Prayers to Congressman Gabrielle Giffords & to the families of Christina Taylor Green & all the victims who died or were wounded yesterday in Arizona at the hands of a domestic terrorist.
Ron Kenoly (born December 6, 1944 in Coffeyville, Kansas) is an American Christian worship leader, singer, and songwriter whose expressed mission is “to create an environment for the manifest presence of God”. His musical style is one of jubilant praise and individual excellence on musical instruments. Although Kenoly himself only plays on one of his recordings, he leads comfortably with his voice and is always backed up by musicians and a large choir.
He holds several degrees, including a music degree from Alameda College, a Master of Divinity from Faith Bible College, and a Doctorate of Ministry in Sacred music from Friends International Christian University.[1] His music career began following time spent in the United States Air Force.[1] He was originally with a group called Shades of Difference, but family issues caused him to leave the group. His critical success came in 1992 when Lift Him Up became the fastest selling worship album to that point.[1] Welcome Home was also critically acclaimed, becoming Billboard‘s “Top Indie Contemporary Christian music album”,[1] and winning a Gospel Music Association Dove Award for “Praise and Worship Album” in 1997.[2] He was signed to Integrity Music, but is no longer recording for them.
George Clooney: President Obama “Dropped The Ball” For A Year
by Matt Schneider | 12:35 pm, January 9th, 2011
On CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, George Clooney and John Prendergast discussed their Sentinel Project and the use of satellite images to monitor and hopefully deter humanitarian abuses in the Sudan. Clooney has long been passionate about this issue and his persistence certainly helps to keep the spotlight on the conflict so that even President Obama cannot ignore it.
Zakaria asked Clooney how the Obama administration has been handling the issue to which Clooney admitted “they sorta dropped the ball for about a year – it’s understandable there were a few things going on in the United States that had to be taken care of.” Yet, since September, Clooney says Obama has really stepped it up and been helpful, as many fear full-scale war in the region may be on the horizon.
Watch the video from CNN below:
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/george-clooney-president-obama-dropped-the-ball-for-a-year/
In Juba, the southern capital, lines formed before dawn at polling stations.
By Mike Pflanz, in Juba 10:27AM GMT 09 Jan 2011
“There were none of us who slept last night,” said Peter Matur, 30, a police recruit waiting to vote at the John Garang Mausoleum in central Juba.
“We have fought, we have talked and we have waited so long for this day. It is the start of our freedom, our liberation as an independent country. All people here are so happy.”
The poll marks the final stage of a peace deal six years ago which brought a close to Africa’s longest civil war, between Sudan’s Arab north and its largely Christian south.
This chance for independence from the repressive regime in Khartoum, the national capital, is what southerners fought for during two stretches of conflict lasting 38 of Sudan’s 54 years of independence.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/8248798/Peaceful-start-to-South-Sudans-post-war-independence-vote.html
Op-Ed Contributor
In Sudan, an Election and a Beginning
By BARACK OBAMA
Published: January 8, 2011
NOT every generation is given the chance to turn the page on the past and write a new chapter in history. Yet today — after 50 years of civil wars that have killed two million people and turned millions more into refugees — this is the opportunity before the people of southern Sudan.
Over the next week, millions of southern Sudanese will vote on whether to remain part of Sudan or to form their own independent nation. This process — and the actions of Sudanese leaders — will help determine whether people who have known so much suffering will move toward peace and prosperity, or slide backward into bloodshed. It will have consequences not only for Sudan, but also for sub-Saharan Africa and the world.
The historic vote is an exercise in self-determination long in the making, and it is a key part of the 2005 peace agreement that ended the civil war in Sudan. Yet just months ago, with preparations behind schedule, it was uncertain whether this referendum would take place at all. It is for this reason that I gathered with leaders from Sudan and around the world in September to make it clear that the international community was united in its belief that this referendum had to take place and that the will of the people of southern Sudan had to be respected, regardless of the outcome.
In an important step forward, leaders from both northern and southern Sudan — backed by more than 40 nations and international organizations — agreed to work together to ensure that the voting would be timely, peaceful, free and credible and would reflect the will of the Sudanese people. The fact that the voting appears to be starting on time is a tribute to those in Sudan who fulfilled their commitments. Most recently, the government of Sudan said that it would be the first to recognize the south if it voted for independence.
Now, the world is watching, united in its determination to make sure that all parties in Sudan live up to their obligations. As the referendum proceeds, voters must be allowed access to polling stations; they must be able to cast their ballots free from intimidation and coercion. All sides should refrain from inflammatory rhetoric or provocative actions that could raise tensions or prevent voters from expressing their will.
As the ballots are counted, all sides must resist prejudging the outcome. For the results to be credible, the commission that is overseeing the referendum must be free from pressure and interference. In the days ahead, leaders from north and south will need to work together to prevent violence and ensure that isolated incidents do not spiral into wider instability. Under no circumstance should any side use proxy forces in an effort to gain an advantage while we wait for the final results.
A successful vote will be cause for celebration and an inspiring step forward in Africa’s long journey toward democracy and justice. Still, lasting peace in Sudan will demand far more than a credible referendum.
The 2005 peace agreement must be fully implemented — a goal that will require compromise. Border disputes, and the status of the Abyei region, which straddles north and south, need to be resolved peacefully. The safety and citizenship of all Sudanese, especially minorities — southerners in the north and northerners in the south — have to be protected. Arrangements must be made for the transparent distribution of oil revenues, which can contribute to development. The return of refugees needs to be managed with extraordinary care to prevent another humanitarian catastrophe.
If the south chooses independence, the international community, including the United States, will have an interest in ensuring that the two nations that emerge succeed as stable and economically viable neighbors, because their fortunes are linked. Southern Sudan, in particular, will need partners in the long-term task of fulfilling the political and economic aspirations of its people.
Finally, there can be no lasting peace in Sudan without lasting peace in the western Sudan region of Darfur. The deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Darfuris — and the plight of refugees like those I met in a camp in neighboring Chad five years ago — must never be forgotten. Here, too, the world is watching. The government of Sudan must live up to its international obligations. Attacks on civilians must stop. United Nations peacekeepers and aid workers must be free to reach those in need.
As I told Sudanese leaders in September, the United States will not abandon the people of Darfur. We will continue our diplomatic efforts to end the crisis there once and for all. Other nations must use their influence to bring all parties to the table and ensure they negotiate in good faith. And we will continue to insist that lasting peace in Darfur include accountability for crimes that have been committed, including genocide.
Along with our international partners, the United States will continue to play a leadership role in helping all the Sudanese people realize the peace and progress they deserve. Today, I am repeating my offer to Sudan’s leaders — if you fulfill your obligations and choose peace, there is a path to normal relations with the United States, including the lifting of economic sanctions and beginning the process, in accordance with United States law, of removing Sudan from the list of states that sponsor terrorism. In contrast, those who flout their international obligations will face more pressure and isolation.
Millions of Sudanese are making their way to the polls to determine their destiny. This is the moment when leaders of courage and vision can guide their people to a better day. Those who make the right choice will be remembered by history — they will also have a steady partner in the United States.
Barack Obama is the president of the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/opinion/09obama.html?_r=4
Good morning all!!
Morning, Dannie!
Good Morning, Dannie & SG2.
Dallas Green’s granddaughter killed in Arizona rampage
http://delcotimes.com/articles/2011/01/09/news/doc4d29ba3b9015c528689546.txt
The young 9-year-old victim in the Arizona shooting rampage is the granddaughter of former Phillies Manager Dallas Green
Christina-Taylor Green was the daughter of Dallas Green’s son John, who is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers confirmed the death in a statement.
She was born on Sept. 11, 2001, the day of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
The little girl was at the event in Tucson with a neighbor, who also was shot and was recovering last night.
Dallas Green, known for his fiery demeanor, has long ties to the Phillies both as a manager, front office expert and consultant. He managed the Phillies to a World Championship in 1980.
He is a longtime resident of the area, living for many years on a farm in West Grove, Chester County.
This comment has now been scrubbed from Palin’s facebook page but One of Sarah Palin’s friends posted on her facebook page this horrific comment:
” Mark Kerr: Go, Sarah! Gifford deserved to die. She was a liberal, a Jew, a health care reformer, an enemy of the NRA, pro abortion and pro gay. What happen to the map? One down and 16 to go”.
Sad, sad sad. These racists are pitiful.
John Boehner decries attacks in brief remarks
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/01/john-boehner-decries-attacks-i.html
House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) on Sunday decried the shooting rampage that critically wounded a Democratic congresswoman and killed one of her aides, saying that “an attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve.”
Boehner also said the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) should not discourage other lawmakers from continuing to serve their constituents.
“No act, however heinous, must be allowed to stop us from our duty,” Boehner said Sunday morning in brief remarks at his local office in suburban Cincinnati.
The comments came just four days after Boehner and Giffords stood together smiling for photographers at the U.S. Capitol, where she and other members of the House were sworn in for the 112th Congress. Boehner said the House would postpone votes scheduled for the coming week in light of the shooting, including GOP plans to vote for repeal of President Obama’s health-care law, which Giffords supported.
Dude, your duty as an elected official was to speak out on the hate-filled, ugly racially charged discourse Americans have been engaged in for the past 2 years. But No, you were part of the game, weren’t you Johnny boy?
Good Morning, 3 Chics, Friends & Lurkers!
Happy Sunday!
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Thanks for the Blessings, SG2! :-)