I'm back in Seattle and it's bitter-sweet. Bitter because I left the sun and great friends, sweet because I'm home and with great friends. I guess that cancels out.
Today, I wrote a formal apology to the McNair staff for my conduct over the past year. Because of my carelessness and lack of focus, I lost the fellowship I had worked two years to obtain. I have thought if over the past week and I have on other to blame besides myself. What have I learned?
Humans rights is a policy issue that I'm very passionate about, including gay rights. My academic interests do not cover intensive research full-time. I like "researching" but not for the sake of researching, rather,to solve an issue ASAP. Last, like Pastor Richard said yesterday, there's a choice between being humble and accepting the fact that you screwed up. Only if you choose the latter will real transformation begin.
On that matter, I visited two churches yesterday: Lamb's Gate (where my uncle is a minister) and Bethany Community Church in Magnolia. Both are not fully gay-accepting churches, but both serve a community function. On that premise, I am able to visit and appreciate the churches. In contrast, both are not ethnically diverse and doesn't portray the true demographics of Seattle nor the changing demographics of our great nation. If transformation doesn't being in the niches of church/school/social communities, then we really can't expect or complain about injustices. There's a Bibilical saying, "whoever is faithful with little will be faithful with much" and vice versa. If we aren't transparent with ourselves and the reality of our demographics, race relations don't have prospects of easing up.
A good example of this is the current Taliban vs. Pakistani conflict in Malakand, the northwestern province of Pakistan. This is an inter-ethnic issue where Islamic militants (under Sufi Muhammadi) want a government under Sharia (Islamic law). The inter-ethnic issues fall where Pushtan tribes (large makeup of the Taliban) face more secular, technocratic elites like Zardari in Islamabad. More so, Pakistan's antipathy toward India further exacerbates the issue of priorities by the Pakistani army. The governemnt, by all indication, is on the brink of collapse. Nawaz Sharif needs to get in and tone it down a bit, and Zardari needs to let go of some of his ego and allow a power-share between him and Sharif, whose influence is enormous around the country, including the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
America is concerned. Concerned that Al-Qaeda or the Taliban may get hands on nuclear weapons. This will probably only happen if the army defects and sides with the militiants (which doesn't seem likely). Either way, we're being cautious, rightfully so on that matter.
Personally, I should be getting ready for my interview with the Pride Foundation Saturday. I leave for D.C. on Monday (I don't even know where I'm going to stay!) and I hope to visit a few friends in NYC while I'm there. My meeting with Dr. Gallucci is on the 13th, so I have two days to kick it in NY, then comes crunch time with IDF, oh yah!
I've started seeing someone...........more to be published later, but he's centered on his faith and we went to church together Sunday. The reality though....we both don't do long distance.
Also, a 14 percent tuition hike is ridiculous when for the first time, the state is not matching the hike with funding. That means students suffer and loans will rise. The fact is that higher education is not a top priority for the state. The solution? I don't know if there's a simple one. Washington voters are contradictory. They'll pass legislation but won't put their money where their mouth is a lot of the time. This cannot continue, but if it does, we need to start advertising the prospects for social security and the best nation on earth seeping into possibly the double-digits in education over the next decade. Baby boomers, here they come!
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