Connections

Why does this have to be explained to some people? Why does this connection between 9/11 and Iraq have to be spelled out in simple terms for those on the left? It makes perfect sense to me, terrorist were responsible for 9/11 and terrorists were being trained and harbored in Iraq. Here's a great article that explains it in simple terms for those that may be a little slow.

Moral Priorities?

Many on the left like to call Christian conservatives hypocrites because we don't seem to care about giving health care to everyone or ensuring fair wages for workers. This article about setting priorities gives a thoughtful analysis of why most evangelical Christians tend to lean to the right on the political scale.

He [Christian] might have a fundamental moral objection to the welfare
state per se. Compassion, after all, is voluntary by definition; coerced
compassion is a contradiction in terms. He might believe it’s an injustice for
the state to seize money from some people against their will so that others can
use it — a violation, in fact, of the Commandment against theft. He might
believe it’s even worse when an elected government does this, because that just
corrupts the people, drawing an ever larger number into complicity with what
19th-century writer Fredric Bastiat called “legal plunder.”

The Ultimate Culture War

Have you ever driven down a street in a major city and realized you were a little out of place or you were interrupting a special event. Last weekend, a friend and I were driving around Austin, TX getting a feel for the city and noticed there were more people than usual standing on the side of the streets and that they all seem to be holding hands with the same sex. Of course we had stumbled upon a "Pride" (picture the letters in a rainbow) festival. So as we quickly ended our tour of the city, I begun to think about any instance when heterosexuals marched because of their sexual orientation and why homosexuals insist on reminding everyone they are proud they are gay. Could it be they are trying to convince themselves that they are indeed proud of their choices (yes I believe it is a choice)? Could that also be the reason that the homosexual agenda is being pushed into public school sex education? If it's taught in government schools then it must be right, right.

New Favorite Website

I have found a new favorite website. Because of my conservative ideals, I have often been considered an oddball with fellow classmates and/or colleagues. You should have seen my thesis professor's face when I told him I was voting for Bush. You think I had just told him I had just run over his dog. (BTW, for those that don't know me, my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in environmental and occupational health) I have shot back at all my critics saying that I am a common sense environmentalist. ABetterEarth.org is a website that offers a view of conservation without all the wacko ideas that are so often associated with modem day environmentalism.
The following idea may shock some of you, but here it goes "wealthier nations and peoples improve environmental quality rather than degrade it." This article explains this concept and gives some really good points on how to improve the environment in poorer countries by helping them become wealthier (and it's not just giving them aid checks).

Atomic Power, The Answer to our Energy Needs?

America's "energy crisis" has become a big topic in both politics and the media. I have always been a big fan of nuclear energy as a (or the) major source of energy here in the US. Disasters like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island have produced in many people's mind a false idea that nuclear power plants are too dangerous to be in large scale use. We are far behind most countries when it comes to nuclear power. Although our energy needs have increased dramatically, there has not been a new nuclear power plant built in our country since 1973. This is due partially to the initial start-up costs, but most are impeded by government legislations and the NIMBY (not in my backyard) mentality. ABetterEarth.org has a three part series on the positive aspects of nuclear power and how it could be a long-term answer to our energy woes. I, II, and III.