Tuesday, September 09, 2008

September 11th a Sabbath Day from Partisan Politics: Can’t We All Just Take a Holiday?


Today I have quite a bit of admiration for the two Presidential campaigns as they recently released public statements that out of due respect on this Thursday September 11th each will be taking a break from Presidential campaigning as well as the normal trading barbs on the campaign trail. Additionally, both campaigns have decided that campaign commercials will not air on September 11th from either campaign.

So why then has T. Boone Pickens not received the same Post-It Note? T. Boone Pickens has chosen to not curtail his efforts on this Thursday September 11th the anniversary of the worst terrorist activity on American soil. I find my political views coincide with the seemingly honest surface level environmental efforts of T. Boone Pickens. But for heavens sake my Texas Oil buddy, please take a break on September 11th! It still remains to be seen how imbedded T. Boone Pickens may be into the McCain campaign and the Rovian surrogate messaging machine to manipulate environmental wedge issues in this Presidential election cycle. On a day of remembrance can’t Rove tell his religious cronies to take a Sabbath from partisan politics? On September 11th no one needs to be reminded of the obvious fact that we are entrenched we are with foreign oil. See the T. Boone Utah schedule below.

Thursday, September 11, 2008
Sept 11: T. Boone Pickens Town Hall Meeting to present the Pickens Plan to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, 5 p.m. (doors open at 4 p.m.), room 255, Salt Palace Convention Center. No ticket required, open to public but limited seating available. Salt Lake City, Utah.

On September 11th we don’t need Rove’s messaging hacks running around playing hypnotist at the Utah State Fair to subliminally insert “Drill Baby Drill” into our #2 Republican state zombie vocabulary. On September 11th as we Americans are still concerned with dire energy issues that hit daily our pocketbook do we really need Rove and the RNC to provide us with a mindless solution that can only inoculate a false sense of security that the immediate resolution to our energy woes is on the way en route of a rhetorical non-substantive “Drill Baby Drill?” See Youtube “Rudy Giuliani at the 2008 Republican Convention- Part 2 of 4” at 5:22/ 8:11 as chants of “Drill Baby Drill” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJSjeflirn8 .

I refer you back to my recent post on August 15th of a plausible T. Boone Pickens messaging effort that may be tied to the McCain campaign. [Has Rove Fallen Asleep at the Political Wheel? I Wouldn’t Bet My Life on It! http://utahamicus.com/?p=781 ] McCain schedule cited in this article and listed below:

Friday, August 15, 2008: John McCain Schedule

*NEW Sen. John McCain has breakfast with T. Boone Pickens in Aspen, CO. Aspen, CO [CNN Political Ticker, 08/15/08]

*NEW McCain will attend a fundraising strategy session with more than 100 top fundraisers and supporters. Rick Davis, Steve Schmidt, Charlie Black and Mark Salter will attend Aspen,CO [Aspen Daily News, 08/14/08]10:00 AM: The fundraisers are expected to go for a short hike with naturalists at the Maroon Bells, although it is not clear if McCain will be joining them. Aspen,CO [Aspen Daily News, 8/14/08]
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So like any good campaign here is my religious revival rallying call to action for a non-partisan political day of reverence. In all due respect, I challenge both Presidential campaigns to avoid for the next 60 days using the words, referring, inferring or the integration of any variation of “September 11th” as fodder for your campaign effort in the attempt to convince Americans why we should vote for you as the next President. I ask that we forever leave September 11th alone as the single day out of 365 that is a period of rest from partisan politics. Equally, on September 11th I challenge all local and national Democrats and Republicans to follow suit to sideline the partisan politics and come together as a country under the banner of a politically silent American remembrance of a horrible day equally experienced by residents of a unified country labeled not as Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, but known just as plain Americans.

*SOURCE: John McCain Schedule for September 11th


Barack Obama and John McCain will stand together in solidarity at the former site of the World Trade Center on the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. New York City,NY [Jonathan Martin blog, 9/6/2008]


McCain discusses views on service and civic engagement in a post-9/11 world at the ServiceNation Summit NYC Sept. 11. Audience will include 9/11 family members, young Americans, military veterans,and thought leaders. Questions submitted by general public. New York,NY [Time, The Page Blog, 08/21/08]

Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama will appear separately at "A Nation of Service Forum" moderated by Richard Stengel.


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*Aaron Thompson is the former National Communications Director of College Democrats of America and former Utah State Director for Richardson for President. Thompson was on location in Denver Colorado writing for the Democratic National Convention working for The Utah Amicus 2008 DNCC State Blogger Corps http://www.utahamicus.com/ and can be contacted through the Utah Democratic Party Communications Director Bill Keshler at bkeshlear@utdemocrats.org or by calling 801-328-1212.

3 comments:

Cliffs Blogger Profile said...

No Aaron, We cannot take a break. On which day should the opposition taken a break from protesting Hitler?

Anonymous said...

Does it matter whether we obey the Sabbath?

But what about the Fourth Commandment, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy"? (Exodus 20:8). Does God really expect us to set aside one day of the week on which we are not to work? (verses 9-10).

Is it realistic in today's world to take a whole day off each week? Is God really a stickler on this particular commandment, as He seems to be on the other nine? I don’t think so.

If we are to keep the Sabbath day holy, we first have to know what day that is. Like most people, I commonly assumed the Sabbath was Sunday, since that was the day on which my friends and relatives went to church rather than to work. But then I found out that some people observed Saturday as the Sabbath. Which is the true biblical Sabbath day? And does it really matter?

Look around you. It's obvious that most people don't think too highly of the Fourth Commandment. Saturday and Sunday alike, people fill amusement parks, movie theaters, shopping malls and sports stadiums, with more than a few also using that time to mow the lawn, wash the cars or catch up on other chores if they're not at their regular job that day.
Clearly the Sabbath seems to be the most ignored of the Ten Commandments.

The one that God said to remember is easily the one most people forget.

Irfan Nazir said...

Sabbath seems to be the most ignored of the Ten Commandments, I agree this. certification