For the better part of the past decade, our country’s broken immigration system has been the subject of intense debate, making headlines and raising blood pressures nationwide; however, this issue, which has captivated the media and provoked state officials, has seen little progress federally. After the 2007 immigration reform bill failed, it seemed that politicians with federal ambitions knew it was in their best interest to tread lightly when it came to immigration; the subject barely made its way into the 2008 presidential debates. Preoccupied with health care debates and economic troubles, the Obama administration has been quite quiet on the immigration front.

This is no longer the case. Like a stressed-out parent no longer able to look the other way when it comes to their trying offspring, President Obama has acknowledged the need for a change in the steps being taken to immigration reform — namely, making some. The straw that broke the camels back? Although the law is not set to become active until the end of July, 20 states have at least one legislator aspiring to implement laws similar to Arizona’s SB 1070, the controversial anti-illegal immigration measure that some say encourages racial profiling.

SB 1070 has created animosity between Arizona and other states; here in North Carolina, Durham recently approved legislation designed to boycott the Copper State by no longer sending public officials to events there. The bill was passed unanimously save for City Council member Eugene Brown, who stated that immigration reform is a federal and not a state matter, and is “sure as hell not Durham’s responsibility,” as reported by Spanish-language newspaper Mi Gente.

Simmer down, Mr. Brown. President Obama has heeded your call.  An article in the Huffington Post reports that:

[The Obama] administration has spent the last several days consulting with key stakeholders in the immigration debate as well as alerting members on the Hill that the Department of Justice's lawsuit (against Arizona) will likely be announced soon.

On Monday night, officials met with a wide range of immigration-reform and union leaders to discuss steps forward on comprehensive legislation.

According to an official briefed on that meeting, the president talked through various concerns about the current failures of immigration law, as well as the focal points for implementing a new set of reforms. Obama talked about building off of the legislative framework put out by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). He also reaffirmed his opposition to Arizona's new law -- which would grant broad powers to law enforcement officials to detain and even expel illegal immigrants -- and stressed that the Department of Justice was continuing to review the legislation.

Immigration reform at the federal level will serve to create uniform legislation and quell more radical policies. Whether states like Arizona, which have taken immigration issue into their own hands, will react favorably to federal involvement remains to be seen.

If we choose to think of the Earth as a gift from God, will that help spur environmentalism?

At two Qcity churches this summer, the focus is on green.

No, not money. Rather, the environment.

Earlier this month at Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church, the theme for vacation Bible school was “Go Green for Jesus.” And currently at First Baptist Church-West, a six-week summer program is centering on water conservation with the theme, “Streams of Living Water.”

The idea, organizers say, is to reinforce a biblical concept: that the Earth belongs to God and is therefore worth preserving.

Organizers from both programs acknowledge that mixing Christianity and conservation is, for some, a new concept in the African American church.

“It is hard incorporating this idea into the black church because it is new,” said Carolyn Ingram, Mt. Moriah’s vacation Bible school director.

At Mt. Moriah, students learned about recycling, solar power, wind power and water conservation issues. The theme and curriculum were developed by nationally based Urban Ministries, which has developed a package of lesson plans for churches conducting summer Bible schools.

Biblical references for the curriculum begin in the book of Genesis, with believing in God and taking care of his creation, and end in the book of Revelation, where students are taught to prepare for the future by being responsible now.

The thematic verse for the program is Psalms 24:1 -- “The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.”

Read the rest of this Qcitymetro.com article, by Michael Gentry, here.

Mother Clare Watts discusses mixing Christianity with environmentalism: "We weren't given permission to plunder and destroy ... we're supposed to be the caretakers."

I'm sure this is no surprise to you, but North Carolinians are fat. (Myself included.) In fact, North Carolina is the 10th fattest state in the nation. Eek.

North Carolina fell to No. 10 in the nation this year for the number of people who are overweight or obese, after placing 12th last year.

Most of the other top-10 states were also in the South, although Michigan was the exception, tying with North Carolina.

The report, issued for the past seven years by the advocacy group Trust for America's Health, notes the higher poverty rates are associated with increased prevalence of obesity. Healthy foods typically cost more, plus poor neighborhoods may not be safe for outdoor activities.

Read the rest of this News and Observer article here.

And, check the report on America's fattest states here.

It's not just that we're a fatty state, we're a fatty nation. From January of this year:

I saw these three ladies, mentioned in the article below, last week when I was in Raleigh. They sat on the corner, holding their signs, not bothering a soul. Apparently, on another day, they attracted a crowd of supporters with their vow to starve themselves for a cause.

What are they starving for? A dream.

Technically they're undocumented immigrants. It wasn't their choice to come to America, their parents brought them to our country when they were children. Now this is the only place they've known as home. They've grown up here, graduated from high school here and they'd like to build a life here.

The point of their protest was to get Sen. Kay Hagan's attention. They're hoping she will support the D.R.E.A.M. (Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors) Act, which has been circulating around Washington, in one form or another, for years.

The woman have been conducting their hunger strike on state land near the N.C. State Archives, and set up tents. They have subsisted on water, Pedialtye and Gatorade in the blistering heat.

One of the hunger strikers, Loida Silva, 22, took ill Sunday night.

The three are all illegal immigrants who have lived from North Carolina since childhood and graduated from North Carolina high schools, but faced barriers going on to college. All three women, who are part of the N.C. Dream Team, a group formed this spring that is pushing for the passage of the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act).

They say they're angry and frustrated at the barriers in U.S. immigration laws that leave them with slim chances of going to college or getting jobs other than under-the-table work.

They had hoped to persuade Hagan, a North Carolina Democrat, to back federal legislation that would offer a path of legal residency to children living in the country illegally, but who have graduated high school and planning to go on to college or joining the military.

Critics of the DREAM Act, which largely has Democratic support in the Senate, say the legislation would encourage more illegal immigration and reward bad behavior by extending residency to illegal immigrants.

Read the rest of this News and Observer article, by T. Keung Hui and Sarah Ovaska, here.

I called Sen. Hagan's office this morning. One of her aides says the senator is aware of the protesters. When asked about the senator's position on the D.R.E.A.M. Act, the aide said he would e-mail her formal statement.

Here it is:

“I believe the DREAM Act should be considered in the context of comprehensive immigration reform. I strongly believe that the United States must take the necessary steps to fix the way we handle illegal immigration, and I am committed to achieving practical, bipartisan, comprehensive reform that will protect taxpayers and address the problem of illegal immigration at its core," says Sen. Hagan.

It's still not clear if she supports the D.R.E.A.M. Act specifically, but she didn't exactly say she didn't support it either. I suppose that's why the protesters starved themselves to the point of becoming ill.

On the campaign trail, way back in 2008, President Obama said he supported the D.R.E.A.M. Act:

Glenn Hutchinson, a professor at Johnson C. Smith, wrote a play, "Limbo," about this very topic. His point? These children are living in limbo, now what are we going to do about it?