Take a step.

I decided to do something different in this post. This is an email that I sent today to the faculty at Loyola and also some leaders in the community. I would like to hear the opinions of the students in our class about this issue.

"My name is Hunter Christopher and I am a Loyola student who has a great passion for humanity. I do not just matriculate in this city, but I live in New Orleans. New Orleans is just one of the multitude of cities that America has largely forgotten. Until our recent Super Bowl victory someone from outside our city had as much interest on a daily or even yearly basis as we have for how Johan in Denmark is doing. And while the issues of apathy and interest in other places affairs are entirely other problems to deal with; there is a problem that our own citizenry in this country have forgotten about us. The city that was so close to complete destruction.

There are so many problems in this city that it would take a month to write them all out in a single message, but I have decided to focus on one. This issue is probably the largest affecting any community, city, parish, state, or country. It is education. I seem to have realized that finding an answer from above if steadily becoming more and more futile. Seeing as Governor Jindal's take on education is that it is too costly and viable to cut spending on it. Just a couple of days ago millions and millions were slashed from higher education to balance a budget. Money that goes towards the only chance that young people like myself have to pull themselves up in the world. And I have seen the damage these cuts are creating as I spent my first semester of college at the University of New Orleans. So I decided that instead of trying have the top help the bottom the bottom must help itself. What I would like from you is your opinion on how a schooling system based locally should work. What should be taught in the formative years? When should education begin? And finally how to create this kind of local change to take place? What are your personal experiences? What would you like or your children or relatives? i.e. Who should I look to for help to get this ball not only rolling, but to the destination.

It is my opinion through my research that the people who have managed to succeed out of desperation did so largely because of the knowledge they learned through school. Not just reading and writing, but art, social skills, ethics, and understanding of others. You can look to the President as the exemplar of how sacrifice by the rest of his family to help him achieve the best possible education allowed him to overcome what the majority in the same situation have not nor will probably ever be able to do under current circumstances. You do not have to agree with his politics, but you can see what education did for him and many others. Chris Rock said "If you can't rap or play ball then you ain't ever getting yourself out the ghetto." He acknowledges himself his success is based purely off of luck. A one in a million chance. Though even with one in a million you end up with nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine young people who will never get out of their current socio-economic level.

New Orleans needs to have it's youth to have every opportunity. Not just because that is a nice glowing generality, but because if we do not then our city will never be the Paris of the South again, but continue to remain the city of Katrina."

Did Jesus think we should live in mansions?

"Socialism which means love, cooperation and brotherhood in every department of human affairs, is the only outward expression of a Christian's faith. I am firmly convinced that whether they know it or not, all who approve and accept competition and struggle against each other as the means whereby we gain our daily bread, do indeed betray and make of no effect the "will of God." - George Lansbury

The United States of America is a nation that loves religion. Though what is preached and what is put into practice is polar opposite. The ideas of Jesus Christ whom actively preached against the rich, championed the poor, was anti-establishment, and anti-clerical have some how been perverted into this idea of Jesus the CEO. Where did this come from? How did the messiah of millions of Americans become so distorted?

With the rise of protestantism so was the rise of the protestant work ethic. It is based upon the necessity for hard work is proponent of a person's calling and worldly success is a sign of personal salvation. Thus if you work hard and have wealth to show for it then you will be a good Christian. According to the new Protestant religions, an individual was religiously compelled to follow a secular vocation with as much zeal as possible. A person living according to this world view was more likely to accumulate money. The new religions (in particular, Calvinism and other more austere Protestant sects) effectively forbade wastefully using hard earned money and identified the purchase of luxuries a sin. Donations to an individual's church or congregation was limited due to the rejection by certain Protestant sects of icons. Finally, donation of money to the poor or to charity was generally frowned on as it was seen as furthering beggary. This social condition was perceived as laziness, burdening their fellow man, and an affront to God; by not working, one failed to glorify God.

All the things that were preached by Jesus seem to have been forsaken. Rather than help people with excess money the protestant work ethic advised investing excess money to create more wealth. This grew in the concept that pervades most conservative thought the idea of "me and mine first." This is also more colorfully stated in the constant protest by those on the right in "Why should I have to pay for someone else's healthcare/housing/welfare/ect." While Jesus would be the one to give all he had to support the needy it seems that the modern American would rather give to themselves.You can look at the current healthcare debate for a great example. The opposition is afraid of this idea of providing to others. How dare a government based upon, as the majority proclaims, Christian values ask it's populous to provide for the wellbeing of all? The extreme opposition to this socialist idea shows how far the Religious Right is from the actually Religious Teachings.

Capitalism is not Christian by any stretch of the imagination. Capitalism is cruel and unforgiving. There is no room for the unfortunate in such a system. Those who rise will rise and those who fall will fall. No safety net, and no caring for the welfare of others. There is only the individual who is expected to do whatever it takes to achieve success. Not the success of helping others, but the success epitomized by riches, wealth, and property. Where in the bible does Jesus tell us to not look out for our fellow man, help the needy, and live a within our means.

Though socialism does opt for many of the positions that Jesus stood for such as egalitarianism, and welfare for the needy. Equality is in essence a very Marxist idea. For capitalism fundamentally tells us that we are not equal. Money separates more than it binds. It creates social hierarchy, and class struggle that only lead to the further oppression of the masses by a powerful wealthy few. Are the captains of industry and politicians of today any different than Herod and the Pharisees.

One of Jesus' most famous remarks regarding the wealthy can be found in Matthew 19:16-24 (the same event is also described in Mark 10:17-25 and Luke 18:18-25, and the metaphor of a camel going through the eye of a needle is common to both Matthew and Luke).

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why do you ask me about what is good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

However, Jesus Christ goes on to say that what is impossible with men is not impossible with God, implying that the grace of God can save a rich man. See Matthew 19:25-26, Mark 10:26-27 and Luke 18:26-27. For example, Matthew 19:25-26 says:

25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Jesus also described "money changers" (i.e. those engaged in currency exchange) as "thieves" and chased them out of the Temple in Jerusalem. This is described in Matthew 21:12-14, Mark 11:15, and John 2:14-16. The text in Matthew reads as follows:

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

The phrase "love thy neighbor", repeatedly spoken by Jesus, is rather well known. Christian communists point out that Jesus considered this to be the second most important of all moral obligations, after loving God. Thus, they argue, a Christian society should be based first and foremost on these two commandments, and it should uphold them even more than it upholds such things as family values. The relevant Biblical verses are Mark 12:28-31:

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Finally, Jesus gave an account of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46, in which he identifies himself with the hungry, the poor and the sick, and states that good or evil done upon "the least of [God's] brethren" will be counted as good or evil done upon God himself. It is argued that Jesus is saying that nations, rather than individuals, would be judged according to the characteristics of their societies. If that is the case, this could imply that political and economic systems were being heavily critiqued as well:

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 For I was hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in; 36 Naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.

In addition, communist references can be found in Leviticus 25:35-38: "If one [...] becomes poor [...] help him [...] so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God [...] You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God." and Acts 4:32-35, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had [...] there were no needy persons among them [...] the money [...] was distributed to anyone as he had need." As well as Acts 2:42-47, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching [...] to the breaking of bread [...] everyone was filled with awe [...] all the believers were together and had everything in common [...] they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they [...] ate together with glad and sincere hearts [...] "

Now I ask for you to decide did Jesus think we should live in mansions?

Tea Party Tunes

While the people are without the means or ability to survive their health woes the opposition to healing and a quality life has launched a new hit aimed at destroying the “liberal hegemony” of America. These self proclaimed holder of the gauntlet of conservative ideals wish to change our country into a libertarian paradise. With their vanguards of Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh as their talking heads and prophets they have advanced into the musical spectrum.
The Tea Party movement is a United States conservative protest movement that emerged in early 2009 as a partial response to the federal government's stimulus package, officially known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The movement originated in anti-tax protests and arose in response to the increase in the national debt as a result of the stimulus package, as well as the reaction to increases in home mortgage foreclosures despite TARP bailout money paid to the banks. It grew dramatically after revelations about the bonuses paid to AIG executives in March 2009 and has been most visible through the Tea Party protests of 2009. Protesters have also utilized the social networking outlets Twitter, My Space, Facebook as well as blogs in promoting Tax Day events.
The name "Tea Party" is a reference to the Boston Tea Party, whose principal aim was to protest taxation without representation. Tea Party protests have sought to evoke similar images, slogans, and themes. In the wake of the Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, on February 5, 2010, the National Tea Party Convention announced they are forming a 501(c)4 corporation and related political action committee (PAC) to support candidates for office in the 2010 elections.



Here are the lyrics:
It’s gonna be a big heart breaker,
Grandma needs a new pace maker,
And the doctor says, “I realize she’s ill,
But there’s talk of legislation, on all our medication,
and maybe all we can do is put her on a pain pill.”

Whoa, me! Hey, Congress!

You vote Obamacare,
We’re gonna vote you outta there!
We the People have awakened to your tricks.
You vote to let this pass,
You’ll be out on your ____!
‘Cause we the people have awakened…

And to put it in words you might understand, if you had the common sense that God gave a billy goat, you’d no doubt noticed that your constituents, the electorate – that’s us, voters – are onto your pork-barrel-special-interest-tax-and-spend-scam. Or, to put it more succinctly, “Heh, heh, heh, Pfffffffffffffffffffft!”

We’ve heard from Hannity, Beck, and Limbaugh,
What you’ve got in mind for Grandma,
And we found this O’Reilly fella on Fox.
We’re kinda like Joe the Plumber,
And when we crunch the numbers,
It all adds up to votin’ you out at the ballot box!

Heh heh heh heh…

You vote Obamacare,
We’re gonna vote you outta there!
We the People have awakened to your tricks.
You vote to let this pass,
You’ll be out on your ____!
‘Cause we the people have awakened…

And to put it mildly, we’re harboring feelings of extreme alienation, due to copious amounts of horse manure that have been shoveled out of the White House AND the Capitol Building, and we sense that we are being royally defecated upon. (Ha ha!) Yeah, we’re gettin’ the impression that you think we are not relevant to these proceedings, and dismissing our input into the situation.

Please tell Nancy Pelosi,
We’re gonna do the Hokey Pokey,
Put the “right” ones in,
Pull the “left” ones out.

You vote Obamacare,
We’re gonna vote you outta there!
We the People have awakened to your tricks.
You vote to let this pass,
You’ll be out on your ____!
Yeah, we the people have awakened…

And you might want to start looking for another line of work. How ’bout the medical profession? Ha ha. Yeah, they’re gonna need every one that can put up with the red tape and the pay cut. Hey, why don’t you kill every last job, tax every last penny, and infringe on every God-given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?! ‘Cause let me tell you, ain’t NOBODY happy with you!

We the People have awakened…

And it occurs to me that you might really like it down in Venezuela!

MLK Music

Today is a day celebrating the birthday of one of the most influential Americans to have ever lived. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who lived, fought, and died to create a world where the differences between us would no longer matter. Always the modest servant leader King made a request that at his funeral no mention of his awards and honors be made, but that it be said that he tried to "feed the hungry", "clothe the naked", "be right on the [Vietnam] war question", and "love and serve humanity". He was a great man, and still to this day is an inspiration to each of us who will take up the banner of justice.

Though we have been celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day day off from school for as long as most students can remember, most are probably unaware of the battle that was waged to have it be established as a national holiday. A bill to establish King’s birthday, Jan. 15, as a national holiday was twice introduced to Congress, only passing the second time. Illinois, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, had already established state-wide holidays commemorating the King’s birth, but the Southern Christian Leadership Conference throughly acquired 3 million signatures in order to convince the government to make the day the national holiday we know now. The first attempt stalled in Congress for eight years until it received the support of President Jimmy Carter, though even with the president behind it the bill was ultimately defeated in the House by five votes.

King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, was not deterred. She worked the political angle, garnering the support of governors and mayors across the country. In 1980, singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder brought his talents to the cause; his song “Happy Birthday” motivated the public support for the holiday to be made national. With 6 million signatures in favor of the holiday, the second bill was passed by the House but faced an even tougher fight in the Senate.

Finally, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into law in November 1983 by President Reagan, though it was not officially celebrated until 1986. Even then, the holiday was not celebrated by all states under that name. A flurry of protests through the decade followed, one of the most famous being the moving of Super Bowl XXVII from Arizona to California. You know that something is of Earth shattering importance when they move the Super Bowl. Only in recent memory have all 50 states celebrated the holiday, the first time being in 2000. This year marks the first decade in which all 50 states have equally celebrated the life of this great disciple of peace.

So I will leave you with some lyrics of that important song that Stevie Wonder created to protest. Never stop writing, singing, and being for what you believe in!

Why has there never been a holiday
Where peace is celebrated
all throughout the world

The time is overdue
For people like me and you
You know the way to truth
Is love and unity to all God's children
It should be a great event
And the whole day should be spent
In full remembrance
Of those who lived and died for the oneness of
all people
So let us all begin
We know that love can win
Let it out don't hold it in
Sing it loud as you can

Happy Birthday - Stevie Wonder

Warm Up

Music is a deep voice that permeates across life itself. It is in us and around us. A blanket that can keep us protected from the world, or a flag to wave at those who would seek to make tyranny in our world. The battle for health care is waging, and the capital of Haiti is crumbling. This is a world that needs to have the strum of a guitar to reverberate the pain and anguish of those who try each day to make it through the day. This blog shall focus on the intricate dance of music and politics and their struggle to find harmony.

In New Orleans there is a competition for mayor where is the music I wonder. In a city known for its' artists there seems to be a definitive silence coming from their corners. Whilst it should be these very people being the outspoken advocated for progressive change for the future. Without a stable governance that allows the people to pursue the arts, gives them the opportunities to advance in the arts with scholarships and grants, and to foster a city that is open to showcasing these talents in a constructive and productive way we will lose the heart of New Orleans. So I charge the artists and non artists alike to take up the pen, the pick, and the brush and express themselves to shape this election. Not just for themselves, but for each artist and citizen forever.