Whose the Tyger

In his poem "The Tyger," William Blake deals with some very interesting ideas. Previously, he has written a poem that deals with the idea of a lamb and makes reference to Jesus as "The Lamb." Later in "The Tyger," he wonders if the same person that made the lamb has something to do with the creation of the tyger (tiger). Why would he ask this question? A tiger is beautiful to view. If you have ever gone to the zoo, the lion and tiger display is one of the most popular ones there. Look at the tiger. It's physical form is impressive, even beautiful. The colors in its coat, the texture of its coat, it's paws, its teeth, it's overall look-all beautiful. But the very thing that is beautiful to look at is also one of the most violent. In a sense, its beauty can also be violent. Its paws teeth, and power, when used in tandum, are fatal. Just ask the teenager in San Francisco who tased the tiger at the zoo. The tiger jumped over its barrier and killed him. The tyger (tiger) is a representation of the dueling natures of mankind. Man is "beautiful" but can be a morally destructive force, all at the same time. How? Just look around. Beautiful in thought and deed, evil in action.

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Change, change, change

How appropriate it is for my first blog this semester be about "Change." I have never been as excited about an election before than I am right now. When I turned 18in high school, I didn't vote for the first time until my first quarter in college. And at that time, I voted for Bill Clinton. You could imagine the excitement. Ever since then, I have voted for people who ended up losing. Now the tables have turned and the political winds have shifted. A few years ago, I was under the belief that our political system as we know it would have been dominated by the conservative movement spurred by the election of George W. Bush twice. After September 11th, that feeling was even stronger. But the war in Iraq, extremely high gas prices, a shaky housing market, unbelievable political scandals, and the like have changed everything.

Unlike a lot of people who are jumping on the Obama-train now, I first learned about him even before he began running for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. Because my wife is from Chicago, I was able to get some more info on him when we were there visiting. I knew that there was something unique about him, even then. When I heard him speak at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, I was really impressed. He became my role model. Why? He is a "new" kind of politician. One not interested in the status quo. He is willing to look beyond the dividing issues of our day. I never believed that an African American could and would run for the Presidency of the United States, at least not in my lifetime. But before I turn 40, we are on the cusp of this event happening.

I was so inspired by his speech in Birmingham last week that I decided to volunteer on his campaign. If I didn't have a wife, job, and mortgage, I would pack up and go all over the US on his behalf. But my contribution will be either making phone calls or doing some data entry for them. In my old neighborhood, I was the first to have a "Kerry-Edwards" sign on my street. Then a "Bush=Cheny" showed up. Then the neighbor across the street put a Kerry-Edwards sigh in his yard. In my neighborhood now, I am the first and the only to have an Obama sign. Hopefully, it won't be the last.