I just turned 39, and like so many that have past into this last year before hitting 40, I am being forced to look at the world, where we are, where we've been through my lifetime and where we can possibly be going. So many times I find myself telling people my age, "Music just isn't the same." I remember my parents bemoaning this same observation. There is a difference though. If I were them, there's no way I could listen to hair metal or industrial bands. Those musical genres took a leap far beyond what they had been used to. I can understand and appreciate that. The fact is, I grew up on Ratt and Van Halen and Nine Inch Nails and Ministry. I also grew up on the Golden Oldies of the 60s (parents) and classic rock of the 70s (older sister) and pop music of the 80s (this one was all me). I transitioned into adulthood with Grunge and ever since have been waiting desperately for the next big thing in music. Oh kids today! That's easy for me to say because I look at those who are 30 and younger and I see a generation that has been coddled and sold to the highest bidder. These are the kids that grew up with no sharp corners in the house. They wore helmets when they rode their bicycles. They were given a life with little worry and lots of stuff. They have come of age in the great age of political correctness.
Things WERE different when I grew up in the 70s. I never went without, but the specter of poverty forever hung over our house. Christmas meant making a wish list and being happy with what I got, even if it wasn't on the list. Demands for expensive gifts would not have been received well. We made due with what we had. We played outside and had amazing imaginations. Parents weren't afraid to twack kids when kids deserved it, and we often did. There were very real consequences around every corner. We pushed our limits but still respected our elders and neighbors.
Kids today have grown up with great expectations, just as we all did. The difference though, is that kids today are not necessarily willing to work hard and thanklessly to attain those great expectations. They feel they automatically deserve job offers as soon as they graduate college. They move back in with their parents, not as a bridge, but as a lifestyle. Money that they earn is funneled into expensive cars and the latest gadgets. They expect to inherit their parents' homes. This is not about helping out mom and dad, this is about arrested development.
These are the people who are being rallied into the ranks of the Democratic Party which promises health care to all and jobs in the swelling government ranks. High speed Internet access is a right as is higher education. Why work hard for something that's going to be handed to you anyway? They have become a leisure class and instead of being supported by trust funds, they are being supported by tax payers.
I am appreciative for absolutely everything. I have worked my ass off to get where I am which is solidly middle-class. I have scrimped and saved and sacrificed. I do not expect a parade or congratulations for my efforts. I realize that I am better off that a lot of people in this world and I appreciate that every single day. But, I was handed nothing but the love of my family and friends, everything else I earned.
It's a shame that this has become an old fashioned way of looking at the world and it's a shame that there is a generation for which these values are lost. At some point, the entitlement mentality will catch up not only with this young generation but our country as a whole and that is when the United States and all that it has represented will be relegated to a chapter in history.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
You Have to Be Kidding Me
I am not the smartest guy in the world and freely admit that. There are many things in this world that I do not know and that I'm not good at. So it staggers my imagination that the Republican's latest offering, their Pledge to America, is the best they have to offer. Really? That's as good as it gets? I still find myself shaking my head in shock and awe at this disaster.
First of all, who in their right mind gave the okay for a 48 page document? 48 pages? How in the world are Republicans going to cut bloat in Washington when they can't even cut the bloat in their pledge? Who were they writing this for? Grandpa Joe who needs some good reading material for the bathroom? Any first year marketing major will tell you that the key is to be brief, concise, to the point.
Admittedly, many pages are little or nothing more than random pictures. I'm as patriotic as the next guy but in this context, using full page pictures of the Statue of Liberty and Mt. Rushmore seems a bit forced and contrite. The picture list:
This really was one of the strangest things I've ever looked at. It has a very stuffy and formal feel to it and then you see all of these horrible pictures thrown in for no rhyme or reason. I find it strange that not one of the pictures included a caption as to the context of the picture and who was in it. Admittedly, having that information would have only marginally helped but it would have been at least an attempt to come across as personable.
The actual content of the document is rife with generalities, lack of depth and childish jabs at Democrats. This begs the question, to whom was this Pledge directed? The perceived audience to me is loyal Republicans who don't need a whole lot of explanation. Review this Pledge and really think about what the message is.
There IS some substance here, like:
My point of all this is that I think, despite there being some good ideas in the Republican Pledge to America, in its essence it's a stinker. We the people of the United States deserve better. Presenting things as they have in the Pledge, I am even more convinced that the Republican Party is not the party for me. This is the proverbial lipstick on a pig and I can't help but think that if the Republicans somehow manage to take the House, it will still be business as usual.
First of all, who in their right mind gave the okay for a 48 page document? 48 pages? How in the world are Republicans going to cut bloat in Washington when they can't even cut the bloat in their pledge? Who were they writing this for? Grandpa Joe who needs some good reading material for the bathroom? Any first year marketing major will tell you that the key is to be brief, concise, to the point.
Admittedly, many pages are little or nothing more than random pictures. I'm as patriotic as the next guy but in this context, using full page pictures of the Statue of Liberty and Mt. Rushmore seems a bit forced and contrite. The picture list:
- an unnamed politician standing behind a meat counter
- a town hall meeting perhaps being led by in unnamed politician in an undisclosed location on an undisclosed date
- unnamed politician pointing to a pie chart of America's debt
- unnamed politician at a factory of some sort, she is dressed like she is going into the boardroom
- a man in a suit presumably giving a speech
- unnamed man and woman on horseback
- Viewing screen of a TV camera with an unnamed politician (I will say that the fuzziness of the politician does ring true)
- a horribly stated photo shoot of an unnamed politician with a forced smile
- unnamed politician in a blazer at what looks to be a lunch and learn
- a stirring silhouette of a cowboy
- two men outside of a van, one is a business owner, one is an unnamed bored politician
- a shot of a TV studio, presumably with a Republican politician(?)
- a stuffy looking unnamed politician at some local concert(?)
- unnamed politician standing in front of a crowd
- a picture of front lawns with a horrible cropping the American flag in the foreground
- unnamed politician being friendly with soldiers in an unknown context
- bad picture of a politician leaning in, presumably to better hear the older woman he is talking to
- a pie chart of federal assistance programs with no indication as to what the numbers in the chart represent
- an older man, presumably a politician with a messy chart behind him
- people sitting at a nice boardroom table with the focus on the water bottle in the foreground
- a town hall meeting with an unnamed politician and the same messy chart as was in a previous picture
- politician with his hand on a stack of paper, white board in back with the title House Republican Reading Room
- unnamed woman politician
- Ah ha! Finally a close up of the messy chart that had been in previous pictures. A Maze of Bureaucracies (unfortunately this was not added at a high enough resolution that the chart could actually be read)
- a collage of unnamed male Republican Representatives. The layout quality of this was perhaps on par with a high school yearbook. There is a horribly cropped picture of the Capitol dome on a dismal, cloudy day
- another montage: A bored unnamed politician struggling to either understand or get through the moment, a politician listening to a bald man, an unnamed politician at a veterans event(?), a horribly overdressed unnamed politician shaking a veteran's hand, unnamed politician pointing like he means it
- a picture of a street with nice lamp posts that were probably paid for with federal grant money. In zooming in to 150% I did see that this was taken in Washington County, which state is a mystery
- another montage: unnamed politician talking to people in a location I can't figure out, unnamed politician sitting next to an American flag which is partially obscured by an open laptop, a meeting of some sort with lots of American flags, a man in camouflage and an unnamed politician, unnamed woman politician at a town hall meeting taking a question
- the White House in winter
- another poorly cropped picture of the Capitol(?)
- the Supreme Court
- another montage: unnamed politician with an empty cup at a meeting and a whiteboard labeled IDEAS with only one idea, unnamed politician at a radio station - KHTS, staged shot of an unnamed female politician in a hardhat, some sort of a meeting, a group of unidentified people standing in front of the Shawnee Community Hospital, 3 unnamed politicians
This really was one of the strangest things I've ever looked at. It has a very stuffy and formal feel to it and then you see all of these horrible pictures thrown in for no rhyme or reason. I find it strange that not one of the pictures included a caption as to the context of the picture and who was in it. Admittedly, having that information would have only marginally helped but it would have been at least an attempt to come across as personable.
The actual content of the document is rife with generalities, lack of depth and childish jabs at Democrats. This begs the question, to whom was this Pledge directed? The perceived audience to me is loyal Republicans who don't need a whole lot of explanation. Review this Pledge and really think about what the message is.
There IS some substance here, like:
- "reforming" Fannie and Freddie, though over the years Republicans had ample opportunity to do this which may have prevented the bubble in the first place.
- Impose a net hiring freeze of federal employees - I can get behind this but doubt it will be implemented
- Root out government waste and sunset outdated and duplicative programs. This sounds noble, but I find it hard to believe that Republicans will be rooting out waste and duplication in programs which benefit their getting elected again.
- I can get behind purchasing insurance across state lines.
- Enact medical liability reform. I like this, but the solution is vague at best: "We will enact
common-sense medical liability reforms to lower costs, rein in junk lawsuits and curb
defensive medicine." How? Define common sense. - There is a reference to a program that House Republicans implemented called "America Speaks Out," though there is no link for this.
- Read the bill - blah blah blah. Wow, geeze, the Republicans are promising 3 days of review prior to voting as opposed to Obama's promise of 2. That is really going out on a limb. The fact is, even 3 days is not enough to review what is in these megabills that the House is passing. It is physically impossible for the average person to read and comprehend a 2500 page bill in 3 days. If these jackholes insist on passing these enormous bills, a rule should be established whereby for every 100 pages in a bill, there will be 1 day for review, with a minimum of 3 days. The same applies for any amendment. Each amendment should allow for at least one day, as well as 1 per every 100 pages. This way, if you have a 2500 page bill, there will be a public review period of 250 days. That sounds a bit more logical to me. I would hope that a consequence of this would be a shrinking in size and scope of bills. This would be concurrent days, meaning, if 10 amendments, each 100 pages long are tacked on on a single day, 20 additional days of review would be added to the total for the bill (1 day for each of the amendments and 1 day each for the 100 pages). Some would say that this would allow a system whereby new amendments could be piled on to kill a bill. This could be avoided by the bill's writer imposing a limit to the number of amendments allowed for their bill. If the want to get it voted on quickly, they will limit the size and scope.
My point of all this is that I think, despite there being some good ideas in the Republican Pledge to America, in its essence it's a stinker. We the people of the United States deserve better. Presenting things as they have in the Pledge, I am even more convinced that the Republican Party is not the party for me. This is the proverbial lipstick on a pig and I can't help but think that if the Republicans somehow manage to take the House, it will still be business as usual.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
R.I.P. Republican Party
The Republican Party is dead. I have been preaching this message to my friend John for a number of months now and though he originally agreed with me only halfheartedly, he has now come to see things as I have. The reason I say this is because the GOP has no principles upon which it stands and is willing to fight. Most Republicans, if asked, will tell you that theirs is the party of Reagan, of smaller government and lower taxes. This is the GOP that I have rallied around for years because these are the principles which form the foundation of my personal political views. These are not the views of the Party today however. I cannot align myself with the governing philosophy that George W. Bush used when he was in power for 8 years. That philosophy is not the foundation of what the GOP used to be. The size of government exploded under W. Some will declare that the reason for this was 9/11. I respect that opinion, but those actions do not align with GOP principles. I have regretted casting away my vote on him, but have made peace with myself in pointing out the the alternative was just as bad or even worse. He was the lesser of two evils.
Look at the Tea Parties. It is my understanding that the Tea Parties are rooted on the principles of smaller government and lower taxes. If the GOP held these as core values, then why the need for these new organizations? They are essentially fighting for the same exact things. Numerous Republican candidates ran in this past primary season backed by the support of the Tea Parties. The Tea Parties were fighting against the very group which supposedly hold the same values. The Tea Parties are, to a degree, could have brought the Republican Party back to where it belongs. Instead of rallying behind these candidates, the GOP has in some cases disowned Tea Party candidates, supporting them grudgingly and only in an effort to quell the protesting voices from within. In many cases though, the Republican party continues to support their entrenched candidates by encouraging them to run as Independents or write-ins. This tactic makes no sense to me, especially when the Republicans the members of the Tea Party are supposedly on the same side. The actions of the GOP will do nothing more than split the conservative vote, thus creating a great opportunity for Democrats to at the very least retain their power. Look at what the Democrats are doing in comparison to the Republicans Go to Organizing for America (http://www.barackobama.com/index.php) and you will see a marked difference to what you hear about Republicans. The Democrats are organizing and building momentum as the Republicans tear each other apart.
It is more than 2010 though. We are rapidly coming up on the two year mark for the next presidential election and who is the front runner candidate for the Republican Party? No one, which means they are already too late. Because of this, 2012 will prove to be the final, crushing defeat of the GOP. After that, the party will prove to be little more than a whimper as the final nails are hammered into the coffin of Capitalism and the American Way. Once that happens, there will be no further need for the Republicans as all of the socialistic machinery will already be firmly in place and there will be no going back. At that point there will be no saving the Constitution as none of it will be left to save. By then, the government will be telling you what you can and cannot eat and drink. It will be telling you what kinds of cars you can drive, what kinds of household appliances you can buy, what kinds of information you have access to. It will be be the nightmare America that scared so many of us when we were growing up under the specter of the Soviet Union. People will stand, dazed and confused wondering how and when all of this happened. And though I will not be able to give a specific day, I will be able to say it was the day that the GOP drifted from its charter principles of smaller government and less taxes.
Look at the Tea Parties. It is my understanding that the Tea Parties are rooted on the principles of smaller government and lower taxes. If the GOP held these as core values, then why the need for these new organizations? They are essentially fighting for the same exact things. Numerous Republican candidates ran in this past primary season backed by the support of the Tea Parties. The Tea Parties were fighting against the very group which supposedly hold the same values. The Tea Parties are, to a degree, could have brought the Republican Party back to where it belongs. Instead of rallying behind these candidates, the GOP has in some cases disowned Tea Party candidates, supporting them grudgingly and only in an effort to quell the protesting voices from within. In many cases though, the Republican party continues to support their entrenched candidates by encouraging them to run as Independents or write-ins. This tactic makes no sense to me, especially when the Republicans the members of the Tea Party are supposedly on the same side. The actions of the GOP will do nothing more than split the conservative vote, thus creating a great opportunity for Democrats to at the very least retain their power. Look at what the Democrats are doing in comparison to the Republicans Go to Organizing for America (http://www.barackobama.com/index.php) and you will see a marked difference to what you hear about Republicans. The Democrats are organizing and building momentum as the Republicans tear each other apart.
It is more than 2010 though. We are rapidly coming up on the two year mark for the next presidential election and who is the front runner candidate for the Republican Party? No one, which means they are already too late. Because of this, 2012 will prove to be the final, crushing defeat of the GOP. After that, the party will prove to be little more than a whimper as the final nails are hammered into the coffin of Capitalism and the American Way. Once that happens, there will be no further need for the Republicans as all of the socialistic machinery will already be firmly in place and there will be no going back. At that point there will be no saving the Constitution as none of it will be left to save. By then, the government will be telling you what you can and cannot eat and drink. It will be telling you what kinds of cars you can drive, what kinds of household appliances you can buy, what kinds of information you have access to. It will be be the nightmare America that scared so many of us when we were growing up under the specter of the Soviet Union. People will stand, dazed and confused wondering how and when all of this happened. And though I will not be able to give a specific day, I will be able to say it was the day that the GOP drifted from its charter principles of smaller government and less taxes.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Issues
Have you ever stopped a candidate for public office and asked them where they stand on an issue? They often respond with vagarities such as reform and values. What do these answers actually mean? What IS "comprehensive immigration reform?" What ARE "family values?" These terms mean nothing because every man carries with him a different definition. I cringe each time I here these and other terms casually tossed about when a candidate attempts to answer questions. It is our fault as citizens that we do not stop to ask candidates what they mean when they say and write these words.
I do not run a business, nor do I run an organization, but one thing that I have learned about both is that you need an objective or goal upon which to build a vision for all those involved. Goals cannot be simply to "do better" or "increase sales and customer satisfaction." These goals are meaningless because their end results are subjective. "Raise sales of core products (as defined by the division to be...) by 15%" or "reduce call volume by 25% for the top three issues (based on annual statistics) by proactively utilizing tools such as Web site enhancements and proactive outreach." These are goals that I can sink my teeth into. At the end of the year I have a tangible result. Did I succeed? Yes or no?
Unfortunately, the same standards are not applied to politicians and their policies. Stop and ask a politician what the goal of comprehensive immigration reform is or what the goal of education or healthcare reform. None will be able to present to you a vision of their end product. Why? The reason is, we get suckered into accepting these nonsensical and vague answers. We don't push them for specifics. Just as an example, I took a look at the two main candidates for US Senate in Arizona, John McCain(R) and Rodney Glassman(D). Being a teacher by training, I chose to use education. Please feel free to do a side by side on any issue though. This is what I found in regard to education:
John McCain (http://www.johnmccain.com/issues/post/reforming-education-for-a-new-generation/)
Once you get through a lot of quotes and such, John McCain's objectives are as follows:
I challenge anyone to demonstrate for me how either of these "solutions" will address the fact that year over year our kids are falling further and further behind in terms of learning basic facts and skills. Neither do. If you put both of their education agendas together, you will be getting more money for the "best" teachers.
This is a problem.
What is the objective that either of them are shooting for? Funding, and if they get more funding, they are successful. Unfortunately, that does not make our kids any better educated. You do not need the latest gadgets to get a good education, you need a willing mind. Somehow all of us managed to to come away from school with pretty good educations and all we had were textbooks.
Next time you talk to a candidate, don't let them slide. What are they shooting for and what are they willing to do to achieve it.
I do not run a business, nor do I run an organization, but one thing that I have learned about both is that you need an objective or goal upon which to build a vision for all those involved. Goals cannot be simply to "do better" or "increase sales and customer satisfaction." These goals are meaningless because their end results are subjective. "Raise sales of core products (as defined by the division to be...) by 15%" or "reduce call volume by 25% for the top three issues (based on annual statistics) by proactively utilizing tools such as Web site enhancements and proactive outreach." These are goals that I can sink my teeth into. At the end of the year I have a tangible result. Did I succeed? Yes or no?
Unfortunately, the same standards are not applied to politicians and their policies. Stop and ask a politician what the goal of comprehensive immigration reform is or what the goal of education or healthcare reform. None will be able to present to you a vision of their end product. Why? The reason is, we get suckered into accepting these nonsensical and vague answers. We don't push them for specifics. Just as an example, I took a look at the two main candidates for US Senate in Arizona, John McCain(R) and Rodney Glassman(D). Being a teacher by training, I chose to use education. Please feel free to do a side by side on any issue though. This is what I found in regard to education:
John McCain (http://www.johnmccain.com/issues/post/reforming-education-for-a-new-generation/)
Once you get through a lot of quotes and such, John McCain's objectives are as follows:
- John McCain will continue to fight for school choice for all who want it, an expansion of Opportunity Scholarships and alternative certification for teachers will all be part of a serious agenda of education reform. We will pay bonuses to teachers working in our most troubled schools because we need their fine minds and good hearts to help turn those schools around.
- We will award bonuses as well to our highest-achieving teachers. And instead of measuring teacher achievement by conformity to process, we will measure it by the success of their students. Moreover, the funds for these bonuses will not be controlled by faraway officials.
- Under these reforms, we will put the money and the responsibilities where they belong – in the office of the school principal.
Rodney Glassman (http://www.rodneyglassman.com/issues/education/)
- Ensure Arizona receives the financial assistance necessary to keep teachers in classrooms and deliver a top-notch curriculum.
- Improve Arizona’s capacity to recruit, train, and retain the best teachers.
- Bring our tax dollars back home to expand Arizona’s resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
I challenge anyone to demonstrate for me how either of these "solutions" will address the fact that year over year our kids are falling further and further behind in terms of learning basic facts and skills. Neither do. If you put both of their education agendas together, you will be getting more money for the "best" teachers.
This is a problem.
What is the objective that either of them are shooting for? Funding, and if they get more funding, they are successful. Unfortunately, that does not make our kids any better educated. You do not need the latest gadgets to get a good education, you need a willing mind. Somehow all of us managed to to come away from school with pretty good educations and all we had were textbooks.
Next time you talk to a candidate, don't let them slide. What are they shooting for and what are they willing to do to achieve it.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Getting Here
It's hard to really write about how I got to where I am politically. I never had a single "ah ha" moment where everything that I currently believe came together. Like so many Americans, for most of my life I floated somewhere in the moderate morass picking and choosing things from both the Democrats and Republicans that suited my political views. I never really understood politics, especially the conviction with which people spoke so passionately.
Like so many others who have grown up in Pittsburgh, I grew up with Democratic leanings. It was, and still is, the political machine of the region. Rich people were Republicans and that certainly wasn't me growing up. One of the teachers that made a huge impression on me in high school was Mr. Gentile. I took his AP American History class my sophomore year and that ended up being my only AP course. I don't remember him ever using the word socialist to describe himself, but he certainly leaned that way politically. I liked his brash, take no crap attitude and more than anything, I liked the challenge. I was far from the smartest kid in class, quite frankly I'm surprised I was even allowed to register for it. The only thing that I dreaded more than the weekly quiz on Friday was getting the results on Monday because the person with the lowest score was presented with the Spicoli Award. For those of you not familiar with Jeff Spicoli, he was the surfer dude played by Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Anyway, I came away from Mr. Gentile's class with some nuggets of wisdom. That was the first place I had heard the phrase "Billy Six Pack" in reference to the people who go home after work and throw back some beers. Mr. Gentile told us that we could do that or we could make something of ourselves, He also introduced the concept of Guns and Butter and how the government plays a balancing act between buying one or the other. Mr. Gentile was a butter man.
Perhaps the biggest influence on me politically was in reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I have read the book about a dozen times, and with each read through I still manage to find things I missed or forgot. Written back in the 1950s, it is a cautionary tale of how Rand saw America progressing down a socialist path and its inevitable end. The book is not meant as a play by play prediction and it does tend to be extreme, which is probably the result of a relatively short time line. It opened my eyes to the evils of communism and the communist mantra, "From each according to his ability to each according his need." With each reading, I walk away with an awareness of the world around me and the ever encroaching efforts to separate me from my freedoms.
My political views continue evolving over time, though I always return to asking the questions, Whose judges ability and need? Each day, I see the government attempting to better define that. And the more I ponder the questions, I remember that I am a man of ability and it is my neighbor's need that is thrust upon me in the form of indentured charity. More and more I am living for less so that others can live with more, MY more.
This blog is just the latest step in my personal progress. Whether or not anyone follows what I have to say does not matter because I will continue my path to figuring things out for myself, which is something that everyone must do if they wish to remain free.
Thank you for your time.
Adam
Like so many others who have grown up in Pittsburgh, I grew up with Democratic leanings. It was, and still is, the political machine of the region. Rich people were Republicans and that certainly wasn't me growing up. One of the teachers that made a huge impression on me in high school was Mr. Gentile. I took his AP American History class my sophomore year and that ended up being my only AP course. I don't remember him ever using the word socialist to describe himself, but he certainly leaned that way politically. I liked his brash, take no crap attitude and more than anything, I liked the challenge. I was far from the smartest kid in class, quite frankly I'm surprised I was even allowed to register for it. The only thing that I dreaded more than the weekly quiz on Friday was getting the results on Monday because the person with the lowest score was presented with the Spicoli Award. For those of you not familiar with Jeff Spicoli, he was the surfer dude played by Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Anyway, I came away from Mr. Gentile's class with some nuggets of wisdom. That was the first place I had heard the phrase "Billy Six Pack" in reference to the people who go home after work and throw back some beers. Mr. Gentile told us that we could do that or we could make something of ourselves, He also introduced the concept of Guns and Butter and how the government plays a balancing act between buying one or the other. Mr. Gentile was a butter man.
Perhaps the biggest influence on me politically was in reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I have read the book about a dozen times, and with each read through I still manage to find things I missed or forgot. Written back in the 1950s, it is a cautionary tale of how Rand saw America progressing down a socialist path and its inevitable end. The book is not meant as a play by play prediction and it does tend to be extreme, which is probably the result of a relatively short time line. It opened my eyes to the evils of communism and the communist mantra, "From each according to his ability to each according his need." With each reading, I walk away with an awareness of the world around me and the ever encroaching efforts to separate me from my freedoms.
My political views continue evolving over time, though I always return to asking the questions, Whose judges ability and need? Each day, I see the government attempting to better define that. And the more I ponder the questions, I remember that I am a man of ability and it is my neighbor's need that is thrust upon me in the form of indentured charity. More and more I am living for less so that others can live with more, MY more.
This blog is just the latest step in my personal progress. Whether or not anyone follows what I have to say does not matter because I will continue my path to figuring things out for myself, which is something that everyone must do if they wish to remain free.
Thank you for your time.
Adam
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Who You Are Matters
Race
National origin
Gender/sexuality
Sexual Orientation
Religion
Handicap/Disability/Birth defect
Though this is not a comprehensive list, it does include many of the ways that people use to describe and differentiate themselves from other. Personal identification and pride in who you are is one of the most important things people can do throughout their lifetime In some of these classifications a person cannot change, such as race and national origin. Others, however, allow for greater malleability. People change, and that's great because everyday living changes us, we adapt in an effort to find happiness. It is important that as we go through life, whichever phase we may be in, we are okay with who we are. There is nothing wrong with having identifiers in your life because labels allow us to find others who are like us, who can share our experiences, with whom we can relate.
It's important though that we keep the bigger picture in mind, it is important to remember that we are Americans. Being American is what brings us all together in our infinite combination of labels. We are not Jewish Americans or African Americans or White Catholic Americans, we are Americans. It is from our diversity of heritage and culture and gender and sexual orientation that we as a culture draw our strengths. We are Americans. We live in a country where we can celebrate our differences with the knowledge that this country is the reason we are able to celebrate those differences. We are Americans. No matter where we came from or who we choose to be, all of us share that thread of unity.
Being American is not where we came from it's who we are, and that is what matters. I take immense pride in being a citizen of the United States of America. We are truly like nowhere else in the world.
Being an American is more than just being here though. We are different, we are imperfect, but we are Americans. If you have a few minutes, I ask you to watch the video at this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROpj9iA4HiU. It is the naturalization ceremony of soldiers and marines who, at the time of the ceremony, were serving in active duty in the Middle East. These people, from literally all over the world, volunteered to serve a country that was not even theirs at the time of enlistment. That's pretty amazing and I am proud to call each and every one of them, my fellow Americans.
National origin
Gender/sexuality
Sexual Orientation
Religion
Handicap/Disability/Birth defect
Though this is not a comprehensive list, it does include many of the ways that people use to describe and differentiate themselves from other. Personal identification and pride in who you are is one of the most important things people can do throughout their lifetime In some of these classifications a person cannot change, such as race and national origin. Others, however, allow for greater malleability. People change, and that's great because everyday living changes us, we adapt in an effort to find happiness. It is important that as we go through life, whichever phase we may be in, we are okay with who we are. There is nothing wrong with having identifiers in your life because labels allow us to find others who are like us, who can share our experiences, with whom we can relate.
It's important though that we keep the bigger picture in mind, it is important to remember that we are Americans. Being American is what brings us all together in our infinite combination of labels. We are not Jewish Americans or African Americans or White Catholic Americans, we are Americans. It is from our diversity of heritage and culture and gender and sexual orientation that we as a culture draw our strengths. We are Americans. We live in a country where we can celebrate our differences with the knowledge that this country is the reason we are able to celebrate those differences. We are Americans. No matter where we came from or who we choose to be, all of us share that thread of unity.
Being American is not where we came from it's who we are, and that is what matters. I take immense pride in being a citizen of the United States of America. We are truly like nowhere else in the world.
Being an American is more than just being here though. We are different, we are imperfect, but we are Americans. If you have a few minutes, I ask you to watch the video at this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROpj9iA4HiU. It is the naturalization ceremony of soldiers and marines who, at the time of the ceremony, were serving in active duty in the Middle East. These people, from literally all over the world, volunteered to serve a country that was not even theirs at the time of enlistment. That's pretty amazing and I am proud to call each and every one of them, my fellow Americans.
Conviction
What follows is an email that I sent to a coworker of mine essentially in response to a conversation we had earlier in the day.
Okay, so I do not think that Ron Paul is a wingnut, quite to the contrary in fact. I do believe that he is viewed by both those in and outside of the Republican Party as an extremist, much the way that Ayn Rand was viewed both in her lifetime and now. He is a man of conviction who says what he means and means what he says, a quality not often seen in politics. Chris Christie may be along similar lines but I do not know where he stands on things outside of the New Jersey budget.
You made the comment earlier today that Republicans, in order to succeed, need to go back to their core values. My question to you is, what are those values? Low taxes? Hands off government? Balanced budgets? Small government? Even Reagan, great as he was, did not manage to remain true to those values. The problem in today's Republican Party is the very same that has haunted the party since Reagan left office, what does it stand for? This question has been raised many times by the media and it almost always comes back to Republicans are the party of "no." They are great are saying what they are against without truly articulating what it is they are for. And for this, I believe that the Republican Party must define itself or die. It's that simple.
Despite how it is portrayed, there is a great diversity of thought within the party. On one side of the spectrum you have John McCain, the great moderate waffler. On the other side you have the libertarian Ron Paul. The colors of the Republican Party's diversity umbrella does not have the bright vivid colors of the Democratic Party. No, the Republicans, for the most part are pastels all kind of blending together.
I got off track a bit there. The point I was trying to make is that the Republican Party is in the midst of an identity crisis. Is it old guard Republicans, Progressive Republicans, Tea Party Republicans, or some variation there of?
The other point I was trying to make earlier is that the vast majority of Republicans care some level of guilt for having the beliefs that they do. The example I used was Rand Paul. He made the statement that he did not agree with everything in the Civil Rights Act. He obvious had a conviction, enough to make such a bold statement, but when the follow-up question came, he got dodgy and retreated which did nothing to help his cause. Now, people are left to wonder, "Well, what did he mean by that?" I do not know what it was that he didn't agree with, but he should have stated his reason and explained why he believed it. Do I believe the Department of Education should be eliminated? Absolutely and here are a couple of reasons why I believe this:
Okay, I know that my example with the Department of Education was a bit scattered in thought, but I specifically put down whatever came to mind, as if I were sitting in front of a camera having to defend my argument that the Department of Education should be eliminated. My point is, my premise, to many, is controversial. I made the statement, stood by it and provided reasons why those are my beliefs. Where are the Republicans that do that? No man should be in conflict when it comes to his beliefs. Never. If you cannot speak with conviction, you shouldn't be making a statement. It's just that simple. When people make seemingly random and unsupported statements, that is when they run into trouble. Rand would not be mired in controversy, he would not be wasting precious time and resources if he had simply said exactly what he meant.
Okay. I have to walk the dogs. Feel free to respond if you like. Also, if you want to bring in additional people, feel free to do so.
Let's keep the conversation going.
Okay, so I do not think that Ron Paul is a wingnut, quite to the contrary in fact. I do believe that he is viewed by both those in and outside of the Republican Party as an extremist, much the way that Ayn Rand was viewed both in her lifetime and now. He is a man of conviction who says what he means and means what he says, a quality not often seen in politics. Chris Christie may be along similar lines but I do not know where he stands on things outside of the New Jersey budget.
You made the comment earlier today that Republicans, in order to succeed, need to go back to their core values. My question to you is, what are those values? Low taxes? Hands off government? Balanced budgets? Small government? Even Reagan, great as he was, did not manage to remain true to those values. The problem in today's Republican Party is the very same that has haunted the party since Reagan left office, what does it stand for? This question has been raised many times by the media and it almost always comes back to Republicans are the party of "no." They are great are saying what they are against without truly articulating what it is they are for. And for this, I believe that the Republican Party must define itself or die. It's that simple.
Despite how it is portrayed, there is a great diversity of thought within the party. On one side of the spectrum you have John McCain, the great moderate waffler. On the other side you have the libertarian Ron Paul. The colors of the Republican Party's diversity umbrella does not have the bright vivid colors of the Democratic Party. No, the Republicans, for the most part are pastels all kind of blending together.
I got off track a bit there. The point I was trying to make is that the Republican Party is in the midst of an identity crisis. Is it old guard Republicans, Progressive Republicans, Tea Party Republicans, or some variation there of?
The other point I was trying to make earlier is that the vast majority of Republicans care some level of guilt for having the beliefs that they do. The example I used was Rand Paul. He made the statement that he did not agree with everything in the Civil Rights Act. He obvious had a conviction, enough to make such a bold statement, but when the follow-up question came, he got dodgy and retreated which did nothing to help his cause. Now, people are left to wonder, "Well, what did he mean by that?" I do not know what it was that he didn't agree with, but he should have stated his reason and explained why he believed it. Do I believe the Department of Education should be eliminated? Absolutely and here are a couple of reasons why I believe this:
- Since its inception in 1979, American children have fallen further and further behind in regard to what they walk away from school with after twelve years of education.
- The Department is little more than a sinkhole of bureaucratic largess. $X billion are spent every year by this Department and what has our return on investment been? Absolutely nothing. I challenge anyone in this room to give me 3 concrete and positive great things that have been the result of the Department of Education.
- Education is, ultimately, a local issue. It should be left to the individual school districts to determine what and how they should educate their children. Look at the Department itself when it comes to the creation of curriculum. One would think that a primary purpose of the Department would be to establish a list of things all children within a certain grade should know. Our children cannot name the presidents of the United States. Can a typical high school student carry on an intelligent conversation about World War One? Who is Ernest Hemingway? Who was Frederick Douglas?
Okay, I know that my example with the Department of Education was a bit scattered in thought, but I specifically put down whatever came to mind, as if I were sitting in front of a camera having to defend my argument that the Department of Education should be eliminated. My point is, my premise, to many, is controversial. I made the statement, stood by it and provided reasons why those are my beliefs. Where are the Republicans that do that? No man should be in conflict when it comes to his beliefs. Never. If you cannot speak with conviction, you shouldn't be making a statement. It's just that simple. When people make seemingly random and unsupported statements, that is when they run into trouble. Rand would not be mired in controversy, he would not be wasting precious time and resources if he had simply said exactly what he meant.
Okay. I have to walk the dogs. Feel free to respond if you like. Also, if you want to bring in additional people, feel free to do so.
Let's keep the conversation going.
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