Category: Politics

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Political Shopping around

I’m just not getting over it. I’m truly disgusted with the Republican party, I’ve always been able to find some common ground and feel that in general they represented me. Over the past 10 years or so I’ve found myself far less represented.

The Florida Presidential debate served one purpose. It catalyzed my dis-satisfaction with the GOP.

For the first time in 30 years I’m shopping around for a new political party. I never actually “Shopped” before.

I registered to vote one day at a mall with my Mom. At the time I think I wanted to register as an Independent but then my Mom pointed out that as an Independent I wouldn’t be able to vote in presidential primaries. That made no sense to me, I also couldn’t see why anyone would register with a party that limited their voting ability.

I asked Mom what party Dad was. She said Republican and so I registered as a Republican. It was as simple as that. As things turned out, it was a choice that I was comfortable with until now.

As I’ve been shopping around I’ve been reading about the various parties by visiting their web sites.

While I feel I have little in common with the Democratic party I still checked out their web site. It just confirmed my feelings.  Within the first couple of paragraphs in their “About Us” page, they come across demonizing the wealthy. That’s Ironic since the leaders of the democratic party are in fact a damn sight wealthier than me (I’m after all, an evil wealthy Republican). As I read more about the party I really couldn’t get past the fact that it’s leaders today don’t compare to the formidable leadership of the partys past. So no, the democratic party is not for me.

I checked out the Tea Party they’re not  officially a party, but I’ve been accused by certain people of being a tea party sympathizer so I thought I’d check ’em out. Their web site is interesting since they’re pretty equally displeased with both the Democratic and the Republican parties. They point out a Failure in leadership on the part of both parties. This actually mirrors something I’ve been saying for years. But I’m not a Tea Party person… YET!

As I thought about it, I realized that I’d never really paid much attention to the “branding” the Republican party gives itself. When I went to the site I expected to see something about the party history, goals, core values, etc. You know, something to help a new voter decide if the party is for them. That’s not at all what I found. Sadly the party web site appears a bit amateurish and provides no information for a new voter. Instead the site looks more like a fear mongering site. It’s not until you look under the “Issues” section that you find information about the party position. I think I understand why so many friends looked at me like I had two heads when they found out I was a Republican.

I found this Quiz which says I’m a centrist with Libertarian leanings.

I thought “Hey the internet quiz may be right” so I went to the Libertarian party site. This party seems to fit my beliefs better than anything thus far. I have always been about personal responsibility, and minimal government. The question is if I register Libertarian do I give up any voting privileges?

The Green party caught my attention. But while I’m all for eco-responsibility, and grass roots community based politics. I’m still a capitalist pig, which seems a bit incompatible with the greens. However, if they present a candidate that I believe in, I’ll vote for them.

The Independent party… WOW! Not for me! I think my beliefs and these folks are completely at odds. That is the beauty of our system though. Everyone can have a say and be represented by people of like minds.

There are 53 political parties listed as active in the United States (Thank you Wikipedia). Many of these parties I’m not interested in.

I’ve never even heard of a large percentage of them. My thinking is, if I’ve never heard of them then it’s unlikely they will field a candidate either for president or for local offices that I’m interested in.

I was surprised to find a Nazi party and Socialist party active in the U.S. Who’d have thought these parties would exist in 21st century America? Well, political freedom is one of the things that our country was founded on…

At this point, pending further investigation about voting in primaries I think I’m going to be registering as Libertarian.

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The Republican Candidates SUCK!!!!

I’ve written about them in the past and here I am writing about them again. Much as I try to ignore them, they keep making their slimy way into my consciousness.

Rick Santorum needs to drop out of the race. He’s already demonstrated amply that he is not presidential material. He may be married and the father of 7 children, however anyone that is as hung up on Gay anything gives me pause.

I can’t count the number of rabid homophobes that ultimately end up in a bathhouse, ass in the air begging o be fucked by the biggest cocks in the place. Given that he’s Catholic… well I do wonder if he’s damaged goods thanks to a bad priest.

I’m honestly confused as to why so called “Gay” issues are so important in the republican camp.

We as a country have much bigger fish to fry and the candidates would do well to stop harping on the gay issue. Something like HALF of our country doesn’t care about DADT, Same sex marriage, or the gay issues the Republicans are beating to death.

What the people seem to be concerned about are things like the economy, Jobs, foreign policy, and the national debt. These are things that Republican candidates should be speaking about.

DADT was a bad law. It created yet another “Less Than” situation. It told our troops essentially “Yeah you’re good enough to die for your country but not good enough to be yourself in your country.” or to put it more bluntly “Yes, you can fight and die for freedom but you, faggot boy will never have freedom and we will always hate you.”

Isn’t is a better idea to have everyone who’s willing to lay down their lives for this country INVESTED in the belief that Freedom applies to all equally?

After all that IS what we’re taught in school. Or are we willing to say that the public education system is nothing more than a propaganda machine, and that the Freedom our founding fathers supposedly built this country on was reserved only for “God Fearing” Christians? Oh! Wait… uhh yeah it was.

The Republican candidates response to Stephen Hills legitimate question was beyond rude and demonstrates why so many people (including, most likely me) are leaving the Republican party.

When I got up the morning after the debate, I was for the first time in my life, ashamed to be a Republican. There is no defense I can offer for the candidates behavior, or for that matter the people in the crowd. Shame on the Republicans in Florida…

That man is a soldier and he’s fighting to protect your freedoms even though obviously he’ll never enjoy those Freedoms in Florida.

Yes! All the people of Florida were just painted in an even more negative light because you were rude on national television. I really hope you’re all proud of yourselves, don’t forget to bring your Crayolas to the voting place, the whole country knows you can’t handle pushing a stylus through a piece of paper.

Stephen Hills question was a legitimate question for all the gay folks serving in the military.

Since he’s now out of the closet, if DADT is reinstated does that mean he’s looking at a dishonorable discharge if a Republican president is elected?

If he’s near re-enlistment, a hostile President would have an impact on whether he continues his military career or moves back into civilian life.

The question remains unanswered. And it will remain unanswered because the genie is out of the bottle. There is no way you can have a subset of gay people that outed themselves when DADT was repealed stay in service if DADT is re-instated.

Since those that outed themselves while DADT wasn’t in force didn’t break any laws, they can’t be discharged. In fact discharging them would be illegal and I’m sure would be challenged in court.

So how the hell are you going to keep track of who is legal (outed while DADT wasn’t in force) and who isn’t (entered military after a new DADT policy)? Perhaps pink triangles would work. Oh wait… that’s been done.

The only choice is to discharge every self identified gay person.

Problem is, that’s not in the militarys best interest. Too many gay people hold speciality positions. These positions are hard to fill and require lots of training. Does it make any kind of sense to cripple the military effectiveness just so you can reinstate a bad law?

Rick Santorum may think so, but I’m pretty sure the Joint Chiefs would tell him otherwise.

That’s really the bottom line.

The Republican party is out of touch with what is relevant in the average persons life. A large percentage of the American people are not in fact driven by puritanical beliefs.

Most of us are people of faith, but not rabidly so. We just want to have jobs, contribute to society, raise our families, have a minimum of crime, pay our mortgages, and in general be left the hell alone.

You know… that whole Freedom and justice for all… Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness thing.

The first Presidential candidate that starts running on those basic principals equally applied to everyone will win in a landslide.

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NOM as the Victim?

Say WHAT????

Brian Brown of NOM is playing the victim card. You can read the Advocate article here. It would be funny… if he wasn’t serious.

One paragraph really caught my attention.

He’s referring to Marriage Equality advocates. But this paragraph itself is amazing.

“can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.”

I read this twice before my brain melted down.

NOM is in fact DEMANDING that gay people accept just what NOM says it’s members cannot.

NOM pulled this paragraph straight from The Fear Mongers, Despots, & Dictators Speech & Operations Manual. This is from the chapter titled “How to win and keep popular support for immoral ideas“. The next chapter in the book is “Political Prisoners and how to disappear them“

This paragraph is all about demonizing your enemy by capitalizing on the fears of the people you’re trying to win over. In the case of NOM, they’re talking about marriage, but this could as easily be plugged into any context.

Here are some other examples of the way in which this paragraph can be used.

White People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.” 

GAY People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.” 

Black people “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.”

Christian People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.”

Islamic People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.”

Chinese People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.” 

Jewish People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.”

The list of examples goes on … apparently the readers of the The Fear Mongers, Despots, & Dictators Speech & Operations Manual need very specific instructions.

Hitler made these kinds of statements and later used similar statements to justify the murder of millions.

Have we learned nothing? Why is it that our attention spans are so short that we cannot see the hatred and bigotry that groups like NOM spout for what it is? This is not new, groups like NOM have existed for as long as mankind has. We need only look into the history of our planet and we find abundant examples.

For gods sake, right NOW we’re fighting two wars against exactly this kind of theocratic zealotry.

One thing that we should all be mindful of, is that theocracies even veiled ones like NOM would like nothing more than to remake our country in their image. Shall we consider for a moment what that might look like?

All abortions would be illegal. The rape victim would have to understand that it was Gods will that she carry and raise the baby of a psychopath. 

Gay people would be imprisoned for their own safety and subsequently executed. (So that the gene pool of God fearing Christians could be preserved.) After all a lot of gay people reproduce before they go gay. Later, the families of gay people could be sterilized to prevent further contamination. 

All genetic research would come to a halt. Who is man to tinker with Gods perfect creation? 

All Technology would eventually be banned. The bans would start in the communication sector. Too much communication and free flow of ideas is BAD. It distracts the people from their prayers. (The Fear Mongers, Despots, & Dictators Speech & Operations Manual, suggests that long distance communications be restricted immediately to government official channels. Anyone engaging in unmonitored communication of ideas must be made an example of… Public brutal executions such as stoning are recommended.)  

Dissenting ideas would be punished. God speaks only through the religious leaders

All guns would be banned. Every citizen must turn turn their guns over to the duly appointed representative of Gods army. There would be no financial compensation but the rewards in heaven will be great.

Education facilities will teach ONLY the approved curriculum. Any mention of evolution would be strictly forbidden. Abstinence is the only God approved sex education. Masturbation is a MORTAL sin. Religious studies are of the highest importance. Reading is taught only so the people can read the Bible. Math, & Science, are taught only to so that God’s army can maintain readiness for the apocalypse. 

Does ANY of this sound familiar?

NOM and other ultra conservative religious groups have far more in common with conservative Islam and the TALIBAN than they do American Democracy.

Please folks, understand that Marriage isn’t religious in nature. It is a contract that became imbued with religious significance.

Strip away the religious overtones and see it for what it is. Two people binding themselves together and by extension their families for the betterment of all parties.

Marriages brought larger grazing lands, pooled wealth & resources, and strengthened community relationships.

The gender of the participants doesn’t change that fundamental dynamic.

It’s that pooling of wealth / resources, the tax benefits, and ability to make medical decisions for their partner that same sex marriage advocates want.

Separate but equal didn’t cut it with African Americans and it sure as hell won’t cut it with Gay Americans.

Civil unions simply don’t provide or protect the rights of the parties the same way that Marriage does.

In fact apparently state sanctioned marriage doesn’t either. The case of the New York couple split up by Federal Immigration & Naturalization comes to mind.

The bottom line is that whether they admit it or not, NOM and organizations like them are advocating and supporting an unfair, biased, hateful agenda against a group of people that have done absolutely nothing wrong.

Except that is… exist then challenge the prevailing dogma.