"Silver Star"

A few days ago I was watching a show called The Unit. The show is about a special forces team that answers only to the president and the soldier's family. The episode I was watching was about an African-American soldier's father, who was in the military, receiving a silver star. This show got me thinking about the African-American soldiers, and the prejudice they faced. They thought that when they came back from the war they would receive praise from the American people. But even when they came back from the war, they did not get the same respect as the white soldiers. Also, they did not receive awards no matter how heroic there actions, and the military is just making up for it now. A movie about this coming out this weekend is "Miracle at Santa-Anna" so if you are interested in this topic go and see it.

Cange We Can Believe In?

Vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden was interviewed be ABC on Wednesday. In the interview, he stated that "They believe in the change we want. They just don't know that we can accomplish it." I feel this statement is true, because if the American people did believe in the change Obama would be leading in the polls. The polls are not true, but, I doubt that they are skewed by more than 3%. Additionally, there is enough evidence that McCain has almost the same views as Bush (he voted the same as Bush 90% of the time). So, if people looked at how Obama has voted, then they would see the change he is talking about, and that it is backed through the voting. However, until Obama shows that McCain has voted the same as Bush, people will believe that McCain will bring change

Remembering September Eleventh

September eleventh was an exciting day for me I was going to fly in a private plane out of Palwaukee airport with my Uncle Hank Krakowski. All I had to do was get up, eat breakfast, and get through the school day. That all changed when I walked in to my classroom, where my teacher told me that two planes had flown in to the two towers of the World Trade Center. After, he walked us outside to the blacktop where there is map painted on to it. He showed us where New York was, and reassured us that no planes would fly in to any building in Chicago. Once he said this I realized that my Dad was working downtown in the prudential building. Even though my teacher told us that no plane could fly in to a building I did not really believe it. But, I was relieved when they let us out of school early, and saw my Dad and brother waiting there for me to take me home. Then my Dad pulled me aside and told me that my uncle would not be taking me on the flight because he was very busy (as seen in the link from his name). My Mom works long days on Tuesday, so, My Dad, Brother, and I went to a mass for the people who died, or who were working at ground zero. When we got home we flipped on the TV to watch something after a long day, but all that was on was more coverage.

The Ultimate Redemption Story

No one has the redemption story that Jesus does, however, Josh Hamilton is close. He grew up one of the top baseball prospects in the united states. He was then drafted number one overall by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999, and was a 3.96 million dollar signing bonus. But, in 2001 his mom got into a car crash, while he was in the passenger seat. He was 19 and had to be put on the disabled list. Him being put on the disabled list gave him free time he did not have before. This is where his downward descent began. He started hanging out with people who did drugs. As Josh Hamilton states "You might not do it at first, but eventually, if you keep hanging around long enough, you're going to start doing what they're doing." After this point, he failed four drug tests and did not show up for one. He was suspended in 2004, and was not reinstated by the MLB until 2006, when he showed that he had been sober for an extended period of time. He was picked in the 2006 rule five draft by the cubs, but traded to the Cincinnati Reds, where he played in 2007. Then, during the 2007 off season, he was traded to the Texas Rangers. This year Josh Hamilton played in the all-star game and the Home Run Derby. In the derby at Yankee stadium he hit a record 28 home runs in one round. So far this year, he leads the MLB in Runs batted in (RBI) with 124 and has hit 31 home runs, with 18 games to go. Also, he is under consideration for the leagues most valuable player.
This is one of the most awe inspiring stories. Someone who dropped so far, yet still managed to pull himself out from the pits. Also, a common theme in the redemption stories is discovering your faith. Josh Hamilton is now as devout christian. This is a compelling story that people seem to be very attached to. This is due to the story being a perfect replica of the redemption story outline.