25 March 2006

das ist gut

this keyboard is a mess. its a trap because you pay by the minute, but it takes you half the time to figure out where the letters are. im in germany screw punctuation. eating kiwi ice cream. absolutely exhausted. ready to see the city, then get some good sleep! dinner with families tomorrow night. berlin early next week. flights were good, not much sleeping :) had awesome fettucini alfredo with salmon for dinner at a restaurant where they speak italian. lots of languages here, makes me feel dumb. love to all, more soon...

20 March 2006

sensenbrenner shmensenbrenner




This is what I've been doing instead of starting my dagnabbed religion paper-- advocacy. Oh well, right? Maybe I'll change a few minds even if it mean that I'm up until four on Thursday. This is the version I sent to the Argus...

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: What would you say if the government were able to dictate to which charities you could donate? What would you say if the government began to mandate charitable acts? What would you say if the government outlawed charitable acts? It may—although it shouldn’t—surprise you to know that, in the lattermost case at least, some of our elected officials are trying to do exactly that.

The “Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Protection Act of 2005” (HR 4437), would make acts of assistance and mercy towards undocumented immigrants a criminal offense—assistance to a felon, in fact. The security of our national borders is important, and should be maintained, but when security trumps the right of individuals, schools, churches, and other social organizations to engage in acts of charity—clearly, this is going too far.

Proposed by Wisconsin representative James Sensenbrenner, this bill has already cleared the US House of Representatives, and is currently under consideration in the Senate. If passed into law, it will pose serious challenges to humanitarian work in our country—undermining the ability of individuals to engage in charity towards their neighbors with the threat of criminal prosecution.


Advocates for this bill trumpet the role that it will play in keeping terrorists out of our country—and help find those already hiding. But it does not take into account the fact that terrorist organizations have the money and resources to enter our country legally. Undocumented immigrants are those seeking better lives for themselves and their families. Maintaining interior security is important—but it should not be attained at the expense of the marginalized, or by violating the rights of citizens to exercise their moral values. There is an alternative.


Senators McCain and Kennedy have proposed the “Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act” (S-1033). This bill requires undocumented aliens to pay a fine and to demonstrate English skills, before they are allowed to “earn” resident status by working and paying taxes for six years. Not only will this act be efficient and humane in keeping track of and accounting for undocumented aliens, but it does better justice to our “land of opportunities.”

Our policies towards immigration and naturalization must walk a very fine line between security and liberty. We must remember to honor our “land of opportunities” mantra for those who would seek better lives. But, most importantly, we must allow citizens to act freely on their consciences—helping your neighbor should never be criminalized.

So anyway, I've got a HECUA meeting tonight, my PA interview tomorrow night, and Tim Johnson is coming on Wednesday. Thursday is going to be packing day, and we're holding a screening of Invisible Children for Advocacy. I think we're going to try to organize a night commute on April 29th; we're so pumped since we've been back from Washington!


17 March 2006

stupid descartes

So, I woke up too late to take a shower this morning, which was on purpose. I figure, it's only philosophy, so I'm kind of making some sort of existentialist statement by going to class in a more natural state. Plus it's too damned difficult to drag my butt out of bed. My noon class isn't meeting again until after spring break, so I was looking forward to the whole 10:00-2:00 lunch/nap/shower. Nope. I forgot I was doing sound for chapel. And having lunch with a prospective. Both of which I did in a much dirtier condition than I would've liked. Now it's noon-thirty, and I should be showering, but I've got to meet Bets for lunch at one, so I'm going to dump my brain.

We hit on an interesting puzzle in philosophy this morning. We're reading Descartes, and O'Hara posed the question: Is there any notion in your head that you can be absolutely certain wasn't placed there by something else? Do we have any purely original, foundational thoughts? We can't trust our senses, because they're subjective to our environments and conditions. How much of what we think, then, based on our senses, is unreliable? And Descartes would say that there is a devil, and that he is so powerful that he can overwhelm everything we think, to the point that he controls what we think, blinding us to the reality and the truth that belongs to God. So that when we think that we've finally got our faith figured out, it is really just the devil blinding us from the fact that we are not even close. We think we can control ourselves, but that's just what we've been tricked into thinking?

So that's my assignment for the weekend: think of a thought that I can prove I am thinking. I love this.

15 March 2006

uno


Washington DC was FANTASTIC! I have got a nasty, nasty case of the Potomac Fever. That city reminded me of Rome, only better-organized, cleaner, and safer. Plus the people were friendlier. And everything was in English. It now rivals Chicago in my book, which-- for anyone who knows me-- is really saying something. It was so refreshing to be around people who are actually passionate about this silly democratic republic, and about making it function the way it should. It was hopeful to see that there are people who are not apathetic and who are not passive. People who participate. Plus I got to flick off the White House.

I mastered the Metro rail system. And I mean dominated. I even gave directions to a big group of confused people. Along with changing your travel plans mid-ride, and memorizing your home stop, lines, and surrounding stations, I think that giving directions is one of the biggers steps I took towards moving one level above "tourist." As Ange would put it, I am "map savvy." I kind of feel as if I deserve a certificate or something. But my self-satisfied smugness will suffice.

It sucks a little to be back at Augie. But just a little. It is absolutely unreal that we leave for Germany NEXT WEEK. I am so EXCITED!