Not since the time of Theodore Roosevelt has politics been so broken along party lines and so controlled by big business. In spite of the oft touted and repeatedly failed 'trickle down' theory espoused by many politicians, lower taxes on corporations has not increased job production. In fact corporations have moved jobs overseas and are even now, attempting to merge with overseas corporations to establish that their headquarters are overseas and avoid paying the little taxes that the United States does impose on them.
When corporations and the top 1% were paying their fair share of taxes, the United States thrived. Roads were built, jobs created and infrastructure maintained. Once the tax burden was shifted from corporations to the middle class, the United States declined, roads and infrastructure has been left to fail and the middle class has all but disappeared.
Medicare and Social Security which was designed to keep seniors and those seriously disabled from sinking into poverty, are being attacked as contributing to the National Debt. Revisions to both are being touted as reducing the debt with no mention as to the thousands of people who depend on these services. In spite of laws being passed that supposedly would equal the playing field for owners and employees alike in the field of retirement savings; more and more it appears that loopholes exist for those wealthy enough to find them.
Far too often once an individual reaches the state level in politics, their campaigns are being funded by special interests to the detriment of the people who elected them. If they go on to the Federal level, they are so firmly in the pockets of special interests that elections are no longer fair and unbiased. If you are funded by a large corporation, drug company or other special interest you can afford to flow the airways with negative ads. Comments are taken out of context and numbers are manipulated to show whatever the manipulator wants to show.
The United States will continue to decline as long as people refuse to think for themselves and listen only to a few voices. We must continue to educate ourselves or we will have no one to blame but ourselves when the country fails.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Discrimination
When you hear the word "Discrimination" you naturally think of racial or sexual discrimination. But, unfortunately, discrimination has many sutle forms. Whether we know it or not we discriminate against someone, somehow everyday. We may not vocalize it or make it apparent but it is there. It is in our thoughts and actions.
When we were first created or born, we were pure and innocent. We accepted everyone and everything for what it was. We were amazed at the smallest detail and at the largest expanse of night sky. As we grew older we were influenced by our parents who were products of the past and the accepted norms of that time. We were also influenced by our playmates, classmates, employers, friends and the society in which we grew up. We were also influenced by our own fears and misunderstandings.
We discounted certain people, places, foods, etc because our parents influenced us against them and our parents in our child's mind, were infallible. We held to these beliefs because they provided us with a sense of comfort and belonging. Even after we became adults it was difficult to shed these beliefs because they were so much a part of who we were. If we had an open mind, receptive to change, eventually our views changed along with the times and we discovered that the beliefs of the past were just that, beliefs of the past. Not necessarily wrong but no longer relevant to the world today.
Unfortunately there will always be those who want to cling to the past no matter how irrelevant or hurtful. They continue to spew the hatred of the past cloaked in new language or in a different light so it is perceived as being different. But it is not, it is discrimination. It is "us versus them" wrapped up in either religion, politics, greed, or fear. We all retain a healthy fear of certain things, certain animals to help us stay alive. That does not make the things we fear bad or wrong. It doesn't mean we need to eliminate these things or people.
Discrimination is based on the fear of what we do not understand. Humanity has overcome its fears in the past and become explorers, inventors, scientists, etc. Once we stop fearing each other, except when it is justified, discrimination will be eliminated. Politicians use fear to get us to vote in their favor and not always for the best. Our creator gave us something no other animal has, the ability to reason. To determine for ourselves the difference between right and wrong; to see the good along with the bad in people; to rationalize and think for ourselves and not be driven by instinct entirely.
Once we as a world begin to use this ability to reason on a more consistent basis, not only will it be a better place but discrimination as we know it will disappear.
When we were first created or born, we were pure and innocent. We accepted everyone and everything for what it was. We were amazed at the smallest detail and at the largest expanse of night sky. As we grew older we were influenced by our parents who were products of the past and the accepted norms of that time. We were also influenced by our playmates, classmates, employers, friends and the society in which we grew up. We were also influenced by our own fears and misunderstandings.
We discounted certain people, places, foods, etc because our parents influenced us against them and our parents in our child's mind, were infallible. We held to these beliefs because they provided us with a sense of comfort and belonging. Even after we became adults it was difficult to shed these beliefs because they were so much a part of who we were. If we had an open mind, receptive to change, eventually our views changed along with the times and we discovered that the beliefs of the past were just that, beliefs of the past. Not necessarily wrong but no longer relevant to the world today.
Unfortunately there will always be those who want to cling to the past no matter how irrelevant or hurtful. They continue to spew the hatred of the past cloaked in new language or in a different light so it is perceived as being different. But it is not, it is discrimination. It is "us versus them" wrapped up in either religion, politics, greed, or fear. We all retain a healthy fear of certain things, certain animals to help us stay alive. That does not make the things we fear bad or wrong. It doesn't mean we need to eliminate these things or people.
Discrimination is based on the fear of what we do not understand. Humanity has overcome its fears in the past and become explorers, inventors, scientists, etc. Once we stop fearing each other, except when it is justified, discrimination will be eliminated. Politicians use fear to get us to vote in their favor and not always for the best. Our creator gave us something no other animal has, the ability to reason. To determine for ourselves the difference between right and wrong; to see the good along with the bad in people; to rationalize and think for ourselves and not be driven by instinct entirely.
Once we as a world begin to use this ability to reason on a more consistent basis, not only will it be a better place but discrimination as we know it will disappear.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
FEAR
We fear what we do not understand and we try to destroy what we fear.
As children we have no fear; we laugh and play with abandon. We have to touch, taste everything regardless of the consequences. As we get older we learn that we shouldn't touch a hot stove because it will burn us. We learn that some things are not meant to be tasted, we learn not to dart out into the street without looking. These are important lessons that we need to learn to survive.
But fearing all people of a different race, religion, ethnic background is not a lesson that is key to our survival as a species. Fear of a wild animal is good because it keeps us alive. However, hunting them to the point of extinction is not. Every living creature has a purpose in the circle of life. Just because we cannot see it or it interferes with our lives is no reason to condemn an entire species or race or ethnic background to extinction. An individual I once worked with said that he did not care if he never saw a tiger or if his children ever saw one.
Only humans feel that they are so superior to all other species that they do not need to care about them. Some native tribes believed that the Great Spirit lived in everything; the grass, the trees, the wind, the animals, etc. Something more powerful than man created everything and designed the world around them.
But through the ages we have lost the wisdom of our ancestors and fallen into the trap of believing everything that is printed or shown on television without actually checking the facts. The acts of a few Islamic militants have created a fear of all Muslims. The horrific attacks by a few pit bulls or other dog breeds have spawned breed specific legislation to ban these breeds from entire cities or states. Yet in the case of the pit bulls, german shepherds, rotties and others; it is their irresponsible owners who are actually to blame.
Fear can be a good thing, it can keep us alive and safe. But allowing blind fear to rule our lives, cloud our judgement and close our minds makes us less than our maker intended us to be.
As children we have no fear; we laugh and play with abandon. We have to touch, taste everything regardless of the consequences. As we get older we learn that we shouldn't touch a hot stove because it will burn us. We learn that some things are not meant to be tasted, we learn not to dart out into the street without looking. These are important lessons that we need to learn to survive.
But fearing all people of a different race, religion, ethnic background is not a lesson that is key to our survival as a species. Fear of a wild animal is good because it keeps us alive. However, hunting them to the point of extinction is not. Every living creature has a purpose in the circle of life. Just because we cannot see it or it interferes with our lives is no reason to condemn an entire species or race or ethnic background to extinction. An individual I once worked with said that he did not care if he never saw a tiger or if his children ever saw one.
Only humans feel that they are so superior to all other species that they do not need to care about them. Some native tribes believed that the Great Spirit lived in everything; the grass, the trees, the wind, the animals, etc. Something more powerful than man created everything and designed the world around them.
But through the ages we have lost the wisdom of our ancestors and fallen into the trap of believing everything that is printed or shown on television without actually checking the facts. The acts of a few Islamic militants have created a fear of all Muslims. The horrific attacks by a few pit bulls or other dog breeds have spawned breed specific legislation to ban these breeds from entire cities or states. Yet in the case of the pit bulls, german shepherds, rotties and others; it is their irresponsible owners who are actually to blame.
Fear can be a good thing, it can keep us alive and safe. But allowing blind fear to rule our lives, cloud our judgement and close our minds makes us less than our maker intended us to be.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Moving Forward?
Since our inception as a nation we as a people have moved forward. There have always been those who wanted to hang on the the ways of the past but we have been on the whole a nation that tried new things and did new things. We were inventors, explorers, and not tolerant of those who attempted to reign in our enthusiasm.
Our nation was founded on the principle that given a chance anyone could make something of his life. It was not always easy because there have always been those who wanted more than everyone else and would do whatever it took to keep it or get it. In the west it was the cattle barons, silver barons, land barons, and in the east it was the robber barons and industrial giants. But the opportunity was always there if someone was willing to fight for it.
That has all changed. We are regressing back to Europe of the 17th and 18th centuries. Wealth is held by a very small percentage of the population and they are dictating the future for all. Large corporations are replacing the independent business man in just about every major industry and market. We import food, oil and export money and jobs.
Once we were a shining beacon to the world of what could be achieved when man was free to be an individual. Now we are becoming a flickering shadow just barely keeping the dark at bay. Our politicians are corrupt, our churches are more concerned about the size of their buildings then they are about helping the poor, old and sick. We no longer hold sacred the documents on which this country was founded but pervert them to suit our own selfish purposes. We have also taken religion from a positive influence to a negative one. We hear only what we want to hear, see what suits our purpose and turn our backs on all the good that this nation has stood for. If anyone dares to point this out they are deemed unpatriotic, a heretic; if this doesn't harken back to the inquisition I don't know what does.
Don't think this goes unnoticed by either our "friends" or our enemies. Both sides are waiting for this nation to implode and both have the same purpose in mind. To pick up the pieces and remake us into their image.
I pray that this doesn't happen. We can be that beacon again, it is within our power as a people to think outside the box and recreate the greatest nation on earth.
Our nation was founded on the principle that given a chance anyone could make something of his life. It was not always easy because there have always been those who wanted more than everyone else and would do whatever it took to keep it or get it. In the west it was the cattle barons, silver barons, land barons, and in the east it was the robber barons and industrial giants. But the opportunity was always there if someone was willing to fight for it.
That has all changed. We are regressing back to Europe of the 17th and 18th centuries. Wealth is held by a very small percentage of the population and they are dictating the future for all. Large corporations are replacing the independent business man in just about every major industry and market. We import food, oil and export money and jobs.
Once we were a shining beacon to the world of what could be achieved when man was free to be an individual. Now we are becoming a flickering shadow just barely keeping the dark at bay. Our politicians are corrupt, our churches are more concerned about the size of their buildings then they are about helping the poor, old and sick. We no longer hold sacred the documents on which this country was founded but pervert them to suit our own selfish purposes. We have also taken religion from a positive influence to a negative one. We hear only what we want to hear, see what suits our purpose and turn our backs on all the good that this nation has stood for. If anyone dares to point this out they are deemed unpatriotic, a heretic; if this doesn't harken back to the inquisition I don't know what does.
Don't think this goes unnoticed by either our "friends" or our enemies. Both sides are waiting for this nation to implode and both have the same purpose in mind. To pick up the pieces and remake us into their image.
I pray that this doesn't happen. We can be that beacon again, it is within our power as a people to think outside the box and recreate the greatest nation on earth.
Monday, February 25, 2013
What Ever Happened To ... Part II
What ever happened to TOLERANCE. According to the Webster's dictionary tolerance is defined as "freedom from prejudice; ability to bear hardship; allowance for variation; resistance." Yet we have become a nation of intolerance on so many levels.
We demonize illegal immigrants when in fact all of our ancestors were illegal prior to the establishment of the United States of America. Many of them braved the same type of hardships to come to this country to try and establish a better way of life. Once the United States was established they and their descendants became citizens of this country. That is not to condone those who have been here for many, many years; have never attempted to become a citizen; or learn our language. However, tolerance of them and consideration should be given.
We belittle and disregard those who do not worship as we do. The last time I checked the only country that has a national religion is the Vatican, which is Catholic. The Queen of England is the head of the Church of England but I am not sure it is the national religion. Religious tolerance was the reason for the immigration of many of our ancestors. They were prosecuted in their native countries and came here to escape and worship as they pleased.
We totally disregard, belittle, verbally attack and sometimes physically attack anyone who does not hold the same political views that we do. If everyone voted the same way it would be very boring and stagnant. Our ability to elect political representatives on a regular basis ensures that we will have access to fresh ideas and keep our country moving forward. Unfortunately, money has also insured that the interests of a few supercede the interests of the populace.
As a young person I was intolerant of many people and ideas because they did not mesh with what my parents believed or what I was taught. As I have grown older, I find that many of those ideas no longer fit either who I am now or the world I live in. There are still things that I find intolerable; abuse of the elderly, children, animals, spouses; pollution of our air, water and other natural resources; hunger. In this day and age these are not new but they are increasing and should not be.
Each person needs to look inside themselves and truthfully ask and answer what they are intolerant of and why. The answers may surprise you and they did me.
We demonize illegal immigrants when in fact all of our ancestors were illegal prior to the establishment of the United States of America. Many of them braved the same type of hardships to come to this country to try and establish a better way of life. Once the United States was established they and their descendants became citizens of this country. That is not to condone those who have been here for many, many years; have never attempted to become a citizen; or learn our language. However, tolerance of them and consideration should be given.
We belittle and disregard those who do not worship as we do. The last time I checked the only country that has a national religion is the Vatican, which is Catholic. The Queen of England is the head of the Church of England but I am not sure it is the national religion. Religious tolerance was the reason for the immigration of many of our ancestors. They were prosecuted in their native countries and came here to escape and worship as they pleased.
We totally disregard, belittle, verbally attack and sometimes physically attack anyone who does not hold the same political views that we do. If everyone voted the same way it would be very boring and stagnant. Our ability to elect political representatives on a regular basis ensures that we will have access to fresh ideas and keep our country moving forward. Unfortunately, money has also insured that the interests of a few supercede the interests of the populace.
As a young person I was intolerant of many people and ideas because they did not mesh with what my parents believed or what I was taught. As I have grown older, I find that many of those ideas no longer fit either who I am now or the world I live in. There are still things that I find intolerable; abuse of the elderly, children, animals, spouses; pollution of our air, water and other natural resources; hunger. In this day and age these are not new but they are increasing and should not be.
Each person needs to look inside themselves and truthfully ask and answer what they are intolerant of and why. The answers may surprise you and they did me.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
U.S. Constitution - 2nd Amendment
As with the Bible, people pull words and sentences from our Constitution to prove their own points of view. This has been particularly true recently of the 2nd Amendment.
As originally drafted the 2nd Amendment reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." According to Webster's Dictionary, Militia is defined as "citizen army." Using the same source Army is defined as "body of soldiers; large amount."
Now it has been a few years since I studied American History but an army is usually a group of individuals, trained to fight for a common goal. What a lot of people overlook is the part about A WELL REGULATED MILITIA. Regulation would imply some sort of oversight to insure that the militia does not act on its own and do something that would endanger the common goal. There have been military tribunals since the days of the wild west. This was to insure that the calvary did not exceed its authority.
At some point in time prior to becoming a member of the military, our soldiers, sailors, etc were citizens. They never lost their citizenship by joining the military. They merely agreed to protect the United States as a whole as opposed to their own home, city, state only. They did not become mindless killing machines as the veterans of the Viet Nam war were portrayed. But they did become highly trained in the use of firearms that the average citizen did not. This goes back to the wars in Greek and Roman history, when to win you had to insure that your opponent (enemy) suffered more loses than you did. Any way to accomplish this in a time of war was acceptable.
Today we have people stockpiling AK 47s and AR 15s and high velocity ammunition strictly because they are afraid our Government cannot protect us. Or they do not trust our Government to do the right thing or that, worst case, our Government would turn the army against us. First, they have severely impacted the ability of duly sworn law enforcement to obtain the ammunition they need to keep our streets safe. Second, if you disagree with our present Government, leave. I am sure Mexico or Canada or South America would be happy to see you with some conditions of course. Third, do you really think your AK 47 or AR 15 is any defense against a Scud or any other multiple shot warhead? Fourth, have you really thought this through logically and without listening to the NRA, ACLU or any other special interest group? Lastly, you proved the point that testing for competence to own and use a firearm should be mandatory not only at the time of sale but on a ongoing basis.
I believe that people, if they chose should have the right to own guns. I believe that we need to provide the same level of monitoring that we do for people who drive cars to those people. I also believe that weapons that have the capability of firing multiple rounds of ammunition should not be sold to the general public, rather they should remain for law enforcement and the military.
As originally drafted the 2nd Amendment reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." According to Webster's Dictionary, Militia is defined as "citizen army." Using the same source Army is defined as "body of soldiers; large amount."
Now it has been a few years since I studied American History but an army is usually a group of individuals, trained to fight for a common goal. What a lot of people overlook is the part about A WELL REGULATED MILITIA. Regulation would imply some sort of oversight to insure that the militia does not act on its own and do something that would endanger the common goal. There have been military tribunals since the days of the wild west. This was to insure that the calvary did not exceed its authority.
At some point in time prior to becoming a member of the military, our soldiers, sailors, etc were citizens. They never lost their citizenship by joining the military. They merely agreed to protect the United States as a whole as opposed to their own home, city, state only. They did not become mindless killing machines as the veterans of the Viet Nam war were portrayed. But they did become highly trained in the use of firearms that the average citizen did not. This goes back to the wars in Greek and Roman history, when to win you had to insure that your opponent (enemy) suffered more loses than you did. Any way to accomplish this in a time of war was acceptable.
Today we have people stockpiling AK 47s and AR 15s and high velocity ammunition strictly because they are afraid our Government cannot protect us. Or they do not trust our Government to do the right thing or that, worst case, our Government would turn the army against us. First, they have severely impacted the ability of duly sworn law enforcement to obtain the ammunition they need to keep our streets safe. Second, if you disagree with our present Government, leave. I am sure Mexico or Canada or South America would be happy to see you with some conditions of course. Third, do you really think your AK 47 or AR 15 is any defense against a Scud or any other multiple shot warhead? Fourth, have you really thought this through logically and without listening to the NRA, ACLU or any other special interest group? Lastly, you proved the point that testing for competence to own and use a firearm should be mandatory not only at the time of sale but on a ongoing basis.
I believe that people, if they chose should have the right to own guns. I believe that we need to provide the same level of monitoring that we do for people who drive cars to those people. I also believe that weapons that have the capability of firing multiple rounds of ammunition should not be sold to the general public, rather they should remain for law enforcement and the military.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Priorities
What does it say about our elected officials when they postpone voting on aid to victims of Hurricane Sandy and continue to scare seniors and disabled individuals who rely on Social Security and Medicare to concentrate on overturning legislation that may actually help the people who need it most? The attitude of "I've got mine, I don't care about anyone else" seems to be prevalent in both parties. They make more money than most Americans would ever dream about, have more vacation, sick and other paid time off than other businesses can afford to give their employees and still they are not satisfied and want more sacrifices from the rest of us. They persist in marching to their own drummers and doing what they want to instead of listening to the people who elected them. They talk about the governments of other countries and the corruption that saps money from the people but fail to see anything wrong with them taking campaign contributions from special interest groups and then voting on legislation that directly impacts those groups in a favorable manner. If that is not corruption, then I don't know what is.
The last time elected officials of either party actually listened to the voters was probably back in the 1950s during the Eisenhower administration. Different times, you say, yes but politics is politics is still politics and we still elect people in the same manner as then. Yes our times have changed and yes we fighting different enemies abroad but we still have some of the same problems at home as then. Hunger, unemployment, discrimination, etc. Eisenhower established the highway system that we now utilize but no president since has funded the upkeep of these highways sufficiently to keep them from deteriorating to the point of failure. Instead we wait until they do fail and then spend a lot more money to build something from scratch than if we had funded the maintenance on a regular basis. Highways are not the only part of our infrastructure that is deteriorating, our electrical grid is woefully inadequate, our sewers and water systems are only slightly better.
Yet we persist in sending money overseas to aid other countries in their time of need and turn a blind eye to the needs of our own people. The other nations of the world will not come to our aid if we fail. In fact, some of them would probably be happy to see America fail. You cannot buy friendship with aid no matter how humanitarian it is. Congress talks about people on Social Security being free-loaders but what about the nations that we send aid to? They are not required to pay it back or even to use it for the purpose for which it was intended. In many cases, it goes to line the pockets of government officials instead of to the people. Even if we send food or medical supplies, we have no guarantee that they will not be sold on the black market for profit.
While I realize that we live in a global community and must think and act globally to survive, we must also remember that if we fail from within the next hostile takeover will be our government by one of our so called friends.
The last time elected officials of either party actually listened to the voters was probably back in the 1950s during the Eisenhower administration. Different times, you say, yes but politics is politics is still politics and we still elect people in the same manner as then. Yes our times have changed and yes we fighting different enemies abroad but we still have some of the same problems at home as then. Hunger, unemployment, discrimination, etc. Eisenhower established the highway system that we now utilize but no president since has funded the upkeep of these highways sufficiently to keep them from deteriorating to the point of failure. Instead we wait until they do fail and then spend a lot more money to build something from scratch than if we had funded the maintenance on a regular basis. Highways are not the only part of our infrastructure that is deteriorating, our electrical grid is woefully inadequate, our sewers and water systems are only slightly better.
Yet we persist in sending money overseas to aid other countries in their time of need and turn a blind eye to the needs of our own people. The other nations of the world will not come to our aid if we fail. In fact, some of them would probably be happy to see America fail. You cannot buy friendship with aid no matter how humanitarian it is. Congress talks about people on Social Security being free-loaders but what about the nations that we send aid to? They are not required to pay it back or even to use it for the purpose for which it was intended. In many cases, it goes to line the pockets of government officials instead of to the people. Even if we send food or medical supplies, we have no guarantee that they will not be sold on the black market for profit.
While I realize that we live in a global community and must think and act globally to survive, we must also remember that if we fail from within the next hostile takeover will be our government by one of our so called friends.
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