Show Me Who Your Friends Are

The big news story of the last 48 hours seems to be Barack Obama's association with his pastor. The pastor, Jeremiah Wright, has made some incredibly inflammatory statements from the pulpit in the church Senator Obama has attended for two decades. When power politics comes into play, the Senator's opposition will attempt to create a link between the pastor and the Senator.

A 24 hour news program asked viewers to write in with their thoughts on the matter. One mother from the mid-west said, "It's like what I tell my 12 year old: Show me who your friends are and I'll show you who you are."

Ya know, in the case of developing healthy, mature adults, this has some good merit. I'm not so sure I can buy that for adults.

See, one of the very strong beliefs I practice is that everyone in the world is my friend. Until someone gives me a reason NOT to be his/her friend, they are! This makes the world a much smaller place when you think of having six billion friends, doesn't it?

I have friends who aree potheads. I have friends who are evangelical Christians. I have friends who are geeks. I have friends who are lazy slackers. And my biggest friend(other than my wife) is Carson.

By the rationale of this mom from the mid-west, I'm a dope smokin', Jesus praisin', computer addicted, lazy bones black labrador. Need I even say I am not?

I do feel that you attract what you value. Therefore, if I value healthy, mature relationships with healthy, mature, responsible people, then that I shall have! But I also can still find attractive qualities about people who I disagree with.

We cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater. That's as prejudicial as some of the very comments being complained about.