Indians and Pilgrims

It’s November yet again, for us the excitement of Thanksgiving starts the very first day of the month. The planning on who’s house everyone will gather to, who’s going to bring what or cook what. For many places, there’s also the Football game featuring their home team to watch as well. The cooking of the feast is rightfully and traditionally timed right around this event. The tradition in many American households to gather up their “fixins,” and gather around the TV to watch the game, has become almost the standard of “what to do” on Thanksgiving Day.
At this point you may be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with politics?” Actually a great deal, also this article will deal with a great amount of what were taught and are told when we’re growing up. To really elaborate on it all, I’ll give you the following in the viewpoint of an average American person, the Native American, and of course the historical facts.
First, to many Native Americans, this isn’t a Holiday to celebrate, in fact, a big majority do not. Personally my family and I do, although like many people, it’s really a glorified reason to get together and eat some tasty food. I don’t discount the values of a family getting together to share a day. Especially in this day and age, where you don’t find many opportunities to really sit down and have a meal with your family.
The mindset of most Native Americans is that the Holiday is really just a normal day, with normal values one should extend everyday. However that isn’t the focus of this article, to really understand it all, keep reading..
The tale popular in school and folklore is that the Indians sat down with the Pilgrims for a friendly Harvest Feast. Having a large community feast after the fall harvest was a common thing in Europe. Flash forward to 1970, the 350th anniversary of the pilgrims landing in Massachusetts. Abraham Lincoln had proclaimed Thanksgiving a holiday, and it was a fairy tail of a feast that was allowed to exist until that day. When Frank B. James, President of the Federated Eastern Indian League was asked to speak for a Plymouth banquet.  Exposing the Pilgrims for having committed, among other crimes, the robbery of graves of the Wampanoag's. He wrote:
“We welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people.”
Officials told him he couldn’t deliver such a speech, and offered to write him another. He declined, and on Thanksgiving day hundreds of Native Americans from around the country came to protest.
So what really happened in Plymouth in 1621?

The Failure of the "MTV" Generation

In 2008 Barack Obama was elected president without anyone knowing what his true agenda or platform was. Sure he gave us those "glittering generalities" but what was he really saying or not saying. Barack's election was much like the passing of the Healthcare Bill which was summed up best by Nancy Pelosi said, "We need to pass it in order to find out what it says." In Obama's case it was, "We need to elect him to find out what he'll do." There is something fundamentally wrong with this thought process and yet in both cases the vote passed.

According to the Pew Research Center, a think-tank/pollster group based in D.C., "66% of voters under the age of 30 gave their vote to Barack Obama." This trend isn't anything new, six out of the last eight elections showed the younger vote going to the Democratic candidate and in the odd two elections the vote was tied. I want to make it clear that informed personal opinion is not under attack here, however it is my opinion that the naivete of young people (as well as many people over 30) really exposed itself in this latest election.

Everyone wants to believe the best about people, and especially that those in leadership positions are looking out for the public's best interests. It is the case many times then that someone can rise to power by merely promising a better life, secure job or "free" healthcare. In a world filled with biased media outlets (not just the news but movies, television, music) pushing their own agenda it can be easy to be swept up in the hype and the emotion but it is important for us as voters to take a step back and think, "Do I really understand what this guy is saying, what does it all mean and how will if affect me and my family not just presently but in the future."

Any man seeking a leadership role, as Barack Obama was in 2008, should be analyzed carefully in order to determine his true nature and goals before you make a final decision. This doesn't mean listening to what the personality on Fox News or CNN or MTV has to say about a candidate and it also doesn't mean listening to a few quotes or sound bites from the guy. Really make an effort to study his up-bringing, voting record, and personal history.

I believe that we in the "MTV" generation have and continue to let our naivete get the best of us and it is a tragic failure. I am posting this well before the November elections so that you all have time to do some research on the candidates running for office. Listen to some of their speeches, read their writings (if they have any), take a look at their voting record, and most importantly discover who they are as a person. Don't continue to let your emotional knee-jerk reactions fail you, use the logical brain that God gave you and truly think for yourself.

-Jim at the D.W.

WOW

Ok everyone-so sorry that we have been slacking lately. We went on a trip over the holiday weekend and it threw us for a loop. Bare with me as we struggle to get back into the groove of writing everyday-tomorrow I'll have a good post for you all and if I don't then rip me up on FB please so I get it into my head!

-Jim at the D.W.

Happy Late Labor Day

Hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day Weekend (Union/Socialist Holiday ... workers of the world united ... not). Sorry we have been slacking we here at the Daily Wood were out at a very fun wedding hope everyone kept up to date with their new stories a little history for everyone.
Labor Day was first celebrated in 1892 in New York by the CLU. And was officially recognized in 1894 courteous of Grover Cleveland after the Pullman Strike was put down by the United States Army.

Keep up to date with everything in the news hopefully a bigger topic tonight or tomorrow.

-Jake at the D.W.

Economic Disrespect: The Auto Industry Failure

Hello readers my name is James and I'm guest blogging for The Daily Wood today.

Perhaps in the future I'll be able to share more of my views with you all.

I'm a college graduate in the study of Ornamental Horticulture, a resident of Metro Detroit, and

a Cherokee Native American. As my field of study, and state are affected by current sociopolitical

issues, I feel this is a perfect oppertunity to share my thoughts and my personal recollection of what

I've experienced and learned.

For as long as anyone can remember, Detroit and for the most part Michigan as a whole has been

known for one huge industry, Automobiles. The city gained monikers such as "The Motor City."

Hot Rod cars dubbed as "Detroit Muscle." The story of Detroit really is the story of the "Big 3."

Where the auto industry goes, Detroit goes, this is an undeniable truth. As a one trick pony

everything depends for the most part on the success of these three companies. When they had

the huge blowout, the city sunk hard. You really don't get a feel for it until you see former

business professionals collecting job applications from fast food places. The modern city was

built for two million people, however at this time there's less than 800,000.

The bailout is and will always be seen by Michiganders as a double edge sword. It was entirely

essential to keep Gm/Chrysler/Ford afloat, however nobody denies that the companies deserve to

fall under. The raging fire of approving people for vehicles they could not afford was just a common practice.

The city and it's auto companies were for so long under the illusion that the industry was its golden goose egg.

However when stocks started diving, people were buying less, saving more. It only adds to the irony that when it came time to collect the money for the loands they handed out, they were met with pockets that were already slim, but were now empty. This spelled the downfall of the former Auto Industry, it was soon a realization to themselves that things were bad, very bad. People were laid off en mass. Then later on during the bailout, an enormous amount of more hourly workers were sent home. A huge chunk considering just citizens working at auto factories, but often left out are other companies that entirely depend on those workers. Not third party parts manufacturers, we're talking resturants, grocers, movie theaters, you name it. So many people worked in auto factories that when the layoffs came, so did layoffs at the aforementioned places, and in many cases companies had to shut down. Their customers now had no income.

Unemployment was already strapped before all of this happened, so it came as no surprise that when the city

office buildings were flooded to apply unemployment, there was little to nothing to give. This has triggered an ongoing exodus from the state. A large amount of people have left the state entirely for places that are doing much better, in hopes of finding work again. the interesting thing is that long ago when the auto companies needed a very large amount of workers, many of their future workers came from the south. Here we are today, people leaving Michigan to live down south where prospects are better.

The Documentary "Requiem For Detroit" (The Documentary), shows how this was decades in the making and the result of the lack of respect the companies had for the economy. The big question here is an obvious one that's been asked before. "What do we have to do, to ensure something like this doesn't happen again?" In my opinon, it's accountability. Now, the "Big Three" have obviously changed a lot around, and are behaving much more responsibly and with the watchful eye of the government,

behaving with much more accountability. But, this isn't the only industry that could have something like this happen. What sort of measures should be taken? Many folks felt that the government shouldn't of touched the auto crysis, some people feel that they shouldn't have a failsafe for companies that fall for bad habits. Others feel that its a necessity, to ensure that community's or whole states even, are able to continue on without striking families into severe proverty. Is there a right decision? Should the government have tighter measures put in place to keep companies in line? Should they bail them out if they do deviate from the guidelines set?

This is truly an issue that strikes the heart of many people, this in my mind will no doubt grow to be a bigger issue in society's mind.

I'm interested in hearing opinions from others about this topic, feel free to leave a comment.

Restoring Honor in a Post-Racial Society

Everyone with a pair of ears or eyes heard and or saw that this weekend that Glenn Beck was holding his "Restoring Honor" Rally at the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. It just happened to fall on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr's famous " I Have a Dream Speech". I will take Glenn at his word when he said he did not know it was the same day and that it was "Divine providence".

Now the goal of the rally was to support a scholarship fund for Wounded Warriors it was not to be politically based or racially based, though that is what it has been turned and twisted into. The rally had been declared for months as a religious event and attendees were encouraged not to bring signs but their children.

As Barack Obama was celebrating his victory of the White House the Main Stream Media ( MSM) was declaring a post racial society and America. With these claims though, it does not stop them from calling Tea Parties or the "Restoring Honor" Rally mainly white. This maybe true but the question I have is WHY fuel flames or start arguements that should not even matter or are not really there?

Huffington Post ( or as I like their name the HuffPo ) said this in the first sentence to set the stage, "Conservative commentator Glenn Beck and tea party champion Sarah Palin appealed Saturday to a vast, predominantly white crowd on the National Mall to help restore traditional American values..."

The New York Times: "The overwhelmingly white and largely middle-aged crowd Saturday was a mix of groups that have come together under the Tea Party umbrella."

The two statements are a just two selected from the MSM it give us a picture of how race is still used on the side of the fence which is supposed to be NON RACIAL. It is so hard to wrap your head around why race is still a issue in this country but when you really look into the issue it is not hard to find the truth. Marin Luther King said "It is not a issue of Black and White. It is a issue of justice for all people."
Throw us your thoughts and feedback

-Jake at the D.W.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. American Government-Who has the least accountability

If you're from the Pittsburgh area or are a fan of baseball you are probably aware of the city of Pittsburgh's redheaded stepchild-the Pittsburgh Pirates. For the 18th consecutive season the "Buccos" have failed to produce a winning record and in a city that prides itself on it's athletic prowess this is an embarrassment.

The problem with the Pirates lays with the ownership group and their lack of motivation to produce a winning team but I can't say I blame them. Because of major league baseball's profit sharing program the Pirate organization will never suffer a loss of profits if they do not succeed on the field and therefore the logic behind maintaining the status quo is not flawed. It is good business to not take unnecessary risks, such as investing big money into the players, when you can continue to profit from business as usual. There is no accountability for the Bob Nutting (that really is his name) and the other owners of the Pirates.

The owners don't answer to anyone and therefore they will never change their practices. Unless the fans stop supporting the Pirates when they play at home there is no cause for alarm and I don't think that this will ever happen because Pirate games are a lot of fun to attend. They aren't fun because anyone likes to see their team get hammered every night but because the owners offer just enough incentive to the fans in order to keep them coming back. Fireworks after the game, all you can eat seats and concerts; just some examples of the promotions that are regularly offered throughout the season, and these are just enough to keep the fans coming back for more.

There are a lot of parallels that can be drawn between the owners of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the politicians and bureaucrats who people our government system. The similar profit sharing system and lack of accountability among the different agencies and organizations of our government has made it easy for the people who oversee those groups to fall into the same trap as the Pirate's ownership has. Our tax dollars have been grossly mismanaged and misused and as a result we as Americans find ourselves in a whole heap of debt, and there is no sign that government spending will cease. Politicians see the huge slush funds and stimulus funds as a way to, not necessarily line their own pockets, but ensure themselves reelection by securing a portion of that money for their district. Just like the owners of the Pirates, these people think that they can give us just enough handouts in order to keep us coming back for more. And the truly sad thing is that, up until now, this method has worked extremely effectively.

I think that it is time for Americans to understand and hold politicians accountable for their disturbing abuse of power and funds. We face a debt crisis that was started by President Bush, has been sped up drastically by President Obama and has reached a point where every American man woman or child, in order for American debt to reach zero, owes 44,000 dollars. This is unacceptable and unsustainable. I don't assume to know how to reduce our debt and fix the economy but November is coming and anyone running for office needs to have a well thought out plan for fixing this mess if they want to have a chance at election.

-Jim at the D.W.

The Ground Zero 'Mosque' and the First Amendment

Hello everyone this is my first post on the Daily Wood and I hope to be around to share more of my views. My name is Alex and I am currently studying Journalism with an interest in both Public Relations and Law. With my experience in Journalism I believe I can speak with some authority on the issue of the First Amendment and how it relates to a hot topic this year with the ground zero 'Mosque'.

I will say as I have said before on this blog that while the building known as Park51 will be housing a place of worship for Muslims known as a Mosque, it will also have many other facilities for use by any New Yorker, no matter their creed or religion. It will have a swimming pool as well as a basketball court, and be more akin to a YMCA then a tower Minaret Monument to some Muslim victory. Another misnomer is that this building will be built on Ground Zero. In reality it will be built two blocks away from Ground Zero, with no line of site to the former place of the Twin Towers. To put this in perspective three blocks away from Ground Zero is a real mosque that has been there for 25 years, longer then the twin towers. What also resides so close to this sacred and hallowed ground? Strip joints and betting parlors. Despite all this I will refer to the commonly held name the Park51 building has, a Mosque, for the sake of simplicity and so this post is easier to write and understand.

Let us focus on one issue for today. The First Amendment and how it relates to the Mosque. I will break my post down into three sections. First, how the First Amendment relates to the Mosque. Second, why we should defend the First Amendment to the death, and how this Mosque is the perfect issue to do so with. Third and last, why people wrongly oppose the Mosque, while at the same time saying they want to uphold the First Amendment.

--

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

What this breaks down to is the Freedom of Religion, the Freedom of Speech, and the Freedom to peaceably assemble and protest.

The Freedom of Religion allows people to practice their religion, whatever it may be, without fear of persecution or restrictions. If you wish to worship Satan or little green goblins you are free to do so in the United States of America. This means not only clasping your hands and saying prayers but also building a place where you and those of your faith can worship in peace. It is one of the very foundations of what our country was built on, people came here to escape the persecution of other countries so they could worship freely.

The developers of the Park51 Mosque have bought private property 2 blocks away from Ground Zero, and as far as the First Amendment is concerned, they can build whatever they want there. (Of course zoning codes can say 'No you may not build this type of building here'. But from what I understand that issue has been settled already.)

--

Now as I said before the First Amendment, specifically the Freedom of Religion is one of the Foundations of our country. You can not chip away at the foundation less you want the entire country to fall apart. "Oh they do not need the Freedom of Religion. Oh you do not need Due Process. Oh there is no reason we can't hold him in a prison for a few decades for no reason." Once you start where does it stop?

I've heard several pundits and those of the Right say, "They won't let us build a Church in Saudi Arabia, why should we let them build a Mosque here?"

Simply put, to show that we are better. To show that we hold our ideals and value true. To show that when we say you have the freedom to worship whatever and however you wish, we truly mean it. We mean it for everyone, be you Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Ewok.

--

Speaking of Ewoks I want to tell a little story: Today I was leaving the HUB, a central building on the Campus I go to. Outside was a massive sign that said 'Jesus Christ said, if you love me, obey me.' Next to that sign were three kids, covered by a rainbow colored blanket, members of a Gay Pride club. By them were a dozen or so students holding signs that said 'You Mad?' and 'Words on a Sign!' And by them was a man clad in a brown robe, spouting off the merits of Jedisim. This is a true story. This is all possible because of one thing, the First Amendment.

While this may seem insane and stupid, how many other places in the world can you have such an absurd scene and not have any fights break out, or people being killed?

--

Finally I want to address why so many people are opposed to this Mosque, and in turn opposed to the First Amendment.

I believe we need to get over the idea that the entire Muslim world is after us, that it was the Muslim world that attacked us on 9/11 and killed those 4000 some people. On September 11th, 2001, radical and hateful people crashed four planes into the heart of America. While they worshipped Allah and revered Mohammad, they were not the same as the nearly 1 billion other Muslims in the world. They were not like you or I, but if we so easily discard the First Amendment because of fear and hatred, how long before we look into the mirror and see something we hated?

People continue to perpetuate this cycle of fear and hate for political gain. At the end of the day this Ground Zero Mosque will just be another political dividing line that politicians can use on election day to say "Look! Look! I am Different then him! I am better then him! Vote for me!"

--

There are almost 2 million Muslims in America, but if you see them you should not see them as a Muslim, but as an American, just like you.

And a few years ago there was a saying going around the political world, "If we do this, or if we do that, the Terroists have won."

Well guess what folks, if we ignore the First Amendment, the Terroists have won.

Note: Alex considers himself a Deist, one of the common religions of the Founding Fathers. He has no relation with Muslims, Christians, Jews, Ewoks, or Jedi.

Liberation/Emerging Church Theology

Glenn Beck: talk show/radio personality, recovering alcoholic, Mormon. Love him or hate him I want to take some time to analyze something he said today and what implications it may have for the Christian faith and belief system. It is my understanding that Mormonism isn't scripturally sound which is to say that it doesn't necessarily follow the teachings of Jesus as found in the new testament and therefore it is a manipulation of Christian ideology. That being said, Glenn made a comment on Fox News Sunday about the fact that he believes President Obama is a follower of another sect of Christianity that, it may be said, is not founded completely on biblically sound theology either. I am talking about Liberation Theology or it's more contemporary counterpart the Emerging Church movement. For those of you all who don't what either of those are you can click the links above taking you to a Wikipedia.org page describing each belief.

Liberation theology is described very succinctly as the belief that Jesus came to earth to save humanity and especially the poor and that it is our duty as believers to understand and try to remedy the plight of the poor. Practioners of this belief system also espouse that Jesus said we should do our best to become poor ourselves and they sight examples of paribles that Jesus tells in which it is the poor who benefit and the rich who come away empty. A good article describing these beliefs is "Glenn Beck vs. Christ the Liberator" by a Rev. James Martin.

Now the problem that I have with these theologies is that they fail to see the big picture of Jesus' sacrafice for humanity. Some of you out there may not be Christian or know anything about the bible so briefly; Jesus came and died for all of us in order that we may go to heaven when we die. Where Liberation and Emerging church theology falls short is that they miss the point of the Christian belief that, Jesus didn't die specifically or especially for one group of people but rather humanity as a whole. Each group of people has it's own unique problems but Jesus' sacrafice covers them all. The bible has a few occasions where Jesus says that in order for someone to be saved they have to give up all their possessions or so on but the point of these stories is not that the people have to give up their possessions for poverty's sake but instead give them up in order to rely completely on God for survival and salvation. The point of the gospel is that we can do nothing to save ourselves or others from sin, only God has that power.

So, I have to say that I disagree with Liberation theology and if President Obama is indeed a follower of this belief system then I have to wonder how it has affected his formation as a man and as our president. I can also say that, because he is a mormon, I do not think that Mr. Beck has any right to speak for the Christian community as a whole or lecture anyone on the teachings of the bible when he himself follows an unsound doctrine.

-Jim at the D.W.

PS-anyone who has questions about what it means to be a Christian or anything else about my beliefs please feel free to email me jed19@students.pti.edu

The Obama Deception

Hey guys today is going to be a quick post nothing to big or in-depth. I promised I would look for something on the Man behind the Mosque and here it is.


Video on El-Gamal



Hey guys after much discussion between my brother and I we decided to move past The Obama Deception. I encourage you all to just check out the video and give us feedback about what you think


Jake at D.W.

Man behind the Mosque

Hey everyone this maybe the first of many posts on this subject but unlike most of the mainstream I want to focus on the man behind the mosque at Ground Zero. I am not talking about Iman Ruaf ,though he needs to be throughly examined as well, but the contractor who owns the land two blocks away from Ground Zero.

The name of the contractor is Sharif el-Gamal. He was, in 2002, a waiter at two upscale resturants in New York. Then 2003 he left and starter out as a real estate broker. Within a year though he left and started Soho Properties which he still operates and which owns the site two blocks away from the former site of the World Trade Centers. Somehow he has made his way from waiter to upscale mogul? Now do not get me wrong maybe he has done the American dream but also how can you turn around and own so much property ( five properties over 2.5 million each) on a usual waiters salary?

Speculation or questions that need anwsered? Up to you all I will look for more information on this guy and keep you all updated.

Poll on Mosque at Ground Zero
Finally here is a poll on the people's opinion of the Mosque. Hope to cover this more in the coming week.

- Jake at the Daily Wood

Runaway Slaves

Today I discovered a great American who is doing his part to educate and free his "segment" of society. I put the word segment in quotations because we define our culture in terms of groups based on race and economic status which is a problem in and of itself; however, that is a discussion for another time. C.L. Bryant is a Baptist minister and was the president of a local NAACP chapter in Texas. His mission is to wake up black Americans to the situation they find themselves in, which he believes is the equivalent of modern day slavery. Now that is a bold statement, but C.L. doesn't stop there, he claims that if other "segments" of American society don't rise up and answer his call soon, that we will all be in the same boat: as slaves to an oppressive, tyrannical government.

Reverend Bryant has created a film titled, Runaway Slave: Run from Tyranny to Liberty. This movie is his attempt to open the eyes of Americans to the plights that we have, to a large extent, brought on ourselves, and from the five minute trailer I think that he has done a pretty good job. The trailer, which can be found on C.L.'s website for Runaway, takes aim at the people who are responsible for voting away their power to corrupt politicians. The movie explains why this has happened, what impact this voting record has had on people (mostly black Americans), and what we all can do to reverse the damage that has been done. Watch the trailer, it can also be found on YouTube, and let us know what you all think about Rev. C.L. Bryant and his mission.

-Jim at the D.W.

Welcome to the Daily Wood!

Hey everyone. I am Jake and this is the Daily Wood. My goals and hopes for this blog will be different from my brother's, who will be posting in conjunction with me and some guest bloggers. I am a normal college student. Working, going to class, working some more, and just doing the college thing.  Let me start off my saying this is, for me at least, a place to bring you all the news of the day and give you a view from a normal person who has to deal with it just like you.
Myself, being a far far right Reagan Conservative, see a need to become more engaged with the political spectrum and to work harder on getting the message of Conservatism out there to people who are: A) Republican, B) Moderate, C) Liberal / Democrat, or D) Not even sure if they care. There is a need to share the news and opinions differently than that of the mainstream media (this does to an extent include Fox News).
I hope to provide you all with a base different than what you might see in your daily lives, and I encourage you all to DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. Don't rely on just one website or news station to get your info. Look around and be actively engaged in your world, society, and government. We need to make choices for ourselves and stand up for what we believe in.

First piece of news I will present you guys with is this:
Gallop on Americans Knowledge
Forget about the last part, but don't you find it funny, sad as well, that people can not even know basic American History?

- Jake at the Daily Wood

Inaugural Blog Address

Welcome to the Daily Wood-a hub of social commentary and thought, published by the DeWoody brothers. A little bit about your charming and humble reactionaries before we get started. We are two college students who are commited to spreading the seeds of thought to the online community. The purpose of the Wood is to provide a place to speak our minds about the social, political and economic events that shape our world daily. We will also be featuring guest bloggers, hopefully weekly, who will share their minds with you. This is our first blog so please bare with us as we thresh out the process and become acquainted with the way these things work. We hope you all enjoy and would appreciate, and do encourage you to post any comments that you may have for us.


-Jim at The Daily Wood