’d be subjecting myself to the “us vs. them” mentality. I’m afraid that if I did that, it would be harder to find a more balanced perspective.

The second issue just arose recently, when I found out that HBO was going to air an episode of “Big Love” featuring characters in temple dress and the inside of an LDS temple. Naturally, this upset a lot of my friends on Facebook. But once again, I found my first reaction to be… undecided. It’s not that I’m okay with HBO exploiting a very sacred practice. Taken out of context, I can totally see how the temple ceremony and attire could be wrongfully portrayed. It is wrong to exploit very sacred things, no matter what is involved. So why, then, do I feel so neutral about it all? Am I just trying to mediate both sides of this argument? IS there another side to this, aside from the outrage of members? I don’t want to condone HBO’s actions. I guess what I want, more than anything, is to understand… are the producers intentions really to mock sacred ceremonies? Even so, what power do I have to express disapproval? Does it really do any good to join a facebook group? Is that even what I should do??
Out of all the articles I found on the topic, this one, from the LDS Newsroom, proved to be the most helpful. I appreciate the counsel given to us as we deal with these issues:

As Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve Apostles have both said recently, when expressing themselves in the public arena, Latter-day Saints should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness.

Not only is this the model that Jesus Christ taught and demonstrated in his own life, but it also reflects the reality of the strength and maturity of Church members today…with a global membership of thirteen and a half million there is no need to feel defensive when the Church is moving forward so rapidly. The Church’s strength is in its faithful members in 170-plus countries, and there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church.

I don’t intend to play “devil’s advocate” merely to be a nuisance. I sincerely want to understand everything that’s involved- to see each issue in greater depth before coming to any conclusion. Does this make me a fence-sitter? I hope not. When I do make up my mind, I can be quite stubborn about it. So why jump to conclusions early and get stuck on the wrong side? Or even if I choose the right, how can I have peace of mind without studying the issue thoroughly?

I realize that some of my friends may be shocked when I say something “ultra liberal” or play “devil’s advocate” at times… It hurts to hear some friends accuse me of being a bad Mormon just because I don’t subscribe to conservative rhetoric. Now, it’s not that I feel hurt by the name-calling. Really, I’m more hurt to think that said friends refuse to listen or even try to understand me. I’m not trying to create controversy. I’m just trying to find the truth.

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Less than 24 hours in office, and he’s already improving our government…

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Unity is the great need of the hour – the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it’s the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.

I’m not talking about a budget deficit. I’m not talking about a trade deficit. I’m not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans.

I’m talking about a moral deficit. I’m talking about an empathy deficit. I’m taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother’s keeper; we are our sister’s keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.
– Barack Obama at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 1/19/09

Every time I hear Obama speak, I can feel my heart swell with hope and pride. How fitting it is for Martin Luther King day to be the eve of a dream fulfilled- proving, after 45 years, that the content of one’s character runs deeper than the color of one’s skin. We have come a long way as a nation. We still have a long way to go, we are far from perfect- but today, we can reflect on the positives. There is hope for us yet.

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