So I had an interesting conversation last night with my mom. She favors a parental government. Here are a few of her points:

1) FEMA should have bought better trailers after katrina.

2) banks tricked poor borrowers onto bad loans. Government should regulate banks more to prevent this and pay there mortgage for a time.

So… Who’s your daddy? Is it the government?

The question is who should help. The answer is simple. All those who love God should impart of their substance to those in need. Their are many orginizations worthy of your support. You know which ones you like and don’t.

Why would anyone want to empower the federal government to administer to the poor. Are they the best equipped to succor those in need. Do they have an efficient orginization for managing funds?

In engineering we talk of attribute data and variable data.  Here’s an example of each…

“I am strong.” - Attribute data

“I can do 50 pushups”. - Variable data

In both cases I am describing the same condition.  In the United States we define race as Attribute data.  We say that we are white, latino, black, Asian, pacific islander, etc.  We don’t say my skin contains x% melanin.  People call me white and they are surprised to learn that my great-grandfather was a black man and a slave in Alabama.  Would I call myself black?  No.  Would I call myself white?  Yes.  So I wonder if it were my grandfather who was black would I still be white?  What if it were my father who were black?  Where is the line?  When do people like me cross the line from black to white to asian to latino?  (By the way, I also have Native American ancestry).    The funny thing is that you probably do too.  Surprised?  Let’s put it this way, the only reason I know this information is because I am actively involved in geneology.  Nobody told me about my great-grandfather, I found the record in the US Census.  In fact, my white Mother denied it could be true while my father indicated there was always a rumor that he was part black (he did not know his own father).

So, I ask again, is Obama black or white?  It turns out, he can be whatever he wants. Search for an objective definition of race.  You will find none.  Race is less about skin color and genetics and more about self-identification.  I located a fascinating treatment of race at PBS’s site.  Take the race quiz.  I bet you can’t properly identify the people’s race.

Please understand race remains a real issue in the United States.  I recognize that your skin color in America affects how some treat you.  There remain very real and bitter issues.  I simply find it fascinating that for all of the very real ramifications of race in America, no one defines it.   To that end, I imagine if Senator Obama’s dear mother were alive today, she would say, “I am so proud that I gave birth to the first black President of the United States.”