Please excuse me for a few minutes while I take a walk down political lane, simply because I have been relatively quiet about that particular subject as of late.
Needless to say the upcoming United States Presidential election is not something I am looking forward to at all. Maybe I have caught a premature case of the pessimist bug, but I simply cannot see a Democratic Party member proving a worthy enough candidate to successfully unseat the incumbent. In all honesty, the thought of John Kerry being the most powerful man in the modern world scares me back under the blankets. However the thought of another full term with Mr. Bush scares me enough to look at real estate options in Vancouver, Canada and London, England.
I could really care less about the majority of things the general voting public seem to care about in their leader. During the Clinton administration and whilst the impeachment fiasco many in the Republican Party, religious organisations and other anti-liberal groups bashed the very nature of the man. Was he really, really stupid for doing what he did? Sure, but that is not the business of the American people. While I could debate ad nauseam with conservative types about the actual work Clinton did during his administration I am bored to tears with it. It is my opinion and that of many well-educated political scientists that during his administration a lot of good was done. People were happy, the financial situation was the best it had been in well over twenty years and the general state of affairs seemed positive.
That said, despite his character flaws and public displays of foot-in-mouth syndrome, I do not dislike Bush the man. It is fundamentally unfair to pass judgement onto traits which concern you not. But the places Bush seems to want to take this country are places we should all be very afraid of even thinking about visiting. Whether or not you agree or disagree with the war we started in Iraq, it does not take a college degree to realise that the reasons we were given on why this action was necessary were flawed. The pursuit of justice is a noble one and I personally hope that we can hold responsible those who were the architects of the 11 September 2001 attacks. Taking the Constitution, Bill of Rights and every other sacred document that makes the United States what it is out back and pissing on them is not the way to do it.
The Patriot Act was developed and enacted into law by a lot of greedy politicians who care more about how they look to their constituency then they do about actually fulfilling the oaths they took when entering office. You know all that protection of the Constitution and such. Restricting the rights of American citizens is something that should never be tolerated. Not for any reason. If you want to protect me and help ensure my safety then pass laws that do that without restricting my rights. I would rather die a free American by a terrorist action than suffer through the transition to self-righteous communism. When we start to restrict our actions in the name of "homeland security" we tell the people of the world that we are afraid and basically bow to the whims of the terrorist community. That some conservative types would stand up in defiance of the legal and political protests made by the American Civil Liberties Union, an organisation designed for the sole purpose of protecting the Constitution and Bill of Rights, is unconscionable. That is an impeachable offense.
While our people are unemployed, unable to afford transportation and living expenses and dying left and right in a foreign land, our Commander In Chief decides wage war (once again) on the freedoms so many died to create by openly speaking against homosexual marriage. Here is my opinion on this as unbiased as possible: I do not have the desire to get married and am pretty certain to be of that mindset for a long time. However, to deny that right to those who do wish to acknowledge their unconditional love and support for another human being is against the founding principles of live and let live. The religious right spew their hatred and fear by arguing this act will destroy the institution of marriage. I hate to be the one to enlighten them but the institution of marriage is a religious institution. I can pick up a woman right now, drive the local Courthouse, pay a fee and become married, receiving the benefits granted therein such as tax deductions and next-of-kin assignment. How is that "marriage" in the terms the Church would like to define? Should it matter to the State if that couple entering into a legal contract is same-sex? If the major Churches of the world would like to remain in the dark ages and deny membership to their fellow men and women because they happen to be homosexual let them. But keep the separation of Church and State separate. The fact that our legislators are spending so much time on this issue angers me even more. We have serious problems and we need serious people to solve them.
Republicans as you know are all about smaller government, less taxation and such. Is that why new useless departments have been created? Is that why the United States went from a substantial budget surplus to a major deficit? Alex P. Keaton must be pretty pissed off these days. I am all about smaller, more efficient government and lowered taxes but in order to make that happen our officials need to have their money regulated to them. This careless spending is really outrageous. And I blame the Democrats just as much for being the benchwarmers that do nothing during the game but gripe the loudest when the team loses. Air America Radio, rich liberal entertainer blowhards, are not going to solve our problems. Our leaders need to get off their collective asses and do something about our problems.
On a final note and with my apologies for this being more of rant than the cohesive argument I had originally intended it is the hypocrisy of today that gets up in the top five things that make me mad. Rush Limbaugh was one of the loudest voices of the conservative view. He said that we should cut all Federal funding to programmes to help the poor, drug addicted and other similar groups. He called these people names and spat at them with great hatred. And now he enlists the help of the ACLU in his own drug addition battle? Oh how the mighty fall. If the ACLU were not as secure in their fight for equality and the protection of Americans they would have told Limbaugh to go fuck himself when he came to them.
I am really tired of this entire sort of thing. I am sick of conservative Republicans constantly name-calling when it comes to liberals. I have heard certain individuals personally berate Hillary Clinton and others. Do you know her personally? Did she harm you in some specific way? No, she put herself through school and got elected by the people who felt she would be a positive influence on their futures. Trash her politics if you wish, but unless you know her for real then shut up already. Screaming the loudest and using the profane words get you the attention, but they also reveal your fears. I am done for now and without even touching the issues of media censorship. I simply have no more time to devote to this.
It Makes Me Angry
by David July
Archived Article (2001–2014) 
Previous Article
David...
Nice dialogue. Well thought out and written.
But a few arguments.
Marrige is not a constitutional right. I can't seem to find in the US Constitution that discusses marriage's ability to be between two people of their liking.
You know I'm conservative, but I'm conservative because I am anti-tax, anti-irs, and 100% pro constitutionalist.
Bush has made some boo-boos, but his character is intact which will feed the Anti-Clinton/Pro-Ethics crowds. Washington had its head up their ass when 9/11 happened and when we invaded Iraq. The government should have done better and pointing fingers at Clinton holds truth, the administration should have done more. People aren't thrilled with Hillary as she lead the socialist movement when she proposed Nationalised Health Care (which from some I've heard is a nightmare). Plus deciding to run for U.S. Senate in a state you've never lived in wasn't a cool idea unless you are power hungry. If she truely wanted to make a change, she would have did it as her tenure as First Lady, or ran for the Senate from her HOME state of Arkansas.
In regards to cutting federal programs to the poor, I am all for it. Here in Key West the city is paying for shelter, food, and showers for homeless people ... How is this going to help them? it's not. If you provide someone with the basic necessities of life for long term, what is going to motivate them to get an apartment, house, or a job for that matter. If I knew I could live for free, eat for free, and sleep in a bed for free, I'd stop paying rent at my $1600 / month trailer (no joke, but I have a pool!) and become homeless.
I wholeheartedly agree that we give the poor too much and not enough for them to get off of their asses and do something about their livelyhood.
The Democrats pushed hard for their "lets help the little people" as it would earn them votes (and it has), but yet some of their programs are going to bankrupt this country and you and I will pay for it (medicare & social security come to mind)... and we'll NEVER see those benefits that have been pounded into our heads as "rights" as U.S. Citizens (again, see Constitution for a list of what rights we have, Medicare & Social Security isn't one of them..)
In regards to gay marriage, we killed ourselves with it. Society wasn't ready and they reguritated the idea. So now, we as homos, will never be allowed to marry as its more than likely to pass a constitutional amendment. If we had waited a few years and did things in baby steps, we most certainly would have been successful. Will & Grace, Queer Eye are great steps in the right direction, as people are becoming more acceptable to the idea. So then we thrust the idea of marriage in their face, which is a religious term, which got the Right Wing stirred up.. (oops!).
I love ya and understand where you are coming from, but I think that the administrations of present and past have flaws, the administrations of the FUTURE will have flaws... society will always have its faults & social ills and the ideas you bring up are highly valid, but are due some balanced discussion.
Btw, come down to Key West sometime.. its fantastic down here!
Thank you for taking the time to address your feelings on some of these issues.
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Marrige is not a constitutional right. I can't seem to find in the US Constitution that discusses marriage's ability to be between two people of their liking.
No it is not and that is exactly the way it should remain. In the eyes of the government Marriage is simply a legal contract. If the government prohibited African-American couples from marrying it would be the same complaint: simple discrimination. My comment on this issue was written so that I can understand you thought I was saying people died for the freedom to marry. This is not my intent. Simply put, the framers while flawed themselves (please note when slavery was finally abolished) did have the heart of equality. Besides, if we have enacted laws to prohibit every other type of discrimination, what makes this any different.
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Bush has made some boo-boos, but his character is intact which will feed the Anti-Clinton/Pro-Ethics crowds. Washington had its head up their ass when 9/11 happened and when we invaded Iraq. The government should have done better and pointing fingers at Clinton holds truth, the administration should have done more.
I really question how the Anti-Clinton/Pro-Ethics crowds can sleep at night when Bush has a great stake in oil company revenues, Cheney used to run the major war contractor Halliburton and just about every other Republican in power has a similar connection. Pro-Ethics my ass. Everyone is just as guilty when it comes to this conflict of interest and unethical behaviour. Sleeping around does not really compromise the job at hand, however.
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People aren't thrilled with Hillary as she lead the socialist movement when she proposed Nationalised Health Care (which from some I've heard is a nightmare). Plus deciding to run for U.S. Senate in a state you've never lived in wasn't a cool idea unless you are power hungry. If she truely wanted to make a change, she would have did it as her tenure as First Lady, or ran for the Senate from her HOME state of Arkansas.
Valid points but still nothing sufficient enough to warrant personal attacks. Trash her politics until you are blue in the face but leave nasty, hateful personal attacks out out it. I believe health care reform is an important issue, but I agree that a nationalised system is probably doomed from the start. And I too was not thrilled at her decision to run for office in New York in lieu of Arkansas. But then again it was the people, the citizens who elected her into office. If they did not have these same concerns then it is not the business of the non-constituency to argue against it unless some law was broken.
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In regards to cutting federal programs to the poor, I am all for it. Here in Key West the city is paying for shelter, food, and showers for homeless people ... How is this going to help them? it's not. [...] I wholeheartedly agree that we give the poor too much and not enough for them to get off of their asses and do something about their livelyhood.
Eliminate, no. Cut back, maybe. Redevelop, yes. I agree handouts are no incentive, but when you look at the current programmes they offer little help and no incentive. I support social programme reform. Allocate money to organisations that will actually take the unfortunate in, help them out and send them on their way to becoming productive, self-sufficient citizens. It is our duty as humans and Americans to help those in need.
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In regards to gay marriage, we killed ourselves with it. Society wasn't ready and they reguritated the idea. So now, we as homos, will never be allowed to marry as its more than likely to pass a constitutional amendment. If we had waited a few years and did things in baby steps, we most certainly would have been successful. Will & Grace, Queer Eye are great steps in the right direction, as people are becoming more acceptable to the idea. So then we thrust the idea of marriage in their face, which is a religious term, which got the Right Wing stirred up.. (oops!).
Again I am in agreement with most of this but when is there a good time to fight for equal rights? Some might argue that the 1960's was not the best time for African-Americans to rise up and demand human rights equal to that of their Caucasian brothers and sisters. Just because the conservative and religious get their panties in a twist over the word "marriage," that is not a valid excuse to enact legislation that openly and legally discriminates against any group of people.
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Btw, come down to Key West sometime.. its fantastic down here!
I would love to but I simply cannot afford any trip right now. I need to get some things done to my car I cannot pay for, my car insurance was due last week and gas prices are skyrocketing. I assure you I am not avoiding you and would love nothing more than to hang out for a weekend or more, but until either 100 people sign-up for my hosting or other services and/or I get a new day job I will have to decline.