This is the first of what I plan to be a revitalization of this blog. I got out of the habit of writing and it is hard to get back going again. There were several requests for the traditional 4th of July post and that got me to thinking.
I promise I will do some humor (per request) as well as my normal commentary on life, politics, and the human condition. This one will be kind of a recap and synopsis of my thoughts on all our societal issues.
First - a comment on dissent, tolerance, acceptance, and such.
To save time - here is a post I did a while back which covers a lot of the above: http://justsomeposts.blogspot.com/2013/07/im-ok-younot-so-much.html
and here: http://justsomeposts.blogspot.com/2012/08/39-states.html
There are various other posts where I opine about the same. These cover it pretty well from my perspective. For those of you too lazy or disinclined to click and read the above, the gist of what they say in relation to the below is:
Tolerance does not mean or even imply approval or acceptance. I can tolerate the pain involved with medical procedures because I know they are necessary for my health. It does not mean I accept pain as a part of my normal life. (not the best example, but best I could do off the top of my head)
I can tolerate a gay/lesbian lifestyle. That does not mean I have to approve of it. I am at heart a libertarian. It would be intellectually dishonest for me to feel any other way about the subject. We have reached a point in our discourse that to not fully embrace and welcome a lifestyle or opinion that we disagree with but accept in others, automatically brands one as a bigot or worse. Tolerance goes both ways people!
Now, the Supreme Court cases.
I feel the Supremes got the decision wrong on the same sex marriage ruling. I really do not have a problem with gays/lesbians living together, having a civil union with the rights of marriage, or whatever arrangement they want. I do have somewhat of a problem with the definition of marriage being arbitrarily changed to accommodate them. Every popular vote taken in every state has supported the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. (FYI, as I write this there is a trio suing the government to allow the three of them to "marry" based on this ruling - that is just the beginning) But most of all I see the decision as being one of State's rights. If one reads the Federalist Papers and other documents written by the Founders, one would see the trend. They were greatly concerned about a monolithic and all-powerful government. The "U" in USA stands for Union. The "S" for States. The country was intended to be a group of independent and self-governing states with a federal government to handle the international negotiations and defense. (a bit of a simplification for you Constitutional scholars, sorry). Due to the cost of the World Wars (particularly WWI) and the Great Depression and the socialist doctrine that came from it, this had to be changed. The Federal government now controls almost all aspects of our lives. Details that were controlled at the State, County, or Local levels are now dictated from Washington. If not directly by law, by giving or withholding funds. (which originated at the local level mind you - remember - THERE IS NO GOVERNMENT MONEY!) The idea of self-governing independent States with somewhat self-governing counties is DEAD. In my mind, for the worse.
I also feel the Supremes were wrong on the HCA (aka- Obamacare). This idiotic monstrosity has done nothing to improve the healthcare system, cost, or availability for the majority of the country. This should have never been passed or signed. If the goal was to allow the people without health insurance to obtain it for free or reduced cost, all that had to be done was to increase the Medicaid coverage and subsidies. The amount spent on just the ridiculous website would have funded it at the outset! This bill is just another way to keep a large portion of the population beholden to the mighty government. Both Democrats and Republicans LOVE people that keep voting in the incumbents.
Lastly, some of the societal ills of the day.
The racial divide is being manipulated so well by those that make a living off of it that it is staggering. I do not know that I have seen this much coordinated racial posturing in my lifetime! (FYI, I grew up in a town with a "Whites Only" bathroom and water fountain in the courthouse too)
The simplistic view of the media that bigotry and prejudice is worse than it has been in the past is one that is ignorant of the past or chooses to ignore the past. Is there still prejudice and bigotry around? Does it affect the daily lives of citizens? YES, of course! But, the reporting of events and the ability to take any localized action and give it a national stage has a lot to do with our perception (including mine in the opening statement of this segment!). If you look at news in my childhood, we were looking at footage on TV that was shot on film, usually the day (or more) before. Satellites with the ability to transmit signals from around the globe and now portable uplinks and production trucks, allow us to see what goes on in distant parts of our world with more immediacy than from other parts of our State just a few decades ago. Combine that with the fact that more people will tune in to watch a natural disaster, riot, car chase, etc, than a report of orphans being adopted (or other "feel good" stories) and you see why it is done. The "news" organizations almost have to out-sensationalize the others to get any viewers. Hate, bigotry, disaster, death, destruction, and mayhem all sell. Look around you. The majority of you probably see a world that is calmer and more accepting of race and ethnic differences than at any time in your life. We need to remember that.
Remember the lessons - THERE IS NO GOVERNMENT MONEY! JUST OUR TAX DOLLARS!
CORPORATIONS DO NOT PAY TAXES - PEOPLE DO!
More to come very soon. If you like, hate, or just tolerate this blog - share it with someone please.
I promise I will do some humor (per request) as well as my normal commentary on life, politics, and the human condition. This one will be kind of a recap and synopsis of my thoughts on all our societal issues.
First - a comment on dissent, tolerance, acceptance, and such.
To save time - here is a post I did a while back which covers a lot of the above: http://justsomeposts.blogspot.com/2013/07/im-ok-younot-so-much.html
and here: http://justsomeposts.blogspot.com/2012/08/39-states.html
There are various other posts where I opine about the same. These cover it pretty well from my perspective. For those of you too lazy or disinclined to click and read the above, the gist of what they say in relation to the below is:
Tolerance does not mean or even imply approval or acceptance. I can tolerate the pain involved with medical procedures because I know they are necessary for my health. It does not mean I accept pain as a part of my normal life. (not the best example, but best I could do off the top of my head)
I can tolerate a gay/lesbian lifestyle. That does not mean I have to approve of it. I am at heart a libertarian. It would be intellectually dishonest for me to feel any other way about the subject. We have reached a point in our discourse that to not fully embrace and welcome a lifestyle or opinion that we disagree with but accept in others, automatically brands one as a bigot or worse. Tolerance goes both ways people!
Now, the Supreme Court cases.
I feel the Supremes got the decision wrong on the same sex marriage ruling. I really do not have a problem with gays/lesbians living together, having a civil union with the rights of marriage, or whatever arrangement they want. I do have somewhat of a problem with the definition of marriage being arbitrarily changed to accommodate them. Every popular vote taken in every state has supported the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. (FYI, as I write this there is a trio suing the government to allow the three of them to "marry" based on this ruling - that is just the beginning) But most of all I see the decision as being one of State's rights. If one reads the Federalist Papers and other documents written by the Founders, one would see the trend. They were greatly concerned about a monolithic and all-powerful government. The "U" in USA stands for Union. The "S" for States. The country was intended to be a group of independent and self-governing states with a federal government to handle the international negotiations and defense. (a bit of a simplification for you Constitutional scholars, sorry). Due to the cost of the World Wars (particularly WWI) and the Great Depression and the socialist doctrine that came from it, this had to be changed. The Federal government now controls almost all aspects of our lives. Details that were controlled at the State, County, or Local levels are now dictated from Washington. If not directly by law, by giving or withholding funds. (which originated at the local level mind you - remember - THERE IS NO GOVERNMENT MONEY!) The idea of self-governing independent States with somewhat self-governing counties is DEAD. In my mind, for the worse.
I also feel the Supremes were wrong on the HCA (aka- Obamacare). This idiotic monstrosity has done nothing to improve the healthcare system, cost, or availability for the majority of the country. This should have never been passed or signed. If the goal was to allow the people without health insurance to obtain it for free or reduced cost, all that had to be done was to increase the Medicaid coverage and subsidies. The amount spent on just the ridiculous website would have funded it at the outset! This bill is just another way to keep a large portion of the population beholden to the mighty government. Both Democrats and Republicans LOVE people that keep voting in the incumbents.
Lastly, some of the societal ills of the day.
The racial divide is being manipulated so well by those that make a living off of it that it is staggering. I do not know that I have seen this much coordinated racial posturing in my lifetime! (FYI, I grew up in a town with a "Whites Only" bathroom and water fountain in the courthouse too)
The simplistic view of the media that bigotry and prejudice is worse than it has been in the past is one that is ignorant of the past or chooses to ignore the past. Is there still prejudice and bigotry around? Does it affect the daily lives of citizens? YES, of course! But, the reporting of events and the ability to take any localized action and give it a national stage has a lot to do with our perception (including mine in the opening statement of this segment!). If you look at news in my childhood, we were looking at footage on TV that was shot on film, usually the day (or more) before. Satellites with the ability to transmit signals from around the globe and now portable uplinks and production trucks, allow us to see what goes on in distant parts of our world with more immediacy than from other parts of our State just a few decades ago. Combine that with the fact that more people will tune in to watch a natural disaster, riot, car chase, etc, than a report of orphans being adopted (or other "feel good" stories) and you see why it is done. The "news" organizations almost have to out-sensationalize the others to get any viewers. Hate, bigotry, disaster, death, destruction, and mayhem all sell. Look around you. The majority of you probably see a world that is calmer and more accepting of race and ethnic differences than at any time in your life. We need to remember that.
Remember the lessons - THERE IS NO GOVERNMENT MONEY! JUST OUR TAX DOLLARS!
CORPORATIONS DO NOT PAY TAXES - PEOPLE DO!
More to come very soon. If you like, hate, or just tolerate this blog - share it with someone please.
Comments