The Greatest Hope

Hordes of people roared their approval of the President Elect last night. Senator Barak Obama, with his wife and two daughters, walked to the front of the platform, smiling. He waved to the thousands of people who's eyes shone with the promise of his campaign: hope. He is the first black President Elect.

My voice was not among the crowds who screamed their approval.

Rather, my heart was heavy, along with all of my fellow Conservatives. My heart is not heavy because we elected a black man to the Presidency of the United States. If Barak Obama had loved this country, if he upheld personal freedom and worked to limit the government’s power, if he despised terrorists, if he defended our rights, if he supported our troops, if he was a God fearing man, if he had better principles, I would have cast my vote for him as well.

Race was not an issue for anyone but the Democrats. The mainstream media tried to make race the primary topic of Senator Obama’s campaign because it helped his campaign and image. When the media claimed that the primary issue was about race, they put guilt on many individuals who may have not otherwise voted for Senator Barak Hussein Obama. The media made some people feel that if they did not vote for the senator, they were racist bigots. I voted for Senator McCain not because he is white, but because of his history, his values, his Vice President, his love for our country, his defense of freedom and liberty. I voted for the man, not the skin color.

We did not elect a black man; we elected a Socialist. And because of that, I am greatly disappointed. But as Senator John McCain said in his speech last night, I will serve my country first. If Senator Barak Obama is the man that my country elected to be President, I will respect him.

And yet, even though I respect this man as my President and Commander in Chief, I will continue to fight for the ideals of liberty. I believe that freedom has been trampled on by Senator Obama’s socialistic view and I will answer her cry. Even if I am the only person left to cry out and defend the great ideals of personal liberty and limited government that America was founded on, I will continue the defend them.

Despite our election of a man who's ideals are far from those of our Founding Fathers, I know that God is still God. He is still in control and I truly believe that His will has been done. God, sovereign, omnipotent, holy, king, has a plan that is being worked out as we speak.

And that, my friends, is the greatest hope of all.

Tehcnially Speaking Article #5

Note: Senator Hillary Clinton came to speak at Forsyth Tech, the school I attend (oh boy!). They assigned me to do the article on her, even though they know I'm strongly against Hillary. This article is straight reporting. It says what happened, who was there, when it was, all that fun stuff. I in no way endorse Hillary or even like her (even if I did like her before, after this meeting, I really didn't like her at all!). So this is what I did - we're not supposed to have bias (or at least let our bias show). So I'm wondering how I did with that - keeping my sass to a minimum.

Raise Hill!
Senator Hillary Clinton speaks at Forysth Tech

“Raise Hill!” screamed one of the hand-made signs at the front of the auditorium. Senator Hillary Clinton was scheduled to speak at Forsyth Tech’s West Campus in the auditorium t 5:30 to discuss her economic plan.

She was an hour and twenty-two minutes late, however. The crowd of approximately 800 people grew restless as they waited for the Senator to arrive. They waved signs of all varieties, both hand made and professional. Cheers erupted several times from both sides of the auditorium. Chatter filled the room and echoed off the high ceiling and concrete walls. As time wore on, spectators left to return with sodas and snacks from the snack machines in the hall outside the auditorium. They were restless.

Of course, the people had a right to be restless, even frustrated. Some supporters had been standing in line since 2:00 in the afternoon or earlier. By 4:00, the line wrapped almost halfway around the building. The line began to trickle in past heavy security at around 5:00 in the evening.

As the waiting dragged on, Dr. Gary Green, President of Forsyth Tech, stood up to address the audience at approximately 6:05. He thanked several people and Senator Clinton for coming to “dialogue” with the public.

Finally, at 6:52, Senator Hillary Clinton made her appearance. The crowd roared with applause and shouts of support.

She apologized for being so late.

“Especially since Carolina’s playing in half an hour!” she said, laughing. The crowd laughed as well and relaxed. She released the audience to leave if they had to see the game. A few members of the audience took her up on her offer later on.

Senator Clinton did not give a reason for her delay.

“It’s time to get America on the right track,” she said in the beginning of her speech. The speech, which lasted approximately 45 minutes, covered the following issues:
-Pulling out of the war in Afghanistan
-What she plans to accomplish if she becomes President:
- Turn the economy around
-Punish companies that send jobs to other countries
-Remove unfair price
-Advantages of trade
-Place a new emphasis on manufacturing
-Invest in clean renewable energy
-Rebuild America’s highways, bridges, and other transportation means. She plans to use bonds to pay for all of this reconstruction.
-Support science. Or, as Senator Clinton said, “End President Bush’s war on science.”
-Free medical care
-Early education
-Making it easier for students to afford college
-Withdraw the troops in 60 days
-Address problems in caring for our military veterans

Senator Clinton’s words were often drowned out by the crowd’s deafening cheers. As she neared the end of her speech, the Senator promised North Carolinians that she would be faithful to this state.

“Some presidents forget who they work for. I won’t. I want forget North Carolina,” she said.

Senator Clinton’s speech ended quietly, without fanfare or the raucous cheers she rode in on and that punctuated her speech. She smiled, thanked the crowd and walked towards the sectioned off area at the back of the auditorium.

Unity or Death

Once, being an American meant something grand. Once, being an American meant being a part of something bigger than yourself, being a part of a greater unit, a country that was rich and bountiful. Any who added their blood and sweat to this soil was considered American because he was here, investing his life in America. He wanted to be an American. This has changed.

"Diversity!" has been the rallying cry of America - or so the liberals think. Diversity, they say, will bring us together.

Diversity is tearing us down.

Everywhere, there are 'diversity fairs' and 'cultural awareness' programs. It saturates our schools, permeates the minds of our students, infuses our culture, and, most of all, divides our hearts.

No longer do we look at black people and call them, "American", but "African American", even if the individual has never seen Africa or has no ties whatsoever to Africa. What is wrong with being just an American?

Recognizing that their are different ethinic groups is perfectly all right. It's good, necessary, to realize that we all have different talents, abilities, backgrounds, styles. That's exactly what makes people individuals, not human #8379038.

And of course, it is perfectly all right to carry on traditions from the "old counrty". Traditions are so valuable. Remember your roots, but also establish new roots in America. Be American first, then you can remember what you were. In the name of Diversity, Americans are opening the doors to illegal aliens.

America is taking a good thing, Diversity, and warping it so that it tears apart our nation. So that it causes us to categorize people into different ethnic groups.

As our founding fathers said, United we stand, Divided we fall.

Technically Speaking Article #3

This is an article I wrote for the culture section of the newspaper.

A Swinging Alternative
By Sarah Anzivino


The dimly lit ballroom is brimming with couples whirling and dancing to the lively music emanating from the live band playing on the stage. A group of high school boys and girls stand in the corner of the room, laughing and talking. One of the boys has a brown plaid fedora on his head. He takes it off as he bows, grinning to one of the young ladies in a black-and-white polka dot dress. He replaces his hat on his head and leads the young lady to find a place in the swirling mass of dancers. The air is thick with the Big Band music and the lively crowd.

Such is the typical night at one of the Piedmont Swing Dance Society (PSDS) meetings. The PSDS meets on the second and the fourth Saturday nights of every month. The second Saturday meetings are held at the Vintage Theater in Downtown Winston Salem, and the fourth Saturday meetings are held at the Oriental Shrine Club in Greensboro.

Swing dancing is a good alternative to a night at the movie theater. A night dancing to the lively tempo of the live bands is a great way to burn extra calories and meet new people. Most people, however, don’t know how to swing dance. The PSDS has made sure that this stops no one from having an enjoyable time. A free lesson in the basics of swing dancing is offered from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The lesson is taught by real swing-dance coaches. At 8:30, the band strikes up and dancers flood the floor. You don’t need to bring a partner to participate because there are plenty of dancers, experienced and novice alike, that dance with people they don’t know. The dance floor closes at 11:30 pm, but you can leave before then.

The Piedmont Swing Dance Society is a nonprofit organization, and so there is a small entry fee. For Students under 21 and PSDS members, the cost is $8. For non-members, the cost is $10. For more information, you can call the PSDS at (336) 508-9998 or visit their website at www.piedmontswingdance.org.

Before you head out to the movies or spend a night at home, consider joining the people at Piedmont Swing Dance society and learning something new.

Tehcnically Speaking Article # 2

Go hard or go home.

These are the words that Josh Chilton lives by. These words were spoken to him by a football coach, and they’ve stuck with him over the years. They’ve helped him through some hard times.

Chilton, a native of Clemmons, North Carolina, coaches Pop Warner football for the team the Broncos. Pop Warner is a league of junior football teams from around Winston-Salem. He also coaches high school basketball at Mt. Tabor Methodist Church. Because of his love of sports, Chilton wants to go into sports communication.

But Chilton is in a wheelchair.

Four years ago, Chilton was driving to his girlfriend’s house the day after Thanksgiving of 2003. It was raining really hard that day, and his car hydroplaned. He lost control of the vehicle and is now partially paralyzed. It is a struggle every day to realize that he can no longer walk. The first eighteen years of his life, Chilton was able to walk. Now, he is confined to a wheelchair.
He has hope of regaining the ability to walk. Five days a week, Chilton has rehab at the Comp Rehab Center sponsored by Baptist Hospital.

Four years is a long time to go without the ability to walk, but Chilton hasn’t given up on life. Perseverance colors his life. Due to the accident, Chilton had to sit out of college for a while. He still thinks that education is one of the most important things in life and hopes to transfer to either Wake Forest University, where his dad works, or to UNC Charlotte, where he already spent a year.

The accident taught Chilton that life is precious. His paralysis hasn’t stopped him from living life to the fullest, from going hard. He wants to coach sports; he coaches sports. He wants to get a college education; he’s getting a college education. He wants to regain his ability to walk; he’s doing everything in his power to do that.

Everyone can learn something from Chilton’s life. Go for what you want. Persevere. Don’t give up. As Chilton says, “If you’re going to do something, don’t do it halfway; just go for it.”

Technically Speaking article #1

This is the first article for the campus newspaper of Forsyth Tech, Technically speaking.


Just Like You and Me
Students with disabilities are just like you and me. They may look different, but they’re really not.

Diversity is an issue that catches many people’s attention. The sad thing is, diversity is often stopped at skin tones. In today’s world, students with disabilities are often discriminated against or ignored because they’re different and people are confused about their disabilities. But really, students with disabilities are just like you and me.

“They might look different or walk different or talk different, but they’re people just like everybody else,” said Gail Freeman, head of the Students with Disabilities department.

Out of the 9,616 students enrolled at Forsyth Tech (as of Fall 2006 – Summer 2007), 300 are students with disabilities. There is a support group for the students, Students Understanding Disabilities (SUD) club. It meets the first Tuesday of every month in Gail Freeman’s office. The meetings are casual, and the students meet to discuss issues they are experiencing in class and anything else the students find interesting.

Only about a dozen of the three hundred students attend these meetings, however. Gail Freeman says that this is a good sign. It means that Forsyth Tech is doing its job and providing plenty of support elsewhere. The low attendance is partly due to the amazing technology available to assist students with disabilities, she says.

Sitting in her office surrounded by Christmas cards, flowers, and pictures of her three beautiful children, Freeman explained that her position at ForsythTech is her dream job. She’s always wanted to help people.

“It inspires me,” she says. “Often students with disabilities have had to overcome challenges and obstacles that most people never imagine.”

“Life is a struggle no matter who you are,” said Price Watts, a facilitator in the ITV computer room, “The struggle just differs for every person.” Watts finished his degree at Forsyth Tech in 2001 and is a long time employee of Forsyth Tech. He says the school has taken great strides in becoming more accessible to students with disabilities. He helped bring about many of the changes that made ForsythTech friendly to students with handicaps.

These students are just like you and me. They are people, not to be defined by their disabilities any more than someone should be defined by what blood type he or she has or what kind of toothbrush he or she uses. Disabilities are a part of who they are, but first they’re people. Try to make an effort to get to know everyone in your class, regardless of what you see on the outside. Who knows? You could be sitting next to your next best friend.

Disclaimer

Liberty's Voice is a place where I am going to post all my articles about current events, politics, and the like. I am also going to post the articles I write for my journalism class here. This is all my opinion - take it or leave it. You may feel free to disagree with me and post your disagreements if you would like. However, I must ask that you keep your language clean and keep free of ad hominem attacks. Attack my logic, not my personality. I expect any negative comments you make to be clean and courteous.

You can read my personal blog at www.libertysface.blogspot.com . Thank you for reading my blog!

~Sea