On CNN, Jack Cafferty (who I usually don't agree with and think he's pretty crabby) stated this about the recent cheers and boos at the Republican debates on various issues:
"Critics say these debates promote extremism within the Republican Party, and show 'the mean season is upon us.' They fault the candidates themselves for not stamping out the behavior when it happens. They should. Also, some suggest the booing or cheering could turn off moderate and swing voters in the general election. It should."
Sean Hannity showed the clip from Jack Cafferty's segment on CNN and both he and a guest on his show commented on it by saying that only Democrats think that the Republicans have become "bloodthirsty." Also that regarding the death penalty issue, the crowd was only cheering that the death penalty was in place in Texas and that no one else construed it as inappropriate. This is the dumbest thing I ever heard. Talk about spinning. And both Sean and guest were laughing about it.
Even if they were just cheering in agreement with the death penalty, these tea partiers or whoever is doing the cheering over these issues is making the rest of us Republicans look "bloodthirsty." No constructive dialogue is ever going to take place if this country becomes much more polarized. At some point, the silly stuff needs to stop.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Poverty in America
I just finished the book Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. It was probably one of the most eye-opening books I’ve ever read. The writer researched what it would be like to make ends meet by earning minimum wage and details her experiences. What I came away with was being ashamed of how ungrateful I had been most of my life to be earning a decent wage and for having a relatively comfortable life.
I have experience unemployment and know what its like when pennies all of the sudden carry a great deal more value and you start to collect them hoping you can buy the 4 Cup O’Soups for $1. But for me, like with the writer, that situation was temporary. What about all the people in the county who live like that year round?
"About 20% of American adults who have jobs are earning only $10.65 an hour or less, according to Osterman's analysis. Even at 40 hours a week, that amounts to less than $22,314, the poverty level for a family of four." By Chris Isidore @ CNN Money, http://twitter.com/CNNmoneySeptember 27, 2011: 9:39 AM ET http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/27/news/economy/minimum_wage_jobs/index.htm
Poverty level equates hunger, homelessness, more crime, child abuse, etc. It’s a domino effect. What’s the solution? I know today many conservative Republicans scream bloody murder at the very thought of bigger government and like to bring up the word "Socialist" a lot. I’m all for capitalism, but should this country that is so prosperous, with our grocery shelves overflowing really allow our own citizens to go without?
One of the paragraphs in the book, on page 214, that really struck me, was as follows:
"Most civilized nations compensate for the inadequacy of wages by providing relatively generous public services such as health insurance, free or subsidized child care, subsidizing housing, and effective public transportation. But the United States, for all its wealth, leaves citizens to fend for themselves - facing market-based rents, for example, on their wages alone. For millions of Americans, that $10 - or even $8 or $6 - hourly wage is all there is."
So do you have to be part of the "bleeding hearts" club of Democrats to care about poverty in America? If you’re a Republican, it seems like you’ll be labeled a socialist or even Marxist if you suggest the government help people in need. Many of us give to charities as much as we can and get involved in our churches but I believe the problem is deeper than that and that it includes raising the minimum wage and providing better housing opportunities for people who can’t afford some of these rent prices. I just don’t know if a smaller government is the answer when it comes to dealing with the poverty issue.
I once read about a judge who was quoted as saying, "Yes, I’m a Republican, but I’m a Republican with a heart." Are most Republicans heartless? No, we’re not.
I have experience unemployment and know what its like when pennies all of the sudden carry a great deal more value and you start to collect them hoping you can buy the 4 Cup O’Soups for $1. But for me, like with the writer, that situation was temporary. What about all the people in the county who live like that year round?
"About 20% of American adults who have jobs are earning only $10.65 an hour or less, according to Osterman's analysis. Even at 40 hours a week, that amounts to less than $22,314, the poverty level for a family of four." By Chris Isidore @ CNN Money, http://twitter.com/CNNmoneySeptember 27, 2011: 9:39 AM ET http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/27/news/economy/minimum_wage_jobs/index.htm
Poverty level equates hunger, homelessness, more crime, child abuse, etc. It’s a domino effect. What’s the solution? I know today many conservative Republicans scream bloody murder at the very thought of bigger government and like to bring up the word "Socialist" a lot. I’m all for capitalism, but should this country that is so prosperous, with our grocery shelves overflowing really allow our own citizens to go without?
One of the paragraphs in the book, on page 214, that really struck me, was as follows:
"Most civilized nations compensate for the inadequacy of wages by providing relatively generous public services such as health insurance, free or subsidized child care, subsidizing housing, and effective public transportation. But the United States, for all its wealth, leaves citizens to fend for themselves - facing market-based rents, for example, on their wages alone. For millions of Americans, that $10 - or even $8 or $6 - hourly wage is all there is."
So do you have to be part of the "bleeding hearts" club of Democrats to care about poverty in America? If you’re a Republican, it seems like you’ll be labeled a socialist or even Marxist if you suggest the government help people in need. Many of us give to charities as much as we can and get involved in our churches but I believe the problem is deeper than that and that it includes raising the minimum wage and providing better housing opportunities for people who can’t afford some of these rent prices. I just don’t know if a smaller government is the answer when it comes to dealing with the poverty issue.
I once read about a judge who was quoted as saying, "Yes, I’m a Republican, but I’m a Republican with a heart." Are most Republicans heartless? No, we’re not.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Fox News Debate
Another debate last night, this time on Fox News. Alot of issues came up again but the one that stayed with me was the issue of immigration and securing our borders. I think this is where I am a lot more conservative. I believe we should secure our borders. When my parents came here from South America, they each got their papers in order, came to this country legally and became citizens. They worked and paid taxes and never took the position of expecting anyone to take care of them. They paid social security taxes and now live off the social security that they have paid into over some 30 years.
Throughout my life, I have heard stories like people who come here from Mexico, get fake social security numbers, collect welfare checks once a month and then take the money back to Mexico. Not only is this money that is taken away from a U.S. citizen who may need assistance, but the money isnt even spent on goods in the U.S. and thereby not improving our economy. Its like a dominoe effect. There's lots of other stories like this that I wont detail here but its a reality that liberals dont want to face. There's nothing wrong with securing our borders just like every other country has a right to. This is a pretty black and white issue if you ask me but there is so much debate about it.
One argument is that the illegal immigrants are willing to do the work that Americans don't want to do. I can't argue that point. I had to move a couple of weeks ago and when the movers that said they would help me didn't show up (guys from church no less), I went to Uhaul and contracted a couple of the guys standing out front who were here illegally. If there is so much unemployment, why aren't there any American guys out there waiting to get hired. These guys told me that at least 6 different people came to rent trucks and hired 2 guys each. I momentarily, for that day, created two jobs and no American citizen was in site to get hired. Is there something wrong with this picture? I paid each guy $105. They worked 3 hours. That's $35 an hour.
Throughout my life, I have heard stories like people who come here from Mexico, get fake social security numbers, collect welfare checks once a month and then take the money back to Mexico. Not only is this money that is taken away from a U.S. citizen who may need assistance, but the money isnt even spent on goods in the U.S. and thereby not improving our economy. Its like a dominoe effect. There's lots of other stories like this that I wont detail here but its a reality that liberals dont want to face. There's nothing wrong with securing our borders just like every other country has a right to. This is a pretty black and white issue if you ask me but there is so much debate about it.
One argument is that the illegal immigrants are willing to do the work that Americans don't want to do. I can't argue that point. I had to move a couple of weeks ago and when the movers that said they would help me didn't show up (guys from church no less), I went to Uhaul and contracted a couple of the guys standing out front who were here illegally. If there is so much unemployment, why aren't there any American guys out there waiting to get hired. These guys told me that at least 6 different people came to rent trucks and hired 2 guys each. I momentarily, for that day, created two jobs and no American citizen was in site to get hired. Is there something wrong with this picture? I paid each guy $105. They worked 3 hours. That's $35 an hour.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Just another day in moderateville
Turns out there’s another blog called The Moderate Soapbox. Here I thought I was being original. There’s a few "soapbox" blogs out there. I read a lot of these blogs that moderate Republicans write and sometimes it seems like within the "moderate" group, there are even vast differences. I wonder sometimes if I am not quite center but maybe still a little right of center. This one so called moderate blog that I read yesterday sounded like the writer was a complete liberal. Yet he called himself a centrist. He bashed Christianity and anything relating to it, which is something I would never do, considering I am a believer. My ideas are bible based as they should be if you say you are a believer. Many say that believing and acting according to the Bible is being narrow minded. Obviously I don’t agree with that.
I had come to the conclusion that I am more of a moderate because I don’t see things completely black and white like a lot of people do, both on the left and right. Take gay marriage for example. I don’t believe its God’s will for gays to marry. I believe he created marriage to be between a man and a woman. Its biblical and I don’t dispute it. Otherwise, what is my faith about? But - here’s the thing - divorce is not God’s will either. Neither is adultery, spousal abuse, neglect, etc. The divorce rate is still at about 50%. I’m surprised the gays even want marriage after what hererosexuals have done with it. Sanctity of marriage doesn’t just mean that one sex is married to the other sex. It means a lot more than that. And to throw stones at people we think are "evil" when we’re not as pious as we believe we are, is not right. Why do I think this way? Maybe because I spend 7 years at a church where it turns out the Pastor had affairs with more than one woman in the church and watched internet porn in between services. And how many times have we seen religious leaders caught in the act? The word hypocrisy comes to mind.
While we’re on the subject, I don’t like when conservatives write books called "Demonic" or "Godless." What is that? Throwing stones again. I know we all want to sell books but don’t bring God into this and use Him as a marketing tool.
Bottom line - I believe we should strive to live godly lives if we say we are believers and be more concerned with the condition of our neighbor’s soul instead of who they are marrying. When I meet Jesus face to face, is He going to ask me if I helped push the anti-gay agenda or if I told people that He loved and died for them? The latter I believe.
I had come to the conclusion that I am more of a moderate because I don’t see things completely black and white like a lot of people do, both on the left and right. Take gay marriage for example. I don’t believe its God’s will for gays to marry. I believe he created marriage to be between a man and a woman. Its biblical and I don’t dispute it. Otherwise, what is my faith about? But - here’s the thing - divorce is not God’s will either. Neither is adultery, spousal abuse, neglect, etc. The divorce rate is still at about 50%. I’m surprised the gays even want marriage after what hererosexuals have done with it. Sanctity of marriage doesn’t just mean that one sex is married to the other sex. It means a lot more than that. And to throw stones at people we think are "evil" when we’re not as pious as we believe we are, is not right. Why do I think this way? Maybe because I spend 7 years at a church where it turns out the Pastor had affairs with more than one woman in the church and watched internet porn in between services. And how many times have we seen religious leaders caught in the act? The word hypocrisy comes to mind.
While we’re on the subject, I don’t like when conservatives write books called "Demonic" or "Godless." What is that? Throwing stones again. I know we all want to sell books but don’t bring God into this and use Him as a marketing tool.
Bottom line - I believe we should strive to live godly lives if we say we are believers and be more concerned with the condition of our neighbor’s soul instead of who they are marrying. When I meet Jesus face to face, is He going to ask me if I helped push the anti-gay agenda or if I told people that He loved and died for them? The latter I believe.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tea Party Debate
Last week a CNN/Tea Party GOP debate took place and apparently when Rick Perry stated that his state had the highest death penalty rate, the crowd cheered. When I heard this, I thought "what the?" That’s just wrong. Whether you agree with the death penalty or not, its no cheering matter. I don’t understand that mentality and I believe it creates more fodder for opponents to label the right as blood thirsty. As one blogger wrote:
"On top of the last debate where folks cheered Gov Rick Perry’s death penalty rate in Texashttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocKFSLsZnUo -- even when some of those folks killed were likely innocent -- has demonstrated a bloodlust among the conservative, "pro-lifer" crowd. Once again proving, the best thing you can do as a human being with these folks is stay a fetus as long as possible." Danielle Belton, Black Snob editor and posted on "The Root" blog 9/14/11.
Had Gov. Perry reprimanded the crowd for acting like Romans in the arena or at least reminded them that this is a very solemn issue, I think he would have garnered a great deal of respect and it would have worked well for him, as well as help mitigate any damage and prevent any future spectacles of that type. Now Democrats are scratching their heads wondering why are these people anti-abortion but so pro-death penalty. How would one answer that? Say - "I’m not with them." ??
"On top of the last debate where folks cheered Gov Rick Perry’s death penalty rate in Texashttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocKFSLsZnUo -- even when some of those folks killed were likely innocent -- has demonstrated a bloodlust among the conservative, "pro-lifer" crowd. Once again proving, the best thing you can do as a human being with these folks is stay a fetus as long as possible." Danielle Belton, Black Snob editor and posted on "The Root" blog 9/14/11.
Had Gov. Perry reprimanded the crowd for acting like Romans in the arena or at least reminded them that this is a very solemn issue, I think he would have garnered a great deal of respect and it would have worked well for him, as well as help mitigate any damage and prevent any future spectacles of that type. Now Democrats are scratching their heads wondering why are these people anti-abortion but so pro-death penalty. How would one answer that? Say - "I’m not with them." ??
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Intro
Being first generation American, I was always proud of the fact that my immigrant parents always kept up with current events in this county and sometimes knew more about what was going on than I did. I have known native Americans my own age who were less informed and I could never understand why. My father came to this country from Peru in 1955 and when he became a citizen in the early 60's, he registered as a Democrat. I don’t know how he came to that decision, maybe he liked Kennedy. Growing up, my two brothers and I identified with the democratic party as well since that’s what our parents were, and my earliest recollection of a presidential election was when Carter ran against Ford in 1976. We rooted for Carter and were elated when he won, even though I was in the 7th grade and didn’t have a clue about politics. Then, through a"charismatic movement" that swept through the Catholic church in the late 70's, my Argentine mother became a born again Christian. She became a citizen in the early 80's and registered as a Republican. My brothers and I soon followed suit and by 1980, Reagan had become the favorite, and my father remained the lone democrat in the family.
Once I became old enough to vote, I still didn’t really know what the difference was between the parties and I wasn’t really that interested. Like most other 20 something’s, my focus was elsewhere. The only thing I knew is that if you were a Christian, you voted Republican and that liberals were mean people that didn’t believe in God. It wasn’t until about my mid to late 30s that I started to take more of an interest in politics, especially elections and tuned in a little more to the conversations going on around me. I began to watch MSNBC of all channels, and found programs like Chris Mathews and Keith Oberman’s foaming at the mouth entertaining. But after a while, I found all the Bush-bashing tiresome and began to switch between MSNBC, CNN and Fox News. I practically became a junkie watching those every evening I could. The positive side to that is I wasn’t watching much else and so at least I was informed at some level. But by no stretch do I consider myself a political scientist or analyst of any kind.
Here’s the issue. After listening to what’s been going on in the country the past few years and especially of late, I find that I’m really not part of this ultra conservative right wing Republican that everyone thinks you are automatically by just saying that you are a Republican. What do I consider myself? How about a citizen who cares about the issues concerning my country and the people in them? How about someone who’s realized that even though I am a strong Christian, some of my beliefs or positions on issues don’t necessarily coincide with that of the GOP, and that its OK, regardless of what others in my party may say. More importantly, I can’t be the only one feeling this way. What this blog seeks to do is to maybe in some small way help give voice to those like me who don’t feel like they want to be labeled or placed in a box just because others believe we should be in them. And maybe by not feeling boxed in, we’re freer to speak up, get involved, and stand up for what we believe is right, according to our conscious and not what others dictate to be right or wrong. Whether moderate Republican, Centrist, Independent, moderate Democrat or a little bit of each, we have a right to stand on the soap box of our own creation and be silenced by "RINO chasers" no more.
Once I became old enough to vote, I still didn’t really know what the difference was between the parties and I wasn’t really that interested. Like most other 20 something’s, my focus was elsewhere. The only thing I knew is that if you were a Christian, you voted Republican and that liberals were mean people that didn’t believe in God. It wasn’t until about my mid to late 30s that I started to take more of an interest in politics, especially elections and tuned in a little more to the conversations going on around me. I began to watch MSNBC of all channels, and found programs like Chris Mathews and Keith Oberman’s foaming at the mouth entertaining. But after a while, I found all the Bush-bashing tiresome and began to switch between MSNBC, CNN and Fox News. I practically became a junkie watching those every evening I could. The positive side to that is I wasn’t watching much else and so at least I was informed at some level. But by no stretch do I consider myself a political scientist or analyst of any kind.
Here’s the issue. After listening to what’s been going on in the country the past few years and especially of late, I find that I’m really not part of this ultra conservative right wing Republican that everyone thinks you are automatically by just saying that you are a Republican. What do I consider myself? How about a citizen who cares about the issues concerning my country and the people in them? How about someone who’s realized that even though I am a strong Christian, some of my beliefs or positions on issues don’t necessarily coincide with that of the GOP, and that its OK, regardless of what others in my party may say. More importantly, I can’t be the only one feeling this way. What this blog seeks to do is to maybe in some small way help give voice to those like me who don’t feel like they want to be labeled or placed in a box just because others believe we should be in them. And maybe by not feeling boxed in, we’re freer to speak up, get involved, and stand up for what we believe is right, according to our conscious and not what others dictate to be right or wrong. Whether moderate Republican, Centrist, Independent, moderate Democrat or a little bit of each, we have a right to stand on the soap box of our own creation and be silenced by "RINO chasers" no more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)