My Thoughts on this election

So the results of the election are in and few who study politics on an objective academic level are surprised at all that the white house is not changing hands. One of the few laws that exist in Politics is that Incumbents usually run for re-election and when they run they win with unmistakable frequency. This rule is nearly scientific in the congress. However, it holds true in the Presidency as well, in my lifetime since 1989 there has only been one incumbent that failed to win and I was far too young to remember the 1992 presidential election In the history of the presidency there have only been 8 (maybe 9) one term Presidents meaning that of the 57 presidential elections only about 14% have been lost by standing (or former)* Presidents making Mitts chances grim at best but considering that the state of the US government has drastically changed over the years with the direct election of senators and the Electoral College becoming a formality the rules of politics have changed and since WWII there have only been 2 presidents that won the first election and did not win the second one  (Carter and Bush sr.) suggesting an even stronger incumbency advantage. One I anticipate will be repeated for the next 3 to 4 Presidents at least.  

Now secondly I’m Proud of one thing about our nation right now we had a fairly strong turnout for this election. Someone told me and I read on Facebook that only 2/3^rds of us voted and I think those numbers are flat wrong. For one all the election results are not in yet in many states still have as much as 20% of the vote still to count according to the Fox election map and the current popular count was Obama 61.2 million and Romney 58.2 million I bet once it’s all said and done we will be looking at a minimum of 120 million total votes counted meaning that of the approximate 150 million people in our nation registered to vote all but about 30 million (or about a 5^th) of registered voters did there are just north of 200,000 eligible voters (meaning non-felon adults). We are still looking at more than 60% of all eligible voters spoke in this election. Something we have the right to be proud of I think.

Lastly I am still hearing something from my family and friends that I think need to be addressed. “Obama won just because he was black” I think there may be an element of truth to this statement but I don’t think that the presidency was directly decided by race. At the end of 2008 a large portion of the voting population was hopping mad at George Bush jr. there was a huge bailout that just happened we had been at war that was incredibly unpopular, Osoma was still on the loose and the economy was taking a turn for the worse the 2008 and 2012 elections were going to be won by a Democrat. Many felt that they had given the GOP ample opportunity to handle the situation and because they did not feel in danger anymore they were ready to give the Democrats a turn in charge. The Republicans knew this there were half a dozen candidates that were twice as strong as McCain (Perry, Romney, Gingrich, Rice or Cheney) he was more or less sacrificed by the party in order to regroup and make an attempt for the white house in 2012. If the republicans knew this you can also be that the democrats knew this. They wanted to make history and do something never done before. Looking at the primary elections on the Democratic side the top two candidates were going to be a first in the White house either a woman (Hillary Clinton) or an African American (Barack Obama). The Democrats decided that they had won the 2008 election and they had, there was no way that McCain or whoever else the GOP put forward was going to pull it off so they were determined to make history with who they nominated. Now race certainly did not hurt him but the 2008 election was going to be won by Micky mouse if he ran as a democrat. Party was the determining factor not race. I almost wish the Republicans had run Condoleezza Rice just to prove this point. Regardless Obama won because he was a Democrat not because he was black.  

*Grover Cleveland lost re-election but then served another term making him a unique case. 

Call to my fellow interns.

To: the Teen Mania Class of 2007,2008,2009

It is with great concern and a heavy hear that I write to my former fellow interns. Before I start this letter I want to extend a word of encouragement. Since my graduation I have run into several interns that are amazing and inspirational people that are still walking the walk, Fighting for Christ seeking God with all their heart and Using Good Judgment in their every day life. Many of you have gotten married to other interns or incredibly Godly individuals and some even have had children in a Godly environment and I think that is amazing. Eva (now Lankford) Neil and Melody Bingham, Emma Broomfield (now Duncan), Taran & Katie Long, Jerrell & Rachel Sarmiento, Joel and Danni Herbert, Chad & Meredith Teller and Chris & Meredith Tunez and several other are all glorifying God in Marriage. Chris Lopez, Anna Whitlow, Olivia Helmen and Olivia Martin Angelica Hurtado, Nick Dukeman, Kevin Rhabar and many others of you are all doing really well as many others and I want to encourage you to keep it up.

However, when I look at many of the people that were at the HA when I was I begin to think I was surrounded by a lot of liars people that faked being a sold out believer for nearly 12 months. I am not referring to interns that got dismissed or left the HA I am talking about Interns that graduated that are a part of the line and wear the very ring on my finger now.

I don’t know everyone I only have knowledge of a small sample of the 600 or so interns that graduated between December 2007 and December 2008 and it simply does not look good. 2 men have admitted to me they have smoked weed since having graduated. At least 3 girls I can think of off the top of my head have had children outside of marriage several people have moved their “religious views” on Facebook from Christian, follower of Jesus and Relationship with God to “Agnostic”.

What scares me most though is not the handful that have made big mistakes or completely fallen away from the faith but the vast majority of my class that has turned lukewarm. To be halfway followers of Christ not the fired up sold out passionate world changers that Mr. Hasz, Mr. Luce, Randy, Blaise, Megan Stodard and Mr. Stoner worked so hard to make us. What happened? Where did we forget what we stood for and who we belonged? Why are willing to settle for a what we once detested? I don’t want to pretend to know Gods will for everyone here but one of my favorite Quotes from Mr. Hasz "it is important that you know I am thinking like this because you need to know that I am not training you because I want you to be the next great mail man I am training you because I fully intend to take over the world". We all cheered and were so ready to go and win to serve Christ diligently and fight for his kingdom. I see a vast majority of us squandering the resources and opportunities God has provided for us.

Now please don’t get me wrong I understand that TM was a Harbor sheltered and not the real world. I understand that everyone get hit with reality soon after graduation and I understand that all the things we learned were not perfect and you are free to disagree with many of the things we learned there. (I’m sure most of you remember my famous argument with Mr. Hasz during enrichment about drinking). Yes, many of the things we learned about dating were a little extreme and far from a Biblical mandate, and yes, I have learned in the real world you can’t confront every person who claims to be a believer and laugh out loud when they respond “you don’t know me!” But just because Mr. Hasz and Mr. Luce are mortal men and just because the theology coming out of TM is mixed and not all 100% correct doesn’t mean you can write off your year or two or three there as something that doesn’t matter. I have actually heard an alumnus say “that was 2 years ago people need to move on and stop dwelling in the past and move on with their lives” Well yes, I think everyone has moved on everyone has acknowledged that you can’t live like an intern for the rest of your life. But, if your anything like me my world was flipped upside down by my year in East Texas and I will never “move on” I will never forget the life lessons I learned there that influenced the man I am today.

Again don’t misunderstand me. I know that as a college student taking 19 hours with a part time job and a girlfriend/boyfriend you can’t always have a 60 min quiet time every morning and go to 3 or 4 hours of musical worship a week. I don’t claim to have been perfect and I have struggled with not spending time in the Word like I should. However, call me judgmental if you must but in my mind there is a pretty big difference between going a week or even a month without a quiet time and having sex outside of marriage or doing drugs.

I don’t want to come across with no Love. I understand that some of the former interns that have made big mistakes have ask for forgiveness and are moving on with life and I am so glad to see that and want to offer you nothing but encouragement and my help in any way you ask. God offers us forgiveness and I understand some of my fellow alumni came to the internship freshly saved and struggled with massive sin before they were converted and the temptation was still there when you went back home a year later. That after 5,6 or 7 years of hardcore worldly living that it can’t always be erased in 11 months 3 weeks. I don’t want you to feel like I am unaware of these circumstances but I also feel like I love you all way too much and love Jesus, the leadership and concept of the HA way too much to remain silent when I see much of what I worked so hard for rapidly escaping the lives of my fellow interns and many of us seem unaware of the situation.

Please I ask you as a member of the line and one who wears the ring pleas do not forget your first love do not abandon the principals you learned or ignore the morals you developed lets not give up on the dream placed in us 4 years ago in the most special place in the world to me.

~ semper honorablus

Chris Foy

Honor Academy Graduate Class of 2008