Maniacs and Morons and Robber Barons

Quote of the Day

by Richard S. Crawford

Via Slacktivist:

I believe in the power of prayer. And part of what I believe in is that, through prayer, not only can we strengthen ourselves in adversity, but that we can also find the empathy and the compassion and the will to deal with the problems that we do control. Most of the issues that we’re debating here today are ones that we have the power to change. We don’t have the power to prevent illness in all cases, but we do have the power to make sure that every child gets a regular checkup and isn’t going to the emergency room for treatable illnesses like asthma. We may not have the power to prevent a hurricane, but we do have the power to make sure that the levees are properly reinforced and we’ve got a sound emergency plan. And so, part of what I pray for is the strength and the wisdom to be able to act on those things that I can control. And that’s what I think has been lacking sometimes in our government. We’ve got to express those values through our government, not just through our religious institutions.

Senator Barack Obama

This was from a recent debate where one fellow emailed in a question about whether the candidates thought that the "power of prayer" could have prevented tragedies like the collapse of the Minnesota bridge.  Obama, in my opinion, answered that question in the only sensible way possible: bridge collapses and mine cave-ins are not of God’s doing, nor are they necessarily of Man’s doing.  It’s in our response to those disasters that defines us, and it’s our prayers and our faith that give us the strength to respond to those disasters.

I’ve been kind of lukewarm on Obama (he seems like an upright guy, but the fact that he wants to be President automatically makes him dangerously suspect in my book), but this makes me warm up to him just a little.