An Introduction

I've been debating starting this blog for quite some time now. I've gone back and forth with myself trying to decide if it was really worth it. Also, debating what my purpose was or would be for blogging.

I have been fortunate in my life to have people with whom I could hold extensive conversations about politics, current events, society, life in general basically. At the time, I'm not sure I really appreciated these conversations or the people I was holding them with as much as I do in retrospect. They have allowed me the opportunity to have intelligent conversations about myself and my thoughts and ideas, and bounce around different ideas and points of view, and really discover who I am and how I feel about this existence.

The title of this blog comes from the blog of a dear friend who blogs about current events and issues(if he gives me the go ahead, I will add a link to his blog). He was discussing politics during the last Presidential election and mentioned that Barack Obama's mother was an atheist from Kansas. There was a comment added to the post that went on to point out that I am also an atheist in Kansas. When I found out about this comment I was honored that someone who new me would point me out by name as an atheist in Kansas.

But this blog isn't about the fact that I am an atheist. This blog is about how I see things. I am not terribly concerned about anyone's religion, though I am concerned about how people use religion to justify their own thoughts and ideas. And I'm concerned about how much religion influences peoples social views and decisions. I would never be so arrogant as to say that any persons beliefs are worse or better than my own. Rather, I just want to share my thoughts, and hope that someone who reads these words may be challenged to think a little more broadly about issues that face us in this life.

Thinking broadly is the key here. I read a lot of blogs and posts to issues in other forums and I am often amazed at the discussions and arguments that ensue. A couple things I have noticed that don't sit well with me: many people argue a large issue from one simple point of view, and, it seems that most people these days have the attention span of a three year old.

Why does it matter that we look at issues from a broad point of view? Because issues affect all of us in different ways. It is important to understand the entire issue before making a judgment. It is important to see things from other people's perspectives. It is a sign of ignorance and insensitivity if we always judge an issue from the perspective of "what is best for me". Plus, the more reasons that you can share for supporting your ideas, the more likely you are to be taken seriously.

We also need to develop the ability to take the time required to think about, discuss, and intelligently make judgments on issues that affect us. Passing quick and easy judgment is a reactionary act that often gets us into more trouble than we were in to begin with.

So, what's this blog about? It's about life and the issues that we face. It's about my personal perspective. It's about making a case for thought and debate. It's about laying it all out so people can make intelligent decisions instead of knee-jerk reactions. It's about challenging ourselves to be better people.

I certainly don't have all of the the answers and all of the information for all of the questions, and I will be the first to point it out. But, hopefully, I can open a few eyes and have my own eyes opened further.


I'm going to try to add a link to a video in each post just as a little entertainment sidelight for you. Here's the first one: Janelle Monae "Many Moons"