While at Camp of the Woods two summers ago I met an amazing woman. Encouraged by my Grandparents to get to know her, I was instantly amazed by her faith, insight, wisdom and honesty. She shared with me openly on God, life and all that came in between. She was a refuge to which I could and did on many occasions seek out through a stressful week or for advise on an issue I was dealing with. She was bold, had a heart to help those who sought out the truth to be found through faith. She was a mentor to me that summer. Last fall she visited me while I briefly lived in Chicago. My last memory of her is us talking, praying and crying on the couch in my parent's living room. Only a few months ago she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Thursday I was informed that the doctors did not expect her to live to Thanksgiving. Friday my Mom told me that she had died. Two people that were more than amazing have left this earth and were called to Heaven. I now mourn the death of two people that have for ever affected me, as have their deaths. At present I do this alone.

I don't want to continuously write on death, mourning and my recent bouts of loneliness but know that it will probably be mentioned at least for a long while. But as I stated before, the world goes on. It doesn't stop, even when it feels like it should. So here is some commentary on the happenings of the rest of the world.

Saddam Hussein's first trial has ended with the a death sentence. Has justice been served? Was it a fair trial? What do you think of the sentence? Should we care about the answers to any of these questions? First of all I'm no legal expert (not yet anyways) and so will refrain from commenting on the fairness of it. I do think, however, that the fact that defense lawyers were killed and one judge resigned with the explanation of political pressure felt hardly indicates a 'normal' trial to say the least. As many of you know I stand against the death penalty. As a graduate student attempting to get my LLM in Human Rights and holding a B.A. in Political Science, you can hardly claim I don't care or know of the atrocities he has committed. But as a human being and a Christian I do not agree with the idea that we hold the power to judge another to the point of condemning them to death. I do not hold that ultimate authority, nor do I believe any other earthly person does. I also think the answers to the questions posed above are important. One of my favorite quotes is by Martin Luther King Jr. "Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere".

My other favorite quote is by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, "Because man and woman are the complement of one another, we need woman's thought in national affairs to make a safe and stable government", which brings me to my next subject, the recent American mid-term elections. We now have our first female Speaker of the House. Ms. Nancy Pelosi is now third in line to the Presidency should anything happen to President G.W. Bush or VP Cheney. I have pins on my curtains in my bedroom at my parents house. One of which says "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of a good woman president", (although personally I'm currently rooting for Obama). While at home I had the unexpected opportunity to vote in these elections. My first mid-term vote. I felt proud, patriotic even. I also for the first time felt like I was part of that force that brought about change. I helped get that Democratic majority in the House and Senate. I took part in democracy and it felt good. Now lets just hope they do something with it.