Philosophy is, according to Wikipedia (which is the internet information age's bible) "the discipline concerned with questions of how one should live (ethics); what sorts of things exist and what are their essential natures (metaphysics); what counts as genuine knowledge (epistemology); and what are the correct principles of reasoning (logic)."  On the surface, nothing sounds bad about that.  In fact, to someone like me, the study of philosophy sounds like a worthwhile pursuit... perhaps even a lifelong one.  One of my roommates, Andy, is a philosophy major and as much a modern philosopher if ever there was one.  I mean, there's something inspiring about it; a mental quest for the great mysteries of the world.  It's like Indiana Jones of the Mind; a lifetime of pursuits and dedications, revealing the greatest of treasures along the way and unlocking secrets few ever get to behold.  It sounds fabulous, for someone like me.

And it's oh-so-wrong.

For years, I've been a bit of an intellectualist.  By that, I don't mean that I've dedicated myself to academic studies... look at my GPA and you'll see that's pretty far from the case.  The sad truth is, I stopped caring about most academic things when I was in junior high.  But I've still always been a fan of knowledge and understanding.  The old adage "knowledge is power" rings true in my mind, even in hindsight.  As I grew older and "wiser" (if only), I looked for deeper answers... the answers "beyond."  What was it REALLY about?  There had to be more to life that what I was living.

At first, my pursuits paid off; the more I thought on things, especially in terms of my spiritual walk, the more I understood that there was more to it than the sunday school lines that had been thrown at me for fifteen years.  I began to realize why I made the decisions I made, how I came to be the person I was, and how I could become the person I wanted to become.  Things seemed to fall in line.  My life had been a road, and now, for the first time, I was able to explore the signs, the off-ramps, and the houses that lined the road.  It was like a veil was drawn, and a whole plethora of veils waited, each one housing a different notion or idea, each idea adding a small fraction to what I already knew, allowing me to delve deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole (thanks, Morpheus and Lewis Carroll).

Now, I am a 23-year-old man, trying desperately to see where his intellectual pursuits of spiritual understanding have led him.  The answer, unfortunately, is nowhere.  The rabbit hole that looked so ominous, so mysterious and full of new wonders, is in fact a maze with no finish point.  Like the old mazes I used to use a crayon in while waiting for enchiladas at el Chico's, there is only one way in or out.  The only way out is the way I came in.  All I have done, it seems, is turn myself inside out looking for a greater truth, a better understanding of what I already understood long ago.  I'm older, somewhat embittered from my journeys, and unfortunately lacking in hair.

So now it comes to it.  What is philosophy... REALLY?  What is philosophy?  To me, philosophy is a quicksand trap, one which looks ever-so-inviting, a new direction to take from a tried and true road, one which leaves you all but trapped in its liquid murkiness.  My search for deeper understanding beyond the meat of the gospel has gained me little; in fact, I would postulate that the only thing it has gained me is a better understanding of the fact that I can gain nothing from it (if that makes sense).  My search for greater understanding had left me feeling like a kid who discovered the secret to a magic trick... and abruptly realized that the magic was gone.

Fortunately for me, that is not the case.  The "magic," which I suppose must symbolize the faith of children which Jesus referred to, is not gone.  Rather, the problem lies totally within my own heart.  I have jaded myself against the magic.  I have continued to plow and plow through the depths of God's word, ever searching for a better intellectual understanding of the ideas and refusing to move forward and appreciate the MEANING.  There are so many topics in today's world that I have searched for answers to, only to now realize that I was missing the real truth all along.  It's capital punishment that helps me illustrate this final understanding that the philosophy and "greater truth" is meaningless.  While trying to decide if Christ would support or disfavor the death penalty, I remembered that he told the criminal crucified next to him: "today, you shall be with me in paradise."  He didn't free the criminal, or transport him away, or relieve him of the punishment he had been sentenced to... he forgave him.  At first, I decided that Jesus must therefore have no issue with the traditional punishments that governments dole out... but then I realized that I had somehow thought through and read over the description of Christ's ultimate sacrifice without even stopping to consider it.  It had just become more information.

This, inevitably, is where "greater truth" and philosophy have led me: to a desensitized relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Even now, writing the words, the concept does not sting me as much as it should.  But it does sting, and that is a start in the right direction.  What does it matter if I understand the truth as to whether or not profanity is right or wrong?  How much does it matter that I'm not burdened by "social stigmas" that I have wrestled with my whole life?  So what if I have a deeper understanding of exactly when and by whom some of the Bible books were written?  It DOESN'T matter!  None of it matters, not if I'm focused on that while outside of my home there are children who hurt, families who suffer, prisoners who starve for the gospel, and whole cities that have never heard the gospel of Christ.  While I sit at home trying to figure out just how much of a sin it is to do whatever it is I just did, the world comes closer and closer to a final confrontation with God, where his words will ring long and true and time will run out for us all, one way or another.  The very concept of time will fade away for everyone who has ever lived, and most of the souls ever conceived will be sent by God to the lake of fire.  And rather than warning people, rather than living my life daily trying to emulate Christ and spread his gospel to the four corners of the Earth, I sit at home on my ass trying to figure out every tiny detail of what it means to "emulate" Christ.

Now here's the part where I stop talking and start acting.  For too long I've played the part of the troubled-but-brilliant mind, the Will Hunting of spirituality who is too smart for his own good, looking at the problem from every angle but never actually getting around to solving it.  Too long I've acted a part, tried to follow the patterns of great thinkers and champions of mental capacity, all that time aware in the back of my mind that I must come to Christ as a child, if I am to come to him at all.  As of this moment, that is who I am.  That's me.

That can't be me anymore.

I didn't write this to get attention, or to tell others the great discovery I've made, but it's okay if you think that's what I'm doing.  You have the right to.  More often than not in my life, I've been too concerned with what others thought.  I'm doing this so that you, whoever among you who are truly my friends... no; those of you who are truly my BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST... can hold me accountable.  I don't want you to see me just talking the talk; and if I am talking, you sure better ask me if I'm walking the walk, too.  I, for my part, am going to try and recapture that faith that I had as a child, that all-encompassing, all-or-nothing, no-doubts faith.  And part of that is going to be me taking off the hard shells that I've wrapped around myself, shells of intellectual reason and mental discipline that in the end have done nothing but add to my callous nature and weigh me down.  I'm ready to be hurt, to love and be loved, to give joy and receive it, to fall and be cut (and to try and walk straighter the next time).  I'm not the man God wants me to be.

But I'm ready to BECOME the man God wants me to be.

The following is an excerpt from my first in a trilogy of novels, titled "The Chronicles of the Maverick War."   This book in particular is called Chronicle I: The Maverick Conspiracy.  It introduces the primary characters and sets up the greatest scheme of all time, orchestrated by bad guy (or, perhaps good guy?) Admiral Ithai Zelek and his allies, catching Prince Jonathan of Celestia and his best friend, Andrew Koteas, in their wake.

This particular snippet comes from the first part of the novel, in which Zelek travels with a new second-in-command, Commander Marion Skau, to seek the support of varyous political, military, and industrial leaders.  Read, ponder, and review!  I LOVE reviews... you guys know that!

An Excerpt from

The Chronicles of the Maverick War, Chronicle I: The Maverick Conspiracy

            "This is not what I had in mind," Skau murmured, gazing up at the chandelier hanging above the grand staircase.  "I knew Dupri operated out of a mansion, but I never imagined… this."

            "It is marvelous," Zelek agreed, taking a long, sweeping glance at their surroundings.  "The manor has been in Baron Alexander Dupri's family for several generations, long before he began Volant Robotics.  Alexander was the black kwoal of the family… he never cared much for money or rank."  He sighed, looking around again.  "What a pity."

            Skau gave him a measured look.  "If you'll pardon my saying so, sir," he commented carefully, "you don't seem the sort to care about money or rank, either."

            "You're right, Commander," Zelek replied patiently.  "However, his utter lack of concern for material makes negotiating with him that much more difficult."

            "Ah," Skau nodded.  "I understand now."

            "I'm not certain that you do," Zelek countered coolly as they reached the top of the stairs.  "The 'pity' I referred to lies within Dupri Manor itself."  He gestured grandly, his hand stretching out and circling to indicate the tapestries lining the walls and railings.  "This place is full of rich culture and artistry.  Even the manor itself is a work of art.  It's merely a pity that Baron Dupri never leaves the second story of the west wing.  This beautiful place lies dormant, unused, unappreciated."  For the first time Skau could remember, he saw Zelek sigh.  "It's a terrible waste."

            "I see, sir," Skau said, in part untruthfully.  To Skau, art had always been something abstract and foreign, its messages indiscernible to his eyes.  The colors and textures were nothing more than myriad swirls of emotion that Skau neither understood nor cared about.  Understanding art had nothing to do with being a soldier.  Apparently, Admiral Zelek believed otherwise.

            The two of them continued to walk slowly, with Zelek glancing back and forth to either side of the hallway, obviously admiring the various pieces of art and the architectural flow of the corridor.  Yet, even in his admiration, the Admiral remained poised, his hands clasped behind his blue tunic and white trousers.  A small part of Skau couldn't help but marvel; for all his years of training and expertise, Zelek managed to appear crisp and controlled, even while walking leisurely.  Whatever else had happened during his ten-year stint in the Uncivilized Sectors, his personal presence remained sharp and powerful.

            Abruptly, Zelek came to a halt, shaking Skau out of his reverie.  A large pair of imposing doors towered in front of them, dark and looming in a style similar to the front gates.  Standing guard were two identical suits of armor, their heavy stub rifles clenched between thick metal fingers.  Skau took point, moving to step in front of the Admiral—

            —and was abruptly halted by Zelek's outstretched arm.  At his glance, Zelek explained.  "The suits of armor are sentries," he said evenly.  "They look like suits of armor for camouflage purposes," he added.  Skau peered closer, training all of his senses on the right-hand suit; and sure enough, from within the crevices of the armor he could hear a faint hum.

            "Schnyte," Skau cursed softly, his jaw tightening as he drew back.  "Those things could have killed me."

            "Very observant of you, Admiral," said a queer voice, echoing from within the armored sets.  Skau jolted, his hand automatically going to the pistol holstered at his side.  The voice, however, seemed to be addressing the Admiral, and when he didn't make any movement, Skau returned his hands to his sides.   "And thank you ever-so-much for ruining my fun," the voice giggled.  "I was looking forward to watching the Commander take a hit."

            Skau's hands balled into fists, but a warning glance from Zelek halted any reply he might have had.  "Rest assured, I had the stub rifles set for low density, in anticipation of your arrival," the voice continued, ignorant of the silent exchange that had just transpired.  "They don't call me a genius for nothing, you know."

            Skau set his jaw, fighting a second urge to explode.  The oddly-childlike voice chirping within the giant sentries, combines with the overall atmosphere of the gloomy manor itself, gave Skau the impression that he had become tangled up in something surreal; and for a military man who dealt in cold fact and firm reality on a daily basis, the surreal was uncomfortable and unfamiliar territory.

            The Admiral, however, didn't seem fazed in the least.  "Thank you for that welcoming gesture," he replied, a hint of playful sarcasm in his voice.  "Perhaps we might be granted entrance in order to show our gratitude, Baron Dupri?"

            "No need for formalities, Admiral," Dupri replied, his tone nonchalant.  "'Doctor' will suffice.  And by all means," he added, his voice dropping to a faux-menacing tone, "enter my domain."

            Skau, looking at the locked double doors, opened his mouth to object; the words died in his throat as the doors swung open, hidden pistons hissing with the effort.  Skau grimaced again.  "I'm think I'm going to hate him," he said slowly.

            "You can hate him all you like," Zelek said, his voice suddenly cold.  "But we need to leave here with him thinking that he's just made two very good friends in the upper echelons of the Maverick Alliance military.  Understood?"

            Skau straightened, coming into a more rigid stance.  "Understood, sir," he replied, his face impassive.

            Zelek gazed at Skau a moment longer, then offered him a small, reassuring smile.  With that he turned, all business, and strode into the room with practiced elegance.  Skau hesitated a moment, then dutifully followed the Admiral inside.

This might not be too long, but it's important to me, so I hope you all get a chance to read it.  I've been leading a Junior High D-Now group, and despite their rambunctiousness, these guys have been AWESOME!  But, despite coming to lead them, I inevitably found mysepf being touched by the lesson prepared for us all.  Namely... to be a barbarian for Christ.

What is a barbarian?  It's a wind, untamed man who serves no one save his king; a uncouth warrior who performs his duties with reckless, unhindered abandon, trusting in the wisdom of his king and forsaking the worldly wisdom of others; a devout acolyte who is willing (and sometimes required) to die for his lord and king.  Am I a barbarian?  I sometimes like to think so... but no.  I've become a gruffian lately... but not a barbarian.

The disciples were barbarians.  Not only were most of them unschooled past a basic level, but they also were wild, savage, and untamed in their proclaiming of the gospel.  And, like many barbarians, when they proved to be above submission and beyond conquest, they were killed.  Why were all but one of the disciples most likely martyred?  Because they were DANGEROUS.  They didn't simply stand around and shout "Jesus is Lord!" on the corner of the street... crazy armageddon cultists do that all the time in Austin.  They shouted "Jesus is Lord!" in their EVERY WAKING STEP, showing the people of the world a different way... the ONLY way.  They were powerful and dangerous, and they had to be silenced.

Of course, they weren't.

When did we become afraid of stirring up trouble?  When did we begin trying to "balance" our faith with the rest of our lives... or, to be more accurate, when did our faith STOP BECOMING our lives?  When did we decide they needed to be separate?  When did we stop being disciples of Christ Jesus and start being "Christians," a mainstream religion that more or less agrees with most of what Jesus talked about.  When did we stop following the King and start thinking that "his ideas were pretty cool"?

The closer we draw to Christ, the greater his impact and influence in our lives.  We need to stop fearing the consequences of a life on fire for God.  We need to stop following the latest Christian trends (the latest hit Christian band, or the so-called "hot" church where the "truly devout" go, or the latest and greatest Bible study) and start following the Christ.  It's not a religion... it's a man.  A man who was fully human and fully divine... a man who, among every other man, woman, and child this Universe has ever known, stood blameless in the eyes of God until he took our sins as his own on the cross; a man who brought God's message to us and left, promising to return on the hour of God's choosing.  And we, if we choose, are disciples of that man, disciples who follow his teachings and proclaim his name to the four corners of the earth, assured that we will spend eternity in his courts, worshipping the Lord and basking in his glory for all of eternity.

Will we all get there at the same time, in the same way?  No.  Like barbarians, we charge onto the field of battle... and sometimes, we are felled.  I told the Junior High kids to think of "The Return of the King."  Did Aragorn command from atop a high tower, like Sauron?  No, he led the charge.  Jesus led the charge two-thousand years ago, and we are still called to continue that charge today.  The enemy has not decreased; but the end of the war is drawing ever nearer.  Which side will you be on?  If you are not on the side of Christ, you choose to fight with the Enemy by default.  If you choose Christ, how then will you be pierced?  Standing tall and fierce, a menace to the forces of Satan, a barbarian so primal and dangerous that an entire host has to surround you?  Or will you be skewered as you sit at the base line, trying to put your armor on while clinging to the flimsy tunic and chain mail of your past life?

I have no fear of living a mediocre life.  Those of us who are truly disciples of Christ and choose to follow him need not fear that fate.  Like those who chose to follow Frodo and Aragorn into the wilds, there is no chance of an uneventful and fruitless journey.  Nothing is fruitless in the service of the King.

Sounds good, yeah?

So, I am forced to concede, after much inner denial, that my mother was right all along: the older you get, the harder things become.

Now, that doesn't mean I don't want to grow up.  Far from it... I dream of the chance to really do NOTHING besides work and play.  True, it will involve a degree of money management and adulthood (i.e. paying my CAL loans back, keeping up with taxes, etc.) that I am a little bit afraid of.  But fear is no reason not to do something.  I am anxious to have, for lack of a better word, simplicity... if only for a few years.  I think what is really getting to me is that, at the tender age of 23, I am most likely a full fourth of the way through my life.  If I live to be ninety-two, then my life is a fourth of the way done.  It's not depressing, but it IS a bit jarring.  That means that 1/4 of my life, in which I plan to do a great many things, has already been passed by, and is not recoverable.  Chances to spread the gospel, opportunities to enrich the lives of the people around me... all gone.  Hmm.

That having been said, I still have high hopes of making it to 100 and ending my life by jumping out of an airplane without a parachute.  Either that, or die of a viagra overdose.  Either one works.

Okay; so, in other news, Christmas came and went.  Bet you didn't notice; but I, with my super-powered observative skills, deduced from the changing of months from December to January that Christmas Day must have come and gone, as well as New Year's.  Christmas has not been restful, but it HAS been good... for the most part.  I took a minimester for BCIS, and was reminded once again how much I HATE online classes; for all of their initial conveniences, the lack of the teacher's presence or personal contact limits my confidence in it.  Also, I hate trusting e-mail to deliver something, cause in my case, Murphy's Law always applies.

Christmas itself was AWESOME.  First, about a week and a half before Christmas came, I got a new car.  I mean, BRAND NEW.  It's BEAUTIFUL!  Now, to be honest, it cost me almost every dime I had in my savings and bond accounts, and my grandparents chipped in as well (early graduation present), but this gorgeous 07 Ford Focus was entirely worth it.  Christmas wise, I got the clothes that I needed (including an awesome Legend of Zelda hoodie, a Marty McFly lifesaver vest, and a cadre of much-needed shirts and pants) and a few movies that will keep me going for a good long while (Signs, Nightmare Before Christmas, The Green Mile, Buffy Season 6).  I even got the wonderful Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess!  Also, I actually had a birthday party, which is a first since I was in High School.  I had six friends who were all in town come over and watch movies/eat cake.  Two of the girls even baked cakes for me.  A romantic relationship has bloomed between me and a great girl named Laura Klingsporn, and I'm eager to see where it goes (most likely very forward).  And, while I don't neccessarily count the BCIS crammed into a Christmas break as a good thing, it will aid in my pursuit of the ever-elisive graduation.

On the down side, I am again on academic probation.  Sad, because I actually did good on most of my classes.  I got an A in Metric Statistics, a B in World Literature, B in American Literature II, C in American Literature I, no grade in the Creative Writing class I sat in on, and a rousing F in Environmental Science.  So, the average comes out to above a 2.0 (the requirement to stay off academic probation), but if you fail a class you're automatically put on academic probation.  Phooey.  Eh... I learned my lesson.  No more taking 21-hour semesters... EVER.  I was only going to have an 18 hour semester this spring, so now I have a better plan: I'm going to divide it up into spring and fall semesters, with nine of those required classes per semester with an additional six hours of electives to boost my GPA.  Nothing wrong with a GPA boost, right?

And, of course, with the New Year comes the ever-traditional New Year's Resolutions!  Okay, so I've never actually MADE a New Year's resolution before, so I guess this is the beginning of a tradition!  No harm in that, right?  I even have a little list, if you gentle viewers would care to weigh in...

1.) Continue to Strengthen my Walk with God- while I have been making progress, it seems that all I do is realize exactly how far away from where I need to be I really am.  Like a dirty rag, I see more and more of my own filth as I try to draw closer to the light.  But, at the same time, I guess I'm also like a candle; the brighter I burn, the adrker the shadows around me.

2.) Create a WebComic- with the success of Penny Arcade, VG Cats, Perry Bible Fellowship, and other web comics, I have decided to employ my writing talents into my own unique WebComic: The All-Star Coalition.  Starring the Trix Rabbit, Abraham Lincoln, Snarf of the ThunderCats, Mr. Wizard, Michaelangelo of the Ninja Turtles, Gumby, and many other iconic 70's, 80's, and 90's stars, the Fellowship of the All-Star Coalition is called from all corners of existence to do... something.  It's not the destination, but the journey that's funny.  Interspersed will be "one-shot" funny comics, ranging from current political topics to making fun of old-school Dragon Ball Z.

3.) Get Involved in Community Outreach- whether it be doing some work for the humane society, Children's Aid Society, or any other number of things, there are multiple opportunities for me to get involved and help people out.  I used to do stuff like that a long time ago, but since college it hasn't happened much.  Time to change that.

4.) Form the Beginnings of a Pornography Addicts Support Group- some of you might not know this, but I was addicted to pornography for years.  Actually, a better way to say it is that I am STILL a pornography addict who indulged his addiction for years.  Like cocaine and alcohol addicts, those who become addicted will NEVER stop being an addict.  Being an addict doesn't mean you keep doing it... but you forever feel the pull, like a security blamket that can make everything better when the going gets rough.  I know firsthand how that feels, and I know there are many men on UMHB's campus that aren't seeking to flaunt their "former sin" as yet another example of how "hip to God" they now are.  Most guys who stand and street preach that they've looked at porn and gotten over it aren't true addicts, and those of us who are truly addicts are often so embarrassed or humiliated by our dependency that we don't say anything.  I want to form some kind of web page or confidential e-mail correspondence with other men and even women who suffer from being forever linked to the pull of pornography.

5.) Lose 20 Pounds- I weigh 225 pounds now.  I want to weigh 205, at least, by the beginning of summer.  Simple one.

6.) Finish "The Maverick Conspiracy"- I have the details of my novel finished, but I have been so busy this last semester and this break that I haven't been able to just write it down.  So, this semester, with my free time, I want to write down the final draft of "Conspiracy," so I can get to writing books two and three, "The Terras Society" and "Convergence of the Twain," respectively.

7.) Get a Job- I know this sounds nuts, but I want to be a pizza delivery guy.  Not only do you get free pizza, but it's not a bad way to make a living... especially in a college town that's small like Belton; the college provides plenty of customers, but the small size means it's easy to make your way from one place to the other.

8.) Go to the Buffy Sing-a-Long at the Alamo Drafthouse- while it sounds either dull or weird to most of you, I love the bi-monthly sing-a-longs they do to the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Once More, with Feeling).  As a lover of both musicals and Buffy (I'm a nerd, remember?), the Buffy Sing-a-Long at the Alamo Drafthouse provides plenty of in-house laughs, great food, and a perfect atmosphere in which to revel in my Buffy nerd-dom.

There's more, but I can't think of them at the moment and I have to go to bed if I'm going to play golf with my grandfather tomorrow morinig (or this morning, as it were).  So... seems like a pretty good plan for the upcoming semester, at least... right?  Anyone got any suggestions?  Comments?  Angry rebukes or off-handed comments?

Also, I'm still taking ideas for additional characters for the All-Star Coalition.  If you can think of some iconic figure from the 70's, 80's, or 90's, mention him or her, please!  Nathan and I want to get to work on this starting next semester, and I think i know of a guy who would be a great cartoonist... if he's willing.

Hakuna Matata!

Okay, I like to peruse the political groups here on MySpace, and there's one that I'm a part of called "Peace and Justice."  Now, I don't think that anyone's overtyl opposed to peace here in America; there may be a few warhawks out there, but for the most part, we only endorse war as a result of attack or imminent danger.  At least, most of the readers that read my blog will agree.  So, when I cama cross a fellow who had written a letter to his senator requesting that he spearhead a movement to impech President Bush, I kind of flipped out.  I don't know... I started out just to say that that was a dumb and pointless idea, then it developed into a sort of mini-treatise on the moderate side of politics and life.  I tried to keep my religious views out of it, because lately I've become convinced that politics and my faith shouldn't become intermixed.  I've decided to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.

So, that having been said, here's what I wrote:

To those clamoring for President Bush's impeachment... don't be ridiculous.  If there were truly an in-road to impeachment, it would have been explored and pursued long ago.  In fact, it WAS; several minority senators during the republican-held senate terms investigated and determined that, while Bush has been rather... erm... UNINTELLIGENT in some of his decisions, his initial movements and decisions to invade Iraq were based on faulty intelligence primarily from British agents, NOT from manipulated facts.  I highly doubt that Colin Powell, who if you remember introduced the evidence to the President and Congress, intentionally manipulated evidence or helped the President to do so in any way.  I wouldn't doubt it of Cheney, because we all know just how trustworthy a CEO can be; except that this war has actually hurt his business ventures in some ways.  He's all about money, so I don't think he would endorse or pursue a false war that would hurt his business interests.

That having been said, we all know the Iraq War is a giant lake of quicksand, and we as Americans are already up to our necks in it.  Sen. Lieberman recognizes this, which is why he might not support the war itself, but realizes that to simply "pull out" would damage us far worse than we are now.  Impeachment of Bush now would be just as rediculous as the moronic impeachment of President Clinton back in the 90's.  It's noting but political scrapping.  Just like Clinton's impeachment, it would never hold... nor should it.  Unpopular decisions are not, nor should not, be enough to impeach a president.  A majority of individuals in this nation voted for him, and we as a democracy have to live with that decision.  If we don't like it, we can be democratic and wait it out, or crybabies and try to distort the laws of these lands to fit our own purposes.  Some accuse Bush of that, and it might well be true; that's not for me to decide.  But what does that say of us if we in turn do the same thing?

Also, as the relative of a Vietnam vet, I'd like to point out something that Uncle Chuck (my relative) mentioned on Thanksgiving when we started talking about the Iraq War: it's the least-costly four-year war we've ever been in.  I mean, say what you want about the administration, but when people compare Iraq to Vietnam, my uncle has every right to get mad.  It's totally different.  We're not losing seventeen-year-old draftees by the hundreds every day because of a sociopolitical red scare.  Also, no matter how bad al-Qaeda is, they're freaking wusses compared to the Viet-Cong.  My uncle will testify to that fact, as will just about any other Vietnam vet you talk to.  We probably shouldn't be in Iraq; we should have organized a coup with cooperation from exiled political allies, capped Saddam in the head, and been done with it.  But we didn't, and now we're stuck with a war we don't like.  But clamoring for impeachment like vultures sensing a wounded calf isn't the way to go... not if we're honorable folk.  And I'd like to think that we are.

If Bush were as devious as so many people claim him to be, we wouldn't see half of the stupid things that he does.  Simple as that.  And don't expect me to believe that there weren't other Guantanamo Bays during Clinton's era.  The CIA, both during Democrat and Republican eras, has been doing stuff like that since World War I ended.  Interrogation and detainment prisons aren't a rebirth courtesy of the republicans, but at the same time they're wrong nonetheless.  And don't blame the civil war in Iraq on Bush.  For all his idiocies, he didn't create the rift between Sunnis and Shi'ites.  That's been there for centuries... millenia, even.  Saddam's brutal, oppressive regime kept their sectarian violence in check, but with his removal, they are now free to do whatever they want.  Unfortunately, a very outspoken and violent minority has chosen to enjoy that freedom by returning to their old feuds which were put on hold during the Ba'ath party regime.  We can't control that... and we don't need to try.  We need to help rebuild the Iraq military/infrastructure with financial and administrative aid, then withdraw.  After that, it's up to them.

I don't like Bush's choices.  I think many policy moves could have been made much better.  But I don't think impeachment is the way to go.  That's just being childish and immature... attacking the republicans just because we can.  The economy is good, our country is safer now than ever before (look at the hard numbers, and you have to agree), removed the Taliban from control, and put Osama bin-Laden on the retreat.  Not all of that is due to Bush, but some of it is, like it or not.

Face it: republican conservatism is NOT equitable with "fascist," nor should it be the first vote for so-called "moral voters"; but neither is democratic liberalism equitable with either "social enlightenment" or "limp-wristed flip-flopping."  Tolerating everything isn't enlightened, nor is sticking one's head in the mud a moral obligation.  Democrats aren't "heroes of the common good" and Republicans aren't "champions of morality."  At the same time, Democrats aren't "baby killers" and Republicans aren't "fat cat fascists."  Judeo-Christians seem to vote Republican because they think it's the moral party, and "enlightened" thinkers vote Democrat because they see an acceptance of everything as the right way to "live and let live."  They're both hogwash.  There's no "Christian Party" and no "Enlightenment Party."  Christians should hold God above country anyway, which would make them the polar opposite of a Patriot; and the truly enlightened would recognize that absolutes exist in the world, whether philosophers want to recognize them or not.  The difference between an enlightened one and a philosopher is that philosophers look through absolutes to find a greater truth, while enlightened ones know the truth is in what's real, and reconize it for what it is.

Liberals and conservatives, for the most part, both have it wrong.  Moderates, I salute you... most of the time.  Sometimes, taking a stand and refusing to move is a good thing.  Other times, keeping an open mind at all times is the way for our society, our world to better itself.  But most of the time, whether we like it or not... the truth is in the middle.  And that's the hard part... because for all of our arguing, it's hardest to constantly be evaluating ourselves.  Like standing on a rocking boat, it's so much easier to lean on one side or the other than to keep your balance in the middle of the deck.

So, what have we learned?

1.) Bush is sometimes an idiot... maybe a LOT an idiot.  But he's not completely stupid, and he's not deserving of impeachment.

2.) Iraq will be screwed up no matter what we do... just like Lebanon; we didn't do jack squat to it, and it's got Hezbollah problems out the wazoo anyway.

3.) Resisting change doesn't make you a good moral person, and accepting everything that everybody believes doesn't make you enlightened.  Both just make you retarded.

4.) Redheads are hot (it has nothing to do with this conversation, but it's true nonetheless).

5.) For all of the bad in Bush's administration, there's also a lot of good.  Yes, there's war; but there's also an all-time high economy, which we all like, yes?

6.) Iraq is not, nor will it ever be, a Vietnam.  End of story.  To every former Vietnam vet who is still mad that they got sent there, and every new-age wannabe beatnik who wants their voice to be heard and sound enlightened: NO.  No matter how much you weep and wail, rant and rail, it won't ever be Vietnam.  Vietnam is over.  Get over it.

7.) Knibb High Football Rules! (name the reference and you get a kudos shout-out).

8.) Bush didn't "fabricate" evidence.  It came from Britain.  Even our Democratic senators generally acknowledge this.  Bush isn't the reincarnation of Hitler; if anything, he's the reincarnation of President Taft... no matter what he does, he can't seem to do anything right and rubs everybody the wrong way.  He's a dum-dum and a bit of a political opportunist, not a racist and tyrannical sadist.

9.) Neither side is always right.  In fact, most of the time, neither side is EVER right.  There's no need for a "United CHurch of America," nor for a "Death Camp of Tolerance."  It's a moderate world.

Here endeth the lesson.

So... what do you guys think?  Questions?  Comments?  All-out attacks?