Wednesday, January 28, 2009

I am Impressed

Today's Link
Mary's Writing Nook

Saying for the day
It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare. ~Mark Twain

Picture of the Day
Betty and friends Long Ago

Obama has been President for over a week and I am impressed.
I no longer think that he is a pole turtle.
In fact I am beginning to believe he will make a good President, maybe even one of the four or five great ones.
The first thing he did impressed me.
He closed the detention camp at Guantanamo . Or at least set a time table for its closing.
He also ordered that similar camps set up in foreign countries by the CIA be closed.
There is to be no more torture. No more secret prisoners.
He did this to bring our actions in line with our values.
He did it because it was the morally right thing to do.
When I was a kid . We were told the Germans and the Japanese tortured but we would never do a thing like that.
I believed that to be true.
We were , after all, a moral nation based on law and justice.
Fear lead us to ignore our values.
But if an enemy forces you to change your basic beliefs the enemy wins.
Obama says we will live up to our values.
He said this at some risk to his administration.
When the next terrorist attack comes in this country and it will.
He will be blamed. This decision will be blamed.
It would have come without the decision but people need to blame somebody. They will blame him.
He knew that but acted anyway.
When one of those released joins in an attack on us in some foreign country he will be blamed.
Those we tortured and released have no love for us. But that’s not his fault.
But he will be blamed for their action.
He knew that but he acted anyway. He could have held off making the decision.
He could have argued that the economy was the prime problem right now.
But he didn’t.
He faced up to the task at hand and he did what had to be done.
I am impressed.
I am really impressed.

News from Pigeon Falls
The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
Pastor Joan went out visiting yesterday. She was still having a hard time believing she won that ten thousand dollars from Publisher’s Clearing House. It just seems like a miracle.
Back at the parsonage Oops and Herman were building bridges out of Lego blocks. They were in the middle of a huge bridge when Oops sneezed. Right at that moment flowers began to fall from the ceiling. All kinds of flowers, big ones, little ones, red ones, blue ones, and all shaped like roses. By the time they stopped drifting down there was about a foot and one half of flowers on the floor. All the little bridges were covered.
Then Oops sneezed again and the flowers turned into grasshoppers. Now they had a whole room full of chirping grasshoppers. That’s when Oops said oops and a large pigeon appeared and ate the grasshoppers, every last one of them.
When it finished Herman opened the door and it flew away. Then he and Oops went back to building the bridge as if nothing had happened.

Wrap UP
Didn't sleep at all well last night. My oxygen was down this morning. It was a rough breathing day. After I blogged in the morning and had breakfast I took a nap which really didn't help much. Betty went to therapy. I spent most of the afternoon putting up the new monthly calendar and newsletter on the church website. I visited some of my links. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA
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16 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

I, too, am impressed.

3:35 AM  
Blogger Janets Planet said...

He also signed an order allowing US funds to be spent overseas to fund abortion. Yes, I am impressed also. He did what had to be done. Why torture people with unwanted children.

6:44 AM  
Blogger Juryizstillout said...

Not gonna touch any of that....

Just wanted to say hey, and thanks for stopping by the blog. Just a question, Dr. John, is your COPD managable or do you have to take a lot of stuff for it? My mom died in 2003 from complications with emphysema. Turned out she had COPD most of her life and never shared that with us.

6:51 AM  
Blogger Gattina said...

It really was about time to close this inhuman camp, and they will talk what has been done to them. Obama will be their saviour. In Europe we all admire him for what he did and is doing !!

7:45 AM  
Blogger Gattina said...

I just read the comment of Janvangogh who says why torture people with unwanted children. I also think about the tortured children by parents who didn't want them. You can read horror stories every day of what is done to unwanted children !

7:48 AM  
Blogger Pat - Arkansas said...

I will not always agree with what President Obama does, or causes to be done, but the announcement directing the closing of GITMO got my applause, literally. It can't happen fast enough to suit me. I believe you are correct when you say he will be blamed for anything that goes wrong; I just hope the American people will also give him credit for things that go right.

I continue to be intrigued by the story of Oops.

8:11 AM  
Blogger Melli said...

I too am impressed! And I'm sO glad you have taken him off the Pole Turtle List! I do believe he is a man of integrity... I pray he stays that way -- and I pray he lives through it!

Herman is the BEST babysitter in the whole world! He just takes everything in stride... I LOVE it!

8:20 AM  
Blogger Bill ~ {The Old Fart} said...

I am glad you have found Faith in your New President Dr John. I also hope he will live by his Values as well.

Blessings to you and Betty and your Family Dr John and God Bless America

8:30 AM  
Blogger Alastair said...

Likewise I am impressed not just with President Obama's actions, but with his reason for doing it - to bring the actions of the country in line with its professed values strikes me as the reasoning of a man with integrity - long may that last.

9:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have hope that I will someday again live in an America I am proud of. Obama has started out well and I approve.

And Oops is a very special child, indeed -- she cleans up after herself!

9:51 AM  
Blogger Family Man said...

I think he has started out well also. Yet he has a long four years ahead of him.

11:21 AM  
Blogger Akelamalu said...

I wish him luck and I hope he does well. :)

1:07 PM  
Blogger juliana said...

yes, he has started well. let's hope he continues in the same fashion...

3:17 PM  
Blogger Finding Pam said...

great post. get well soon.
flowers to grasshoppers? oh, my that Oops is something else.

3:19 PM  
Blogger Russell said...

Politics is a pretty tough business... sort of like being a coach - everyone knows how to do things better! Heh! But, well, it appears to be more true than not.

I feel sorry for the high school coaches. Low pay and every parent wanting their son or daughter to play! At least in college and the pros they get paid some decent money to put up with the abuse!

Appreciated your thoughts about the Covenant and Dallas Academy game and enjoyed today's post, too.

I need to get around to people's blogs a bit more regularly but seem to find myself reading lots of student papers these days.

Take care.

3:58 PM  
Blogger Melli said...

Praying for you...

5:06 PM  

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