The corporate office for my company is huge.  We have well over 6000 people in one building and every day presents a new face.  I get breakfast down in the cafeteria at least 3 times a week and that’s where I met a good friend of mine.  Never had a meeting with him, but we always had good spirited conversation while waiting on our pancakes.

Election time rolled around, but I never expressed views with my breakfast buddy, nor did he.  Election day arrived.  I voted early that morning and came in to work.  I proceeded down to breakfast and saw my breakfast buddy.  But today was different.  When I gave the usual “Good Morning”, he glanced at me, dropped his head and walked off.  I was befuddled!  What did I do?  What did I say?!!!

Then it dawned on me.  I looked down and on my shirt was my “Obama ‘08″ sticker.  The softer side of me said No, it couldn’t be.  But in actuality it was.  My breakfast buddy was a die hard republican and he was 100% against Barack Obama in the presidency.  My wearing of a sticker had ruined months of a growing friendship and networked associate.

Was my case just something out of the blue?  Are people really so hard up on their political affiliation that they will break ties with you to support their own political cause?

Senator John Ensign was one of the fastest up and coming politicians in the U.S. government.  He had become somewhat of a religious ambassador for righteousness from his very own Senate seat.

John Ensign was the same Nevada Republican who protested Bill Clinton’s actions.  He was also highly critical of Senator Larry Craig and his bathroom advances at an undercover during the bathroom sex sting operation in the Twin Cities airport.  However, John Ensign joined the ranks and followed suit as he stood before the crowd at the podium in June 2009 to confess of his extramarital affair.

This was the same man that organized and pushed for prayer breakfasts and bible study with fellow congressmen.  He was adamantly against abortion and gay marriage.  And in June 2009 John had the same attempt to do what he criticized Pres. Clinton for not doing – apologizing to the public.

And now….today’s question….Are you concerned about the actions of your public office officials.  Do you care if your married mayor is running girls through the local Motel 6?  Is there cause for concern over a little “stick-your-hand-under-the-bathroom-stall-in-search-of-a-man-to-sit-on-your-lap” mishap?  Or do you need a good clean politician governing your life?

“Say No to Drugs”.  We start teaching it as early as 3 to the youngsters.  We don’t want society to falter at the use of such evil things as drugs.  This is life and how we raise our youth.

But for the millions that never got the message and unfortunately went toward the light, how do we assess these people.  It is against man’s law to use drugs (that you don’t pay for) so does that make it a crime?  Or could it possibly just be a disease that some just happen to get.

Thousands are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Heart disease daily.  These all have terrible effects on the body’s mind, nervous system, and life force.  Could Drug abuse be something as simple where it forces the body to need each drug’s use.

Or is it simply just society punishing those who could not withstand the urge.  Unable to fight off their spirits and demons, or just all about doing what they want – which is not what your government wants you doing…

A few believe the idea of church and state to originate with John Locke, a political philosopher, while many believe it to have grabbed its foothold with Thomas Jefferson’s First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution creating a “wall of separation” between church and state.

Church gives religion to those who choose to believe and the great U.S. states they will not infringe on that as long as the religion does not break any U.S. laws.  What does the state do (great question)?  Here’s what I’ve been told – the seek to create meaningful, secure, and orderly life for its constituents.  Because of the freedom granted to religion, state seeks not to cross this path.

However, recently there have been several instances that I would consider to be overlap of the two.  A few months ago, Sonny Perdue, governor of the state of Georgia, asked for mega church ministers to open their [accounting] books to the State for review.  This was brought on by several members complaining of the money they were giving to the church were being misappropriated.  A few ministers asked to come forward were Creflo Dollar of World Changers Ministries and Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.  Creflo complied with the request, but Eddie did not.

One has to wonder if church and state really exists, then how can this come to be.  Why would state governors make such a request of the mega church ministers?

For as long as anyone can remember american politics has been dominated by 2 groups: Democrats and Republicans.  These parties pride themselves on 2 totally different sets of values.  As a result, they fight to no end.

Barack Obama (with a wink and a smile) pledged to end all the bi-partisan fighting in Washington during this campaign.  Many people actually thought he could.  After his election it became quite evident that nothing would get accomplished if Obama needed 100% compliance from both sides.  Like Clinton and Bush before him Obama eventually stepped away from this challenge altogether.

It is disappointing to know that the leaders of America will likely never see eye to eye on the most important matters of our lives. Maybe one day there will be a savior.  What do you think?

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The United States Military has not used the draft since the Vietnam War.  There have been scant talks of re-instating it since then but no true need has ever arisen.

Being drafted definitely changes your life.  You literally go from your comfortable little cube to the desert in about 6 months flat.  The last draft saw a huge trend of people who refused to enter.

So here is the question of the day.  If good ‘ole Uncle Sam sent you an unsolicited request to strap up would you say yes or no?

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This is what wikipedia says about today’s topic.

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found. Such a union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding.

People marry for many reasons, most often including one or more of the following: legal, social, emotional, economical, spiritual, and religious. These might include arranged marriages, family obligations, the legal establishment of a nuclear family unit, the legal protection of children and public declaration of love.^[1][2]

Notice the words legal and religious pop up in the second paragraph.  Marriage has been defined has holy matrimony but everyone who gets married doesn’t subscribe to a religion.  The legal ramifications of marriage are much more concrete from a finance and property perspective.

So here is the question of the day.

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It has been said that you don’t need to be a very smart person.  Mark Lunsford Pryor, a United States Senator from Arkansas has corroborated this statement on film.

Traditionally, a person’s ability to persuade and influence people has been the most important factor in gaining public office.  This has led to a litany of poor legislators and backlash from the public.  Some (including yours truly) think that there should be an IQ requirement for public officials.

What do you think?

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During this time of year, the TV is full of commercials for the NBA playoffs, Baseball season getting started, Summer movie hits, NHL playoffs, and constant reminders of the pollen count.  Far different from commercials during the fall season.  What’s the difference? – Politics.

Politics are only pushed to the public during election time.  Every other commercial is about a presidential candidate, a Senator, House Rep, County Commissioner, Judges, Sheriffs, Lead Janitors, Governors, Lt. Governors, District’s 2 through 20, and the Attorney General.  I learn more about the political system during this time of year than any time.  And honestly, I develop more of a care about these positions and the need for the “right” person to fill these positions.

But during the NBA Playoffs and summer movie times, I rarely think about District 6 and the Attorney General.  So how many people feel like me?  Is your political concern only during the election time?