Who I Am
My name is Daniel. I’m a part time political blogger. Once you get in, it is very hard to leave. Politics is in my blood, and I can’t get away. So I make the most of it by blogging. I’m a moderate Democrat who is very strongly against the war in Iraq and against the use of torture. As to the rest, I’m quite moderate in my views. And I hope that we get our country back from the brink of extreme politics we’ve seen these past seven years.
I believe in Jesus Christ. I look to Him for guidance and salvation. I believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is His church, and the kingdom of God. We are here to build the kingdom of God in preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I don’t know when that day will be, but look forward to when He comes again, because apparently that’s the only way we will stop fighting each other here on earth. I’m no Rapturist who gets giddy upon seeing nations at war in the Middle East, but rather am disappointed that yet again people would rather kill each other instead of living in peace one with the other. Peace is possible, but you’ve gotta want it. Unfortunately calls for peace fall on deaf ears in the last days.
As I have more time and motivation, I will add to this page my beliefs on various topics, including my political leanings.
I think the same way. Apparently it’s easier to kill each other instead of talking and solve problems. It makes me think of that famous talk by President Ezra Taft Benson in 1989 “Beware of Pride”…
Hi Miguel,
Thanks for stopping by the blog. Yes, President Benson’s Pride talk is very relevant. There is much we can do for peace in the world if we let go of our pride.
An LDS missionary(?) named Elder Platt came by my house every week for a year and we talked about all world of things. Wonderful fellow, I hope he has a great life. I’m a happy Episcopalian, but he certainly left me with a fine impression of the LDS.
Salutations and God Bless,
Doug
God bless you too Doug, and thank you for stopping by and commenting on my blog.
Well you know Jesus Christ said that he came to bring division between His people and the world. So there will never be world peace. Only in Heaven.
Marley,
Thanks for commenting. While the Savior said he did not come to bring peace, but division, he did not say that his followers should bring division to the world, but in fact commanded his followers to forgive their enemies, love their enemies, do good to them that despise them, show love and kindness to those who persecute them. These are not the actions of divisive people, or of people who do not seek world peace.
All I can say is, Amen! I look forward to perusing more of your blog. Keep up the good work.
Julie,
Thank you and welcome to my blog. I hope you comment frequently.
Daniel:
Nice Blog. Missionaries from LDS are welcome at my house anytime, as is anyone believing that we are here to “build the kingdom of God”. It too saddens me to once again have leaders masquerading as Christians (You may or may not be aware that Hitler did that as well).
What I like about most about LDS is they not only “talk the talk” but “walk the walk”. FWIW, I accept Jesus Christ as “a” way to God, but not as the “only” way. I pretty much read only the NT, and then mostly only the four gospels. And then, it seems to me even really understanding the Sermon on the Mount is enough. To me Christ’s message is KISS- keep it simple stupid. The Golden Rule, or doing everything out of love and truth suffices.
Thanks again for your blog and god bless.
Erich,
You’re welcome. And thank you for your comments. It is amazing how the small and simple things can do so many powerful and great things. So many of us forget those small and simple things sometimes.
I believe Jesus Christ was a true prophet, and most of what he had to say is contained in the Sermon on the Mount.
I believe there is an ultimate creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe, a God within, a quiet still voice that is always there, that can be heard if one is still, disciplined, and striving to hear it.
You may or may not be familiar with Buddhist thought. I find the precepts helpful:
The Three Pure precepts:
1. Cease from evil
2. Do only good
3.Do good for others
The Ten Great Precepts are:
1. Do not kill
2. Do not steal
3. Do not covet
4. Do not say that which is not true
5. Do not sell the wine of delusion
6. Do not speak against others
7. Do not be proud of yourself and devalue others
8. Do not be mean in giving either Dharma or wealth
9. Do not be angry
10. Do not defame the three treasures.
I think religion is sad and dangerous, but in spite of that you strike me as a fantastic person from your writing. Visit my blog antime:)
Ian,
Well thank you for the compliment. I hope I can bring about a better light on religion than you’ve seen in the past.
Great blog and content. I love the look and feel. Do you mind sharing what WP theme you used?
Kate,
Thanks. I use the MistyLook theme. I’ve placed my own picture in the header. I like this theme a lot, very simple, very refined and very easy to use.
As a former missionary, and as an european, I always thought I would never be able to agree with an american LDS, until I read your blog. Keep showing the world that we do think for ourselves, and that war is definitely not a part of our doctrine!
Daniel Martins,
Thank you for your comment. Yes, there are Mormons in America who are not brainwashed by the Republican party.
You seem all concerned about how GOOD you are. Typical liberal, all concerned with warm and fuzzy feelings — like the liberals who buy the electrical car which pumps more coal into the air to produce the electricity. The # 1 stated reason they bought the electrical car is that they like what it says about them. Liberals are all concerned with fuzzy thoughts. …btw, you’re all over Glenn Beck for satirically talking about killing Michael Moore. How do you feel about the Hollywood types, the musical types, the writers and the people who produce off-Broadway plays advocating for Bush’s assassination. No doubt, they’re impassioned citizens exercising their free speech and artistic voice.
Tom,
We all should be concerned about how good we are. We are Americans. The rest of the world indeed looks to us for the righteous example. Note how Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is using our surveillance laws to justify his own intrusion on the privacy of his citizens.
As to Glenn Beck and Hollywood, I’ve always been struck by conservatives’ justifications for bad actions or words. In the eyes of conservatives, as long as the enemy does it, so can we. The “Clinton did it too” excuse is the most glaring. Apparently because Clinton did it, it somehow justifies Bush doing it (whatever it happens to be). Interesting, for an ideology that prizes itself on being on a different level than that of liberals.
I don’t always get around to reading other blogs and I should. I am a Christian, not Mormon. I applaud people who stand up for what they believe in. I’m in USA, have several military personnel serving including my son right now. But I know that God is a good God. I know that in Christ, all things will work together. I believe that peace is not going to be achieved until the Prince of Peace returns. It just isn’t going to happen by man. I’m not going to say which country my son is serving in but I’m going to read some of your other links because I see it listed here.
God bless.
Ha, nice try avoiding the point Tom brought up. He is simply pointing out that you cry EVIL when any conservative says something extreme, but any extreme liberal statement is left by the roadside as freedom of speech. Nobody is justifying evil with evil. That on your part is putting the worst construction on this. Which is hardly the moral “Good” American you profess to be. Why don’t you humble yourself Daniel? Be the righteous example for me and Tom and be humble for once. Instead of saying, ya know Tom you’re right, I do have a slight double standard when I look at conservatives vs liberals. But no, nothing Daniel does can be wrong, for he is that righteous example for us all… except for that humility thing… Instead Daniel launches into a tirade about how Republicans are an idealogy that believe they are morally above the Democrats. But Daniel, you are the “Good” American. What are good people supposed to do? Point the finger, or examine themselves? You see, Tom is explaining to you that you are not doing the “Good” thing. Instead of examining yourself and your party, you are constantly pointing the finger. Which is exactly the opposite of good conduct, and you actually want people to model us as the “righteous” example!
Templar,
I’m starting to feel like you have never heard of the term “red herring.”
Daniel,
You are an LDS Democrat; isn’t that an oximoron? Also, the tenants of the LDS Mormon Church are not scriptural and you can’t work your way into heaven.
Love your enemies, yes, but don’t turn a blind eye to evil. The devil is alive and well on earth and he comes to destroy, etc., etc, and uses war to enhance this. There is no peace on earth until Jesus comes back again, and ‘works’ won’t get you there.
Oh yes, you need to brush up on your history of the Arab/Muslim world. Doesn’t it teach the destruction of all non-muslim/Arabs.?
Blessings
kathleenvibbert said: “I believe that peace is not going to be achieved until the Prince of Peace returns.”
The problem is, that same Prince of Peace told us exactly how to achieve it, and we have steadfastly refused to listen.
Peace is not achieved by buying up armies and navies, and attempting to rule the earth with blood and horror.
That’s someone else’s plan.
Barry,
No, it is not an oxymoron.
Since when does our doctrine state that we should turn a blind eye to evil?
Hmmm, what do you call those who employ the devil’s tools?
Actually there is, but only for those who seek peace. Those who seek war, well, you said yourself, the devil uses war…put two and two together dude.
Nope, but thanks for playing.
“Hmmm, what do you call those who employ the devil’s tools?”
Ummm… Satanic?
I guess I should introduce myself. Hi…I’m Rob. I got my BA/MA in public policy from BYU. I was political science student of the year at BYU back in 1999, with PSA Paper of the Year that same year. At BYU, I used to always get the “how can you be a good Mormon and a good democrat line?” My answer was usually, “I’m not really a democrat…it’s just that there is no functioning socialist party anymore.” I think it is dangerous to have the Church too closely associated with any party or platform other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My blog is: http://jenirob.blogspot.com. After getting fed up working for both Republican and Democratic administrations in Virginia, I became a financial advisor and moved to Arizona, where the Republicans are rabbid.
Hey Rob,
I was at BYU in PoliSci also in 1999. I wonder if we ever had a class together.
I was a TA for Dr Galbraith, an RA for Dr Wilson.
Here are some other Poli Sci professors I had fantastic experiences with in a rough order of personal influence:
Dr LaMond Tullis
Dr Don Sorensen
Dr Gary Bryner
Dr Byron Daynes
Dr Jay Goodliffe
Dr Richard Davis
Dr Kelly Patterson
Dr Ralph Hancock
I just found your blog .
I am going to post my opinion
of the Iraq war.
Great blog keep up the good work.
I just picked you up on Conner’s blog, having just visited there for first time, where the thread concerned the speeches by Pres. Hinkley. Have to confess, I think you explicated his position on Iraq war accurately. I don’t much like it, but have to live with the thought that his talks did support our intrusion into these countries and the ‘War on Terror’.
I’m a ‘Conservative/Consitutionalist’, but belong to the wing (it does exist) that has deplored the Middle Eastern wars from the beginning, and have even handed out flyers at the Republican Convention containing BofM passages showing the Lord deplores pre-emptive wars in other lands.
In my view, the Democrat/Republican thing is something of a false dichotomy, with Democrats’ emphasizing ‘compassion’, etc., and Republicans emphasizing (or should be) individual liberty and responsibility. People should emphasize both. Christians/LDS Christians should emphasize both
Unfortunately, the powers-that-be exploit this and many other ‘dichotomies’ for there own purpose through media and other pervasive control.
Interesting blog, good defense of your positions on Conner.
Hey Brad,
Thanks for stopping by and for actually reading my huge long comment over on Connor’s blog. I’m glad you agree with it. I’m highly disappointed in numerous of Connor’s readers who wish to see whatever they want in President Hinckley’s talk. Cognitive Dissonance at its best.
It is absolutely hysterical reading your ignorant words, actually comical!!My favorite is the part about the peace- oh if the world had only read your words years ago, and how if you seek peace– pow, it will happen! So simple- War? what was anyone who lead any war thinking? Stupids, just seek it and there will be WORLD PEACE!! Tell that to the children who lost there parent(s) on 9/11.
Uh, oh, Dan. I just saw your contributions on Conners site regarding 9/11. Heaven help me from wading into this issue with someone with your mind set. Life is really tooooo short, and I’ve already wasted months doing this type of thing with others.
I’ll just say that your view of science appears to be considerably different than mine. Upon hearing Dr. Jones for 3 1/2 hours in October 2005, I thought he did a good job in presenting the improbability of the airplane/fire/damage hypothesis being responsible for the WTC building collapses. He also showed that some form of explosive solves all the inherent problems of that hypothesis.
The presence of molten metal/high temperatures in the rubble is very well attested, and includes data collected by the USGS, which I used to work for. Dr. Jones and others is also finding myriad metallic spherules in WTC dust samples, exhibiting EDS/XRF signatures of spent thermite residues. He has also found small chips in this material that may be actual thermite remants. This, including the molten metal, is physical data that can’t be ignored.
Incidentally, your assessment of Dr. Jones is mainly ad hominem and your critique of his papers is extremely weak.
Having posted a positive comment about one of your offerings, I don’t want potential visitors to your web site to think I agree with your ideas on what caused the WTC towers to come down. Please don’t pick up the cudgel. We just have a difference of opinion on this issue. Thanks.
Brad,
I stand behind my criticism of Dr. Jones. I feel he is doing a disservice to the truth.
I have watched the videos of the collapses of the towers and for the life of me, they collapsed on their own without the aid of demolitions. Take a look at this video, as one example. Look at it very carefully at the 14th second. This guy has his camera trained on the burning section of the South Tower where you see very clearly a collapse. The strength merely went out right there. Look at it carefully. Look at it several times. You’ll see that one floor finally lost its strength and ability to hold the 30 or 40 floors above it anymore. Gravity is a far more dangerous killer than explosives are. You merely have to weaken one floor just enough and let gravity do the rest. The impact of the plane, the fires did just enough to bring down the South Tower.
As much as I think our government is very nefarious and does many evil things, this is not one of theirs. 9/11 was Al-Qaeda’s through and through.
Visual perception and interpretation can be deceptive. Other video images fully support the explosive hypothesis. The laws of physics and probability, etc., just don’t support the fire/damage one, in my strongly held view.
Based on your Conner posts, I think it would truly be a waste of both our times to explore differences of opinion on this issue.
As I mentioned, our views on the function and operation of scientific investigation seems to be very divergent. And I’ve had too many years in the halls of science to be able to change my approach to such things.
hey no worries, Brad, you can believe whatever you want to believe. Just know that others, like me, have very good reasons to believe otherwise. The reason I speak so bluntly on a blog like Connor’s is that people like Connor and his readers jump waaaaay too quickly to conspiratorial conclusions.
The thing about buildings and airplanes is that we just haven’t been able to test airplane crashes enough to really make the judgment that buildings like the two towers would not collapse because of planes crashing into them. There are too many variables to make such a statement without any supporting previous evidence. We can make statements that such and such material built a certain way is impenetrable, but without actual testing, our statement is not factual, but merely theoretical.
Finally, I just want to add that in my strongly held view it is the laws of physics and probability that lead me to my conclusion that indeed it was fire and damage that did those two towers (and WTC7 in). This is why we shouldn’t really make definitive statements about one theory or the other.
But in the end, what does it for me is that it is unfathomable that a government as inept as that of the Bush administration could execute such a brilliant hocus-pocus on the population. That is where the controlled demolition theory goes to pot.
Daniel, in response to the last paragraph, its because they are really good actors with one hell of a script.
Dan,
Yup, thanks Conner. You’ve driven home the point that further dialogue would be a wase of time.
Brad
Dan, I think we’d be friends in real life. I appreciate your blogging here and over at that other site.
Best,
andrew
Thanks Andrew’s Miracle Drug.
Hey Daniel
Hey Daniel
I doing a arugment paper on Hillary Clinton why should she be America President. where can I get information for Hillary, what are the main arugment of her be a woman run for President.
Can you email me at Sianijcpink@yaoo.com
Thank you
Thanks for doing this blog. People say you should never mix politics with religion, but the way they relate to each other is fascinating. It’s perhaps my greatest source of entertainment.
I regard myself as liberal Mormon, but I think I’m pretty moderate in general. I can relate to your view on things.
Hi Dan,
Nice to see that you are alive and well on the Internet. I just got kicked off of LDSLinkup for the 3rd time. You remember me, right?
Mormonchessplayer, aka, Muad’Dib?
Hey Michael,
Yeah, Linkup sucks, doesn’t it? I appreciate that I met my wife there, but Jed is not keeping up with the times.
So welcome to my blog.
I met my wife there too, but there is selective enforcement of rules. Some people are allowed to get away with threatening people, others aren’t. But oh well.
Any predictions for 2008? Now, deep down in your heart you know that Obama doesn’t exactly have smooth sailing into the White House. This election won’t be a cakewalk for him, despite the prevailing mood.
Michael,
Yeah, there are a lot of inconsistencies in how that site is managed.
As for Obama and 2008, I believe Obama will win in November. And I do think he will win fairly handily. It won’t be smooth, and there will be quite a number of Republican operatives who will do what they can to tear him down, but they won’t succeed. Not this time. Bush is pushing to start the Gitmo trials before the November election (par for the course with him), because he knows that under the Democrat starting in January, these guys in Gitmo will not be charged as he wants to charge them, in kangaroo courts. I worry that he might try a ‘rally-around-the-flag’ bombing of Iran before he leaves office. (He so needed to be impeached in 2004!).
I think Republicans are going to lose very badly in the Congressional elections. (they lost 3 supposedly safe seats already). There might even be the possibility (though unlikely) of Democrats gaining up to 60 seats in the Senate.
General Petraeus has put up enough walls throughout Baghdad that Sunnis and Shi’ites cannot go around killing each other as much anymore. There has been an ethnic cleansing going on in most neighborhoods so that now you cannot find many Shi’ites in distinctly Sunni neighborhoods and vice versa. There is little if any progress on the political reconciliation front, and it frankly makes Iraq look like another fractured Lebanon, which is not a good thing at all. Iran will continue to have more influence than we will, even with our 150,000 strong army there. That’s a real embarrassment, frankly, that the world’s most powerful military has less influence than Iran in Iraq. But that’s one of the consequences of many of Bush’s policies there. He should have gotten out like he originally planned to, within months. Let Iraqis deal with their headless country on their own.
The numbers out of Iraq, as far as Americans dead are concerned do not tell an accurate picture. True in May there were, what, a mere 19 American soldiers killed? What obfuscates that number is the massive increase in sorties for air power. We’re dropping bombs everywhere now instead of sending in the troops. This leads to an increase in Iraqi dead, but a decrease in Americans dead. It plays great back home, but will ultimately be self-defeating (as with the rest of our policies in Iraq).
As long as McCain continues to tie himself to Bush, he will lose; badly.
Good posts, particularly on the Middle-East. Kudos. I’ll have to keep an eye on the blog.
WOW! That’s about all I can say for your site Daniel! Best of luck at whatever you choose to do in the future! You’re gonna need it!
I haven’t been very political in my past, but I have been enjoying reading this blog. It has been interesting to see everyone’s impression on what is happening. I hope that we will elect the candidate that would do what the Lord would have him [or her] do.
I wish more people knew of what is going on in America.
If your civil rights are violated, and you have no money for a lawyer, you have NO access to the courts. Did you know that?
This country has enaced Ex Post Facto law, and punishing thousands of people for a crime they committed 10, 20, 30.. 50 years ago and have satisfied the contract of their sentence.
These people have gone on, not committing any more crimes, and gotten married, had kids, new careers and new lives. All of a sudden, in 2006, George Bush passed Unconstitutional Ex Post Facto law, and RE SENTENCED these people who have served their time to countless more punishments.
I would love to see you research this and speak out about it.
The effect is devestating on the children of these people. Come watch a video by an innocent 14 year old who’s life has been forever impacted by the implementation of unconstitutional ex post facto law. This child represents THOUSANDS of children being daily raped by our crooked government.
I’ve been ‘enjoying’ your discussion with Dave. Though I almost feel sorry that you have more blog cred than I do to prevent him from banning you. Luckily, he decided to ban me for criticizing his absurd cracks at anyone who doesn’t align with his naive political approaches. Though I’ll admit now it’s almost frustrating for him to spout what he does and not be able to respond. Good luck with it all.
Also, I enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work.
Thanks narrator. You think Dave is going to ban me?
He won’t ban you because you are too established as a blogger. Since I am a relative nobody he didn’t hesitate to ban me.
Nice write-up, Dan. I’m glad you point out you’re a moderate … I somehow didn’t pick that up in the posts where you peg conservatives as “stupid.” If you want to claim a moderate label, you should use moderate language. No one’s perfect and sometimes blogging brings out the worst in us — maybe we can all try for a little more moderation.
Narrator, it seems you can’t tell the difference between posting different and opposing viewpoints in comments versus being rude and insulting to the guy who runs the site and other commenters. Blogging 101 — if you make yourself obnoxious enough, people get tired of you.
Dave,
I wish I could be more moderate with my words, but conservatives have gone hard right and have honestly said some really stupid things. But I really am a moderate. I would probably have voted for McCain in 2000. At this point, however, after these past eight years, unless Republicans change their behavior, I will not be kind to them.
Yeah, it’s funny what a few years in office will do to your opinion of a candidate or a party. I’m betting that after seeing Obama in office for four years … you’ll be running a site called “The Good Republican.” Or at least “The Better Democrat.”
I might. However, I was sad to see Clinton go, because as far as governing philosophy goes, he did a very good job. Ronald Reagan was pretty good too, though the Iran-Contra thing really tore into his legacy/image and the protection of the United States.
Because you don’t know me personally, and because you only know me during the Bush administration, it’s hard to see that I’m really not that extreme.
Great blog! I just stumbled across you on LDS BLOGS. My husband and I just built a website (MormonsMadeSimple.com) which uses simple, explanatory videos to explain the Mormon faith. Feel free to embed one of our videos in your blog, if you think it would be a good missionary tool.
Thanks!
Laurel & Doug
Just waiting for another 4 year term, I need to feel the democratic status.
Thanks
NRA Hare oneillvaldez
Dan,
Could you email me? Thanks.
Chris H.
welcome back to my blog Chris.
Hey, I like the new design.
Thanks. Got tired of the old one. I had that one for like two years.
your quote: “The numbers out of Iraq, as far as Americans dead are concerned do not tell an accurate picture. True in May there were, what, a mere 19 American soldiers killed? What obfuscates that number is the massive increase in sorties for air power. We’re dropping bombs everywhere now instead of sending in the troops. This leads to an increase in Iraqi dead, but a decrease in Americans dead.” What numbers?
Nice site. I think your political views are spot on.
Lose the religious pandering, though. You say you don’t believe in torture or the war, perhaps you should look at the history of the catholic church.
Jon,
If I were Catholic you’d have a point.