I've been ranting enough about politics and religion and the frustrations with talking and not doing. I smiled when I saw this article today:

Then came the morning of May 12, when both satisfaction and retirement ended for the 75-year-old priest. Federal immigration agents raided the Agriprocessors factory, arresting nearly 400 workers, most of them men, for being in the United States illegally. Within minutes of the raid, with surveillance helicopters buzzing above the leafy streets, the wives and children of Mexican and Guatemalan families began trickling into St. Bridget’s Church, the safest place they knew.

Dr. Dobson,

Having grown up in a predominantly evangelical community, I am quite familiar with who you are and what you promote. I was a regular reader and subscriber to your organization's magazines and newsletters. I don't listen to your radio show because, frankly, I don't listen to talk radio, but I did want to respond to your recent show that Jim Wallis also responded to today.

Let me preface this by saying that I typically do not agree with Mr. Wallis any moreso than I do with you. But I believe that rhetoric and public witness both must be taken into consideration as Christians. I am not a theologian, an ordained minister or a political expert, so I accept the fact that much like you, as a child psychologist, I am not qualified to commentate on American politics. Which is my concern.

First off, on your show, you misconstrued the things that Senator Obama said (transcript of Obama's speech is here). Senator Obama did not compare you to the Rev. Al Sharpton, as your site suggests. He simply asked that, "even if we did have only Christians within our borders, who's Christianity would we teach in the schools? James Dobson's, or Al Sharpton's?" Senator Obama also astutely observed:

Moreover, given the increasing diversity of America's population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.

Secondly, Dr. Dobson, I believe the misunderstanding of Senator Obama's faith and politics lies in the ignorance of the following section of his speech:

This brings me to my second point. Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.

This may be difficult for those who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do. But in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice. Politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of common aims based on a common reality. It involves the compromise, the art of the possible. At some fundamental level, religion does not allow for compromise. It insists on the impossible. If God has spoken, then followers are expected to live up to God's edicts, regardless of the consequences. To base one's life on such uncompromising commitments may be sublime; to base our policy making on such commitments would be a dangerous thing.

I was disappointed when you questioned Senator Obama's Christianity. If there is one thing I have observed over the past several years, it's that Christians can hold the same faith but believe in the political practice of it differently. The longstanding monarchies of Europe, the theocracy of Old Testament Israel, and the democracy of the United States have all been held to be God-ordained forms of political structures. You, me, Al Sharpton and Barack Obama are all Christian men with our own personal failings who disagree on how best to live out the Christian faith in the political sphere. But publicly attacking each other will get all of us nowhere.

I wanted you to know that I will not be listening to your radio show, subscribing to your magazines or supporting your organization anymore. I believe that the rhetoric coming from your camp is divisive and damaging to the Christian witness. I would encourage you to contact Senator Obama personally and talk about your differences, but more importantly, accept the fact that you both believe in One Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.

Sincerely,
Dean Simmer

Here's a brief excerpt from his recent interview with ABC's John Stossel. He was asked about several issues that related to his belief that the federal government should not regulate drugs, marriage, and prostitution. Here are his thoughts:

"I think, when you defend freedom, you defend freedom of choice, and you can't be picking and choosing how people use those freedoms. So, if they do things you don't like and you find that morally repugnant, I as an individual, I don't make that judgment. I don't believe that government can legislate virtue."

My take? SWEET. Ron Paul frickin' rocks.

So I'm not sure I get this. Hillary said she wants to have "tougher" restrictions on miles per gallon for automobiles. In a Free Press article today, she said that we need to have a 40 mpg requirement by 2020 and 55 mpg by 2030 to help combat global warming. Great. That seems...like a little too late, don't you think?

Thirteen years from now, we need to require cars to get 40 mpgs. How about require everyone to drive motorcycles? They generally get 40-50 mpg. Or maybe make everyone get a Toyota Camry Hybrid, it gets 40 mpg and it is a big car. If you're going to do something big to save the environment, shouldn't you set the bar high? Seriously, with any goal you set, why set it super low and super achievable? To make yourself feel great when you achieve it well before your deadline?

Give me a break. Let's do something radical. Like give everyone their own airship/zeppelin. Or for you Family Guy fans, your own HindenPeter.

But after some of his comments this past weekend, I'm forced to reconsider. The article originally published in the LA Times is now only available to subscribers or something so you can't access it on the web, but God's Politics had a nice, brief write-up on the subject here.

This will not become a regular feature of DSimmer.com, but I wanted to repost this (originally posted on the blog God's Politics).

"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full." - Proverbs 19:17.

If you are looking for some related dialogue regarding the above verse, consider reading Republican presidential candidate Sam Brownback's comments at Beliefnet. It is eye-opening, and encouraging, to hear this coming from a politician.

Mr. Senator, I have lived in Michigan for my entire life. I've seen some great times for my state economically, especially the years that Mr. John Engler was governor. Lately, however, my state has seen some rough times. A significant part of our economy is based upon tourism and the American automotive industry. Considering the state of the American automotive industry, you can imagine how many of my neighbors and fellow Michiganders are without jobs. So I thought I would give you a little advice, especially after reading what you said when you declared you are running for president. In particular, you said "Let's make college more affordable, and let's invest in scientific research, and let's lay down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America. We can do that." Being a technology nerd myself, I might be inclined to champion your stance about broadband lines. I finally was able to convince my parents and siblings to upgrade their internet. But unfortunately, broadband lines and scientific research are not at the top of the list of Michigan's priorities. Frankly, we really only have one priority these days. Jobs. Employment. Full-time work at full-time pay. As much as I like things like broadband internet, I'm afraid it is not much of a priority at all for most of my fellow Michiganders.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Michigan is second-to-last for unemployment. During the month of December, 7.1 percent of Michiganders were without work. In Mississippi, 7.5 percent of them stayed home during the work week. Alaska and South Carolina experienced over 6.5 percent unemployment.

Maybe, before you think about spending money on things like broadband internet, would you be so kind as to tell us what you propose for the current employment situation in my state and others?

Note: I submitted this to Sen. Obama's campaign after Miz Booshay suggested I do so. I will keep you updated when I receive a response.

When I was 17, I really cared about politics. I admired young politicians and was elated to join up with political organizations my first days on a college campus. Every day I would read newspapers, books on current affairs, and watch a lot of cable news and commentary. You will notice, however, that all of that was written in the past tense.

To be honest, I am not really sure when the honeymoon ended. We started fighting a lot my freshman year, that is for sure. I realized quickly how hopeless politics can be. Friends of mine were swallowed up by the "D.C. Dream," turning against their fellow blossoming politicians for their own selfish endeavors. National politics is sickening at best. Not on person, not one party, but the whole system. Trillions of dollars of debt, Michigan is 49th in the country economically, and tops priorities for so many politicians are pork legislation for the own hometowns.

Gone are the days (and they were gone a long, long time ago) when politics was not the biggest thing affecting most Americans. Now it clearly plays a dominant role in everyones life. Health care, Social Security, anti-smoking campaigns, and digital media affect millions on this continent. The devastating consequences of the AIDS crisis in Africa has turned from an issue of personal suffering to one of politicking by celebrities.

All of this is not to say that I am an anti-statist. I still vote and stay informed on issues. I still make my voice heard. But I really wish the days where you could sit down in a pub in Boston and see the leaders of the country were still around. Now, it's just a general frustration and distrust of politicians in America and the world.

I don't think it is a huge stretch for the average American to understand the feelings of a character like V from V for Vendetta. Not that I wish to blow anything up, that surely is terrorism, but sometimes politics push people to their very edge. If politics didn't consume those who choose to pursue it, maybe it wouldn't seem so hopeless. But when it consumes the souls of those who enter, turning them into selfish power-hungry bastards, politics surely loses some of its luster.

Saturday I attended a birthday party for a man I had never met. One of those parties that is a celebration of life, where friends and family from all over gather as an almost "farewell" gathering. Where the party is more of a sentimental send-off than anything else.

I learned a lot about myself at that party. I saw many of the Old Guard, those who have been fighting battles well before I was born. And I compared them to the bright and shiny, well-organized New Machine, the one that is alive today. I noticed how much I am like the Old Guard, more about principle rather than procedure.

I met many honorable men and women tonight. Those who labored for years and years to create a better world. And I am thankful for them. What an honor to meet them.