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.