...it's the US of the A. Get ready for some fireworks, for I'm about to set off.
Better take a step back, or you'll get burned! But this is a spectacle you don't want to miss.
I got a comment, the first comment on that blog, saying you folks don't enjoy discussing politics. You're afraid some realist is going to burn you real bad. Well get your ointment out.
You NEED to discuss politics. In fact you NEED to vote. You MUST fight for what you believe in and if you think it doesn't involve politics, you're wrong! If you live in the US of A and you think something you're fighting for doesn't involve politics, try me. Fighting for a better environment? Fighting for green energy sources? Fighting for the right to teach homosexuality as ok in school? Fighting for the right to PRAY in school? Fighting for more bike lanes? Fighting for more books in the library? I can go on for hours that would amount to months if not years on all things that involve politics. Education systems, homes, health care, roads, public services, foreign policy, our bill of rights, agriculture, inhumane treatment of animals, gay rights, black rights, Hispanic rights, the right to walk when the green light says it's okay to walk at an intersection, the right to breath air (clean or not), the right to electricity, the right to read this, the right to type a response, etc. All these things involve politics!
And we US citizens are the worse too. You know, a good thing that's happening in the US is the police are coming around to a new style of policing. It's called community oriented policing. What that means (which it is not limited to this for it is a holistic type of idea) is getting the community involved. Here is an example: a street has a lot of crime on it. The crimes are drug sales and muggings. An officer requires city works to install street lights every 6 feet. What happens? The crime rate cuts in half. This is what I call proactive solutions and plans. American voters are what our police used to be: reactive
You sit in your cozy little home and don't worry about a thing. But once you get hurt from our system then, and only then for some, you will react. I will not stand for this. This bares repeating. I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS. You say you won't vote because it doesn't affect you. Excuse my french for a moment but BULLSHIT. You need to get off your lazy touche and get moving. You need to start researching the politics and you need to start discussing. Their is no other option in my book. I don't care who you vote for, or what you believe, but do it! It is unfair to me, my gf, my family, my coworkers, my city, my state and my country that you won't vote. Your decision puts me and millions of others in jeopardy. It is said that an organization, team, group, congregation, or I'll go so far as to say nation, that the weakest of your group determines your strength! Don't make US of A weak! I don't want to lose my rights. I don't want to lose the right to write this.
SO discuss politics with me. Educate me. Educate your friends and family. Bring America together. Fight for your rights! Vote for who you believe will protect them. You may be more shrewd and wise than me. So this is my proposal, my request and my desire for you, discuss politics, research it and vote this coming November. Tell me I'm wrong that Obama and McCain are not corrupt and that they are wonderful people. But don't do it unless you can BACK what you're saying. Don't vote blindly and help rebuild the US of A.
I'm American and I discuss politics and I vote! Not all Americans are idiots. This idea seems so unheard-of, but it's true. I can sit and talk about politics for hours with my friends--both Democrats and Republicans. If we don't know anything about a subject, we're at our most attentive to learn everything we can. No one in my class blew off US Government last year; everybody was entranced with the subject, learning everything they could. We all went to the caucus on Super Tuesday, and some of us came back as a delegates; one girl even became vice chair for her precinct. I absolutely agree that we need to be proactive, but don't tell yourself that Americans are all stupid and lazy. That's really a reputation we need to break out of.
These types of responses encourage me. I like to see people in my age group actively pursuing politics and becoming involved. Thank you for giving me a slice of hope. But the stereotype is not broken... yet. :)
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"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing."-Socrates
"Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to
contemplate."- Saint Thomas Aquinas
I am not voting because I want solid answers that I am not getting. I don't care what your opinion is on that either because I am not lazy and heartless. I have done my research I have watched all the debates, and followed this thing since the beginning so I have done my job.
Yes politics are everywhere and they are everywhere because the government pretty much controls everything.
You are not totally wrong, but I am not voting. Not all american's are lazy and stupid. Try to chill out I know your all hyped up and everything but it was just one comment I am sure you will get many more of those to come that is how it works.
http://www.progressiveu.org/043043-mom-i-can-finally-write-you-letter
Sorry to disappoint you, but I am voting for Lewis Black.
DrifterDani~
You can't invoke a response from the public unless you give them something to respond to now can you? The way I see it with not voting at all, though is yes you're not giving the vote to the winning delegate, you didn't prevent it either. So if you complain about the future candidate who becomes president don't come to me. If you vote for a losing candidate at least you can say you took upon the responsibility all Americans have to vote and you can take responsibility for your choice. You can say I voted for "so and so," or even you wanted to vote for "so and so". Then you can complain to me all you want about the current president, because you at least tried. Even if you believe all candidates are evil, vote for a third party whom is least evil.
I just dislike people who complain about the current president if they didn't take action to prevent him(or her someday) from getting in office. (FYI I'm not bashing you at all just letting you know my opinion.)
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"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing."-Socrates
"Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to
contemplate."- Saint Thomas Aquinas
Well also if I did not vote for the moron in the first place and they become president then it is not my fault either. Because I did not vote ignorance into the white house.
I will blame who ever voted for president Bush the second time around, even though I didn't vote. I did not care about politics at that time so voting didn't mean anything to me that was my own ignorance 4 years ago, and I also couldn't vote.
I understand what you are saying totally, but anything I say pretaining to this blog just stay somewhat open minded about it.
I also think that voting might be fixed...but that is another topic.
I also believe that 3rd party candidates are in the shadows and I think it is wrong. Why can't they be equivilant to the others? I think that is not fair at all.
I really do see where you are coming from though so please don't think I am stupid ( I'm not saying you think that I am just saying) We can agree to disagree right?
http://www.progressiveu.org/043043-mom-i-can-finally-write-you-letter
Sorry to disappoint you, but I am voting for Lewis Black.
DrifterDani~
Your comment makes me smile. You have not in anyway demonstrated lack of intelligence. As for the later half of your comment I do agree. Third party should get more media coverage and should have been in the debates. It is not fair to keep the third parties in the shadows.
And yes the electoral college is pretty fixed, but we still have a pretty good voice in it. Plus if we wanted to, we could fix it.
The only thing we can agree to disagree (because we agree on everything else) is not voting at all. I think you should vote for someone at least. Try to get the most responsible person into the office. Even if he isn't perfect. (IF you find a perfect presidential candidate be afraid)
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"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing."-Socrates
"Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to
contemplate."- Saint Thomas Aquinas
The day I was going to sign up to vote I looked up the deadline and it had already passed. I was going to go ahead and vote for Third Party, but of course Kentucky sucks. This was also why I changed my mind because the deadline should have been extended. Now I really don't have a choice, but to sit back and watch.
I think Florida did fix it last time. lol.
I don't think there is a perfect candidate and yes that would be scary. I was really wanting Hillary to stay in the race (and you can shoot me for saying that) because she explained her plans clearly. I still had doubts about her, but not as much as I do for the candidates now. I still think it wasn't right to knock her out of the race either, which I am somewhat bitter about. I know alot of people hated her for many reasons, and really just about everyone I talked to except a few people on this site hated her guts.
I really don't think they wanted a woman in the white house to be honest.
I just am so irritated with everything going on these days the lack of intelligence surfacing, and the bias media, everything seems so crappy.
http://www.progressiveu.org/043043-mom-i-can-finally-write-you-letter
Sorry to disappoint you, but I am voting for Lewis Black.
DrifterDani~
So the truth comes out :P. Well basically I agree then. On the whole thing except the Hillary thing (to each their own and it had nothing to do with her gender, I'm just conservative :P)
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"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing."-Socrates
"Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to
contemplate."- Saint Thomas Aquinas
Your the first person that knows I am not voting. Well now everyone knows..but yeah.
That is totally understandable like I said no one liked her. lol
http://www.progressiveu.org/043043-mom-i-can-finally-write-you-letter
Sorry to disappoint you, but I am voting for Lewis Black.
DrifterDani~
Let me begin by agreeing with you mostly…however I just feel like arguing so let’s go baby! Lol. =]
One thing I can argue is that you talk about Obama and what he thinks, but you can't really know what a person thinks or feels in his or her own head. That's why I hate elections sometimes because all you can do is look at a candidates track record and try to see what they will do in the future…but there is no way of knowing for sure! GR! That’s so scary to me when it's involving my future and my kids future.
With Obama's record I would say not as good as McCain’s. He has gone back on his word about who he is getting money from…like taking money from lobbyists using their wives as a loophole. But it seems like a stretch to say he is a puppet because he is making those choices himself, not the corporations. The corporations are backing those choices though, which concerns me the most.
I believe people are corrupt and selfish and that Obama and McCain fall into that somewhere. I believe it is the businessmen and corporations that are the worst evil and they are the ones funding the candidates. I can't say all of them are corrupt, but so many are. What pisses me off is the candidates and more importantly WE AS AMERICANS allow that to happen. Obama says he wants to bring about “change, "“new ideas” and both probably want to “make the world a better place,” but how is letting those major corporations fund them right? How is that in the best interest of Americans?
All that does is weaken the third parties because it doesn’t allow them to have a voice ever. If a major corporation backed a third party like Bob Barr more people would vote third party. Media propaganda is a kind of evil in this country. While it serves ideally (how it was intended in the Constitution) as freedom of speech, it has become corrupt and controls a major part of elections and hysteria in this country. The media shows only one side more often than not.
Too many people just watch the news, election coverage and ASSUME that what they are hearing is the truth, or right for that matter. Americans need to take the time to do the research on their OWN! They need to say F*** the government and what it’s telling me! I hear so many people talking about how pissed off at our government they are…well guess who elected those people stupid? YOU DID! Stop complaining about what you want to change and take action.
One person can make a difference if he or she believes enough. That first action step should be to vote. If you are a citizen of the United Sates I believe it is your civic duty to vote, even if you think your vote won’t count because of the Electoral College, etc. etc. Our voting system is screwed up, yes, with many loopholes and needs to be fixed, but what is a democracy? We wouldn’t be a democracy if we didn’t vote despite how screwed up the system is. It can be changed, not overnight, but with enough people it can be. Take for example our civil rights movement. Do you think black people became “accepted” or "equal" to white people in one night? No it took years and years of pain and suffering, marches, sit-ins, jail time, rallies, speeches, even death to change it!
It takes perserverance and a strong vision.
And still today people are prejudice…it hasn’t gone away despite the progress it's made.
But Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream and so can we today. He is a perfect example of someone who should be President and represents what America is all about. Not only that, but he was willing to lay down is life, all that he cared for in the world to do what is right and necessary. He was just one man, but look at what he accomplished!
I don’t mean to sound like I'm giving a corny speech to rally a bunch of people to believe in what I’m saying…just look at the facts and what he did. One person can make a difference and I stand by that belief. I will give you more examples...but in a different perspective.
We need to look at not just the people in history who have done good for the world like Martin Luther King Jr…we need to remember the bad leadership too…um Hitler, Bush, war generals, dictatorships, etc. the list could go on for days. It’s not just the good people I’m talking about. If we elect the wrong President (Obama or McCain) our country could take a nasty turn and guess what folks…we only have ourselves to blame. We need to look at our past so we’re not doomed to repeat it.
How can we know where we’re going, if we do not know where we came from?
*kudos* :)
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"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing."-Socrates
"Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to
contemplate."- Saint Thomas Aquinas
I agree that Americans do focus too much on what the media reports instead of coming to their own conclusions. For example, instead of watching presidential debates ourselves we're more likely to read what the "experts" say. We also don't know where the best news is found: too many people today depend on the TV for news, even though the TV tends to exaggerate events and take sides to attract viewers--that's the reason I stopped going to CNN and instead started reading The New York Times. In that aspect, I completely agree with you.
However, I disagree about how the big businesses squash third pirties and about how that didn't used to happen. America has always only ever had two major parties; even before the Constitution, there were two major sides to arguments. The parties have changed so that Democrats today were nothing like Democrat-Republicans founded by Jefferson and Madison, but third parties rarely held a lot of power.
I also do not agree that the best response to a displeasing government is to say "F the government." We have a brilliant system; we just need to understand it.
LK
Just to clarify what I meant by F*** the government...I didn't do a good job of explaining. I just meant sometimes we need to look and see if the government is taking too much control (like the Patriot Act for example) on our rights. One of my high school history teachers always said if they take one right away from us, how many more can they take?
Sometimes I also think if you look at history people who changed things like our founders, revolutionists, etc. had to say f*** the government in a sense to make it better. Revolutionsists throughout history broke rules of presiding law/government they were under to create a better one, maybe one that would not oppress them.
I believe democracy is not perfect, but it's the best form of government. And I'm not saying get rid of it, just that it needs to be reformed. How do we do this? I know how laws are created and taken away, but there are so many loopholes in our justice system.
Also what I meant by it is that Americans just need to be more aware as to what it's government is up too...is it really representing what a democracy should be representing?....which is the people.
Please don't tell me anyone with any book smarts really believes that their vote counts! Wake up and do a whole lot of reading. We started loosing our rights long before helmet and seat belt laws.
Please let me point out a few things #1 sorry to say we HAVE lost the battle up against our police State, FBI and our Government period, We lost our freedom of speech that is to say without consequent anyway, and I have a feeling we may even lose the war. #2 you are NOT safe in your own homes now, #3 police misconduct continues never to even get close to to getting to the senate level for public record, #4 the biggest organized crime is of our U.S. Government.
To all those interested (and I know just how busy lifes are today) just another thing our government banks on just like banking on the illiderate to vote! How many of you know there's a whole lot of fine print involved in what you think your voting for.
Please do look up FEMA or Blackwater, Go to web site like
www.theforbiddenknowledge.com or www.reformthepatriotact.org
That will get you started anyway, I'll check back again when time allows.
Jeanine