charlieDEAN’S Blog

Here’s my question today…if you take out a Kleenex (or any other brand of facial tissue for that matter) and blow your nose with it…which garbage receptacle does it go in? The recyleables or the regular trash? I could go both ways on this one.

Disclaimer: I know some of you are “Bushies.” Please get past your love of G.W. to get at what this guy is really saying. And know that I’ve heard that Mr. Bush has asked White House staff to read this book.

I just finished the book The World is Flat, which is a spectacular read if you are interested in globalization, big business, and global politics. Anyway, I came across this quote the other night towards the end of the book that I wanted to share here. (In order to “get” what he’s saying you need to know that on 11/9/89, the Berlin Wall came down, breaking the Iron Curtain and opening the world.)

I believe that history will make very clear that President Bush shamelessly exploited the emotions around 9/11 for political purposes. He used those 9/11 emotions to take a far-right Republican domestic agenda on taxes, the environment, and social issues from 9/10 — an agenda for which he had no popular mandate — and drive it into a 9/12 world. In doing so, Mr. Bush not only drove a wedge between Americans, and between Americans and the world, he drove a wedge between America and its own history and identity. His administration transformed the United States into “the United States of Fighting Terrorism.” This is the real reason, in my view, that so many people in the world dislike President Bush so intensly. They feel that he has taken away something very dear to them — an America that exports hope, not fear.
We need our president to restore September 11 to its rightful place on the calendar — as the day after September 10 and before September 12. We must never let it become a day that defines us. Because ultimately September 11 is about them — the bad guys — not about us.
We’re about the Fourth of July. We’re about 9/11.

The reason that this quotation gripped me is because I hate the culture of fear that we live in. I hate that while violent crime continues to be less and less in this country, the REPORTING of violent crime is on the rise. Remember that Mormon girl that was kidnapped out of her home? Every night for several weeks I would walk into Caleb’s room at night terrified that he wouldn’t be there. Forget that the odds of any one child being randomly kidnapped by a stranger is 1 in millions.
Are there dangers in the world? Of course there are! Do I need to live my life in constant fear? I hope not! Family members have scolded us for allowing our two boys to play outside without us being out there constantly. But when I was a kid we played outside for HOURS by ourselves. Has the world actually gotten less safe? Or do we just know more? Are we just more afraid? What does it do to my kids if I raise them to fear everything, all the time. I know that I need to teach them to be wary of strangers, but I don’t believe locking them up in our house will help them grow to be imaginative, creative, confident young men.

I have a lot of questions…obviously. And I don’t have any answers.

Here’s an update on our family. This year we started with having one big birthday party for the boys. All the boys’ birthdays are in a 6-week span, so we’re going to start having a yearly birthday bash for all the family and then just celebrate them indiviually on their day with just mom & dad. So here are two pics…one of just Jaxon, and one of all of us.

Here’s my question today…if you take out a Kleenex (or any other brand of facial tissue for that matter) and blow your nose with it…which garbage receptacle does it go in? The recyleables or the regular trash? I could go both ways on this one.

Disclaimer: I know some of you are “Bushies.” Please get past your love of G.W. to get at what this guy is really saying. And know that I’ve heard that Mr. Bush has asked White House staff to read this book.

I just finished the book The World is Flat, which is a spectacular read if you are interested in globalization, big business, and global politics. Anyway, I came across this quote the other night towards the end of the book that I wanted to share here. (In order to “get” what he’s saying you need to know that on 11/9/89, the Berlin Wall came down, breaking the Iron Curtain and opening the world.)

I believe that history will make very clear that President Bush shamelessly exploited the emotions around 9/11 for political purposes. He used those 9/11 emotions to take a far-right Republican domestic agenda on taxes, the environment, and social issues from 9/10 — an agenda for which he had no popular mandate — and drive it into a 9/12 world. In doing so, Mr. Bush not only drove a wedge between Americans, and between Americans and the world, he drove a wedge between America and its own history and identity. His administration transformed the United States into “the United States of Fighting Terrorism.” This is the real reason, in my view, that so many people in the world dislike President Bush so intensly. They feel that he has taken away something very dear to them — an America that exports hope, not fear.
We need our president to restore September 11 to its rightful place on the calendar — as the day after September 10 and before September 12. We must never let it become a day that defines us. Because ultimately September 11 is about them — the bad guys — not about us.
We’re about the Fourth of July. We’re about 9/11.

The reason that this quotation gripped me is because I hate the culture of fear that we live in. I hate that while violent crime continues to be less and less in this country, the REPORTING of violent crime is on the rise. Remember that Mormon girl that was kidnapped out of her home? Every night for several weeks I would walk into Caleb’s room at night terrified that he wouldn’t be there. Forget that the odds of any one child being randomly kidnapped by a stranger is 1 in millions.
Are there dangers in the world? Of course there are! Do I need to live my life in constant fear? I hope not! Family members have scolded us for allowing our two boys to play outside without us being out there constantly. But when I was a kid we played outside for HOURS by ourselves. Has the world actually gotten less safe? Or do we just know more? Are we just more afraid? What does it do to my kids if I raise them to fear everything, all the time. I know that I need to teach them to be wary of strangers, but I don’t believe locking them up in our house will help them grow to be imaginative, creative, confident young men.

I have a lot of questions…obviously. And I don’t have any answers.

Here’s an update on our family. This year we started with having one big birthday party for the boys. All the boys’ birthdays are in a 6-week span, so we’re going to start having a yearly birthday bash for all the family and then just celebrate them indiviually on their day with just mom & dad. So here are two pics…one of just Jaxon, and one of all of us.

My small group cracks me up! Last night we were eclectic. We talked about basketball, Australia, male anatomy, having babies, parenting, Abraham & Sarah, and we prayed together. It’s my kind of group…we can be serious one second and cracking up the next!

On the serious side, we are working our way through The Story which is a chronological compilation of Bible stories taken directly from the TNIV. It’s kinda hard to explain. Here’s their description from the preface:

“The Story is the actual, God-breathed words of the Bible. Each chapter was thoughtfully and carefully excerpted and then place in chronological order. Transitions were written to smooth over places of omitted text. The texts were chosen to retain the overall flow of the narrative, so that when you read this story, you will get a sense of the ‘big picture’ of the Bible. Line spaces were added when text was omitted, and a chart at the back of this book will let you know what texts were included.”

Of course it’s no replacement for the fullness of the entire Bible, but it has led to great discussion and I think for our group a better understanding of the “big picture” of the Bible.

Yesterday I whined, today I received. Katie in our bookstore scored me a copy of McLaren’s new book (Katie rocks!) and apparently Tim is going to hook me up with a CD (it gives me a great excuse to go downtown and check out his new office sometime in the next couple of days — I’m waiting for him to call me back!)

Of course now I feel dirty for whining…but I’ll get over it as I listen to Hillsong United and read The Secret Message of Jesus.

My small group cracks me up! Last night we were eclectic. We talked about basketball, Australia, male anatomy, having babies, parenting, Abraham & Sarah, and we prayed together. It’s my kind of group…we can be serious one second and cracking up the next!

On the serious side, we are working our way through The Story which is a chronological compilation of Bible stories taken directly from the TNIV. It’s kinda hard to explain. Here’s their description from the preface:

“The Story is the actual, God-breathed words of the Bible. Each chapter was thoughtfully and carefully excerpted and then place in chronological order. Transitions were written to smooth over places of omitted text. The texts were chosen to retain the overall flow of the narrative, so that when you read this story, you will get a sense of the ‘big picture’ of the Bible. Line spaces were added when text was omitted, and a chart at the back of this book will let you know what texts were included.”

Of course it’s no replacement for the fullness of the entire Bible, but it has led to great discussion and I think for our group a better understanding of the “big picture” of the Bible.

Yesterday I whined, today I received. Katie in our bookstore scored me a copy of McLaren’s new book (Katie rocks!) and apparently Tim is going to hook me up with a CD (it gives me a great excuse to go downtown and check out his new office sometime in the next couple of days — I’m waiting for him to call me back!)

Of course now I feel dirty for whining…but I’ll get over it as I listen to Hillsong United and read The Secret Message of Jesus.