America The Beautiful

The other morning, I watched Tomorrow (and here), the final episode of The West Wing. In it, Keb Mo sings America The Beautiful at the inauguration of President Matt Santos. It's seems a perfect way to commemorate Independence Day. Happy 4th of July!

Olbermann on 9/11

I know that someone is going to rip me a new one for posting this on 9/11 (TM), but I'm gonna do it anyway.

Let's be clear: I believe 9/11 (TM) was a horrible day in our country's history. A lot of talented, innocent people died at the hands of some madmen. Our country has never been the same and it probably never will be.

And, I completely agree with Keith Olbermann. The GOP has turned 9/11 (TM) into its own personal campaign issue with their fear-mongering. And it's disgusting. They should be ashamed, but they're not. In fact, they think it's okay. They think it's okay to question the patriotism of anyone who dares to question them. They think it's okay to hijack personal freedoms in the name of national security, but fail to show any proof that this works other than to say "we haven't been attacked again" hoping that will shut questioners up. They think it's okay to lie to the American people in order to start a war that has nothing to do with 9/11 (TM). They think it's okay to make fun of people who serve their country in any way other than by joining the military and going to war.



You can read the transcript of Keith Olbermann here.

This election is about fear vs. hope. I hope everyone makes their choice after a great deal of sober consideration.

Moment of Silence for 9/11

The Declaration of Independence

One of my favorite memories of living in Washington DC was heading down to the National Archives on the 4th of July for a reading of the Declaration of Independence by the Town Crier before the annual 4th of July Parade. My first summer, in 1993, Attorney General Janet Reno led the ceremonies.

Click here to listen to a reading of the Declaration of Independence on NPR from July 4, 2008.

The Founding Fathers are depicted in the painting Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull.

I've Changed My Mind . . . I'm Voting Republican

It was bound to happen. I mean, who among us is immune to the charms of the Grand Old Party with its Patriotism and High Moral Values?

Tim Russert, 1950-2008

By now, you've heard the sad news about Tim Russert who died yesterday, doing what he loved - prepping for Sunday's Meet The Press.

I never knew Tim Russert personally, although we have spent almost every Sunday morning together for the last 17 years. For a political and news junkie like me, Meet the Press is required viewing. When I lived in DC, I survived working Sundays at Hogan because starting at noon, the local NPR station replayed all the Sunday morning political shows (Meet the Press, This Week with David Brinkley, Face the Nation, and the rest).
Tim Russert was the best of the best as far as political journalists go. His research on each guest was impeccable. Although he asked tough questions, he never entered the arena of "gotcha" questions. And he listened to the answers. Whatever his own personal political beliefs, you didn't know it when watching MTP.

And certainly, Election Nights were nothing without Tim. In fact, Tim Russert is credited with coining the phrases "Red State" and "Blue State." His goal was to explain complicated electoral politics to the Average Joe. We all remember his famous white board from the 2000 Election Night.

Of course, Tim is also known for what he's done for Father's Day. His love for his dad and his son were evident everyday of his life. And his book "Big Russ and Me" probably brought many fathers and sons closer.

I will miss Tim Russert deeply. No one holds a candle to him. And the 2008 Presidential Election will be poorer for his untimely death.

I have no idea how his shoes will be filled, although at least for tomorrow, Tom Brokaw will attempt to fill the void on Meet the Press.

Change We CAN Believe In!

Here's a great Obama video to help you feel hopeful this weekend. Enjoy.

My 1st DC Experience

I moved to DC over Memorial Day weekend in 1993. My first home was Thompson-Markward Hall, a Young Women's Christian Home, located directly across the street from the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.

My first DC Experience was the National Memorial Day Concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol and I attended with other women from the house. I remember Nana watched it on TV and looked for me in the crowd. With 50,000 people (or whatever there were), she obviously didn't see me.

That began a tradition. I attended almost every National Memorial Day Concert and the 4th of July Concert and Fireworks. Nana watched it every year looking for me in the crowd. Spending such a wonderful day on the steps of our Capitol, with all of Washington at my footsteps was never lost on me. In the 7 years I lived in DC, I never lost that sense of awe that I daily walked in the footsteps of our Founding Fathers.

Eight years later, I will once again watch the concert on PBS on Sunday night, wishing Nana was watching too. And I will be sad for a moment that I'm not still in DC. But I'll only be sad for a moment. And that sense of awe will still be with me.

Food Pantries Need YOUR Help!

It's no surprise that everyone is feeling pinched by the economy right now. Gas prices are through the roof. Food prices are at near record highs. A few days ago, the Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act Conference Report was up for a vote in Congress and it passed in both the House and Senate, in spite of Representative Mark Kirk's (R-IL 10th) vote against it and President Bush's promise to veto it. Luckily, this bill should be veto-proof.

A crucial element of this Act is that 2/3 of the money in the farm bill would go to public nutrition programs like food stamps. Did you know that there are 27.7 million Americans on Food Stamps, that in Illinois 1.3 million people are on Food Stamps or in the WIC program (the largest number ever in the State) and that the average food stamp recipient lives on less than $1 per meal (yes, that's ONE DOLLAR PER MEAL)?

One way people with low incomes stretch their food budgets is with the free and reduced breakfast and lunch programs provided through the schools. With school about to end for the summer, however, these programs will also be on hiatus, putting an additional strain on families.

Food pantries provide a safety net for entire communities. Because of the economic recession, more people are relying on food pantries than the in recent times - including more and more "middle class" people. As a result, food pantries across the country are finding their shelves empty and need your donations.

In addition to accepting non-expired, non-perishable food items, many food pantries also accept personal hygiene items such as toilet paper, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, diapers, etc., but you should call your local food pantry to confirm they accept these items. UPDATE: As Gourmet Goddess states in her comment below, some food pantries also accept pet food and pet care items. Please call your local food pantry before you bring a big bag of Alpo over, however.

In Wheeling Township (where I live), our food pantry is in need of quite a few items that I've listed below:

Food
canned tuna fish
vegetable oil and olive oil
snacks/cookies
stuffing
sugar (small size)
tomato products
apple sauce
beef stew
bottled juice
canned fruit - all varieties
canned meat products such as chicken, hash, ham
cereal
coffee (small) and tea
dry milk/canned milk
condiments
dried beans and dried peas
dry soups including Ramen
canned or packaged gravy
jams, jelly and honey
macaroni and cheese
pancake mix and syrup
potato products and yams
rice (1 lb bags)
salad dressing

Personal Hygiene Items
paper towels
Kleenex
napkins
toilet paper (2 or 4 roll pkgs)
laundry and dish washing detergent
diapers - sizes 4, 5, and 6
shampoo and conditioner
toothbrushes
toothpaste
bar soap
feminine hygiene products

If you don't live in Wheeling Township, I encourage you to call your local food pantry, see what is needed, and then make a donation.

What if we all went through our own pantry and dropped 5 or 10 items off at the local food pantry? Certainly we won't starve by donating a day's worth of food, but it could keep someone else from going to bed hungry.

Update: Today, while grocery shopping, I used a bunch of buy one, get one free coupons and will be giving the free items to my food pantry. Just a thought.

LMS EXCLUSIVE: 2 New Super Dele-CATS for Obama!

In an exclusive interview with Little Merry Sunshine earlier today, Betsey (left pic) and Ross (right pic) announced today that they are officially endorsing Illinois Senator Barack Obama for President. This endorsement is unprecedented in their 12 years.

Asked why they are taking a stand in 2008, when they were apolitical in 1996, 2000, and 2004, Ross replied, "As members of the feline race, Betsey and I believe it is our patriotic duty to not simply sit on the sidelines when so much is at stake." He continued, "In previous years, we believed that our voices were insignificant, but after studying Cats for Obama, we realized that when united, our voices are loud and they must be heard. Cats have issues that are important to them including the environment and food. Betsey and I believe that Senator Obama will work to protect the environment so we always have fresh, safe drinking water and will ensure a mouse in every food dish."

Betsey chimed in, "We were against the War in Iraq going back to 2002 and Barack Obama has a solid record of being the peace-loving candidate. We appreciate his solid judgement and fiscal responsibility. Finally, given our historical past, Ross and I felt speaking out was simply our patriotic duty."

So there you have it. Barack Obama picked up the endorsements of 2 new superdelegates (oops, I mean dele-cats) today.

Does Wearing A Flag Pin Make You Patriotic?

In last night's debate between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, Senator Obama was again asked about why he doesn't wear a flag pin. The implication being that if you don't wear the pin, you must hate America and not have a patriotic bone in your body.

That got me to thinking, what makes someone patriotic? Is it a flag pin or is it something else?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines patriotism as "love for or devotion to one's country." But that doesn't quite cut it for me. Love and devotion are good things, but are they enough?

That made me think about my beliefs on religion. In my life, I have known many people who believe that if your butt isn't on a church pew every Sunday morning at 9:00am SHARP, then you are not a "good Christian." BUT I have known too many people who have their asses firmly planted on the pew week in and week out and take that as a license to go screw people over all week long. I don't think those people are good Christians at all. Being a good Christian to me, is about doing as Christ did - helping those less fortunate, living by the Golden Rule, being non-judgemental, being humble, being a good steward of our planet. I've always felt more connected to my religion (I'm Presbyterian) when I'm out volunteering and just living my life as an example to others, but not needing to proselytize and convert others to my way of thinking. It's about having my actions speak so loudly that words are unnecessary.

Being patriotic is a similar thing for me. Anyone with apposable thumbs can stick a flag pin through his/her shirt. But that doesn't mean that they are patriotic, any more than sitting on a church pew makes one a good Christian.

To me, being patriotic is about doing, just as being a good Christian is about doing.

Here's some of what I think makes someone patriotic (in no particular order):

1. Becoming educated on the real issues facing our country and world
2. Taking action on those issues - writing letters to the editor and to elected officials, petitioning government, attending public meetings, etc.
3. Volunteering for committees related to those issues
4. Protesting (yep, I said protesting)
5. Running for public office - dog catcher, school board, library board, sanitation district, state senator or president - every office is valuable and needed
6. Working to improve to collective good - setting up a food pantry, delivering Meals on Wheels, etc.
7. Registering to vote and voting in every election. How many of us can honestly say we've never missed an election - not just the big ones, but the little ones too? In my opinion, if you don't vote, sit down and shut up. You've lost your voice and your right to it.
8. Questioning authority and those running for office, rather than blindly sitting by and always believing everything we're told just because the words come out of an elected official's mouth.
9. Being a public servant - either through military service, volunteerism, or being an elected official.
10. Respecting human rights both in the United States and all around the world.

Being patriotic isn't about being a Republican or Democrat. For me, being patriotic is about how I live my life. What do you think makes someone patriotic?