Barack is the New Brutus

Today I listened to Rev. Jeremiah Wright's address to the National Press in Washington DC in its entirety with my friend & colleague Dave (also a Reverend).

On Sunday, as I drove to Seattle (also with Dave) we listened to his speech to the NAACP in its entirety via CNN.

This morning, I listened to Barack Obama's response in its entirety.

My feelings have moved from depressed, to angry, to sad over the course of the last 12 hours. I want to make clear that as a vocational minister of a church, a student of theology, a Biblical studies major in college, and as an Obama supporter...that there was not one thing Rev. Jeremiah Wright said in either of those speeches that I disagreed with. Actually, his words represent the "different kind of Christianity" that I feel many of us "Christians" a part of this blogmmunity/vox de populi are a part of. On that note, I would be interested to hear your responses to Wright & Obama's words.

I cannot express how deeply disappointed I am in Barack Obama. I feel as though his denunciation of Wright is a political move- making him no different than any other candidate. Barack could have responded wonderfully as he did with his Race in America speech, instead he turned his back on the tradition that made him who he is.

Way to sellout Obama. I am now officially voting for the lesser of two bad choices. It remains to be seen which candidate I will vote for in the Oregon primary this month.

I would love to have some good dialogue about this- please comment, and look for many future posts about this. I understand that this is short, I hope to flesh out some more ideas once the conversation gets going. For now, I plan on walking around the block from my house where Obama just set up headquarters and expressing my disappointment.

Just got my Tix...

I couldn't resist. June 3rd Portland...here we come!

Food Justice ?!?

Hello blogmmunity!

I wanted to let you all know that over the last few months you have inspired me to take a deeper look into my relationship with food. For the first time I have extended my pursuit of justice to include environmental care, sustainable living, carbon reduction, slow food movement, farming, and other areas of "food-oriented justice."

In an attempt to hold myself accountable to this pursuit, I thought I would make some of my findings & struggles public via this blog. I know many of you have been involved in this pursuit for a long time...so I hope you can lend some advice & encouragement as I seek to move ideology to praxis.

Here are a few of my hopeful ventures:

Erin and I have bought into a cooperative organic farming community. For $100 (pays for water & seed), we will join 10 other people (mostly from the Sparrow Bakery, including our good friends Cole & Amy) twice a week to work on an organic farm. Weeding, planting, tilling soil, and harvesting will be new to this "city boy," but the end result will be local, organic, farm to plate produce for the entire summer. Other perks include: a new trade (farmers look out!), new friends, and local produce (not dripping with the petroleum it took to get it into the supermarket- thanks to my friend Ivy for the imagery). I went to the farm for my first experience Sunday, and a crazy experience it was...pics to come soon.

On another food justice note, I am going to read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I attempted this once, but am going to try again. I know a few of you have read it already, but if anyone is up for a group read let me know!

God & Country

I wrote this in response to the conversation on Kelli's blog after this post.

As a part of the Vox de Populi e-mail conversation community, many of you have already read this- but..I though I would post it here as a chronicle for my personal records.

The blur between God & country started at an early age for me when I quit the boy scouts. I didn’t get that learning how to tie knots & start a campfire were somehow supposed to help me do my duty to God and my country. The conversation moved again in Middle School when there was national debate about some children in public school abstaining from the recitation of the pledge of allegiance. And finally, once again when I was a freshmen in college and the twin towers were attacked.

While fired up, and more so sad about September 11th- it was our response that made it hard for me to pledge allegiance (not to mention I was beginning my collegiate journey of questioning everything I had been taught) to a flag, country, or worse...policy. Through a lot of reading and conversation (with mostly right & few left wing roommates), I came to the conclusion that our national borders were artificial. Made by wars, annexation, the false hope of manifest destiny, and loads of oppression (small pox gifts to the indigenous, African slave trade, etc)...I could not worship both God & country.

It was here in my journey that the material became unimportant, and that actions (played as a result of values) were what counted. I knew Christians who displayed the cross reverently, but were assholes to homosexuals...Christ followers who would not let their Bible touch the ground, but believed that war was the only way to solve the Muslim problem...children of God who got dressed up in their Sunday’s finest weekly out of respect for God, but though that global warming was a farce.

This deeply reinforced my belief that the material (or reverence for the material) didn’t matter, but that our actions (as a result of our values) showed our true character/allegiance.

For me, the same can be said about my country. There are Americans who deeply believe that the flag should never touch the ground, yet slew racial slurs at our immigrant brothers and sisters from Mexico...Good citizens who loud and proud sing the national anthem at every sporting event, yet pass tax cuts for the wealthiest percentage of the so-called privileged...Patriots who pledge allegiance to the flag, but have zero problem with calling the killing of Iraqi citizens “collateral damage” when at war.

After September 11th, just about every country was ready to support America in its time of mourning. What an opportunity to really make some headway for democracy & freedom (our supposed American values) by feeding the hungry, redistributing wealth, and cooperatively dealing with global disease (all of which terrorism is intrinsically linked to)...instead, in the name of God & country we resorted to the myths of redemptive violence as a means to an end.

Now there is no end in sight, other countries once ready to lend a helping hand are no longer behind us, and global poverty & disease are at an all-time high.

I propose that the material values of the “flag” and “book” are in desperate need of redemption thru creative and imaginative action.

Action steeped in hope, not flag...real freedom, not country... Creativity, not violence in the name of God...and imagination, not artificial borders.

Peace be with us...

In Defense of Mr. West's Blog

Yes...I am a fan of Kanye West

Bought all three albums on day they came out: check
Seen him in concert: check
Really want to see his Glow in the Dark Tour w/ N.E.R.D. & Lupe Fiasco: check

And finally, added his blog to my blogroll links: check
He probably has the best "link-based" blog around...with new features on art, design, architecture, music (mostly indie), and such...updated a few times daily.

Check it out before you hate. The pics on this post were taken from two of his most recent posts.

If you are in Phoenix, See you all RISE UP style this weekend!

There's a First Time for Everything

Hey friends...

This last month has been filled with a bunch of "firsts" for me. I thought I would share a few of them with you...

First time steadily working out: Yes, I got a gym membership at the local parks & rec gym here in Bend. It has been a great opportunity to de-stress and listen to great new music. So far it has been a month and a half. My previous record was two weeks of working out...I think it will stick this time.

First time staying at the Ace Hotel in Portland: This is the coolest hotel ever! Erin and I came here to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary. Picture an old classic hotel (for all you Phx cats...similar to the Hotel San Carlos) given a completely modern look- filled with minimalist, eco-modern furniture; a record player/mp3 player in every room; bicycles for rent; and amazing unique artist murals in many rooms (in my fave artsy style). Plus...when we walked in to check-in, they were playing Pinback on a record player- another first.

First time doing this. Let's just say it was the most interesting, awkward, crazy experience of my life. Happy anniversary to us...should have went for the standard deep tissue massage.

First time I was spoken to as an adult by a politician: Barack Obama's speech on race in America was amazing. If you haven't watched it yet...go get a late pass here. Neil writes a great post about it here. PS...Add him to your blogrolls!

Hope this finds you all alive and well! I will be out in Phoenix next week starting Thursday morning...Erin will be joining me on Friday out there...and we will both be out to support the Grand Opening of the new Rise UP store at ground level of the Hotel San Carlos in Downtown Phoenix. Hope to see you all there! The events are open to everyone...so bring all you know!!! Info can be found here!