As per the request of some readers, and due to my overwhelming need to try to please everyone, I decided to write a post to tell you all who I am and what I believe. I know that no one agrees on everything, but this is what I believe, and I hope everyone can respect my decisions. Contrary to popular belief, young people do come about their own decisions without coercion of others, and that is the case with me. I don't believe in something just because that's what I am told to do; I weigh things very carefully and make decisions that best represent who I am and what I feel is right.
I am a Catholic.
I think this is one of the most important "I am" statements that I can make. I was born and raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, and I could not imagine living with any other faith tradition. Yes, I guess you could say I was more or less "forced" into believing these things as a child, but I have made my commitment to the Church by myself. It was I that chose to be confirmed as a senior in high school, and that is a decision I stand behind whole-heartedly. I love all the good things the Church stands for, and I defend her in her stances on things. I chose to attend a Jesuit Catholic college, not because someone told me to, but because that is what I wanted. I choose to attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day not because someone tells me to, but because I want to. I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and that all that I am and do reflects Him in my words and actions. I believe in an everlasting reward in Heaven that hopefully I will achieve someday. I believe that all people are born with a common goodness and decency, only that we are corrupted by the sin and destruction of this world. That's not to say the whole world is corrupt; there is so much beauty in creation and God reveals Himself/Herself through all that we can see (and for that matter, things we can't see). I believe that all faiths are good ways of achieving the same end. I know that the Catholic faith is the right way for me, but I would not take away from any other faith and say it is less Godly than mine. Faith is that relationship with God; religion is only a way of expressing that faith in a structured environment. I believe in the equality of all people: rich or poor, old or young, black or white, gay or straight, educated or uneducated. These are my beliefs and who I am, and I stand behind that.
I am a Democrat.
Given the recent election, I think it is also important to make this statement. If you have looked in the Blogger world lately, you will probably see that quite a few of my relatives are Conservatives. Obviously, then, I did not choose to be a Democrat because someone told me to. In the same way, I did not choose to be a Democrat just to spite them; that's not who I am at all. I have always believed in certain things, but only in the last few years have determined that many of my views seem to fit in nicely with the Democrat way of thinking. However, that is not to say I don't hold some Conservative values and beliefs, only that I choose to align myself more with Democrats than I do with Republicans. First of all, I believe in our right to choose our own religion, and not to be a country of only Christians. I choose to be a Catholic, but that does not mean everyone else must make the same choice as I made. Our Constitution allows us to practice whatever religion we want, even if that entails not practicing one at all. I can respect any choice of religion, whether it be Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, any other organized religion, or even the choice of "no religion." I believe in a strong federal government that takes care of its citizens and looks out for their welfare. I believe that we need federal programs to help people find jobs, to help people get out of tough situations, to help people raise their families, to keep us safe at home and abroad, to help us keep our freedoms that we enjoy. That being said, I believe that these programs are under-supervised and under-regulated. People can easily take advantage of the system, and there should be more oversight in these avenues. There are many other things that I believe that correspond with the Democrat way, but I will leave you with just those few for now. These are my beliefs and who I am, and I stand behind that.
I am pro-life.
Some might say that a pro-life stance is contrary to the ways of a Democrat. I say that they are wrong. Being pr0-life encompasses much more than just the issue of abortion. Yes, maybe I disagree with my party on abortion rights, but in the same way, I am not sure I believe that the government should have a say in whether or not someone chooses to have one. That being said, I did march in Washington during one of the Right to Life Marches while in high school, and boy was that an awesome experience! I would just prefer someone choose life and to give their child life, even if that means adoption. I am pro-family, anti-death penalty, pro-gun control. All of these stances show a pro-life belief; all humans deserve the right to life. Yes, it is controversial to think that criminals deserve to live just as much as we non-criminals, but that is what I believe. The legal system sometimes has holes in it that keeps innocent people from being declared innocent (or i suppose "not guilty"), which means some innocent people end up dead by the hands of their government. I believe that convicted murderers should face life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and that their lives should be confined to a small room with only necessary food and other provisions. I believe that gun control should exist to a greater extent. Think of Virgina Tech; that yahoo was able to buy guns even though he had obvious psychological problems. Yes, maybe the Constitution allows for us to "bear arms," but I believe that the greater good of our country depends on us not arming certain citizens with guns (felons, people with psychological histories, or people with non-felonious criminal histories). I believe that the family is the most important group in our country. I love my extended family more than life itself, and I would do anything to defend it. The family is the foundation on which this country is built, and I am prepared to stand behind those values. These are my beliefs and who I am, and a stand behind that.
I am a college student.
This is not a belief statement, but merely a major part of my life. I chose to come to Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I stand behind that decision. I wanted to have a college experience that was away from home, and yet comfortably close enough that I could easily make it home for holidays. I needed an experience that emphasized learning and growth in areas other than my major (which, by the way, is Biology). I am becoming more well-versed in Theology, History, Spanish, Philosophy, Music, English, and other subject areas that perhaps other colleges might not focus on as much. Yes, I am becoming very well-versed in Biology as well. I chose a Biology major because I wanted to pursue medical school in the future. Is this still my intended path? You betcha. I just know that for now, that is not in my immediate future. Perhaps after I finish undergraduate I will get a job in a medical or research field to build up a resume. Perhaps I will continue in my pursuit of knowledge and attend graduate school back home. Perhaps someday in the not-to-distant future I will decide to apply to medical school. But, I have ultimately decided that if medical school is not a reasonable possibility for me, I can live with that. There are so many more things that a Biology or science-minded person can do, and if medicine is not for me, I know that I can have a fulfilling career and life in something other than that. These are my beliefs and who I am, and I stand behind that.
I am "green."
Being pro-life and a Biology-minded individual, it should obviously follow that I believe in conservation and promoting a healthy world. I drive a very fuel-efficient car that on average gets 35 miles per gallon, and I therefore only buy gas every three weeks or so when I am driving a lot. Here at school I hardly do any driving, so I only buy gas when I am about to make trips home. I believe in reducing our carbon footprint and being good stewards of our earth and its resources. I try to reduce my energy usage both at school and at home whenever I can. If I don't need the light on, I leave it off. I turn off my computer and unplug other electronic gadgets that don't need electricity at night. We turn up our thermostat at home during the summer, and turn it down during the winter to not waste energy. I recycle anything that can be recycled; luckily the school provided me with a separate recycling can for this year. If you looked at my room right now, you would find cans, bottles, jars, plastic jugs, boxes, papers, newspapers, and other things waiting to be taken to the curb. "Waste not, want not" is a good motto for me, and I believe in making good use out of everything I own. These are my beliefs and who I am, and I stand behind that.
These are just a few things that describe who I am and what I believe. I encourage everyone to write about their own beliefs and who they are and why they believe/are that way. Also, I welcome opinions and comments on my belief systems; let's keep in mind that everyone is entitled to their opinions and that every opinion is a valid one.
All About Sean
- Sean M.
- Powell, Tennessee, United States
- Welcome to my Blog! I am Sean M. from Powell, TN. I am a recent college graduate (May 2009) from Xavier University with a B.S. in Biology. I am a Pharmacy Technician at Ingles Markets in Powell, where I have worked since I was 16. I am currently studying to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam in order to become a Certified Pharmacy Tech, which I hope will prepare me for a career in medicine in the future. In my blog I intend to look at the interesting, and sometimes the not-so-interesting, aspects of my life, trying to find the silver lining or humor in it. I invite anyone to read my blog, ask questions, and make comments. Thanks for reading, and come back to visit!
8 comments:
Your next statement should be "I am Awesome!"
You sound like you are in a good place in your life. And whether your "conservative" family agrees with you or not, they should all be very proud of you.
Sean, That was AWESOME!! I will definitely be returning to read your blog more often. I hope you'll be able to find a way to show off those aspects of your mind and heart in more of your postings. You hold so many of the same values as your "conservative" family. :) It doesn't really matter what title you put on your beliefs. You really are so young and I remember being exactly where you are. Even though you feel your beliefs are solid and unchanging you will be able to refine them with age and experience. I'm sure Papa, Uncle John, Adrienne.....are saying the same thing about me. It's a process.
However, one thing I have to say is please research Obama's health care plan before enrolling in medical school. I would hate for you to spend all that energy, money, and brain power only to be little more than a government employee. After reading that post, I know you'll do the right thing for you.
Great job Sean, I know that I could not have so clearly defined myself at your age. Your parents have done an incredible job. I absolutely love the fact that you can see grey, you are who you are and don't see others as either right or wrong based on your belief, but just as they are.
From your blog I feel a love of science that is exhibited through biology and medicine. Somehow I don't think ending up a government employee would bother you too much.
Thanks for sharing all of this. Keep on blogging even the "boring" stuff.
Wow! that was a lot to throw out at one time. It could have been handled with about five separate blogs. My ambition does not extend to a full comment on each point that you made, but, I must comment on what the idea of government was to the founders of this country.
The founders were fully aware of the government systems of other countries, and fully aware of the limitations and excesses in those countries. They knew Greek and Roman history as well as our college students know American Idol. Once they had decided to govern themselves the choice had to be made; how do we do it and not have the problems so prevalent in other socities?
A government was set up with checks and balances so it would not be able to easily interfere with the lives of citizens. Even after that government had been set up it was recognized that there was still a way in which government could harm it's citizens. They solved that with a "Bill Of Rights" as a limitation on what the government could do.
In those days peole were suspicious of government, whereas today, many people look upon the government as the solver of life's problems. Need food? Get it from the government. Need shelter? Get it from the government. Want an education? Get it from the government. Want an abortion? get it from the government. Want health care? Get it from the government. Want low prices? Have the government force the prices down. Want a job? Have the government be the employment agency that supplies one to you. Want higher wages? Get the government to change the minimum wage. Don't want to pay taxes? Have the government take money away from the rich so that they will pay all the taxes.
The looking to the government is so pervasive in some people that they applaud the removal of rights enumerated in the Bill Of Rights. We elect polititans that will do what we want. The past election reflects that.
As far as government goes, I agree with Grandpa that people are too eager to turn to the government to solve their problems. I think more and more people are losing inniciative and motivation to take responsibilty for what happens in their lives.
Also, to comment on your religious section...I too do not think we should hate or discriminate against people who have different religious beliefs than we do, but I do think, in an attempt to be uber-"tolerant", the concept of absolute truth is getting lost in the mix.
Keep posting...I'll keep reading!
Sean, Sean, Sean.
Where should I begin?
First of all I complement you on a fairly comprehensive tome on “Who I Am”. You don’t often see people open up like that in public. I don’t think I could do it. It tells us a lot about you and your principles (or lack there-of).
There is so much here I could comment on but I will stick to the most significant issue for me, abortion. You imply you are anti-abortion although you don’t come right out and say so. Personally I don’t consider pro-life and anti-abortion to be equivalent. You said:
“---I am not sure I believe that the government should have a say in whether or not someone chooses to have one.”
Assuming the “one” is a baby, that is NOT an anti-abortion position. Your anti-death penalty position demonstrates your pro-life position seems to apply more to murderers and child rapists than to innocent life such as a fetus or newborn infant. You said:
“---I would just prefer someone choose life and to give their child life---”
That’s just so naive. I would just prefer someone would choose not to murder or rape rather than need to have laws and prisons but that isn’t going to happen either.
Finally, your position on abortion is highly suspect due to your support for the abortion extremist Obama. He is not only pro-abortion on demand he is pro-infanticide! He voted three times as an Illinois state senator against a law to provide medical care to live infants born as a result of a botched abortion. He was one of only five state senators that voted that way in a highly liberal state senate.
At your age my guiding principles were not well formed either. Like you, I was a democrat succumbing to peer pressure. It wasn’t till Jimmy Carter almost brought this country to its knees that I realized the Democrat party had diverted so far left that it no longer endorsed my principles. Know that there is still hope for you. You are a smart person that in 5 or 10 more years of experience will crystallize you guiding principles. We all still love you even if you are a bit naive.
I like how there is so much love being shared on this blog. I really do appreciate it.
That being said, I find it somewhat disheartening to hear how naive I am. That may be, but let's keep in mind that I am only 21 years old and have only been involved in the political process for three years. I think the facts of my age and inexperience allows for naivite. So please, allow me my naive moments and I'll figure it all out. That's not to say you can't share your opinions, as I value them greatly, but...well, you know what I mean.
Uncle John, your comment prompted me to clarify my position on abortion. I should have explicitly stated that I am anti-abortion instead of just implying it. I am! Unfortunately, our anti-abortion candidate did not fit with what I believe this country needs at this time. Let's just say that on some issues I am liberal and on some issues I am conservative. How about that, the best of both worlds? No, I'm not trying to appease to my conservative readers, I'm just clarifying "Who I Am."
Sounds like a little back peddleing to me. Ha Ha.
Grandma
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