Happy Thanksgiving

"I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."

- Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation October 3, 1863

Thanksgiving Day has always been one of my favorite holidays of the year. My memories as a young boy of travelling to Southwest Oklahoma to see family at my grandmother's home are fond ones. As the next to youngest of the more than thirty immediate members of the family, I was always chosen to assist in the cooking of the meal. I'm not certain if that occurred because I was talented or because my usual sleeping location was on a roll away cot just outside of the kitchen. Yet even today I look forward to spending hours toiling in the kitchen.

This is certainly a historical Thanksgiving for us all. With men and women of the Armed Forces and Foreign Service in Iraq and Afghanistan and the economy in such poor shape, it would be easy for us to dwell on what is bad. Yet we are fortunate that so many are willing to sacrifice on our behalf and to live in such a time with so many opportunities to make a real difference.

In particular I know that I'm truly blessed. I'm thankful to live in a country and state where we can experience a distinct change in government that occurs peacefully. I'm especially thankful to have my close friend Marc Young back safely from Iraq. I'm thankful for my health and that I'm imbued with the will to keep building a brighter future for this state and the optimism to always see a new way. To my friends and family who put up with me, I'm deeply grateful to have you in my life and I know you all enrich each day for me.

May God bless you and provide for you as He has for me.

65-21

What a game. I had cautiously said to friends and family that I thought we could maybe win this game - perhaps the biggest home game I've ever attended. After all, Mike Leach is one of the brightest coaches in college football and he had coached here before. He knew what to expect and how to prepare his team for what was coming.

Yet I was surprised, right from the beginning. The fans were more excited and more a part of this game than ever before. Lots of times fans will "make some noise" on a 3rd down, but after the opponents convert, many people sit down and quiet down. Not this time. The Memorial Stadium was as loud even after Tech would convert, or make a catch. I watched old men dance - dance - when House of Pain's "Jump Around" was played over the sound system. You could feel the enthusiasm flowing from the OU sidelines. The Pride and student section produced as much volume as the entire stadium on an average game.

The team didn't disappoint. Sam Bradford was as good as you could ever ask from any quarterback. The Defense looked as if they had read Tech's game plans - sacking Tech's Graham Harrell four times and twice in a row. After the game the team went to the middle of the field, then came to the sidelines to thank fans. Coach Stoops hung around and the crowd actually stopped leaving to applaud and cheer. In a move that shows what a class act Bob Stoops is, he actually tipped his visor to the fans, then bowed to them. He knew that he is loved, and that the fans has heard his call earlier in the week to help out.

It being an election year, I have been too busy to attend any other home games, so this was the only one I made it to - and what a game to see.* Years from now, those fans who were there will hold this game aloft as one of the greatest home games they ever watched, and recall how they were actually a part of the game, part of the defensive scheme that rattled a top-notch Texas Tech team and an outstanding quarterback from Lubbock. It was Sooner Magic in action and Sooner Legend in the making.

* Thanks to Jim and Pat Thompson who generously gave me the chance to go as a birthday present. Of course, I picked this game back in August as it was the only home game after the election, so it was especially nice as it became the biggest home game of the year.

Oklahoma City Councilman Mark Schwartz

Former Oklahoma City Councilman Mark Schwartz has passed away. A true leader in Oklahoma City, and later an official at the U.S. Department of Energy, he will be missed.

I was fortunate in getting to know Mark a bit during my time in Washington, D.C. where he was a great help to a displaced Okie. He was also loyal supporter during a couple of tough campaigns and did so because he truly wanted Oklahoma to have a bright future.

Tire Gauge Politics

Maybe you've missed the recent flap in the Presidential campaign over Senator Obama's recommending people properly inflate their tires to be safer and save fuel. If so, count yourself lucky.

Here it is in a nutshell: Senator Obama, as part of a week long push to promote his energy package (which is lacking by the way), mentioned that people should check the pressure in their tires to be safe and because it promotes fuel efficiency. Simple, right?

Wrong.

The McCain campaign, as if they had nothing else to talk about, have latched on to it as if it were Ford's slip up in '76. They have had surrogate speakers out attacking him (most notably Governor Tim Pawlenty, auditioning for the role of attack-dog Vice President), have issued statements and press releases constantly and even have tire gauges printed to hand out to donors and members of the press.

There are two problems with this strategy. First of all, Senator Obama is right, as anyone who took a driver safety course knows, or is a NASCAR fan. At the risk of sounding imperious, I will avoid making any jokes about Senator McCain here.

The bigger problem is what this type of thing does to the entire process. If you ever wonder why more people don't vote, or won't take you seriously as a candidate or even an elected official, it is this behavior. Senator McCain, the "maverick" of the U.S. Senate, was thought to be the kind of candidate who would avoid the political posturing. Who would talk about issues, whether it meant winning or loosing. I mean, his bus is the "Straight Talk Express" - is this what "straight talk" has become?

I'm not saying he won't win, because you can certainly win the race doing just this. My point is if in this election we have a chance to move the country forward, or stagnate, it seems this kind of campaigning certainly falls towards the latter. If you want people to listen again, and believe again you have to first give them something worth listening to and believing in. Tire gauge politics just won't cut it.

What If You Held An Election - And No One Cared?

I'm still working on my own breakdown of Tuesday's Primary Election and will have it posted soon. Until then, consider that less than 18% of the registered voters actually came out and voted in that race according to news stories. What's worse, with only 352,000 people voting, it means less than 10% of the state's actual population voted.

There are lots of theories going around as to why. My own? Very few exciting races were on the ballot. People can say that local races drive turnout, and that is true to some extent, but it is the high-visibility campaigns that get people fired up. There were really none of those on the ballot, especially on the Democratic side, leaving lots of people less than interested.

Is that a good reason not to vote? Of course not. But it is where we stand with most Oklahomans too apathetic to show up. I guess some of them might be offended that I called them that, but my guess is they just won't care.

Tom Coburn: Dr. No or Senate Savior?

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. is making the news in his usual way - by voting "no". This time, however, he is joined by forty of his senate colleagues in blocking the attempts of Senator Harry Ried to move his new "Omnibus" bill forward.

For those of you not following this daily drama over the last three and a half years, Senator Coburn has used a senate rule to put a "hold" on bills he doesn't like or agree with. This allows even one senator to keep practically any bill from moving forward, unless at least 60 of his or her fellow senators will vote to move it forward.

This comes as no surprise to me, or most Oklahomans, having become very familiar with then-Congressman Coburn's similar beliefs when he was in the U.S. House. Whatever you you say about him, and you can say a lot, the man is consistent in his actions to change how government works.

That is why I don't understand how Senator Reid, and the entire Democratic Caucus, seem to be so befuddled by Senator Coburn's actions. Even if you weren't familiar with his work in the House, they've had more than three years to see this. For more than a year and half in the majority! How, in all that time, do you not come up with a strategy?

Really, there are only two options:

1. Find a way to get 60 members to go against him.
2. Realize he isn't going to stop, and begin to draft bills in a manner that fit his criteria.

Since it is unlikely that even with a huge tidal wave of Democratic support this fall the Senate Democrats get to sixty seats, the first option is unlikely. Getting the Republican Caucus to break decisively on anything is as tough as getting a Sooner to cheer for Mack Brown, so Senator Reid will be stuck losing votes with a smaller than necessary majority.

That leaves option number two, changing the nature of how you do business. I admit, this is a tough pill to swallow. Yet with Congressional approval ratings in the single digits, it should soon become clear to someone that business as usual isn't going to work. If you believe the bills being blocked are actually quality legislation, and their passage is critical in nature, then it is time to find a new way to get them to the floor.

Working with other Republican Senators will be necessary in order to assure passage and even to bring them to a vote. This may not be the most effective method of work, but as elected officials sent to do a job, it is, as the saying goes, what you get paid the big bucks for.

Of course, this might not work. It requires bi-partisan cooperation in an election year, and that is pretty rare in D.C. - especially with an election coming up. But by doing the right thing, and putting individual Senators on the spot, is a fight worth fighting.

Time and history will judge if Senator Coburn is right or wrong, Senator Reid's job is to move the Senate forward and it is time that happens.

OKC NBA Team Name

I have to admit, I'm not much of an NBA fan. I'm really not a big basketball fan at all. I frequently say that is because I can't play basketball, but I can't play baseball either and I'll watch it.

Just the same, I'm pretty excited about the new big league team in OKC. I'm not sure I'll make it to a game right away, but here is a quick way I'll become a fan.

The team name.

The news is out that the NBA has filed trademark right for six team names. Barons, Bison, Energy, Thunder, Marshalls and Wind.

That's right, tucked away in that list is MARSHALLS!

If the powers-that-be see fit to give the new team a proud name like that, then who am I but to become a fan? You can be sure I'll buy hats, shirts and all of the other team related stuff they can sell. Tickets? Of course, what kind of Marshall would I be if I didn't attend?

So, only time will tell, but I have to say I just won't get as excited about cheering for the OKC Wind.

Batmania

One can hardly turn on the television, read a newspaper, check out a website or even drive down the road without seeing some form of advertising for the new movie The Dark Knight. I freely admit to having being a bit of a comic book geek when I was a kid, and though my tastes ran more towards Superman and Sgt. Rock, I was always a DC guy.

While I have yet to see the film [yes, I plan to] I am most impressed by the marketing. Beginning more than a year ago, the depth that has been achieved is simply amazing. Now of course it is mostly traditional forms, such as a Batman-themed pizza offer, but the viral and online presence is unparalleled.

Websites for a fictional District Attorney's race, fake newspapers and even a mock version of the Drudge Report were created for fans to follow in the months leading up to the actual release of the movie. No longer was the movie "news" contained to broadcasts of Entertainment Tonight or in issues of TV Guide, but now were at our very fingertips.

These activities have been more than just ads telling us when the movie opened. The screenwriters literally created a backstory to the characters themselves that we could follow. This isn't to say someone won't enjoy the movie without having read all of this, simply that it will enrich the experience.

I like to think of this in terms of visiting an art museum. You can look at all of the paintings and sculptures and revel in the beauty and skill, but if you know the history of the work, or more about the form used, it will deepen your appreciation and understanding.

This type of creativity and outside-of-the-box thinking is truly refreshing to see. With the ever increasing necessity of movies to have extremely successful opening weekends, I suppose we should expect this trend to continue. What will be most interesting to watch will be how much traditional forms of advertising are purchased and what new forms of attracting our attention will appear.

A President For Us All?

As we continue through the 2008 Presidential campaign, a great many questions have arisen. Some are more policy oriented than others, but many relate to the background and character of our next leader.

More than just how Senators Obama and McCain have voted, we have to see who they are to determine what kind of Presidency they will have. What books do they read, what kind of family life have they had and even what do they do for fun all come into play.

One great example occurred during what passes for a wide-ranging interview Senator McCain did with the New York Times this weekend. There are many fascinating bits of information about McCain, and many are examples of his independent streak.

There was one that stood out to me, and is another stark example of the generational differences of this campaign. He said, in part:

“I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself. I don’t expect to be a great communicator, I don’t expect to set up my own blog, but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need.”

and even:

“I don’t e-mail, I’ve never felt the particular need to e-mail,”

McCain also states that he has staff who read him blogs and pass on important information. Could he have said anything else to prove that he is out of touch? My own 75 year old father uses a computer to read the news and blogs. He regularly emails with my entire family and even old war buddies. That isn't the Vietnam War, but Korea. So, if he and others this age can do it, why can't McCain?

How does he hope to not only lead during this time, but relate to those whom he is leading? More importantly, how will he get his information?

I've worked around many campaigns and elected officials and the worst thing that can happen to them is to become insulated. The information they receive is filtered through the perspective of the person delivering it. The further you go up the chain of power, the worse it gets. It is often referred to as the "bubble".

Yet, the internet and new technology have given our leaders a way to break through. Due to time constraints it made sense that the President or a U.S. Senator didn't have time to trek down to the library or bookstore to search around for information. He or she only had time to read press clippings [prepared by staff] versus reading dozens of newspapers and magazines each day.

Now from their own blackberry or iphone these same leaders can break out of the bubble and know what is going on. Not only will they have a National Security briefing, but can read what embedded reporters are writing. Some are even using things like text messaging and device to device messaging to bypass staff and communicate privately. A revolution indeed!

But where will Senator McCain be in all this? Will he be able, or even willing to reach out and hear what is being said beyond the confines of his own White House? Or will he be like President Bush, who prefers staying in the dark and a has shown a dangerous reliance on staff?

Perhaps the most important question that arises is this: Why hasn't John McCain been curious enough to learn this sooner? As the internet revolution occurred around him, and he sat on powerful committees in the Senate, how has he not made the attempt before now?

I fear what this tells us, and it is why we have to look beyond voting records when choosing a leader, is that Senator McCain isn't a man who thinks outside of the box. He is content with staying in his own insular world and trusting others to do the thinking for him. I simply don't believe we can afford another four or eight years of anyone like that.

We're number 6! We're number 6!

Money magazine has released their annual rankings of Best Cities in America, and Norman was chosen to be number 6, moving up from 40th place last year.

In the description of our community, the magazine said:

"People flock to Norman from around the world to study and teach, and then to
stay and raise a family. "

Well, if this was occurring before - just wait now that the word is getting out!

What is T. Boone Pickens Up To?

Watching the Sunday shows today [Flashpoint, Meet The Press and This Week] I saw, for the first time, Boone Pickens commercial about his "PickensPlan". Very interesting presentation and driving people to this website.

I've read through the site, and I'm still making my way through the news articles about it, but I'm at a bit of a loss. In full disclosure, I've never been a big fan of Pickens. His hard-right politics has always turned my stomach a bit, but he seems to be going through a renaissance. His charitable work, especially at OSU, is a big change from where he once was.

So what is this new thing about? I'm not sure myself, the jury is still out. If you have any ideas or thoughts, comment here or email me at chebon.marshall@gmail.com

Phil Gramm Politicians

For the last few days, and for the next few as well I would guess, much has been written about former Senator Phil Gramm's comments regarding the economy. For those of you who have been living under a rock, he said:

"We have sort of become a nation of whiners."

and:

"You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession."

If you have followed Gramm's career, this shouldn't come as a surprise to you, which is why I don't understand Senator McCain's people having him involved in their campaign. This is a man who, discussing cuts to Social Security, said "They are 80-year-olds. Most people don't have the luxury of living to be 80 years old, so it's hard for me to feel sorry for them." What a softy.

There was a time in our country when this is what it took to get elected. With sound-bite driven media, and the need to constantly feed the hard-liners in both parties "red meat", politicians responded with over-the-top statements and attacked those in the opposing parties with a zeal usually reserved for deer hunters on opening day.

While there are still plenty of partisans and politicians out there who fall into this category, younger voters are changing the process. With the ability to reach beyond the normal sound bite [now just 7.3 seconds on average] by reading blogs and news aggregators, Generation X and Millennials are less responsive to these techniques. While more active than their parents, they are less strident in their politics when it comes to partisan loyalty, and less likely to believe that no good ideas can come from the other side of the aisle.

Not since 1960 have we seen an election where generational differences were as clear as this one as Senators Obama and McCain represent opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to generational definitions. This is abundantly clear now in their choice of supporters and advisers. Those "unpaid" advisers who have spoken out in the Obama campaign have quickly become unpaid former advisers. In the McCain campaign they are merely moved off camera.

Time will tell which of these two brands of politics and governing America wants. I personally predict that not only will the November vote be divided along partisan lines, but generational lines too as with many of us who want to work for our country, and not just our Party, choose Senator Obama.

Unfortunately, we'll have to listen to several more months of Gramm-like politics I'm afraid...

An Icon Fades...

The media likes to make a great deal of the turbulent politics of the 1960's and how those who came of age during that time will aways be defined by their experiencing those events. The simple truth is that no matter when you grew up, those times affect you and will, to a certain extent, define your own political philosophy.

For me, and many other Gen X'ers, that means we came about during the wacky politics of the 1970's and 1980's. This was a time when the dorm room activists of the previous decade were still attempting to live out their dreams and the personalities of the past were still revered and part of the process. The ideals of the Great Society and Civil Rights were still being debated in campaigns and in the halls of government.

Fast forward to this week. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, a man who worked for Martin Luther King, Jr. and was at one time a leader of the Democratic Party [his 1984 Democratic National Convention speech is legendary] has been reduced to the level of a side show act. His comments regarding Senator Barack Obama on Fox News [I won't repeat them here, after all kids read this] were perhaps the final act in his long and sad decline.

One could argue that this began with then-Governor Bill Clinton's handling him during the 1992 presidential campaign, but I believe something else. We are at a crossroads in America, both in our culture and our politics. The Jesse Jackson's of the world are out of place in today's America where a majority of people want to move past the campus battles of the 1960's and early 1970's. They no longer feel the discussion about race should be handled the same way any longer.

Now, this is not to take anything away from the work that Rev. Jackson, and countless other leaders of the Civil Rights movement performed selflessly for decades. Just the opposite is true. What they did worked. We have nominated an African American to be the nominee of the Democratic Party, something few believed would happen in their lifetime back in 1968. Many great things have been achieved, but with that means times have changed.

So it is a little sad to see Reverend Jackson now just a pundit, commenting on campaigns rather than being a part of one. His iconic status reduced to that of a side-show in this year's presidential campaign. Some journalists have even referred to this recent flap as Senator Obama's "Sister Souljah" moment - certainly a slap in the face to Jackson. Perhaps it is best to remember all that he has accomplished and his legacy will be that work, and his own son's service as a member of Congress for a new generation?

Connecting On Their iPod...

This morning, if you happened to catch it, occurred a telling example of how the traditional media is at a loss to report on or explain the youth vote. Andrea Mitchell, of NBC news, who is a credible reporter and gifted individual was on with Joe Scarborough.

[His program, Morning Joe, is really the best political news broadcast in the morning. Far better than the recipe-giving, Britney Spears-reporting shows like GMA and TODAY.]

During the discussion with the ever strident Chris Mathews regarding the youth vote and this fall's presidential campaign, Mitchell uttered the following:

"...connecting on their iPods and every other which way they read the blogs."

Huh?

It was easy to miss for some I suppose, but it stood out to me. In a country where the last two elections have been remarkably close, and just a small increase in turnout could aid either candidate, McCain or Obama, this is a critical issue.

We've already seen hundreds of thousands of young voters turn out in the Democratic primaries, mostly for Senator Obama, but some for the other candidates as well. No one can be assured what the turnout will look like this fall. With the first african american candidate on the general election ballot, and one who is spending millions to register and draw voters under the age of 30 to vote, it is impossible to predict.

So I'm happy that MSNBC is discussing this phenomenon, but perhaps someone else should be talking about it? Maybe Andrea Mitchell even owns an iPod, but it seems apparent that she doesn't know how to work it. Maybe she meant iPhone? Either way, having a 61 year old discuss the youth vote makes a much sense as having Jay Leno give a physics lecture. She, and most of the other traditional media, have no idea what motivates these new voters.

They don't grasp how technology doesn't impact them, it is them. This new generation doesn't wait to be told what to think or how to vote by talking-head pundits, they read the news from various sources, and filter it themselves. Sometimes that means Drudge Report, sometimes it means the New York Times and yes, even The Daily Show.

These voters know that the news they are getting is skewed, that they have no "Uncle" Walter Cronkite whose newscast they can trust. They use news aggregators, blogs and direct source reporting to find out what they want to know, not wait on the six o'clock news. This makes the younger voters much less predictable, and harder to pigeon hole into a neat political category.

So, perhaps MSNBC and all of the media outlets should look at having someone who is actually a younger voter, or even someone who understands them, do the talking when it comes to this new issue. I'm free, if anyone is looking...

Congressman Clem McSpadden 1925 - 2008

Many people don't know this, but I grew up attending rodeos. My father, at one time a team-roper, instilled a love for this sport in me at an early age. I even achieved momentary fame one year when I fell into the arena of the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. But those stories are for another day.

Today, its a time for mourning for those in the rodeo world, as well as many politicos, as former Congressman and world-renown rodeo announcer Clem McSpadden has passed away after battling cancer. He touched the lives of countless Americans in both worlds, and will be missed in the rodeo and political arenas. Never again will we hear his voice over the speakers at some dusty roping event or see him walk the halls of the Capitol.

My own personal stories about him are numerous, but my favorite actually is from a congressional campaign I was involved in working against Mr. McSpadden [I never could call him Clem] several years ago.

The candidate wasn't particularly well-versed in rodeo etiquette, nor was he really aware of McSpadden's power in that world. You see, if you never attended an event that Mr. McSpaddend was announcing, or felt the power of hearing him recite his Cowboy's Prayer, then you have missed out on something that is deeply American and especially Oklahoman. Generations of people in our state, particularly in rural parts, grew up listening to him, and revered him. Unfortunately, this candidate knew more of his political persona than this other side of Mr. McSpadden.

So, we went to our first rodeo [literally, not figuratively] where he was announcing. I had warned the candidate and the staff that this wasn't going to be a very good event for us, as once Mr. McSpadden did his thing, we were going to be likely out of favor with the crowd. Yet, on we pressed to the Pryor rodeo.

It was a great summer evening for the event, after some rain the skies had cleared and it was un-seasonably cool. The event began as so many others have for years and years in small town America, with the pledge, the singing of the National Anthem while a lone rider held a flag in the arena, and then, the prayer. This was when Clem McSpadden could truly shine. While he was fantastic announcing throughout any rodeo, emceeing a political event or even recording commercials, when reciting this particular passage, he captivated every individual in the arena. People stood, removed their hats, bowed their heads and even held hands as he led them in a simple, yet powerful prayer.

Then, after this deep display of religious emotion, as he held all of these people with their attention focused singly on his voice, he did what he always did. He introduced a friend. Not just any friend, but the candidate he was supporting, the candidate we were running against in that hotly-contested primary. I had seen it before, it had been my candidate many times, but not this year, this was the first time I had stood on the other side of this power.

"Folks I want to introduce you to a friend of mine" he would begin in his rich baritone with its recognizable drawl. "I've known him for a lotta years, and not many a better man have I ever met." High praise from a man who knew thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people. "He's running for Congress this year, and I think he'd make a pretty good one" this endorsement many a candidate would have sold his family to receive, but the best part was yet to come. "Now, I won't tell you who to vote for, but I will tell ya' who I'm votin' for, my friend Bill Settle."

There it was. Simple. Gentle. Elegant. Never over-bearing, just a suggestion that this was a good man, and maybe you might consider him on election day. Right, and maybe you should call your mother on mother's day.

We didn't stay long after that. It seemed every person there, even the kids wanted to shake Settle's hand that night, so we headed on out. Later, we won the race, and Mr. McSpadden was as gracious as ever in offering to help us in the General Election. And I'll tell you this - never was I happier to be back on his side in a fight!

Clem McSpadden will be remembered for many things, by many people from all walks of life. But for me, it will always be for his decent and honest manor. We didn't always agree, but you could trust him, and you sure wanted him on your side in any arena in which you found yourself, political or otherwise.

Senator Jesse Helms 1921-2008

Jesse Helms couldn't have planned it any better.

The consummate politician, a man who never stopped spinning and never stopped campaigning, I'm sure would've been thrilled to pass away on July 4th. And while many in the world of conservative punditry have attempted to link him to our great founding fathers Jefferson and Adams, who also died on Independence Day, I just don't believe he belongs anywhere near that category.

Historians will still have their say about Helms in the years to come, and his mild attempts at altering his record near the end of his career and life may have a limited affect. Yet he will forever be tarnished for his words, votes and actions that for so many years made him the enforcer of the hard right of the Republican Party.

His self-labeled bigotry, opposition to arts funding and even suggesting a U.S. President would be unsafe on an American military base will be remembered by those who watched him in the Senate for those many years. Generations to come will, however, remember his opposition to the Civil Rights Act and racially motivated campaigns that will always hang around his neck. Worse, unlike other conservatives who ultimately saw the wrong of their ways, Helms was unrepentant about his own racism and vitriol.

While I always have admiration for anyone who gives up their life to public service, especially those who do so with true conviction evident in their record, I find it hard to have much admiration for Jesse Helms. When, on a day that we pause to honor the founding of our great democracy, it is hard to have imagined Washington, Jefferson, Adams or Franklin acting out with as much hate as Helms so often did. Even though we know none of these men were perfect, they kept dignity about themselves and had respect for government. Helms injected hate, race and rancor into the process, and won races by being the "lesser of two evils".

In the end, as a country we are worse off for his service than better for it. A sad legacy for any man.

I'm Back!

After a few weeks off, I've decided to return to blogging. This informal, yet informative method of communication is one that I have come to realize is important in our society. This is today's "over the fence" conversation.

Where once people gathered on front porches and in town squares to discuss the topics of current events or even the impact of global events in their own backyards, today we bypass such personal forms of interaction. Much has been written about this phenomenon, perhaps best by Robert Putnam his groundbreaking book Bowling Alone, yet I believe that perhaps a solution of sorts has been found.

Leave it up to the ingenuity of Generations X and Y to let technology bridge this gap. Blogs are the new "coffee shop" in our day and age. I'm not suggesting that sitting in front of a computer can ever replace human interaction, but it does allow for the free flow of ideas and opinions. Even those bloggers who post mostly items about their daily lives and goings-on find themselves commenting on society as a whole or the environment and yes, even presidential politics.

I know I follow some blogs for personal reasons (such as keeping up with Pete and Leslie's kids Emily and Benjamin) and others for political news such as Mike McCarville's "Report" or gossip on Tim and Calvin's "DemoOkie". Each of us has our own reason for what we read and why we keep up with it, but at least we are sharing our thoughts and communicating.

So I'm glad to once again join the ranks of "bloggers" and share some of my own thought and ideas. Please comment and share your opinions with me and other readers, that is how the conversation works. Or, if you want to make it more private, you can always email me at chebon.marshall@gmail.com.