A MyBlogLog reader Cooper sent me a message letting me know that my website and RSS feed was broken. The fact that she took some of her own personal time to send me a message means a lot to me. More importantly she did so without any expectation of payment or any other selfish motives. This may seem like a minor deal for many, but I am leaving town to go to a funeral and had she not said anything my site would have been down all weekend, potentially costing me quite a bit in terms of readers and ad revenue.

Of course she had no way of knowing that I was leaving town, or even if I was aware of the problem. Thats the amazing part of doing small acts of kindness for strangers; you never know how one of them may make a huge impact on someones life. So I want to take this time and send out a huge thank you to Cooper and invite each one of you to check out her websites. Thanks!

• Wonderland or Not – Personal blog with a little social, political and pop cultural commentary added.
• Darfur: An Unforgivable Hell on Earth – Solely about humanitarian causes, in this case mainly Darfur.
• Should Be Famous – About Blogs and Bloggers who should be famous

The poor child had left his badly injured mother after a car accident to find help. It was only through fortunate circumstances that Jesus Manuel Cordova found the child about two hours later. Together they returned to the accident but were unable to save the child’s mother, who was pinned inside. Jesus Manuel Cordova stayed with the child through the night, comforting him and offering his jacket and building a bonfire to keep him warm. The next morning, after some passing hunters called for help Jesus Manuel Cordova allowed himself to be detained and returned to Mexico by Border Patrol agents who were the first to respond.

Jesus Manuel Cordova is a true hero, in every sense of the word. While the Right will be quick to point out his “criminal” status they cannot diminish the selfless act that saved that boys life. Jesus Manuel Cordova is living proof that no matter how the Right tries to criminalize the undocumented immigrants who risk so much for the chance at a better life here, they cannot succeed in making them into actual criminals. So while it is true that Jesus Manuel Cordova committed a misdemeanor crime by entering the country illegially, he is a better American than many of the “true Americans” who are now attacking him. (( Lawrence Downes “What Part of ‘Illegal’ Don’t You Understand?” ))

This story, though tragic in many ways, serves to illustrate what many of us on the Left have been saying for years. Jesus Manuel Cordova and the millions of other undocumented immigrants who live and work in this country are overwhelmingly good people. They work hard, often for sub-standard wages and in unsafe conditions, for the chance to make a better life for themselves and their families. This country owes them all, not just Jesus Manuel Cordova, a debt of gratitude for it is upon the backs of immigrants that America has become the powerful nation that it has.

I know that there will always be those who hide their bigotry and racism behind conservative propaganda, and for those people not even this selfless and heroic act will change their opinions. I try to hold out hope that some of them will see that the teachings of the Christian Jesus had more in common with the actions of Jesus Manuel Cordova than to their own hatreds, intolerance, and racism. Maybe some will see that and that is why I am cutting my Thanksgiving break short to write this.

I hope everyone had a great and safe Thanksgiving. As we finish up our celebrations, and eat the last of our Thanksgiving leftovers, I hope each one of you can take a second to give thanks that a man was there when a little boy needed him. I hope that someday our laws are fixed, and Jesus Manuel Cordova and the millions like him, can live without ever needing to make the decision between freedom and saving a life. So Jesus Manuel Cordova, Summer and I thank you, even though you will not get to spend the holidays in America as you had dreamed, there is a child that does because you were here.

~ William Ludwig ~
http://wwjv4.com

So please hurry up and cast your votes.  We will be extending the deadline until 8am Monday morning to give more people the chance to vote.  As before if you wish to suggest a charity not listed on the poll just place a comment on this story or the prior story and it will be added.

Please help us support those who have lost everything to this terrible disaster.

~ William ~

P.S. Thanks to those of you who have already voted.

We believe that whether or not you personally believe in any god, the teachings of Jesus of love, peace, and forgiveness, are such that almost anyone can support them. What we do not agree with is these teachings being distorted and used to promote division, injustice, intolerance, bigotry, and discrimination against anyone.

It has been our experience that the people who argue the loudest against things like womens’ right to choose, gay rights, and acceptance of all cultures often have no idea why they believe so strongly. They are often unable to cite sources, refute arguments with evidence, or even remain civil. I wrote the other day that it will be important for the future of this nation to reach out to the Christian conservatives. I believe that many of them have their eyes closed to what is really going on and the hatred that they may be unknowingly spreading.

What we hope to do with this site is not to disparage or downgrade anyone’s beliefs but to share information. Information that may cause someone to really look at whether or not what they are clinging to as “Christian” or religious ideals are truly the messages of their gods.

To that end we will not accept comments that promote hatred or violence toward any group of people, use foul or degrading language directed at a person or group of people, or are otherwise found to be inappropriate by our moderators. We will always communicate with our submitters to advise if there are any problems with the content of the comments and give any rejected a chance to reword their thoughts.

Thank you,

WWJV4.com

That night a horrible thing happened. A car was stolen and placed in the backyard of the Joseph’s home close to the house. The tires were taken and the car was set on fire, probably to hide any evidence of the theft. While the family slept in their temporary housing in Baton Rouge, their new home burned to the ground.

The family’s grant money was tied up in the home and after paying off the mortgage on the lost home they are left with $12,000. Touched by the Joseph family’s plight, State Representative Charmaine Marchand has established a fund at Capital One that is specifically restricted for use only in reconstruction.

I encourage you to please go HERE to make a donation. Any amount will help Miracle and her family begin their life again after years of heartache. There is also a a page set up HERE where you can leave messages of love, support, and hope for the Joseph family. Please join with us to Bring Miracle Home.

• Chastity –
  Courage and boldness. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought through education and betterment.
• Abstinence –
  Constant mindfulness of others and one’s surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation.
• Liberality –
  Generosity. Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions.
• Diligence –
  A zealous and careful nature in one’s actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one’s time; monitoring one’s own activities to guard against laziness.
• Patience –
  Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners.
• Kindness –
  Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake.
• Humility –
  Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one’s own self.

References:

• Wikipedia – Seven Virtues
• 7 Deadly Sins – Virtues