BS: Persuasive Voices

Subject: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 01:18 AM

This is a thread meant for the purpose of 'hearing' people whose unexpected opinions startle one, on whatever subject, people who are in a position to make a profound difference. I still remember the jolt I felt when George Soros made his announcement of monetary support for the Democratic party this election. There are many others and I hope you'll join me. I'll start with this one:

John Eisenhower:

"Now more than ever, we voters will have to make cool judgments, unencumbered by habits of the past. Experts tell us that we tend to vote as our parents did or as we "always have." We remained loyal to party labels. We cannot afford that luxury in the election of 2004. There are times when we must break with the past, and I believe this is one of them.

"As son of a Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, it is automatically expected by many that I am a Republican. For 50 years, through the election of 2000, I was. With the current administration's decision to invade Iraq unilaterally, however, I changed my voter registration to independent, and barring some utterly unforeseen development, I intend to vote for the Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry"

More at http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/093004U.shtml

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 11:14 PM

Amen to that! It's refreshing to see someone actually considering the issues at hand rather than adhering blindly to one 'side' or the other.
It seems that we all have to be either left or right wing, with no middle ground, doomed to mindlessly spout empty rhetoric without actually looking with our own eyes and making up our own minds. And that's not doing anyone any good, or making any sort of a difference as far as i can see!

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Amos
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 11:19 PM

Link to http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/093004U.shtml

A

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Ebbie
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 01:37 AM

Thanks, Amos.

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: freda underhill
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 10:03 AM

In Australia, some unexpected voices have spoken out against our current Prime Minister, John Howard. (John Howard is the head of the Liberal Party in Australia – the Liberal Party in Oz is a conservative right wing party, despite its name). John Valder, a former federal and NSW president of the Liberal Party, is conducting a campaign against Howard to try and stop him from being re-elected. Valder was appalled by the Federal Government's unconcerned attitude to the fate of Australians David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib in Guantanamo Bay. He has broadened into a trenchant critic on Iraq, claiming Bush, Tony Blair and Howard are war criminals. Valder, 72, retired wealthy from stockbroking in 1990. He is running a campaign against Howard in his electorate of Bennelong, encouraging people to vote for anyone but John Howard. He has called the campaign "Not Happy John" after a recent book of that name was published. http://www.nothappyjohn.com/default.cfm

Valder is neither running for a seat himself nor supporting any candidate. He says he hopes there will be a Liberal government after the election. He just doesn't want Howard as part of it. Valder has personally guaranteed up to $20,000 "seed" money that he may or may not get back, and has worked full-time on the campaign in the pre-election weeks. "In my circle, a conservative circle, people are so anti-Howard," Valder says. "It's a very strong phenomenon, and it's a much stronger phenomenon among women than among men", with refugees a big issue for women.

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: freda underhill
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 10:30 AM

Malcolm Fraser was a conservative prime minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983. Although he is from the same political party as the current Prime Minister John Howard, he has become a strong critic of Howard's and an activist for refugees through organisations such as A Just Australia (http://www.ajustaustralia.com/whoweare_whatwedo.php)

He started an on-line petition against the government's current policy of locking refugee children in detention, and of separating families from each other (http://www.petitiononline.com/dtention/petition.html) and has also shown support for reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. http://www.racismnoway.com.au/classroom/Factsheet/46.html

He has also criticised George Bush for interfering in Australian politics, and has described this as an abuse of Bush's power. (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/06/1086460170824.html )

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Amergin
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 11:42 AM

The most persuasive voices I hear are the ones inside my head.

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Ebbie
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 12:38 PM

But they won't persuade us unless we hear them too, Amergin, so open up!

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: dianavan
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 02:07 PM

Unfortunately, Diebold can't hear you.

d

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Ebbie
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 04:54 PM

OK, here's another side, persuasive to many: (I expect next to hear that he made the lame to walk, changed the water to wine and brought back the dead to life.)

The President has a lesson for us
By Paul Jetter, Columnist

Piqua Daily Call
Piqua, Ohio, August 2004

My son worked this summer in Washington, D.C. A friend of his works for Laura Bush in the White House. She planned an event for the award
winners of a program called "Preserve America." One of the award winners sent back an email about his experience during the time he was in the Oval Office to be recognized. I would like to share part of his email
with you.

"On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on the west side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I shook his hand one final time ... I then did something that surprised even me. I said to him, 'Mr. President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also know you to be a man of strong faith and I have a favor to ask you.' As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, 'Just name it.'

"I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great deal to me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day. He grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, 'So that's it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart today. I could see it in your eyes. This explains it.' From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with his seal on it and asked, 'How do you spell her name?' He then jotted a note to her while discussing the importance of family and the strength of prayer.

"When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the
prognosis. I told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an earlier cancer and that if it is they can get it all with this surgery. He said, 'If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now. Would you pray with me?' I told him yes and he turned to the staff that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or leave. He said, 'Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer.'

"As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was
prepared to do a traditional prayer stance standing with each other with heads bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm on my mid back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace. He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer for Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done. I cried some more. My body shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter. He closed by asking God's blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months.

"I stepped away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our President. I thanked him as best I could and told him that my family and I would
continue praying for him and his family. He has a pile of incredible
stuff on his plate each day and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now that he sensed' something heavy on my heart. He took time out of his life to care, to share, and to seek God's blessing for my family..."

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Amos
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 05:20 PM

Wal, I don't share any of those religious beliefs, but I think the story, if true, is impressive and emotional. Not thatit takes an extraordinary amount of ability to notice when someone is under a heavy burden. But (if he did) that he took the time to handle it as well as he could at that moment is impressive.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: freda underhill
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 05:56 PM

I heard violins when i read that story - and it even proves he can read and write!

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Ebbie
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 06:21 PM

Snopes.com says the evidence for the alleged event is 'incomplete'.

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 06:27 PM

From his record as governor and president, he's more likely to make the blind lame.

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Ebbie
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 07:11 PM

hahha

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: dianavan
Date: 03 Oct 04 - 03:59 PM

My nephew was diagnosed with a brain tumor last summer and Bush didn't even send me a card!

d

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Gervase
Date: 04 Oct 04 - 09:42 AM

Bush clearly does have amazing powers. I live on the other side of the Atlantic, and just reading about his praying made me want to vomit!

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Amos
Date: 04 Oct 04 - 11:51 AM

Gervase,

THat's a side effect of the pervasive field that he emanates. I felt it too!


A

Subject: RE: BS: Persuasive Voices
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Oct 04 - 12:00 PM

"persuasive, Amos, persuasive. LOL