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No one would argue that some dyed in the wool democrats and republicans will always vote their party’s ticket. Loyalty to a party can be both a plus and a minus depending on who the candidate is. Other reasons we vote could be considered outright discriminatory if they occurred in a different setting. Let’s see!

Ever since Barack Obama won the Iowa caucuses he has courted the black vote more aggressively than at any other time in his campaign. His poll numbers are swelling exponentially among blacks and he is expected to garner as much as four fifths of the black vote across the board throughout the primary.

Only one day after upsetting Obama in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton coddled the black voters in a Baptist church in the heart of Harlem New York. Not long after her visit to Harlem Obama trumped her efforts to win the black vote by speaking at Ebenezer Church in Atlanta Georgia where Martin Luther King once pastored. But for all the efforts neither Hillary nor any other white candidate can expect to achieve much among the black voters above or below the Mason Dixon line.

The women’s vote is obviously prejudiced toward Hillary Clinton in just about every state in the union. She was able to pull 52 per cent of the women’s vote in New Hampshire and is expected to do that well or better in almost every other state in the nation.

Along come the evangelicals and provide former pastor Mike Huckabee with an upset in Iowa and a near win in South Carolina. The Palmetto State is said to have the greatest number of protestant Christian voters in the nation how could we expect any less?

In fact it is not unreasonable to think that some actors may have voted for Ronald Reagan just because he was a fellow actor. Some musicians may have voted for Bill Clinton because he plays a hot saxophone. All this may seem innocuous and quite harmless but in fact it illustrates the fact that Americans are bent on getting what they want even if it may not always be what they really need.

If we used these factors to decide who would get loans, housing or preference in employment it would be labeled discrimination and open to the scrutiny of the law. The only law in effect here is the natural law of birds of a feather always flocking together. Nothing especially dreadful about that except that it is sinking to the lowest common denominator anyone can use to make the important decision of who will be the next President of the United States.

When all the “birds of a feather” voters are eliminated that leaves the voters whose numbers remains unspecified and unknown except to them. The only question left is; can this unknown number of people discern and prioritize the issues and reflect that in their vote?

In this election the new kid on the block is the “sexual preference” vote. Far more subjective, the question of same sex marriage and gay rights has nothing to do with anyone’s race color or creed. It is none of the above but it has influenced every candidate to either stand in direct opposition to it or pursue the voters in that highly controversial social sphere.

The issues are as always the economy, immigration, abortion, same sex marriages, terrorism, Iraq, health care, taxes, the environment and foreign affairs.

The morality or more accurately, the deepening immorality of the nation is not considered as belonging with the other issues that draw most of the attention. The Biblical view stands in direct opposition to this deduction.

The Biblical view is that all of the other issues hang on the overall morality of a nation. God has never been known to judge a nation that was suffering a poor economy, immigration problems, health care problems or high taxes. He has only intervened when a nation has fallen below the morality mark so low that he had no choice but to cause either the chastisement or end to that nation.

With over 3000 abortions a day being performed in America by the end of the election year 1,095,000 babies will have met the bottom of buckets in abortion clinics around the nation.

Those one million plus silent voices would undoubtedly not vote for any candidate that supported the robbing of their right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Their vote will not be counted. For them there is no doubt what the most important issue is, but alas, it will be too late for them; their votes will never be registered in this election or any other.

So which are the most important issues? You can decide that for yourself but while you’re doing that; remember this.

The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Ps 9: 16, 17)

Whether you are religious or not it doesn’t take a great mind to see that voting for anything other than what a man or women stands for is reckless patronizing and should never be misconstrued for responsible patriotism. Its not about race, color or creed; it is about America!

An individual has not started living until he or she can rise above the narrow confines of his or her individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."-Martin Luther King, Jr.

During the third week of May, in Washington D.C. over 1,200 patriotic Americans of all faiths and the spiritual but not religious came together for the second conference of The Network of Spiritual Progressives/NSP and to lobby Congress. The activists are challenging the misuse of religion, God and spirit by the Religious Right and the anti-religious and anti-spiritual biases within the Liberal Left.

Authentic spirituality will inevitably lead one to become political. The Network of Spiritual Progressives is a diverse community that is unified by one heart that is broken over the state of the world and our nation. Theseactivists are willing to sacrifice their life, resources and time to the work of confronting the Old Bottom Line in America which is based on greed, materialism, selfishness, power and over consumption.

The New Bottom Line proposes that institutions and social practices should be based on the higher values of love, caring, generosity, and equal human rights. The NSP proposes that the well being of every American depends on the well being of everyone in the world and recognizes our interdependence with all people and Mother Earth.

On May 18th the activists visited their Congressional Representatives to present "A Spiritual Covenant with America."

The eight point platform addresses individual, social and governmental responsibility for ethical behavior that honors the sacredness of all life. As the debate over immigration was going on in Congress manyactivists were promoting a rational approach to immigration through a strategy of non-violence and generosity that works to eliminate poverty not with a hand out but with furnishing the means and the support to enable the impoverished to attain a decent life.

The NSP supports a "Global Marshall Plan to use 5% of the GDP of the advanced industrial societies-each year for the next twenty years-to end global poverty, hunger, homelessness, inadequate education, and inadequate health care. This will do more for homeland security and military safety than does sinking trillions of dollars into wars and strategies of world domination that can never work and are immoral…not by dumping money into the hands of corrupt governments, but through cooperation with NGO's committed to human rights, democracy, environmental sustainability and enhancement and respect for native cultures and traditions." [Number 7 inThe Spiritual Covenant with America]

Many will say the NSP members are all dreamers, but it was dreamers who imagined life without slavery, civil rights, and women's rights and it was Rilke who first understood: "You must give birth to your dreams: they are the future waiting to be born."

These 'out-of-the-box' thinkers and visionaries will not be satisfied with any short-term political gain. The task of transforming society requires commitment, persistence and a deep inner life. What progressive spiritualactivists have in common is a broken heart united over the plight of the poor and oppressed, a commitment to total non-violent resistance no matter what the provocation, and sacrificial lives that offer time and resources to actualize the message Christ spoke of when he proclaimed on the Mount of The Beatitudes, that the reign and the kingdom of God is a kingdom where all beings are equal and valued just as they are.

In a country that possesses 11,000 nuclear weapons with many in excess of 20,000,000 tons of TNT [the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 12,000 tons] yet claims to be based on the Judeo-Christian ethic of thou shalt not kill, is staggering in it's hypocrisy. The law of Karma is what goes around comes around and the fallout from one of these WMD will find its way back home through water and wind currents and the words of Pogo come to mind: "We have seen the enemy and he is us."

Mankind is the only species that has the choice of annihilating itself. "Since the end of the Cold War, the world has spent more than $10 trillion on armaments. The Untied States alone spends approximately $100 million every day to keep its nuclear arsenal at the ready." [Jonathon Granoff, TIKKUN Magazine 9/11/03]

American money proclaims "In God We Trust" but the facts on the ground are that we have become an empire of blasphemers.

Fundamentalist Christians rail against abortion yet are for capital punishment and war. They have narrowed morality down to abortion and same sex marriage and neglect that God is love and where ever there is love: God is there.

If we are serious about a peaceful world we must have a moral agenda that stands firmly against empire building and violence. John Dear, the Jesuit priest who has been arrested 75 times for his peace activism asked Cesar Chavez what he thought was the key to peace, and Chavez exclaimed: "Public Action! Public action! Public action!"

In the '60's we understood if one is not a part of the solution, one is part of the problem. Throughout America patriotic spiritualactivists of all faith paths and the spiritual but not religious have found common ground and are doing something more than criticizing and whining. Chapters of The Network of Spiritual Progressives are forming from the New York Islands to the Gulf Stream waters for this world belongs to all human beings.

Author: DERoss

Some write and speak on the importance of embracing the historical contributions and legacies of our ancestors who were enslaved because of the significant role they played in shaping American society and culture. They emphasize the need of knowing where we come from in order to plant a stronger foot on the path to our future. However, few of us embrace the historical examples and legacies of family structure and life as set by our ancestors; in particular our male ancestors.

Despite the images of enslaved Black men, depicted in history books as lazy, cowardice beings, they were loving, nurturing and protective fathers. There are several periodicals and resources written by enslaved men and women as well as a collection of voice recorded interviews with former slaves who serve as witnesses to the true make up of the enslaved family and their communities. More importantly they document the positive images set forth by Black fathers during that era. They were said to take great pride in their ability to care for their families and would sacrifice their lives for their children with the same compassion and love as enslaved women. Many would purchase their wives and children with money or in exchange for extra labor in order to keep their family members out of slave auctions.

"Researchers acknowledge the business acumen of enslaved Black men. Their research shed light on the slave owners who acknowledged this as well. There are documented accounts of business transactions of enslaved men; how they brokered for land, bought their relatives freedom and made decisions which benefited their families' future. My great-great-great grandfather Frank Cooper was an astute enslaved businessman. Although he was responsible for driving his owner, he was also a Minister who later organized and founded five churches.

The founding of these five churches led to the Frank Cooper Missionary Baptist Association. My family's first church, McCanaan Missionary Baptist Church, was built in 1875 in Sardis, Georgia, Burke County. This area is known as "Cooper Hill" named after my family. Unfortunately the original church was destroyed by fire in the early 1890's and reconstructed in 1912. According to researchers, the church was more than likely burned down by klansmen. Today, this church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural design. He rebuilt the church on his property, over 340 acres, where he raised his twelve children and tended to his farm. My family still owns and farms on this land today. The land includes a family cemetery where several generations of my ancestors rest.

Black men during this era were dehumanized, humiliated and oppressed; however it did not deter them from being nurturing, loving, fathers, caretakers and entrepreneurs. They were able to rise above the social system set against them by pulling on their inner strength and love for their families. Even though some inevitably fell prey to the institution of slavery, there are more than enough documented stories and recorded family histories which evidence the significant and prominent role of Black fathers. These men were able to overcome the adversities of the institution of slavery on the strength of their family; leaving us a legacy to reconnect with. "

The above is an excerpt from my book, "Black Fatherhood: Reconnecting With Our Legacy." My main goal in writing this book and accompanying documentary was to show despite mounds of derogatory statistics about Black men in their roles as fathers, there is a strong legacy of Black men (from their time of enslavement to present) who were and presently are proactive fathers. However, in order to reconnect with this legacy, I felt it was imperative to unmask the many extraneous circumstances Black fathers face.

I interviewed over 360 Black men for my project and counting; there will be a part 2. No one has sat down to ask Black men who aren't in the home what keeps them from being a part of their children's lives or what their immediate family structure entailed. Most of the books and statistics published concerning Black men are based on erroneous "findings" and the authors' personal ideologies on the issue. This is dangerous and sets precedent for the perpetual cycle of negative stereotypes of Black fathers overall; casting an even darker cloud on Black men and families. I included Black men who were absent from the home in this project as well so we can clearly understand, explore and define their issues. Once defined, these issues can guides us as we take a proactive role towards alleviating as many of these circumstances as possible; laying a foundation of tools to build stronger Black families for future generations of Black fathers. This should be viewed as a small task when compared to our ancestors who were able to be proactive Black fathers while enduring the harshest physical and mental treatment known to mankind. It's time to reconnect.

Source: Free Articles

As anime grows continually more popular as a form of animation, the most devoted fans of anime who call themselves Otaku could not be happier! In the past few decades anime has gone from being a small cultural art form to a globally recognized sensation. Attracting fans from all over the world anime and manga offer thousands of titles and has even expanded into having many genres within itself to please almost any audience. With thousands in attendance, modern day J-Pop features monthly events and conferences that offer costumes, contests and merchandise! As a booming force not only in animation but also as a cultural art form, anime continues to draw fans from all corners of the world with its distinctive and entrancing form of animation.

Author: Steven Chabotte

Although the southern states that seceded from the Union at the outset of the Civil War often claimed that "states rights" was the issue that resulted in secession, it was a thin argument; the truth was that the South, dependent since colonial times on slave labor, felt the North's growing dissatisfaction with the slave situation in the South as a threat, a threat both to their livelihoods and their way of life.

The issue of slavery did not suddenly begin to be problematic with the election of anti-slavery President Abraham Lincoln in 1859. As each state was admitted to the Union, a battle raged about whether or not it would be a free or slave state (despite the fact that slavery was actually legal in the United States from 1654 until 1865), as the precarious balance of free and slave states determined which section would dominate Congress.

The beginning of end of slavery actually began around the time of the American Revolution, when many white persons were still in the country as indentured servant and even as slaves. Between 1780 and 1804, nearly all Northern states passed emancipation laws that freed slaves - regardless of color - and granted African slaves limited rights.

The Southern states, had however, a much more compelling need for slave labor. While states on the northern edge of the Southern region had lesser need for slaves, Eli Whitney's cotton gin had made the cultivation of cotton in the rich soil of the Deep South and Delta plains lucrative; however, it was also backbreaking work that required many hands. Rice plantations in the coastal areas required African labor due to the fact that most African slaves were immune to the malaria that made working in rice fields a dangerous job for whites and even some Africans who had no immunity. By 1860, over three-quarters of the slaves held in the United States were held in the cotton and rice producing states of the Deep South.

Slavery created an insular, almost delusional society in the South. Southerners defended their "peculiar institution" on the basis that African-American slaves would not be able to fend for themselves if freed, and, in fact, would not want to be freed. They declaimed their fraternal love for their slaves, all the while glossing over the harsh realities of the slave trade, the slaves who were beaten into submission, and railed against Northern abolitionists who refused to uphold the Fugitive Slave Act, which required that any runaway slave be returned to his or her owner.

Not surprisingly, the states in the Deep South that held the most slaves - South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas - were the first to secede after the election of Lincoln to the presidency. Lincoln had made no secret of his distaste for slavery, and these states knew that abolition of slavery would be financially disastrous for the plantations that were the backbone of their states. Also not surprising was that the states with the fewest slaves - such as North Carolina, Arkansas, and Tennessee - were late to secession. Border states like Kentucky and Missouri, who had areas that relied heavily on slavery and areas where few or no slaves were held at all, were contested throughout the war, claimed by both the Union and the Confederacy.

Virginia actually split over the decision to secede; the northwestern counties of the state refused to secede and broke away to become West Virginia.

After the creation of the Confederate States of America and the beginning of the Civil War, hundreds of thousands of slaves began to escape to the North from the border states; however, little changed in the slaveholding states in the Deep South until the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Although Lincoln's proclamation in essence freed all slaves in the United States, the Confederacy naturally refused to honor the proclamation, and slaves in the South were not freed until reached by Union troops. In some areas, this took until the end of the war, when the Federal occupation of the South removed most Southern politicians from power.

While the desire to preserve the Union on the Northern side, and the desire to uphold their own laws on the Southern side no doubt contributed to the Civil War, it is indisputable that the need would never have arose had the issue of slavery not split the two regions in two. As Lincoln said during his campaign for the presidency, "a house divided against itself cannot stand."

Source: articlesbase.com