Food for Thought

 After pre-reading this, I realized that it is kind of all over the place. So just please bare with me. Thanks.

Rest In Peace Elizabeth Edwards. Also today is the 69th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

   I hear it all the time: The GOP is the party of mean or the party of the rich. Frankly, I'm tired of it. It is getting ridiculous. I'm sorry if I won't let the government take my hard earned money and give it to people who are reaping the benefits of unemployment. I apologize if I don't feel the same way about how we need to fix our country as Democrats do. It is really just a difference in philosophy. In a deficit, Democrats think that we do not have enough revenue, while Republicans believe we are merely spending too much. So if I don't advocate that the people making $250,000 a year or more should be taxed more than the rest. Our Declaration of Independence says, all men are created equal, so how, is taxing the men that make more the 250k a year, equal? It makes no sense to me. For the most part, these people worked their tails off to get where they are today. Now I realize that there is that select few that inherit all their money and, in my opinion, don't deserve to have it (Paris Hilton, etc.). And I realize, to the same token, that not all of the unemployed are lazy people that sit back and accept federal unemployment checks every month. But we can't let a select group of people be the "poster child" so to speak, for an entire group of people. The people of Islam are a prime example. That's why I believe that they are able to build a Mosque on the spot near Ground-Zero, but they shouldn't, if not for anything but out of respect for the people that died there.

   But I digress, anyway we were all taught that "we can be anything we want to be if we set our minds to it," I completely agree. 100%. If little Johnny and Jimmy from The Projects, U.S.A. both say, "I want to be the C.E.O. of a Fortune 500 company when I'm older," I will believe them. That's the American Dream. You can do anything you work hard for. Now, if Johnny works hard in school, gets into a good college, and works his way up "the ladder of success," he will reach his goal. If Jimmy half-asses it through school, maybe goes to college, he will end up working for Johnny at his Fortune 500 company, just barely getting by on minimum wage. Jimmy could end up getting laid-off in these tough economic times. It happens. But Jimmy doesn't mind, now he gets to sleep in late, do whatever he wants, maybe look for a job for the first couple months, but it won't last, because now he gets government checks every month in the mail, with his food stamps as well, all being payed for by Johnny the C.E.O. and others like him. And when he gets sick, Jimmy won't have to worry because Johnny's got that covered too. It's terrible, however if Johnny wants to pay to take care of Jimmy through, voluntary, philanthropic means, that's wonderful, go ahead, be my guest.

   But in reality, I think that Jimmy's problem is that he has given up on himself. America was built on people that wouldn't quit. American Revolution, we were out numbered, but no worries, the American Spirit will not be crushed, and we won. The Founding Fathers, they realized that, by declaring their independence from the motherland, they were going to have to go it alone, no help. But they didn't care, they said "We can do it. No problem." Where did that go? It's a damn shame, people just don't believe any more. This summer, in a town just north of Atlanta, thousands of people showed up to their small community center to put themselves on a waiting list that would maybe put them on a list to get a government subsidized home 2 YEARS from now. Really? Has it gotten that bad? Do people really think that they will not be any better off 2 years from now than they are today. That's 730.5 days to make a difference. 43,830 hours. 2,629,800 minutes... Anyway, that is unbelievable. Is their no faith? I'm not talking about faith in the government though. I'm talking about faith in themselves, or even God. I'm not necessarily religious, but I sure as hell believe in the Big Guy upstairs.

   I leave you all with a quote from South Dakota Senator John Thune, who will hopefully run for president in 2012.
"I think that the Republican Party gets a bad rep for being [known as the party of the rich/mean]. My view is that the Republican party is the party that represents hard-working Americans, people who get up every day and go to work, and trying to build a better quality of life for their family and save some money for their kids' education and hopefully some for retirement."

Big Brother is Watching You...

Greetings everyone! My name's Jeffrey. Some call me Jeff, and I guess I don't mind which you call me. I was told by Jake, who's around here somewhere, to write about my opinions on this bog here. An interesting mode of communication, if I do say so myself. This has its uses though, and hopefully as time progresses we will all see more viewers and commentators who would like to share their opinions as well on this wonderful webpage we have here. Well, hmm, a bit about myself, I suppose. Politically, I like to think of myself as a libertarian. It's difficult to describe my views on every issue in this one post, so if you'd like to know just ask. I plan on devoting most of my posts here to current events, and plan on probviding yet another viewpoint on issues that mainstream right/left ideology might dismiss or overlook. Hee it is, Post #1:

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1291648380371.shtm

Okay, so, at the expense of possibly being perceived as a crazed conspiracy theorist, I've decided to make my first post about this new "If you see something, say something" campaign by the Department of Homeland Security and how it is now being spread to WalMart stores across the country. While part of me understands the need for a vigilant society, the television screens with Janet Napolitano telling is that "Homeland security starts with hometown security" is eerily reminiscent of an Orwellian dystopia. Obviously, someone should report a crime to the police, yet the DHS admits that this is more for possible terrorist actions or crimes that may happen in the future. For example, they urge reporting suspicious characters or armed citizens who seem "sketchy" (my own words). It was my understanding that armed citizens are possibly the greatest protection against crime. The 2nd amendment debate is one for another day, however this particular story scares me a bit. I view Walmart itself as a mafia style organization. It's a disgusting coporation which ruins small town businesses and it exports the majority of labor to Chinese slave camps. It is truly a shame that this country has resorted to this 1984 style of propaganda in the name of national security. Today it's al Qaeda, tomorrow it's our neighbors, and I can't stand it. I'm a bit tired at the moment, it's getting late, and so I assume some clarification will be necessary. Please comment below so I can better articulate my viewpoints. Farewell, and goodnight.

Citizens Against Government Waste

Ever heard of Citizens Against Government waste? I was recently on their website, reading their mission and what they are all about, and they seem pretty interesting. I like the idea, here is one of their more interesting adds.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTSQozWP-rM

We Should Have an Italian President from New Jersey...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avw0n9b2o9U

Zach's First Post: Hilariously hypocritical, Does the TSA violate the 4th Amendment?

Hello readers of Aperti Animus! Jake who's been a friend of mine for a while invited me to post some stuff on his blog. I'm a Liberal Democrat, just kind of here to level the playing field. Before I begin my article, I'd like to tell you a little bit about myself. I was born and raised Jewish, but as I got older I found myself more interested in Pantheism, which is a Buddhist approach to agnosticism. I've read the Tanakh, the New Testament, as well as the Koran and I personally believe that there are certain moral impurities that can be drawn from the Abrahamic view of God, as well as science. I'm not here to convert you guys, I just want to tell you a little bit about my history. That being said, feel free to e-mail me about politics, religion, or philosophy and I'd love to have a conversation. Thanks! -Zach

I recently watched a news program explaining the TSA's new technology to scan people through security checkpoints at airports. It is a x-ray machine, that sees through your clothing, and scans every inch of your body from head to toe. A person of course is watching the monitor of the output of the x-ray machine to make sure there is no weapon on you, meaning this person can see you and your "full glory." If you opt not to be undressed by this machines eyes, you can get a "full pat down search" which means a TSA Officer will put on 2 clean blue rubber gloves, and use the outside of his hands to search every crevice of your body. Personally, I see it as 2 options, let a stranger see you naked, or get felt up by a stranger.

Let me begin this by saying that this is clearly a violation of our 4th Amendment. The 4th Amendment guards against "unreasonable searches and seizures." I find it very difficult to support the fact that I must be sexually harassed before I get on an airplane. The only reason this ISN'T sexual harassment is because it's the government. If they weren't the government, of course it'd be sexual harassment! It's an invasion of civil liberties, and it's unethical.

They (NBC News) also stated that they (the TSA) actually store these images. One reporter even said that they found over 300,000 images of innocent, unarmed, law-abiding citizens in a courtroom in Orlando. All of these photos we're taken from the new TSA x-ray scanners in an Orlando airport.

Terrifyingly enough, these x-ray machines have been deemed hazardous by several officials from radiation poisoning. On top of that, these scanners are 300 times more likely to aid cancer then the government originally thought of.

I posted this to my Facebook to see what others thought of the matter, and a friend of mine said that:

"We are evolving into an era where the measures to prevent terrorism are necessary" To that I say that 9/11 was ONE incident, and can not be used to dictate whether or not we're breaking into an area of safety. The reason we have this and things like the Patriot Act is a massive over-reaction to 9/11, they invade our 4th Amendment rights, our civil liberties, and this case, my penis.

He then asked me if Iwas "going to be the one that will go up to the 2000 families that lost someone in the 9/11 incident and tell them that we're not going to check for dangerous people in airports because of 4th amendment rights?" To which I said "This nation was found upon those rights, and they're taking our Founding Fathers names in vain when the don't."

He then proceeded to question that ""It's obvious that the founding fathers weren't thinking about airport security when they amended the constitution." and I totally agree with him! They were thinking of moral responsibility and interest in human ethics in general, not airplanes.

You wouldn't be okay if every time you entered a building, they patted you down, or x-rayed you so they could see everything. Imagine every time you enter ANY building, they either x-ray you fully, or touch your junk.

The point is that this violates the very pillars that support this nation. As does the Patriot Act, but I digress. The new TSA screening methods invade civil liberties, and civilians pants. This unethical response to terrorism is disgusting, and hypocritical to traditional american values. Our nation clearly over reacts at one poor choice that a few radicals made 10 years ago. Why punish every US constituent for it? Please comment below with your opinions. Whether for or against, I value your input dearly, for it educates us all and let's us grow as both people, and as a nation. Thank you!

Opinion on Marijuana Legalization

With all of the talk about legalizing marijuana going on, I feel like I should give my two cents. The use of medical marijuana is legal in 14 states at the moment (Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington) but is still illegal at the federal level.  In all honesty, it doesn't matter to me whether or not pot is legalized, for medicinal use or otherwise. If it is legalized, it will only be available to people 18 years or older anyway. I know that there are tens of thousands of kids under the age of 18 that smoke marijuana anyway, so that won't eliminate dealers. According to athealth.com, nearly 50% of teenagers will try marijuana before they graduate high school.  That would mean that there would still be around 8 million minors smoking dope illegally in the U.S. either way. Plus, since I don't smoke (and I'm under 18), this law doesn't affect me too much. I know that marijuana is a mind altering drug that affects motor skills, mental capacity, coordination, etc. but alcohol has similar affects and that is legal. And some over the counter drugs as well can have the same effects. And, truthfully, I would rather it be this that gets legalized than some of the harder, more dangerous drugs. If pot is legalized however, I think that it should be taxed pretty high and also the legal punishment for marijuana related felonies should be harsher than, say, alcohol. This is only my opinion and I am interested to hear yours.

No More ACORN

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now a.k.a. ACORN, responsible for registering 1.3 million to vote in just this past year, has filed for bankruptcy. There have been many accusations of voter registration fraud throughout the past couple of years, especially in 2008 and this year. For instance, on Oct. 10, 2008,  an Ohio man was registered to vote by ACORN 72 times, under the democratic party. But since they are out of business we need not worry. Just pray that there wont be a bailout, like all the other bankrupt companies.

Matt Lauer and George W. Bush

Hi everyone, sorry it has been so long since I posted, just never got around to it I guess. Anyway, last night Matt Lauer's interview with former President George W. Bush aired on NBC.  I thought that it was very interesting. I really have a problem with Matt Lauer, he can seem very smug at some times, and at other times he can be a real, for lack of a better word, asshole.  He was extremely critical of Bush, his questions were pointed and harsh. He also interrupted Bush on many occasions in the middle of an answer, something that bothers me to no end. Now, I wouldn't have a problem with his questions if he were a fair person. He grills many a member of the GOP in his interviews, or really just people that don't believe in the same thing he believes in. However in interviews with people with similar viewpoints, he is not nearly as tough. I'm not saying he skirts around  the important issues, he just doesn't press the matter with certain people. It's just that I feel that a newscast can't be objective if  I can tell what the reporter giving the newscast, or interview, or whatever, stance is on the issue, there is a problem and it really be considered a true, unsubjective interview. And Matt Lauer is one of the worst.

The Firing of Juan Williams

   Juan Williams is a Democratic Fox News contributor. He was recently fired from NPR for something he said on the O'Reilly Factor on Monday. Talking about whenever he gets on planes, "Muslims make [me] nervous,". Now I know that people need to use discretion when they speak, especially someone of Williams' esteem, but getting fired? All he was doing was exercising his 1st Amendment rights. And to be honest, all Williams was doing was voicing an opinion that the majority of Americans feel the same way about. It's a sad thing to say because we know that not all 1 billion Muslims are out to get us, but those few extremists ruined it for everybody. I feel bad saying that because it is a terrible thing to say, but it is true."I mean, look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous," Williams said to Bill O'Reilly on his show on Monday. Many people feel the same way, Williams just voiced his opinion. The Muslim "brand", so to speak, has been tainted be the radical extremists.
   I personally enjoy listening to Juan Williams (even though he is a democrat), on the radio and on Fox News. I am upset that he was fired over a reason such as this and I really think that NPR should reconsider.

US Senate Debate in Florida

   Today the three Senatorial candidates for Florida duked it out at Nova Southeastern University. The hour long debate was very interesting to watch.
   While I was watching something occurred to me, how in the world was Charlie Crist elected as Florida's governor? Not once could he answer a question asked to him on the first try. No matter the question, Crist always ended up talking about why and how he was an Independent candidate.  Every time, he would have to be re-directed toward the question asked.I was appalled at Crist when he launched a personal attack on Marco Rubio. Crist accused Rubio of changing his position on insurance legislation when he was House Speaker after selling his Miami home, for 300 some odd thousand dollars, in cash, to a chiropractor who was lobbying for him. However, Rubio handled it very well, saying "That is categorically false, it was an arms-length transaction," (arms-length transaction- A fair market exchange between a knowledgeable buyer and seller, neither of which are influenced by duress or harmful action. fidelityhouston.com/realestatedictionary).
   The Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek was definitely a better speaker than Crist. His answers however, were not always the best. I was actually impressed with how well he handled himself considering "his ballot is nearly identical to Pelosi's, and the White House could have written his agenda,". There was one thing that bugged me the most that Meek kept saying.  Meek kept pressing the fact that  he was the only pro-choice candidate on the ballot. However, one of the first things that Crist said in his ramblings was that he was 100% behind the pro-choice decision.
   Now, I was by far the most impressed with candidate Marco Rubio. The former Florida Speaker of the House was incredibly composed.  He answered every question perfectly. Rubio had a 2-3 part answer to every question. Also, he answered every question within the time constraints, something that both Crist and Meek had problems doing. The one thing that I think I would say could be his downfall is that Rubio is pro-life. I personally agree with it, however it is a very difficult point to debate on and all republicans running on that point can lose a lot of votes that way.
   Other than that, I think that Marco Rubio was the hands-down winner of tonights debate. He handled himself the best, answered the questions the best, and also was the most polite. Meek and Crist interrupted each other, Rubio, and the questioners surprisingly often.

Welcome

Aperti- Latin for open
Animus- Latin for the mind

Welcome to my new blog.  This blog is an open political forum where anybody can discuss their views and beliefs on different political issues.  Party affiliation does not matter, Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, you could even be apart of The Rent Is Too Damn High party, I don't care.  What I do care about though, is your opinion. So, speak up, lets hear what you have to say!