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Let's face it: Much of this economic mess is our fault. Sure, there were predatory lenders who took advantage of some of us, but they possess no special power to make us sign the dotted line. It was our desire to have more, and our eyes were bigger than our wallets.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm terrible at keeping New Year's resolutions, but it never stops me from making them. Many of us will reflect on the past year and determine the things we most want to improve about ourselves or our circumstances. Perhaps this year we can ride the wave of change that we heard so much about in the recent presidential election.
This time of year we picture a sweet baby Jesus lying quietly in a manger born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. It's quaint and sanitized.
According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, this is going to be a down year for most charity groups. In a spot-check of 35 charities around the country, 28 reported giving that was flat or down and 10 reported donation declines of 10 percent or more. Wichita's charities also need a boost. As reported in The Eagle, Inter-Faith Ministries' Operation Holiday, the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities' Christmas Sharing Program and the Share the Season campaign experienced shortages of cash, toys and food...
The issue of the religious right being too prominent in the Republican Party has become a topic of lively debate. Columnist Kathleen Parker, a conservative, recently made the case that the religious right is detrimental to the GOP because it scares off other would-be Republicans with all of its God talk.
There is a lot to like about Thanksgiving: It's not overly commercialized, you don't have to bring gifts to the gathering, and of course the food. But part of the holiday's special appeal is the story of the Pilgrims, because they encapsulate many of the qualities that we esteem and that we hope are found in ourselves.
