America assassinates Adan Ayrow

After three or four more or less unsuccessful gunship attacks on Islamic militants in Somalia America has finally killed someone they intended to. The AP article itself calls the attack an “assassination.”
This brings up similar questions to the one I had when we first started assisting Ethiopia in Somalia, is this legal, is this okay? I mean we never declared war in any way. And I’m pretty sure US policy, at least since our attempts on Castro’s life, is that we don’t assassinate folk. Again, I don’t know, I’m just wondering what precedence we have for doing this kind of thing? Panama? Granada? Bosnia? Iraq? Does 9/11 make it okay? What kind of action do we officially call what we are doing in Somalia?
Peace,
Chris

A damn good review of the Democratic primary so far

As I watched it I couldn't help but think, "Man, I could have ignored all the happenings and just watched this and be about as informed as I currently am."
Peace,
Chris

Another Judas "betrays" Clinton

This one, Joe Andrew, is pretty big. Perhaps we'll see the wind leave Clinton's sails?
Peace,
Chris

A foretaste

Above is a picture of me with my new haircut, and trying on "The Dog Collar."
Peace,
Chris

More about the voting math

Check it out. Hillary thinks she has the popular vote if you count Michigan and Florida... as long as you don't count states that had caucuses.
Peace,
Chris

An Open Letter to Hillary Clinton--OR Undraft-Hillary

Hello. My name is Chris Halverson; I am a Seminarian at LTSP here in Philly. I have been a Democrat since George W. Bush defeated McCain back in 2000. I have worked hard for the party in 2002 and 2004 and would have done so in 2006 as well except I was out of the country. I love this party and I am worried the way in which you are campaigning is tearing it apart.
That you have decided to throw the "kitchen sink" at your opponent is truly sad. That you insist on insulting Bill Richardson (my choice for President until he dropped out) and branding him "Judas" is not acceptable or frankly unpresidential. Your clinging to the racially charged rhetoric of cocaine was out of bounds, and your campaign’s comparison of Sen. Obama to Jesse Jackson was patronizing at best.
In short I think the longer you stay in the race the less likely there will be a Democratic President elected in 2008. This is especially true if you continue to campaign in such an embarrassing and mean spirited way. If Sen. Obama ends up being our nominee you have wounded him severely in the eyes of the American public, his rival will be able to say something like, “Even Bill and Hillary Clinton say, you are too liberal, you sell cocaine, etc.” If you are the nominee you will have so alienated everyday voters such as myself by your acidic attacks and unkind words that we are going to have a VERY hard time voting for you.
At this point you have to know the numbers are against you, the only way you can win is by overturning the will of the electorate. I’ve run the math; you would have to win 69% of the vote in ALL the remaining state in order to get ahead of Obama. If Florida and Michigan are counted in the MOST favorable way for you, by this I mean assuming any vote not actually for Obama is for you, you still need to get at least 58% of the vote in ALL the remaining states. This is not going to happen, so again the only way you can win is by overturning the will of the electorate.
For the good of the Party, and ultimately for the good of America, please quit the race, or at least act civil toward your fellow Democrat, your fellow Senator, and your fellow citizen, Barack Obama.
Thank you for your time,
Christopher Lee Halverson
If you agree with my sentiments send Hillary a letter expressing your own frustrations about the harm being done to the Democratic Party. You can send it to her campaign here: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/help/contact/

Hillary rattles sword vs. Iran

She says if Iran obtains and uses a nuke vs. Israel her administration would "obliterate" Iran.
Honestly I don't think she is saying this because she wants to go to war with Iran, I think she's saying this because she wants to score political points and appear to be a hawk... And that's what worries me. If she's caught in "look tough" mode we'll never get out of Iraq! If she's so worries about not looking "liberal" she'll be paralyzed by the pro-war noise machine once she's in office.
Peace,
Chris
PS I voted for Obama today!

Canvassing for Obama

I canvassed for 6 hours today, and I gotta tell you I feel kinda bad for anyone who has to sell things door to door for a living. Not that people were really hostile or anything, but wandering from house to house repeating the same thing over and over, finding most doors one knocks on to be closed. It can be frustrating.
On the other hand it can also be pretty cool, it makes you feel like you've done something, if nothing else you've made the electoral picture a little clearer for those people back in HQ who are looking at the big picture.
Peace,
Chris

Obama gets popular culture in a way I don't

Recently, in response to the last debate, Obama brushed off his shoulder, and the crowd went wild. That action didn't make sense to me, but it does to a lot of other people. Here is what he was winking to:

Peace,
Chris

Democrats and Republicans, the difference?

So I get email updates from both John McCain and Barack Obama. Often times these emails end with a request for money. McCain’s requests always start at fifty dollars and mention that the maximum contribution is 2,300 dollars, Obama’s starts at twenty five and ends with 1000 dollars.
Just thought I’d point that out.
Peace,
Chris

This should be bigger news

Obama goes after my relatives

Check out Obama go after the Mill Workers, the Steel workers, and the Union men and women.
I mean, I'm a "Latte liberal" I work with my mind, my fingers, my pen, and my mouth, he had me since Richardson dropped out, but I think this kind of empathetic talk is the kind of talk that my late Grandfather, and lots of my relatives up in Northern Minnesota would get behind.

Peace,
Chris

Some good news by mail!

I now can vote in PA, AND I got my assigment for next year, at Tabernacle Lutheran Church!
Peace,
Chris

My interpretation of Romans

Paul's Gospel is that the Christ came to the Jews, who knew the compassion of God through the promise He had given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as well as through their scriptures. He came as a servant and was reproached. God’s compassion was not limited to the Jews, even God’s promise to the patriarchs was for all, for the Gentiles too. Together the two communities, now one, Jew and Gentile trusting in God, were to praise Him. They were to become like slaves for one another, bearing a fellow Christian’s scruples for the sake of harmony for the glory of God, filled with confidence in God’s future for them, for us.

Martin Marty defends Wright

Just thought I'd link to the article. Martin Marty is a pretty big name to in Lutheran circles. Here are a few quotes from his article:
"The four S's charged against Wright — segregation, separatism, sectarianism, and superiority — don't stand up, as countless visitors can attest. I wish those whose vision has been distorted by sermon clips could have experienced what we and our white guests did when we worshiped there: feeling instantly at home."
"That its members and pastor are, in their own term, "Africentric" should not be more offensive than that synagogues should be "Judeocentric" or that Chicago's Irish parishes be "Celtic-centric." Wright and colleagues insist that no hierarchy of races is involved. People do not leave Trinity ready to beat up on white people; they are charged to make peace."
"But the Book of Jeremiah is so full of blasts and quasi curses — what biblical scholars call "imprecatory topoi" — that New England preachers invented a sermonic form called "the jeremiad," a style revived in some Wrightian shouts."
"Having said that, and reserving the right to offer more criticisms, I've been too impressed by the way Wright preaches the Christian Gospel to break with him. Those who were part of his ministry for years — school superintendents, nurses, legislators, teachers, laborers, the unemployed, the previously shunned and shamed, the anxious — are not going to turn their backs on their pastor and prophet."