Call me crazy, but I'm for it. Parkinson's, Hotchkin's, heart defects, liver problems, lung problems, almost every degenerative disorder known to man will be affected and eventually cured due to stem cell research.
Now before you get picky, I never went to medical school, so don't be a jerk.
Everyone ties Stem Cell Research in with abortion, or cloning, or some other insidious anti-right-wing activity, and I grow weary. We have been given an opportunity to make giant leaps and bounds on the scientific front, and religious ferver and partisan politics are getting in the way. If someday they could replace your heart with, well, your heart, what are the odds your body would reject it? Part of the responsibility of our government is to look after the welfare of the public. Squashing Stem Cell research at this point in the game is not only preventing the advancement of science, but also dashing the hopes of millions of people world-wide.
People always resist the next step in science on moral or religious grounds. This is simply the next step, people. Stop repeating the silly parts of history already.
Picture of the Week
Really, America?...
27 October 2006
24 October 2006
End of an Era
I love this country.
As the election draws near, the republicans and democrats are breaking out the "big guns". I see ads for politicians, some slinging mud, some taking the higher ground, and my eyes are opened. These people are desperately fighting for their livelihood. They can smell the end coming, just like the rest of us. Politicians know, perhaps for the first time in generations, that the common people are no longer willing to play the game. Men who are five or ten years from retirement are going to have to go get some semblance of a real job for the first time in their lives. Republicans will be replaced with Democrats. Democrats will be replaced by Republicans and Independents. Every commitee on Capitol Hill is about to lose long-time members. Congress is about to initiate the largest incoming freshman class in decades.
Its beautiful. People are discussing politics in gas stations, at work, at fast-food joints. The apathy that has been obvious on election day for many years is disappearing. We, the people have finally had enough. We still can't really agree on who to vote for, but we all agree that those who are in office must be replaced. I have spoken recently to no less than ten people who are over twenty-five years of age who are going to vote for the first time in their lives. I would not be surprised to see the largest voter turn-out ever on election day.
My only hope is that we can do it again in '08.
People keep talking to me about term limits. Term limits wouldn't be an issue if we would vote our conscience every time. As appealing as term limits might be, I think that we have been given a much greater tool for change: The Vote.
As the election draws near, the republicans and democrats are breaking out the "big guns". I see ads for politicians, some slinging mud, some taking the higher ground, and my eyes are opened. These people are desperately fighting for their livelihood. They can smell the end coming, just like the rest of us. Politicians know, perhaps for the first time in generations, that the common people are no longer willing to play the game. Men who are five or ten years from retirement are going to have to go get some semblance of a real job for the first time in their lives. Republicans will be replaced with Democrats. Democrats will be replaced by Republicans and Independents. Every commitee on Capitol Hill is about to lose long-time members. Congress is about to initiate the largest incoming freshman class in decades.
Its beautiful. People are discussing politics in gas stations, at work, at fast-food joints. The apathy that has been obvious on election day for many years is disappearing. We, the people have finally had enough. We still can't really agree on who to vote for, but we all agree that those who are in office must be replaced. I have spoken recently to no less than ten people who are over twenty-five years of age who are going to vote for the first time in their lives. I would not be surprised to see the largest voter turn-out ever on election day.
My only hope is that we can do it again in '08.
People keep talking to me about term limits. Term limits wouldn't be an issue if we would vote our conscience every time. As appealing as term limits might be, I think that we have been given a much greater tool for change: The Vote.
22 October 2006
Women in America
Is America ready for a woman president?
Not really, but that's not exactly a statement about women. A certain senator from New York is rumoured to be a raving lunatic bitch. She has been called the devil, even. Instead, I think she is representative of a large part of the female population in this country. She has taken a lot of crap from her husband, and doesn't want to talk about it in public. She knows what she wants and acts accordingly. She has personally gone to bat for every National Guard soldier in the country, proposing and pushing a bill providing health insurance for NG soldiers and families on regular drill status. I cannot name another politician that has made an effort to accomplish anything that has had such a direct effect on my life.
Come to think of it, it was the first time in a long time that a law was passed that directly benifited any common citizens.
A woman is president of India, one of the largest and most powerful nations on Earth. Margaret Thatcher was definately one of the strongest leaders in recent history. But we are still debating whether or not a woman can run this country. Sounds like crap to me. Its all just another distraction, and we're falling for it.
Women still make less per hour for the same job in many places in this country. Women are still relatively unprotected from spousal abuse in this country. Yet they have proven themselves perfectly capable in nearly every field of employment. If we can elect them to congress, theFIRST BRANCH OF OUR GOVERNMENT, why can't we elect a woman president? Why can't we protect them from abuse? Why can't we pay them the same wage for the same work?
In '08, I may not vote for Clinton (if she gets the nomination), but I do not doubt her ability to run the country. She already plays a part in that. As do many women.
If every woman in this country decided to sit down and do nothing for one day, a message would be sent to all of the men in this country. It would scare the hell out of most men.
My point is that we claim to be a progressive country for women, but we are still hanging on to primitive ideas about them. Let it go, already. If you trust a woman to help you pay the bills, raise the kids, and get through life, then the idea of a woman as president is really no stretch at all.
recommended reading: The Lysistrata
Not really, but that's not exactly a statement about women. A certain senator from New York is rumoured to be a raving lunatic bitch. She has been called the devil, even. Instead, I think she is representative of a large part of the female population in this country. She has taken a lot of crap from her husband, and doesn't want to talk about it in public. She knows what she wants and acts accordingly. She has personally gone to bat for every National Guard soldier in the country, proposing and pushing a bill providing health insurance for NG soldiers and families on regular drill status. I cannot name another politician that has made an effort to accomplish anything that has had such a direct effect on my life.
Come to think of it, it was the first time in a long time that a law was passed that directly benifited any common citizens.
A woman is president of India, one of the largest and most powerful nations on Earth. Margaret Thatcher was definately one of the strongest leaders in recent history. But we are still debating whether or not a woman can run this country. Sounds like crap to me. Its all just another distraction, and we're falling for it.
Women still make less per hour for the same job in many places in this country. Women are still relatively unprotected from spousal abuse in this country. Yet they have proven themselves perfectly capable in nearly every field of employment. If we can elect them to congress, theFIRST BRANCH OF OUR GOVERNMENT, why can't we elect a woman president? Why can't we protect them from abuse? Why can't we pay them the same wage for the same work?
In '08, I may not vote for Clinton (if she gets the nomination), but I do not doubt her ability to run the country. She already plays a part in that. As do many women.
If every woman in this country decided to sit down and do nothing for one day, a message would be sent to all of the men in this country. It would scare the hell out of most men.
My point is that we claim to be a progressive country for women, but we are still hanging on to primitive ideas about them. Let it go, already. If you trust a woman to help you pay the bills, raise the kids, and get through life, then the idea of a woman as president is really no stretch at all.
recommended reading: The Lysistrata
19 October 2006
Have A Good Weekend...
I am watching campaign commercials. If you flip over to wrestling, and then back to campaign commercials, the only difference is that the trash talking is cleaner(on the surface) during campaigns, and candidates usually dress better than wrestlers.
I hate wrestling. I'm just making an observation.
Anyway, once again, in November we get to go down to the ballot box and pick between Airline food and Hospital food. I would rather pluck out my left eye than vote for either of the candidates running for Governor of Arkansas. But, just like everyone else, I'm going to vote for the lesser of two evils. So be it.
On the bright side, Huckabee isn't running for re-election. He thinks he has a shot at the presidency in'08, but he's just another pseudo-religious gasbag without a chance in hell.
Next week, I'm posting on women's rights. I bet I get some response from both sides of the fence.
Have a good weekend. Play with your kids, play with your dog, eat something good. My gut tells me that Monday's gonna suck...
I hate wrestling. I'm just making an observation.
Anyway, once again, in November we get to go down to the ballot box and pick between Airline food and Hospital food. I would rather pluck out my left eye than vote for either of the candidates running for Governor of Arkansas. But, just like everyone else, I'm going to vote for the lesser of two evils. So be it.
On the bright side, Huckabee isn't running for re-election. He thinks he has a shot at the presidency in'08, but he's just another pseudo-religious gasbag without a chance in hell.
Next week, I'm posting on women's rights. I bet I get some response from both sides of the fence.
Have a good weekend. Play with your kids, play with your dog, eat something good. My gut tells me that Monday's gonna suck...
15 October 2006
The War on Drugs
The country is moving further and further from traditional ideals and values. The distribution and use of illegal substances has been blamed for this for quite some time now. I believe that the widespread use of drugs is just a symptom of a larger problem. As the middle class shrinks, and as traditional families get fewer, the causes behind habitual drug use become more common. We have to start treating the disease here, not just the symptoms. But that's another post...
The problem with "prohibition" is that it creates a perfect supply and demand scenario. In other words, there's more money in drugs because they are harder to come by. I do not mean to imply that drugs are hard to find, but that the distribution and manufacture of illegal substances require such precautions as to raise the price.
I do not condone the wide-spread decriminalization of drugs. I do support the legalization of Marijuana. For starters, Marijuana does not typically produce violent behavior in users. The violence involved in the Marijuana trade is directly related to the fact that it is illegal. Growth and distribution could and should be governed by the same agencies that watch over alcohol and tobacco (now what was the name of that agency?...). Making Marijuana legal and taxable adds revenue, clears court dockets, and reduces prison populations. Legalization also creates a cash crop that farmers in the lower Mississippi Valley could grow (Farm Subsidies Rant in the making, folks, be patient).
Anyone caught with a significant amount of heroin or cocaine should be sent to prison for life. Dealers are usually just trying to make a living or supporting their own habits. Distributors are usually the people who commit the violent crimes for a buck, or territory. We need to come up with an amount that qualifies an individual as a distributor, and each state should come up with a minimum mandatory sentence. None of this panty-waste ten -year sentencing crap, either. I'm talking 60 years without the possibility of parole.
The Crystal Meth problem is out of control. I know at least six people personally with a meth habit, and I don't run in any "dope circles" by any means. I have started making fun of tweekers in Wal-Mart to let my kids know what that crap will do to you. Meth is so easy to make and so quick to sell that it is not always possible to tell who is a "cook" and who is a simple user. Anyone who lives in rural America knows this. Gone are the days when a small town is a guaranteed safe haven from drugs and violent crime. If you live in a rural area, and you disagree with that last statement, I challenge you to talk to your local sheriff about it.
There should be no tolerance for crystal methamphetamine in this country. A mandatory 30 year sentence without parole for simple possession, add thirty with possession of a weapon. Make it life within 1000 yards of a school, public park, or daycare. We can't stop crystal meth, but we can put it back underground.
As far as the "drug war" goes, we lost. We need to bring our troops (cops, or whatever you want to call them) from Columbia or anywhere else. If we had a secure border, Columbia's problems would not be America's problems. We should stop wasting money on this program because it isn't working.
I doubt if there are any tweekers reading this, because they are all too paranoid to get online. All comments are welcome, though, especially from any "intellectual" drug users. I love to argue with those people...
The problem with "prohibition" is that it creates a perfect supply and demand scenario. In other words, there's more money in drugs because they are harder to come by. I do not mean to imply that drugs are hard to find, but that the distribution and manufacture of illegal substances require such precautions as to raise the price.
I do not condone the wide-spread decriminalization of drugs. I do support the legalization of Marijuana. For starters, Marijuana does not typically produce violent behavior in users. The violence involved in the Marijuana trade is directly related to the fact that it is illegal. Growth and distribution could and should be governed by the same agencies that watch over alcohol and tobacco (now what was the name of that agency?...). Making Marijuana legal and taxable adds revenue, clears court dockets, and reduces prison populations. Legalization also creates a cash crop that farmers in the lower Mississippi Valley could grow (Farm Subsidies Rant in the making, folks, be patient).
Anyone caught with a significant amount of heroin or cocaine should be sent to prison for life. Dealers are usually just trying to make a living or supporting their own habits. Distributors are usually the people who commit the violent crimes for a buck, or territory. We need to come up with an amount that qualifies an individual as a distributor, and each state should come up with a minimum mandatory sentence. None of this panty-waste ten -year sentencing crap, either. I'm talking 60 years without the possibility of parole.
The Crystal Meth problem is out of control. I know at least six people personally with a meth habit, and I don't run in any "dope circles" by any means. I have started making fun of tweekers in Wal-Mart to let my kids know what that crap will do to you. Meth is so easy to make and so quick to sell that it is not always possible to tell who is a "cook" and who is a simple user. Anyone who lives in rural America knows this. Gone are the days when a small town is a guaranteed safe haven from drugs and violent crime. If you live in a rural area, and you disagree with that last statement, I challenge you to talk to your local sheriff about it.
There should be no tolerance for crystal methamphetamine in this country. A mandatory 30 year sentence without parole for simple possession, add thirty with possession of a weapon. Make it life within 1000 yards of a school, public park, or daycare. We can't stop crystal meth, but we can put it back underground.
As far as the "drug war" goes, we lost. We need to bring our troops (cops, or whatever you want to call them) from Columbia or anywhere else. If we had a secure border, Columbia's problems would not be America's problems. We should stop wasting money on this program because it isn't working.
I doubt if there are any tweekers reading this, because they are all too paranoid to get online. All comments are welcome, though, especially from any "intellectual" drug users. I love to argue with those people...
09 October 2006
Crime and Punishment, Part 1
Sexual Assault, Child Molestation, and Rape are all versions of the same kind of crime. They have very little to do with sex, and a lot to do with absolute control of another person. Studies show that a person who has committed one of these crimes is almost sure to be a repeat offender (around 98% ). What we have here is scientific support of mandatory life sentences for these crimes. I personally believe that the death sentence would be appropriate, but I really don't want to talk about that right now.
If we aren't going to put these people behind bars, then we should tag them with a device that will allow us to track them for the rest of their lives. When a child goes missing, the first thing we should be able to do is accurately locate all known pedophiles and sex offenders in the area. If we can track sharks and sea turtles, we can do this. As a parent, I am perfectly willing to pay more taxes to support this, though that wouldn't be necessary if everyone would just read my post titled "One Simple Solution". (blatant self-promotion)
I don't think there are too many people out there with sympathy for these people, so I'm not presenting a long winded argument here. If you have an argument, please be sure that it is a good one, or I'll just tear you up. I f you have any ideas to add, I would love to hear them. I am hoping to come up with a practical way to make this happen over the next few years. This is one change that we can and should make.
Next: The Drug War and Why We Are Losing...
If we aren't going to put these people behind bars, then we should tag them with a device that will allow us to track them for the rest of their lives. When a child goes missing, the first thing we should be able to do is accurately locate all known pedophiles and sex offenders in the area. If we can track sharks and sea turtles, we can do this. As a parent, I am perfectly willing to pay more taxes to support this, though that wouldn't be necessary if everyone would just read my post titled "One Simple Solution". (blatant self-promotion)
I don't think there are too many people out there with sympathy for these people, so I'm not presenting a long winded argument here. If you have an argument, please be sure that it is a good one, or I'll just tear you up. I f you have any ideas to add, I would love to hear them. I am hoping to come up with a practical way to make this happen over the next few years. This is one change that we can and should make.
Next: The Drug War and Why We Are Losing...
08 October 2006
Terrorism, AlQuaida, North Korea, Iran, School Shootings, Weird Weather and more...
Current Situation: North Korean Nukes, Possible development of nukes in Iran, World-wide Jihadism, Rising drug trade, Illegal Immigration, War in Iraq, War in Afghanistan, Pedophilia at an all-time high, School shootings, increase in sexual assaults, rise in domestic violence, mediocre economy, high fuel prices, weird weather, global warming, increase in seismic activity world-wide, and my new boss doesn't like tattoos.
What a mess!!!
Solution: Pressure the UN and China to sanction N. Korea, Sanctions against Iran (also recommend TNT from the Sky technique), Bomb all terrorists and their support systems, Initiate new drug policies(another post), Build a wall and pressure Mexico and neighbors South to educate and industrialize, Bring our troops home, Death Penalties for pedophiles, I still don't know what to do about school shootings, life sentences for first-time offenders for sex crimes, mandatory beatings for abusive spouses, repeal NAFTA, CAFTA, and outsourcing laws, develop alternate fuel sources, pray real hard, and I'm gonna quit soon, anyway. Whew!
Not only have I just solved most of the country's problems in less than 30 seconds, but I also managed to reference the top five google searches twice in half a page!!!
This week I will talk about crime and punishment in America. I would greatly appreciate some response, folks. I want to rant and rave, sure, but I also crave feedback(attention!!) from my loyal or not-so-loyal readers.
What a mess!!!
Solution: Pressure the UN and China to sanction N. Korea, Sanctions against Iran (also recommend TNT from the Sky technique), Bomb all terrorists and their support systems, Initiate new drug policies(another post), Build a wall and pressure Mexico and neighbors South to educate and industrialize, Bring our troops home, Death Penalties for pedophiles, I still don't know what to do about school shootings, life sentences for first-time offenders for sex crimes, mandatory beatings for abusive spouses, repeal NAFTA, CAFTA, and outsourcing laws, develop alternate fuel sources, pray real hard, and I'm gonna quit soon, anyway. Whew!
Not only have I just solved most of the country's problems in less than 30 seconds, but I also managed to reference the top five google searches twice in half a page!!!
This week I will talk about crime and punishment in America. I would greatly appreciate some response, folks. I want to rant and rave, sure, but I also crave feedback(attention!!) from my loyal or not-so-loyal readers.
07 October 2006
Dog the Bounty Hunter
So here's the story in a nutshell...
This make-up company heir is on trial for raping three women. When it gets kind of obvious that he is guilty, he runs off to Mexico. This bounty hunter goes to Mexico to get him. The bounty hunter catches the rapist, the Mexican police jail the bounty hunter AND the rapist. The US brings the bad guy home and the bounty hunter bonds out and leaves Mexico as well. Three years later, Mexico has asked for the bounty hunter to be extradited on kidnapping charges, because bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico.
This has got to be the most assinine thing that I have ever heard of.
Let's make a deal: Mexico can have Dog for 24hrs, and can fine him up to $2,500.00 on one condition. They also have to come get all the criminals that have crossed into our country since 1985, they have to publicly acknowledge that the current administration in Mexico is encouraging illegal immigration into the US because they are too lazy and corrupt to fix their own economy, and Vicente Fox has to go door to door to every taxpaying American household to kiss the ass of every man, woman, and child in this country.They also have to give up any and all US monies be they loans or grants for the next twenty-five years. I guess that's actually more than one condition. If we were Israel we would be massing our military on the border over this.
I am a relatively peace-loving individual, but this crap has gone far enough. Mexico had better stop gnawing on the hand that feeds her before we all get angry enough to do something drastic. The gall to even suggest that this man be arrested! And what imbecile prosecutor got behind that arrest? I want this guy's name and e-mail address! Somebody out there has got to have it. Give it up.
This make-up company heir is on trial for raping three women. When it gets kind of obvious that he is guilty, he runs off to Mexico. This bounty hunter goes to Mexico to get him. The bounty hunter catches the rapist, the Mexican police jail the bounty hunter AND the rapist. The US brings the bad guy home and the bounty hunter bonds out and leaves Mexico as well. Three years later, Mexico has asked for the bounty hunter to be extradited on kidnapping charges, because bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico.
This has got to be the most assinine thing that I have ever heard of.
Let's make a deal: Mexico can have Dog for 24hrs, and can fine him up to $2,500.00 on one condition. They also have to come get all the criminals that have crossed into our country since 1985, they have to publicly acknowledge that the current administration in Mexico is encouraging illegal immigration into the US because they are too lazy and corrupt to fix their own economy, and Vicente Fox has to go door to door to every taxpaying American household to kiss the ass of every man, woman, and child in this country.They also have to give up any and all US monies be they loans or grants for the next twenty-five years. I guess that's actually more than one condition. If we were Israel we would be massing our military on the border over this.
I am a relatively peace-loving individual, but this crap has gone far enough. Mexico had better stop gnawing on the hand that feeds her before we all get angry enough to do something drastic. The gall to even suggest that this man be arrested! And what imbecile prosecutor got behind that arrest? I want this guy's name and e-mail address! Somebody out there has got to have it. Give it up.
06 October 2006
Religion and Culture in America
One of the beautiful aspects of our constitution is that it provides for personal religion without enforcing any religion. People have taken things to the extreme, however, by trying to take religion completely out of our culture. Others overreact, and try to force too much religion on the public. My opinion on this is that my religion is personal, and also provided for as a personal liberty.
The most important failure in America is the failure to maintain our culture. This land was once the country where any young man could grow up to be president, or a great leader. There was little or no "Aristocracy" in our nation. The people wouldn't have it. As we see the decline of the middle class, we see the decline of the republic. There are fewer families with the time or inclination to get involved in the community. There are fewer close neighbors. There are less participants in town meetings and community organizations. Even getting involved in local politics seems to suck people into the machine. Our culture is difficult, if not impossible, to define.
We seperate ourselves by gender, race, sexuality, religion, and ethnicity by nature. But now the seperation is all we have left. Like my anonymous friend who hates or fears all ideas uncomfortable to him, we have pushed ourselves away from the reality of it all because it is all too ugly to face.
The definition of unity has become obscured by our lack of trust within our own nation.
We are a nation of citizens who knowingly elect liars, and then complain when we find out that we were lied to.
We are a nation of despots and sinners, with the highest divorce rate in the world.
More children are being raised by single parents and grandparents in our nation than ever before.
One in four girls are sexually assaulted in their lifetime in this country.
One in nine boys are sexually assaulted in their lifetime in this country.
Five out of seven people in this country have casually used drugs at some point in their lives.
This is how we are viewed by the rest of the world. These are the facts that define our culture. Rant and rave and blame all you want, but if you are not willing to rage against this deadly decline in our society, you rage for nothing. Confusing morality with self-serving ideals is no way to approach life in a civilized society. The longer we fight within over silly details that won't matter in a generation, the more likely that that generation will live in a third world society, without the riches and trappings of what was once an inspiring nation.
The most important failure in America is the failure to maintain our culture. This land was once the country where any young man could grow up to be president, or a great leader. There was little or no "Aristocracy" in our nation. The people wouldn't have it. As we see the decline of the middle class, we see the decline of the republic. There are fewer families with the time or inclination to get involved in the community. There are fewer close neighbors. There are less participants in town meetings and community organizations. Even getting involved in local politics seems to suck people into the machine. Our culture is difficult, if not impossible, to define.
We seperate ourselves by gender, race, sexuality, religion, and ethnicity by nature. But now the seperation is all we have left. Like my anonymous friend who hates or fears all ideas uncomfortable to him, we have pushed ourselves away from the reality of it all because it is all too ugly to face.
The definition of unity has become obscured by our lack of trust within our own nation.
We are a nation of citizens who knowingly elect liars, and then complain when we find out that we were lied to.
We are a nation of despots and sinners, with the highest divorce rate in the world.
More children are being raised by single parents and grandparents in our nation than ever before.
One in four girls are sexually assaulted in their lifetime in this country.
One in nine boys are sexually assaulted in their lifetime in this country.
Five out of seven people in this country have casually used drugs at some point in their lives.
This is how we are viewed by the rest of the world. These are the facts that define our culture. Rant and rave and blame all you want, but if you are not willing to rage against this deadly decline in our society, you rage for nothing. Confusing morality with self-serving ideals is no way to approach life in a civilized society. The longer we fight within over silly details that won't matter in a generation, the more likely that that generation will live in a third world society, without the riches and trappings of what was once an inspiring nation.
Family Values
I am a pretty lazy guy, but I work hard for my employer. That's just how I was taught. I work for a rather large, well-known retail outlet, we'll call them "House Station". The company promotes excellent customer service, which is something we could all use a little of. However, the majority of employees have different idea. How many of you have been satisfied with your experience at "House Station", "WallyWorld", "Bullseye", or anywhere else lately. When I walk into a store, I want to at least be able to find what I'm after. I'm OK with a little subtle marketing, like placing like items far apart so that I am more likely to buy items I didn't originally intend to purchase. That's fair enough. The company does exist to make money. I don't really even mind too bad when the guy helping me isn't an expert on the subject matter at hand, as long as he tries to help me in the best, most courteous fashion possible.
But that really doesn't happen either.
Americans have stopped caring about service. Waiters are snotty, salesmen don't care if you get what you need, and checkout girls are usually too tired to even pretend to care. If you do run across a good waitress, you probably won't tip her, because you don't care about your fellow American, either. When was the last time that you told someone that they were doing a good job? When was the last time you greeted a customer with a genuine smile?
Maybe we do deserve to have our jobs sent over-seas. We certainly don't appreciate them. The Pakistani guy that helped me with my internet problem tonight may have been reading from a script, and I'm pretty sure that his name wasn't really Gary, but he told me that he appreciated my business. He couldn't help me, so he passed me along to Todd(Punjibar), who could, and did.
Perhaps when we are living three generations to a house, and we are riding donkeys to work and to school, then we will appreciate the opportunity to earn a dollar.
I hope that I am teaching my kids how to work hard, and to do a good job. I hope that I am an example of a good and decent man to my children. I don't have much in the way of material goods, and my bank account balance certainly won't impress anyone. But I have dinner with my wife and kids every chance I get. We go to church together. We hang out without the TV on. My children know that the color of a man's skin is not a reason for judgement. They also know that people and cultures are different, which is what makes us interesting.
Don't get me wrong, I'm no saint. Most of you have read my response to the Anonymous Racist on the Gay Marriage post. I get wound up and opinionated, and I go on tirades here at home just like I do on this web page. I try real hard to make my children understand that they have to work hard to make the world a better place, if only in some small way. I have taught my children the value of service.
People in America are failing their children. And mine. And yours. Politicians, Policemen, Private Citizens. We are all to blame.
We have to stop making family values less a political platform and more a reality. It makes me sick to hear a candidate use the phrase anymore. My family values didn't come from politicians. From what I have seen lately, I great many politicians could use a dose of raising like I got. My mother would crawl on her hands and knees all the way to D.C. just to beat my ass for acting like some of these slobs. God bless my mother.
I worry that my children will have to live in China in order to make a living when they are grown. No one wants their kids to live that far away. I worry that the world outside of our home will be more influential than I am. I worry about this country because my children and grandchildren will live in it long after I am gone. If only a handful of people here are willing to work hard, the jobs won't be here. If we keep playing politics with terrorists, Little Rock could someday be as bad as Beirut. Like Baltimore. Or Oakland.
We have problems here that must be fixed soon, because the future of our republic is at stake. It won't be gay marriage, or terrorism, or illegal immigration that brings us down. It will be our lack of interest.
We owe our children something better than what we are giving them.
But that really doesn't happen either.
Americans have stopped caring about service. Waiters are snotty, salesmen don't care if you get what you need, and checkout girls are usually too tired to even pretend to care. If you do run across a good waitress, you probably won't tip her, because you don't care about your fellow American, either. When was the last time that you told someone that they were doing a good job? When was the last time you greeted a customer with a genuine smile?
Maybe we do deserve to have our jobs sent over-seas. We certainly don't appreciate them. The Pakistani guy that helped me with my internet problem tonight may have been reading from a script, and I'm pretty sure that his name wasn't really Gary, but he told me that he appreciated my business. He couldn't help me, so he passed me along to Todd(Punjibar), who could, and did.
Perhaps when we are living three generations to a house, and we are riding donkeys to work and to school, then we will appreciate the opportunity to earn a dollar.
I hope that I am teaching my kids how to work hard, and to do a good job. I hope that I am an example of a good and decent man to my children. I don't have much in the way of material goods, and my bank account balance certainly won't impress anyone. But I have dinner with my wife and kids every chance I get. We go to church together. We hang out without the TV on. My children know that the color of a man's skin is not a reason for judgement. They also know that people and cultures are different, which is what makes us interesting.
Don't get me wrong, I'm no saint. Most of you have read my response to the Anonymous Racist on the Gay Marriage post. I get wound up and opinionated, and I go on tirades here at home just like I do on this web page. I try real hard to make my children understand that they have to work hard to make the world a better place, if only in some small way. I have taught my children the value of service.
People in America are failing their children. And mine. And yours. Politicians, Policemen, Private Citizens. We are all to blame.
We have to stop making family values less a political platform and more a reality. It makes me sick to hear a candidate use the phrase anymore. My family values didn't come from politicians. From what I have seen lately, I great many politicians could use a dose of raising like I got. My mother would crawl on her hands and knees all the way to D.C. just to beat my ass for acting like some of these slobs. God bless my mother.
I worry that my children will have to live in China in order to make a living when they are grown. No one wants their kids to live that far away. I worry that the world outside of our home will be more influential than I am. I worry about this country because my children and grandchildren will live in it long after I am gone. If only a handful of people here are willing to work hard, the jobs won't be here. If we keep playing politics with terrorists, Little Rock could someday be as bad as Beirut. Like Baltimore. Or Oakland.
We have problems here that must be fixed soon, because the future of our republic is at stake. It won't be gay marriage, or terrorism, or illegal immigration that brings us down. It will be our lack of interest.
We owe our children something better than what we are giving them.
03 October 2006
Terrorism and the Angry American
The whole " Kill 'em All" approach ain't workin'.
The problem with the war on terror is the way we are fighting. GW and his cronies are taking the fight to Mohammed, and I believe that on some level, they do mean to win. This is the wrong approach.
Ronald Reagan knew how to fight terrorism. You squash it like a bug. We shouldn't have troops on the ground in terrorist country. We should drop lots of really expensive bombs. First, the world sees the action as dismissive to a point. A long distance death sentence has a definate psychological advantage. Second, the folks at home don't get addled every time the "Terror Alert" hits mauve or puce or whatever color it is these days, because the troops aren't overseas pissing off the natives. Let's face it, the troops are Angry Americans, and really can't be taken anywhere. Finally, it just seems less likely to end with soldiers being called "baby-killer" and being spit on in the streets. After all, Angry America is Fickle America's twin.
I remember when Libya was a training ground for terrorism. I also remember how we made that end. I realize that bombing Afghanistan back to the stone age is redundant, but hey, somebody somewhere would have been impressed.
I do not mean to downplay the events of 9/11, but if we had bombed the crap out of every country know to support or harbor members of Al Quaida, maybe we could have spent a little more time actually analyzing intelligence in order to seek out and destroy Bin Laden and his crew.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is time to bring our troops home for awhile. We need to deal with internal problems. If anyone attacks, threatens, or looks at us wrong, we should drop a few thousand pounds of TNT on them and go on about our business.
The problem with the war on terror is the way we are fighting. GW and his cronies are taking the fight to Mohammed, and I believe that on some level, they do mean to win. This is the wrong approach.
Ronald Reagan knew how to fight terrorism. You squash it like a bug. We shouldn't have troops on the ground in terrorist country. We should drop lots of really expensive bombs. First, the world sees the action as dismissive to a point. A long distance death sentence has a definate psychological advantage. Second, the folks at home don't get addled every time the "Terror Alert" hits mauve or puce or whatever color it is these days, because the troops aren't overseas pissing off the natives. Let's face it, the troops are Angry Americans, and really can't be taken anywhere. Finally, it just seems less likely to end with soldiers being called "baby-killer" and being spit on in the streets. After all, Angry America is Fickle America's twin.
I remember when Libya was a training ground for terrorism. I also remember how we made that end. I realize that bombing Afghanistan back to the stone age is redundant, but hey, somebody somewhere would have been impressed.
I do not mean to downplay the events of 9/11, but if we had bombed the crap out of every country know to support or harbor members of Al Quaida, maybe we could have spent a little more time actually analyzing intelligence in order to seek out and destroy Bin Laden and his crew.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is time to bring our troops home for awhile. We need to deal with internal problems. If anyone attacks, threatens, or looks at us wrong, we should drop a few thousand pounds of TNT on them and go on about our business.
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