Dirty, Sexy, Politics

Upon the completion of 'Dirty, Sexy, Politics' by Meghan McCain, I am energized about the future of the Republican Party. It is obvious that the 2012 will be a key election for the GOP. 2012 is the year when the Republican Party chooses to swing to the far right, and turn into the TEA Party. Or, we can choose to go back to the days of Reagan and Lincoln; two fathers of our party. The days of personal liberty. The days of the government allowing you to choose how you wish to live your life. The GOP has become an exclusive club where you have to act a certain way, speak a certain way, and dress a certain way. We have lost our middle class ideals. And I'm not the only one who thinks this way, just ask Meghan McCain.

I believe in Reaganomics. I believe in a strong defense system and fiscal conservatism. I am pro-life. I am Christian. As the base of the GOP goes towards the religious Right, think about one thing: aren't we a nation of religious freedom? Don't we Republicans believe in a strict interpretation of the Constitution? Doesn't the First Amendment give each of us the right to choose our own religion? Think about it.

It's time for the GOP to stick to our original ideals. It's time to become the party, not just of the elite, but of the common man. It is time for us to represent a hope that everyone can believe. We were once that party, and we will become that party once again. How do I know that? Because I know that there are young people out there who are willing to speak their minds and help fix our Grand Old Party.

2012 will be a test for the Republican Party. A crossroads in the GOP history. It will be an election to remember from the Iowa caucus to election day in November 2012.

Summer Reading List

Here's my summer reading list. I'm sure it'll get expanded as the summer goes on. For the first time in 3 years, I have no summer assignments, so I'm going to read what I want to and reread some of my favorite literature as well! So in no particular order...

1. Dirty, Sexy, Politics by Megan McCain
2. Decision Points by President George W. Bush
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Reread)
4. Hamlet by William Shakespeare (Reread)
5. Mind Gym by Mark Casstenvens
6. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Reread)
7. Every Second Counts by Lance Armstrong (Reread)
8. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (Reread)
9. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Reread)
10. Developing the Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell
11. The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman
12. Evolve or Die by Robin Crow
13. It's Not about the Bike by Lance Armstrong (Reread)
14. Stand for Something by Governor John Kasich
15. Courage and Consequence by Karl Rove
16. Arc of Justice by Kevin Boyle
17. Wooden by John Wooden
18. A Simple Government by Mike Huckabee

I feel that there's a good mix in here; 8 new books and 7 rereads. 10 nonfiction and 5 fiction. I'm sure the list will expand to 20 and beyond as the summer draws on but this is a good starting place. I probably won't read every book, and I look forward to not having to. It's going to be a great summer to just read for pleasure! I'm excited.

Last Revised: 5/30/11

Class of 2011

This may seem like a weird post coming from a Republican, but this is an idea that all Americans can rally behind:

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the change we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." -President Barack Obama

Class of 2011, this is my challenge to you; to constantly be the change that our nation so desperately needs. Whether you are Republican or Democrat, I hope, I pray, that we can all rally around this notion and make the changes to fix our country, to make the changes to fix our world.

A Continuing Commentary on Absurdism

I do not claim to know why things work in the world. I am extremely inquisitive and try hard to not accept the status quo without first questioning it. Life is so grand and so complex that I believe there has to be some divine being that is making everything work together to sustain our lives as we know it. I refuse to believe that life is meaningless. Perhaps I still have the naiveté of a twelve year old, but I believe that our lives are neither insignificant nor unimportant. That there is a distinction between being morally right and morally wrong. I believe that we all can leave our mark in the world by exploring, discovering, loving, and caring. Like I said, maybe I’m naïve but life is too beautiful for me to think that it’s essentially meaningless.

The Absurdity of Life

The theory of absurdity has recently been introduced in my AP Literature class. This theory has made me think and truly expand my mind. According to this theory there are only three types of people in the world; ones who see life as pointless, ones who put all their eggs into a single basket and choose to believe in God, and ones who view life pointless and we are just all moving in random ways without any sense of direction. On top of that there exist different types of absurd people such as the Don Juan, the artist, the conqueror and the actor. In my opinion this is a terribly depressing way to view life. To characterize people into one of three categories, and then into further sub-categories is ridiculous. I also fail to understand how it is possible that Camus could believe that we can wander through life without being influenced in our ways. We are influenced by all of our actions. I am sitting outside because it is a nice night. We have some reason and some influence for all of our actions. I also believe that life is tremendously complex. In fact, our life is so complex that we simply cannot fathom every miniscule thing that takes place in our lives. The theory of evolution is backed by science, yet it is still a theory. There has to be a Supreme Being who controls what takes place on earth. For me, that Supreme Being is God. I believe that He gives me free will, but I also believe that he has a master plan for each and every person. I am a very Type A person and I am the son of a lawyer. I am inquisitive by nature. But life is so grand and so complex that even my control freak personality can accept the fact that all the wonders of this life, that the sun reflecting off the honeysuckle in my backyard, the smell of the grill and my life in general are all controlled by an all-knowing God.

The Lost Generation

I have a deep fascination with the lost generation. Two of my favorite books from high school are written by lost generation authors; The Sun Also Rises, by Hemmingway and The Great Gatsby, by Fitzgerald. I find it enthralling that there was an entire generation which was so adversely affected by World War I. This generation possessed such great potential yet WWI left a whole in the generation causing them to lose hope, to lose their drive, and to lose themselves. This sentiment was captured by Fitzgerald in the closing lines of The Great Gatsby, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning — So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” This demonstrates the potential of the lost generation, how they tried to reach for the green light but could not obtain it. But it also demonstrates their confidence that they will once again, “run faster” and “stretch out (their) arms further .”

Second Best

Coming in second, third, fourth, or what have you has never been an option in my life. Growing up, I can distinctly remember watching the Olympics with my parents. I caught on rather quickly that America simply kicks butt. Our nation believes in nothing but first place and neither do I. I think that that is what makes me so apprehensive about the AP test coming up.

I have been relatively successful in whatever I have tried in life. Things that I am not good at make me only work harder to be successful. I get good grades, I play varsity sports, I do a bunch of extra-curricular activities, and I even do stuff outside of LHS (crazy, right?). And in all of the above, I have awards hanging on my wall saying I have excelled in the various areas of my life. I say the preceding not to be a braggart, but because I expect success. I expect a five on the AP Lit test, as do so many people in our class because we are all so incredibly driven.

While we have worked hard all year , it is highly improbable that we will all get a five on the test (myself included). And I think that that is okay. We should all push ourselves to the absolute limit and bust our tails, but we must remember that at the end of the day, it is only a test. Not being the most successful sucks. Getting beaten in a scholarship essay competition by a kid who has always one-up’d in every part of life sucks. In the grand scheme of things though, the AP Test, essay competitions, being popular, and getting the girl are all so minor compared to who we will become. Regardless of our scores be them 3’s, 4’s, or 5’s (we are ALL capable of getting that J) we will ALL become outstanding individuals, and that’s the important thing. So my message is simple: stress about the AP Test, but not too much because there are so many more things that are more important than this AP test.

Graduation Goggles

 I remember my first day of high school like it was yesterday. The experiences I have had since then, the memories I have made, and most importantly, the friends that I have made all play a large part of who I am. As Tennyson said, “I am a part of all that I have met.” The beauty of life is the act that it goes on. Our high school careers have been an amazing chapter in our lives, but we are ready to go on to bigger and better things. Now we get to talk to next year’s rising seniors and we get to go into the AP Test with confidence because we have taken an AP Test before. Looking back at my four years at Lebanon High School I do not feel four years older, just four years wiser. I feel four years more confident in myself. I feel four years a better leader. I feel four years more prepared. I am excited for what life has in store for not just me, but for the Lebanon High School Class of 2011. (Oh! That may just be a line in my graduation speech!)

The Merit of the Seventh Amendment in today's American Democracy

It would be easy for me to come up with a definitive answer to the question as to whether our Seventh Amendment right to have a jury in a civil trial is essential in today’s democracy. It would be easy to pander to what I believe the judges want to hear. The simple fact of the matter however, is that there is no correct answer to whether a civil trial is essential in today’s society; that is what makes our American democracy so beautiful. First off, I believe it is pertinent to state that the Seventh Amendment has not been incorporated by the Supreme Court. Likewise, the Ohio Constitution gives an extremely vague description of how juries should be handled in civil cases.   While I believe that each civil case should have a jury, I hold this belief with strong reservations. I support the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Slocum v. New York Insurance Company, which upheld common law that judges can nullify a jury’s verdict if it is contradictory to the evidence of the law. The power of judges to interpret laws was originally introduced in Marbury v. Madison, which gave the judicial branch the power that it possesses today. In short, the Seventh Amendment should be enforced to ensure that the judicial branch does not retain too much power; judges, however, should be granted the power to reverse the jury’s decision if they do not see the verdict germane to the law.

President Lincoln once famously proclaimed that we have a government “of the people, by the people, for the people”. Our founding fathers recognized the need for citizen involvement by the people to make the American democratic system work for the people. From the judge, to the jury, to the lawyers, to the bailiff, the judicial system is made of the people of the United States of America. During his years as president, Lincoln saw a nation divided. President Lincoln realized that without the citizens keeping a check on the government, and the government keeping a check on its citizens, that the American system of democracy would become seriously flawed (See: Civil War). While the judicial system must have control over the people, the people must also check the judicial system to ensure that there is no misconduct afloat. Our present system maintains this healthy balance between the judicial branch and the people. As we are granted a trial of our peers and even by our peers, we are assured that neither the judge nor the jury can withhold a proper judgment against us. That is the beautiful thing about our American democracy; while we may have messed up, we are still guaranteed a fair trial, we are assured a just decision. There is an easy answer to whether a trial by jury is essential to our modern democracy; look at our present judicial system. Quaere omnia, ibi veritas iacit; question all things, the truth lies therein. (Yes, I had to look up the Latin translation!)

The Most Vital Thing in Life

As our poetry unit is winding down, I cannot resist the temptation to post one last poem dissection. This week I want to discuss a poem that has not only impacted me profoundly, but I passed this on to Dr. Ison and he too became instantly enamored with “The Most Vital Thing in Life”. This poem is an allusion to Matthew 5:38-48 and especially Matthew 5:38-42. In this section of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about loving your enemies and turning the cheek when others talk poorly about you. This is such a great virtue to have in your back pocket. As I have experience in the past weeks, when people attack you or people you are close to, it is extremely easy to react to what they said with an objective of vengeance. The entire first stanza (this poem is written in such a way that it is almost impossible to quote a line or two) talks about when you “feel like saying something that you know you will regret” that it is time to clear your mind and create a “mental peace”. The first stanza also talks about how easy it is to keep your cool when your mind is at ease. The second stanza is something that is dealt with by people constantly, being maliciously accused of something that you have not done. This poem tells us that we should remain mum on this issue. “You must learn to keep strict silence though you know you’re in the right.” The poem concludes with “the most vital thing in life”. “If you are poised and tranquil when all around is strife, be assured that you have mastered the most vital thing in life.” If we remain calm and take the time to clear our heads we will have more positive outcomes despite negative situations. Perhaps that is a lesson we can all use.

AP Literature Blog - Life Lessons through Poetry

This week we have moved into the vast realm of poetry. While we have read a great number of poems, there are a few that I would like to dive further into. Unfortunately, you will have to bear with me as I do not always get the right interpretation of a poem.

The first poem is “35/10” by Sharon Olds. For me, this poem is about the passing of the torch from one generation to the next. The mother, who is 35, is brushing her ten year olds’ hair while commenting on her aging, but also the blossoming beauty for her maturing daughter. This is the cycle of mankind. We all have to grow old, but it is also our responsibility to ensure that our posterity can prosper in the future. For me, this poem is all about making sure that we leave the world a little better than we found. This is the central purpose of my life so this poem really hit home for me.

Secondly, I also enjoyed “Harlem” by Langston Hughes. “Dreams” is one of my favorite poems (it is right up there with “Ulysses” by Tennyson). For me this poem reiterates the necessity to follow your dreams no matter what happens in life. Hughes asks the reader what happens to “dreams deferred”. He then goes on to provide five negative metaphors that are not positive to human life. Hughes ends with my favorite three lines of the poem, “Maybe it just sags/like a heavy load. / Or does it explode?” To me this is the true essence of what happens to dreams deferred. The weight of the dream continues to sag and eat at you. And eventually, you quite simply explode. If you do not go after your true dreams in life, then you can never be truly happy. Hughes hit the human psyche as it pertains to “Dreams” and more importantly, “Dreams Deferred”.

2011 Republican Response minute-by-minute thoughts

10:25 – Congressman Ryan begins the Republican response. Begins immediately with tribute to Congresswoman Giffords.

10:26 – Congressman pledges to work with POTUS to rein in spending.

10:27 – Congressman expresses concern for our great debt. I agree. It scares me as being a member of the next generation.

10:28 – Congressman states that unemployment has barely shrunk at a great cost.

10:28 – The Health Care is too inclusive and too expensive. Absolutely agree. Pledges to replace it with reduced costs and less spending.

10:29 – “Our debt is out of control.”

10:30 – Both parties are unreliable and we owe the American people to do better, the next budget will reflect this.

10:31 – The Congressman emphasizes less government in our lives as strictly defined by the Constitution. I totally agree with this.

10:32 – Congressman says POTUS has an administration that is too large and too omnipresent.

10:33 – We must reduce government to ensure that our best century was not our last one. Action must be swift before we run out of time. We don’t want huge taxes and going bankrupt like European nations. We’re just around the corner from that.

10:34 – Less government will provide more room for success in America.

10:35 – “Limited government and free enterprise have made America the greatest nation on Earth.”

10:35 –The Congressman ends. With the speech ending at 10 minutes in length.

10:36 – The Congressman spoke candidly about the need for less government in order to get America back on track. He said we must cut spending or we will face grave consequences. I agree with all of what was said. Can’t wait to see if Republicans and Democrats can truly work together.

2011 State of the Union minute-by-minute thoughts

8:56 – Starting my Slog (Speech blog). It’ll be a minute by minute timeline/diary of the 2011 State of the Union. It’ll share my initial response to the events unfolding. A Republican Response Slog will follow. Should be a good time!

8:57 – 6 Supreme Court Justices enter. Including the Chief Justice, amid much speculation.

8:58 – The First Lady has arrived.

8:59 – The Cabinet arrives.

9:03 – Just saw Congresswoman Schmidt sitting next to the aisle. She sits there every time to shake some important hands.

9:05 – “Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States!” Most chilling words ever spoken. Maybe one day I’ll be on the floor to hear those words. Maybe I’ll be the man behind the Sargent-at-arms.

9:07 – Congresswoman Schmidt with ample face time on Fox News

9:10 – Powerful shot of the President with his Congress behind him.

9:10 – Speaker Boehner introduces the President.

9:11 – The 2011 State of the Union begins.

9:11 – Bipartisan recognition of the Speaker.

9:12 – Mention of Congresswoman Giffords.

9:13 – The President says that our disagreements are healthy, but the forces that unite us are greater than those that divide us. Amen.

9:14 – “What comes of this moment is not whether we can sit together tonight, but work together tomorrow. I believe we can. And I believe we must… Governing must be a shared responsibility between two parties… We will move forward together or not at all. Our problems are bigger than parties.”

9:16 – “We are poised for progress.” The economy is going back up. But we must make the quality of life better for all Americans.  That’s true progress. Amen.

9:17 – Touts tax cuts passed in December by Democrats AND Republicans.

9:18 – Vice President just looks goofy.

9:19 – “The world has changed. The competition for jobs is real.” But America still has “the most prosperous economy in the world.”

9:20 – America is still the land of opportunity. We have the best universities. “The future is ours to win. But to get there, we just can’t stand still.”

9:21 – “We need to out innovate, out educate, and out build the rest of the world. We need to make America the best place in the world to do business… That’s how we win the future.”

9:24 – “This is our generation’s space race.”

9:25 – The President is addressing using government monies to create green jobs. While innovative grants are great, they can’t be relied upon to build jobs.

9:26 – President calls for 1 million renewable energy cars by 2015. That might be a stretch.

9:27 – The President calls for 80% of all energy to be reusable by 2035. Too much wasted governmental money, in my opinion.

9:29 – Calls on family life to help improve the level of education in America. I agree 100%.

9:30 – Schools should have high expectations. POTUS reveals “Race to the Top” to help new, innovative strategies for classroom. Says it should replace No Child Left Behind. I agree. Plays on the bipartisanship of governors.

9:32 – POTUS calls for a greater level of respect for our teachers. Reward good ones, and stop bad ones. Prepare 100,000 new teacher in science and math fields. Calls on kids to grow up to be teachers. “Your country needs you.” Whole heartily agree.

9:34 – POTUS asks Congress to subsidize college. Disagree. Too much government oversight.

9:35 – Calls for America to have the highest number of college grads in the world by the end of the decade. Yes, but they can’t be given out like candy.

9:36 – POTUS calls for immigration reform to prevent bright, young minds from escaping America. I agree with him here.

9:38 – POTUS propose more internal improvements. We need to stay current. But high speed rail simply will not catch on in America. This is not popular. Look at the Ohio, case. Waste of government money.

9:40 – I thought we have digital textbooks, Skype, and global market? No? Hmm, sounds like we’re making public private entities, not good.

9:41 – POTUS wants to lower the corporate tax rate. Good idea, Mr. President.

9:43 – POTUS calls for taking rules and regulations off businesses. But then wants to put them back on. Thought you were a Republican, for a second. Never mind.

9:44 – Health care brings scattered boos. POTUS asks for Republican ideas and makes recommendation on the floor to reduce book keeping burden. Good. Then wants to tell the companies how to run their businesses. Bad. Government needs to get out of business. Not get back in it. POTUS wants to fix it. Nah, it needs to be completely rewritten.  

9:47 – POTUS says the government needs to live within its means. Proposes that we freeze domestic spending. Calls for cuts in community action programs (good), defense (bad, even the VP doesn’t clap). Doesn’t want to hurt the middle class. Only wants to cut “excess weight”.  Calls for cutting health care (he might just get himself reelected), including disallowing frivolous medical lawsuits.

9:51 – POTUS calls for bipartisan fix of Social Security.

9:52 – POTUS calls for end to the top 2% tax breaks (bad, I’m a supply-side guy). Also calls for a bipartisan look at simplifying the tax code.

9:54 – POTUS wants to consolidate the federal government. GREAT idea!

9:55 – POTUS pledges to veto any bill with earmarks. Standing ovation from Senator McCain. Ha!

9:57 – “America’s moral example must always shine for all who yearn for freedom.” Amen.

9:58 – POTUS says the Iraq war is ending. Yes, but we must remain to ensure peace in the region.

9:59 – Never heard of the “Tallyban” but we’re going to make sure they don’t get back into power in Afghanistan. Agreed. But we will begin to bring troops home this July, dislike.

10:01 – “We will not relent, we will not waver, and we will defeat you.” YES!

10:02 – POTUS calls for North Korea to keep its commitment to not have nukes. Also touts START. Agreed.

10:05 – POTUS calls for Americans to support our troops. Couldn’t agree more.

10:06 – POTUS talks about repeal of don’t ask don’t tell. Bad idea. There should be a separation. Men and women don’t shower together. Nor should gay men.

10:08 – POTUS talks about how our democracy is good and far beats any dictatorship.

10:09 – POTUS gives “working class shout-outs” to himself, VP, and Speaker. Mentions Cincinnati, pretty cool.

10:11 – POTUS mixes up his words, uncommon. But does acknowledge the man who developed a device to save the Chilean Minors. Chi-Chi-Chi! Le-Le-Le!

10:12 – “I’m not sure how we’ll get to that place beyond the horizon but we’ll get there.” Typical Democrat. Ha!

10:13 – “The state of our union is strong.” The speech ends. At an hour and 2 minutes.

10:14 – All-in-all, I think I agreed more than I disagreed. The President spoke vaguely making his ideas broad, we’ll see how he governs tomorrow. The theme was “winning tomorrow”. I believe we can but it will take had bipartisan work. We’ll see how the coming year goes, but I think the President probably has a lot of independent support. I know as a Republican, I’m ready to see some compromise and see real work be done in Washington, we’ll see. “What comes of this moment is not whether we can sit together tonight, but work together tomorrow. I believe we can. And I believe we must… Governing must be a shared responsibility between two parties… We will move forward together or not at all. Our problems are bigger than parties.” And with that, the 2011 State of the Union ends.

An Unpublished Opinion

Imagine with me, if you will, a nation in serious economic recession. A nation that has seen a group of protesters profoundly affect the nation’s political system. A nation that faces a natural disaster and tries to diffuse nuclear tempers in an Asian peninsula. Sound like a ‘2010 year in review’?  Dive into your imagination even further. A nation ruled by a ruthless dictator. A wall being erected to divide freedom and communism. Nuclear missiles pointed at the two world superpowers. Pretty scary, huh? Well this could be us, if we continue further down our present path.

Is America doomed to fail? No. The greatness of the citizens of America always prevails. Yet there is no doubt that America has seen brighter days. This is an issue that transcends Republicans and Democrats. How do we move America forward? As Ronald Reagan said, “there are no easy answers; but there are simple answers”. It’s time for America to “have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” It is time to take responsibility for our actions so that my generation can continue the American way of life to which we all are accustomed. It’s time for a new day in America.

My name is Tyler Duvelius. I am a Christian first and last.  I am the Senior Class President at Lebanon High School. I am 17 years old. I am conservative. I am concerned about the direction in which our nation is headed. And I am not alone. God has blessed me with many opportunities throughout my young life. Now I have the unique opportunity to share the views of the world through the eyes of a high school student.

The American public has written off the high school age group as ‘disenchanted’ and ‘uncaring’ about events unfolding in America. What they fail to see are the conversations that take place at our lockers about our sincere concern for the country which we will inherit in a few short years. Problems that affect adults also affect teens. We will have the unfortunate duty of paying for government-mandated health care. We will have to deal with the effects of the BP Oil spill. We will have to shrink the national debt of over 13 trillion dollars. We want to be engaged in discussion; but no one ever asks.

What’s the easiest way to create a real change that America can believe in? Bring Christian values back into the American family. Put ‘ily’ (text message lingo for “I love you.”) back into family. Put the iPod, smartphone, and laptop down and start a genuine conversation with your loved ones. Practice fiscal conservatism. Be willing to band together to make simple solutions possible. Put country first. Idealistic? Sure. But wasn’t the very notion of America idealistic? Wasn’t it idealistic to put man on the moon in a decade? Heroes have built this nation from the start, and they will continue to make America the most prosperous country on the face of the earth.

I want to leave you with a quote from my favorite show, The West Wing: “Every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity maywell be limitless. This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars.”

I am only one person. I can’t change the world, but I can make a difference. Do I have your attention, now? Good.