Mr. Egg Roll

Well, I had the pleasure of eating at Mr. Egg Roll today. I've always noticed this little building thanks to the wonderful pink paint job, but today was my first dining experience. I had the angry chicken and it was indeed angry!

Mr. Egg Roll is right on the corner of the lot where the new c-store is going up. I spent the rest of my afternoon finishing up some signage for a job fair we'll be running next week.

On another note, Turbo did indeed take a swig directly out of the bottle of "Blazin'" wing sauce that I picked up for him from Buffalo Wild Wings. I have pictures, but I left my camera at Turbo's place last night.

Had to Move

Well, it's time to pick up and move. We don't always have the luxury of determining when one chapter ends and another begins. But, God is sovereign and His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). I'm listening to a song titled "Had to Move" written by Ty Tabor. It can be found on Ty's solo album "Naomi's Solar Pumpkin" (I know Dan appreciates a name like that). Unfortunately, this album is out of print. Here are the lyrics:

HAD TO MOVE

Will the sun shine forever on the place where I was born
Or will they ever stop to notice that the record has been worn
There black is black and white is white, there is no human race
Some of them (are) determined to be proud of their disgrace

I had to move

I moved up to Missouri and went to school a while
I learned a truth that shocked me
Anywhere a miles's a mile
I saw the highest honor seat for those I love the most
But walked away from all the rot I saw and headed for the coast

I had to move

Now I live in the big city and I see the same things here
Everything is on a larger scale, a sea of doubt and fear
Here the battle rages and the fallen angel rides
It makes me easily feel that I have to take a side

Now, my story is quite different from Ty's. Thankfully, I've been at a place that is making huge strides to overcome racial tensions and I've been deeply impacted through personal relationships that cross racial lines. Are race relations perfect in the midwest? By no means! But, I am encouraged.

The rest of Ty's song deals with the fact that people are people, life is life, and everything is everything. As Ty says: "anywhere a mile's a mile". The more I experience of life and humanity, the more I realize how similar we are. Similar wants, desires, aspirations, and dreams (although there are different ways of pursuing these things).

It's late and tomorrow is the closing of a chapter. I am fond of this chapter that is coming to an end and a lot of good life has happened, but I am anticipatory about the next chapter. I'll leave you with a verse:

But, as it is written,

'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him' - 1 Cor 2:9

"Missing" Explosives & Russia

The Washington Times is set to publish a huge story in tomorrow's edition. This article will surely dash any last hopes of a Kerry win after Kerry's weak attempt at an "October Surprise" conspiring with the New York Times and CBS to falsely accuse President Bush and the military of allowing the 380 tons of explosives in Iraq to slip through their fingers.

So, once again we have a permanent member of the UN Security Council in cahoots with Saddam Hussein. It is ridiculous to think we have any chance to work through the UN; a vote for Kerry is a vote for terrorism.

Kerry & Catholic Values

John Kerry said in tonight's debate that he "can't legislate or transfer to another American citizen my article of faith" in response to an abortion question. Please don't read between the lines and believe that Kerry is pro-life, but feels that it's not appropriate to legislate that belief.

It's one thing to not impose your beliefs on others and it's quite another thing to support legislation contrary to those supposed beliefs. John Kerry believes what he votes regarding abortion legislation. John Kerry supports partial-birth abortion. In fact, he supports all abortion - any time, any circumstance. A child is an inconvenience, a nuisance, and a problem to be dealt with in John Kerry's world view.

And if it's not appropriate to legislate biblical principles then why do we have laws at all? Do we as a society not have a right to hold people accountable for stealing property or murdering a fellow citizen? Society needs a moral fabric to hold it together or we end up with anarchy.

In November of 1998, a statement was issued by the Catholic Bishops of the United States titled "Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics". Let me point you to section 25 from this statement:

Today, Catholics risk cooperating in a false pluralism. Secular society will allow believers to have whatever moral convictions they please -- as long as they keep them on the private preserves of their consciences, in their homes and churches, and out of the public arena. Democracy is not a substitute for morality, nor a panacea for immorality. Its value stands -- or falls -- with the values which it embodies and promotes. Only tireless promotion of the truth about the human person can infuse democracy with the right values. This is what Jesus meant when He asked us to be leaven in society. American Catholics have long sought to assimilate into U.S. cultural life. But in assimilating, we have too often been digested. We have been changed by our culture too much, and we have changed it not enough. If we are leaven, we must bring to our culture the whole Gospel, which is a Gospel of life and joy. That is our vocation as believers. And there is no better place to start than promoting the beauty and sanctity of human life. Those who would claim to promote the cause of life through violence or the threat of violence contradict this Gospel at its core.

Too many Catholics have become passive in their beliefs. If you claim to be a Catholic you must let Catholic teachings inform your actions or you're merely a hypocrite. If you don't agree with Catholic teaching then you're outside the bounds of Catholic orthodoxy.

Catholic moral theology recognizes, in the writings of approved authors who faithfully represent the theological tradition of the Church, sound guides for forming a Catholic conscience. One such author is Father Henry Davis, SJ:

It is the duty of all citizens who have the right to vote, to exercise that right when the common good of the State or the good of religion and morals require their votes, and when their voting is useful. It is sinful to vote for the enemies of religion or liberty...
[Moral and Pastoral Theology, vol. 2, Chapter V, 4th Commandment, p. 90 (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1935, 1959)]

Colin B. Donovan, STL comments on Fr. Davis' quote:

Who, then, are the enemies of religion or liberty for whom it would be sinful to vote? Reasonably, it would be those who attack the most basic rights in a society, since all rights depend on those which are logically or actually prior. Among the enumerated inalienable rights recognized by the Declaration of Independence is the right to life. The right to life is both logically and actually prior to all other rights since liberty is meaningless to those who have been unjustly killed. The protection of innocent human life is thus the first obligation of society. This is why protection against foreign enemies is the first duty of the federal government and protection against domestic enemies (criminals) is the first obligation of local government.

They are also enemies of religion and liberty who attack the most basic cell of society, marriage and family. A society that doesn't foster the life-long commitment of a man and a woman to each other and their children is self-destructing. Granting that we have already reaped the fruit of easy divorce laws, the most pernicious attacks against the family today are by those who favor homosexual unions and the granting of marital status to homosexual unions. It is also undermined by an unjust tax system which penalizes marriage in favor of fornication.

Those who are anti-life and anti-family manifest this darkening of conscience, a darkening which makes their other political decisions inherently untrustworthy. No Catholic can reasonable say "this candidate is anti-life and anti-family, but his social policies are in keeping with Catholic principles."

Donovan demonstrates that the protection of innocent life (i.e. the unborn) is pre-eminent over other rights or issues. He also infers that protection against foreign enemies (i.e. terrorists) should be the first concern of the government. John Kerry cannot in good conscience consider his political platform to be acceptable from a Catholic perspective and no informed Catholic can in good conscience support John Kerry's candidacy for president.

Why the UN Resolutions Couldn't Work

There are five countries on the UN Security Council: the United States, Britain, Russia, China, and France. Saddam knew France was the weakest member, so he targeted them as well as actively bribing Russian and Chinese officials. Here's an excerpt from the Scotsman:

SADDAM HUSSEIN believed he could avoid the Iraq war with a bribery strategy targeting Jacques Chirac, the President of France, according to devastating documents released last night.

Memos from Iraqi intelligence officials, recovered by American and British inspectors, show the dictator was told as early as May 2002 that France - having been granted oil contracts - would veto any American plans for war.

Saddam was convinced that the UN sanctions - which stopped him acquiring weapons - were on the brink of collapse and he bankrolled several foreign activists who were campaigning for their abolition. He personally approved every one.

To keep America at bay, he focusing on Russia, France and China - three of the five UN Security Council members with the power to veto war. Politicians, journalists and diplomats were all given lavish gifts and oil-for-food vouchers.

What more is there to say? Why did America need to "go it alone" (read: coalition not including France and Germany)? Because the UN Security Council wasn't ever going to aggressively move against Saddam in spite of the 17 resolutions that Saddam defied.

hat tip: Captain Ed

Catholic voters continuing to move towards Bush

Bush is getting 53% of the Catholic vote compared to Kerry's 39% in the latest Barna poll. Former Democratic mayor of Boston, Raymond Flynn, had this to say:

They've been moving and closer to George Bush all the time," he said. "I think people don't make decisions on political or social issues; they make decisions on the character of the person. That's where George Bush's strength is: his character and its qualities. He's a good man, and people like him. After I talk about Catholic values, there's no other conclusion for people other than to vote for George Bush.

President Bush is actually getting 60% of the Catholic vote in Minnesota according to a recent Zogby poll. The Democratic party seems to no longer be directed by any sort of moral compass. How can one be against a war to root out terrorists bent on killing innocent people, but support the slaughter of unborn babies? The reality is that we're in a war whether or not we choose to be engaged in one. Our only choice is to passively sit back and wait for further attacks on American soil or stand up and attempt to keep the battle elsewhere.

John Kerry and John Edwards may not think the Iraq war should be viewed as part of the GWOT (global war on terror), but the terrorists most certainly view it that way! Why else would half of the insurgents captured during the recent battles in Samarra be of African descent? The terrorists know what's at stake if democracy takes root in the Middle East.

David and Goliath

Here we go! Torii Hunter just smacked one over the fence in the top of the 12th inning to put the Twins up 6-5. For the Twins to go into the belly of the beast and take the first two games in the series is devastating. The Yankees have come back from an 0-2 deficit in the ALDS previously, but they didn't have to face Johan Santana twice in that series! Sturtze was only good for two innings, but I guess Torre didn't know who to turn to next...

UPDATE: Well, Joe Nathan didn't have anything left, either. Hideki Matsui came up with the bases loaded and only one out. A sac fly was all it took to bring Jeter in from 3rd with the winning run. Back to MN!!! Let's go Twins!

Kerry Caught Cheating?

Apparently, John Kerry was using a cheat sheet (specifically not allowed per the agreed-upon debate rules) at the debate last Thursday. You can see video of Kerry pulling out the cheat sheet here.


Thanks to INDC and the Daily Recycler for the photo!