Fed-Up with Politics

For the record, I have a love/hate relationship with Politics. I do love a good discussion and talking politics can sometimes provide that. I also like playing devils advocate, and talking politics can be an awesome venue for that.

Unfortunately, politics also seems to be extremely personal for some people and thus many political discussions devolve into "Yeah, well so is your mother!".. which is one of the things I hate most about politics.

I honestly cannot comprehend why people take politics so personally. Taking them seriously, I get that. But taking someone's disagreement with your point of view as a personal attack.. that I don't understand.

Maybe if someone said "We shouldn't have laws or legislation that helps protect the rights of the food allergic, as they should just die and get out of the gene pool." I might take that personally, maybe. Maybe not. It would probably cross my mind to deck them, and I might even revel in the thought of doing it, but whether I'd act on that urge or take it as a personal attack.. I'm not sure, it would really depend on the situation.

Anyway, what prompted this post, was a series of emails I received with an Anti-McCain/Palin standpoint, from a stanch Obama supporter.

These weren't the normal "my guy believes this, the other guy believes that" type emails. These were dirty, twisted, and in some cases hateful emails. None of the messages were hate directed at me, but hate directed at McCain/Palin as if they were evil incarnate. This person doesn't know McCain/Palin personally, and in the emails there is nothing of real substance, just hateful attacks as if they personally stole this person's lover, ran over their dog, or some other personal evil affront.

That kind of personal hate, I just cannot understand when it comes to politics.

If a person is for something that you're against, of course discuss it, and if needed duke it out. But in politics, if you want peace (and anyone at least half-way mentally stable would) wouldn't you at least try to understand where the other side is coming from, and present to them where you're coming from, before you start in on "You disagree with me, thus you are evil".

One of the big things against Palin, for me & most other women, is that she's against choice in any situation.

But I guess I understand that stance enough to know that she's not anti-people, she's not an evil overlord trying to force herself upon us all.

To people who believe that conception is the start of life, abortion is comparable to executing a 5 yr. old child.

Sure that seems like an overkill comparison, but in truth that is how many who believe that life starts at conception view abortion. Would you not try to put yourself in between an axe and a small child?

That said, unborn babies are just that.. unborn. They need an incubator to live, and that incubator has thoughts, feelings, and rights too.

So no matter how black and white people like to paint things, there will always be a little gray.

Luckily, we have these documents we call the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Which tell us that every single one of us has the right to pursue our own happiness and our own religion.

That means, as much as I want the right to believe the way I do and think others should believe what I believe, I don't have the right to make my beliefs law if those beliefs negate someone else's right to their own belief.

So as much as I may not like some peoples choices, they have the right to make them and stand by them. It doesn't make them any more evil than I am. (well unless their choice is to become a serial killer, torture, or something else obviously "wrong" to innocent people - but that goes against our laws anyway).

As it nears election time, and more and more people pick sides, and more lines are drawn in the sand, for me it always boils down to one thing:

Which candidate is true?

I could care less about their religion, their personal beliefs, their family. They could be pro-life, pro-death, pro-whatever.. doesn't matter to me. What does matter is, are they fair? do they have a backbone? are they all talk? are they themselves or just a puppet? do they hold their own strings? if not, who does?

I tend to vote for whomever is constant. If you know where they're going, you know you can fight them on the things you disagree with. If they flit everywhere and are unpredictable, you'll never know what they're doing or what they're planning.. thus you can never arm yourself for battle and will find yourself screwed.

I may just write in Ron Paul.

Hillary Supporters Hilarity

I have to thank Ratnest for putting a heads up about this on his blog. Its too funny not to pass along.

Due to recommendation of others who've seen this at The New Editor, Please Use Caution: May be hazardous to your health, please check with your doctor before watching.



I found it immensely funny (and maybe a little misogynistic?) that they think a woman should clean the White House, and even more hilarious that they recommend Hillary. I'll just skip over the complete lack of talent that makes them all look like loonies.

Stop the Spying Protest

If you're concerned about your privacy.. Please join the protest.

Liz Henry's "Photo Protest" blog entry really got my attention and I hope to be contributing my own photo soon, if technology doesn't fail me.

The photo protest can be found on Flickr.com "Stop the Spying"

Eeek Rising Food Costs!

Corn Prices are rising, and the sky is falling!

In what seems to be the new trend, magazines and blogs all over are falling prey to the hype that ethanol is going to make food so costly that we're all going to end up starving.

To add a little more common sense to the panic stream, a very well written article at The Ethicurean on "Who wins, and who whines, when corn prices rise" gives a little more perspective to a growing panic.

So if you're worried about the pending increase in food costs, you should read this article. With everything, there is always two sides to the story and its best to know all sides.

As for me, since I don't eat corn-fed or corn-derived products.. I really don't see this impacting me a whole lot, unless everyone starts buying up all the grass-fed meats and leaving me none. :)

King Corn: Movie Review

I finally got to see the movie, King Corn, on Sunday. It was interesting and had a fair amount of humor. It definitely wasn't boring.

It also wasn't as hard hitting as I expected, nor did it get into all the different derivatives that are made from corn.

It was a rather cursory overview of corn farming and where that corn goes, which I'm certain is quite eye opening to many people across the nation who aren't very in touch with America's corporate farming roots. It also touched on heath issues caused by overindulging in corn, both for humans and animals.

Since I've been researching corn, corn syrup, subsidies, etc for quite a while now, most of the movie was pretty elementary for me.

The one thing I did find educational and highly amusing was the portion of the movie focused on Ian and Curt's attempt to make corn syrup in their kitchen. (Since they couldn't get a film tour of a corn syrup refinery.) Anyone who thinks that corn syrup is "natural" really needs to see that part of the movie. I'm not exactly sure what was added to the corn to make syrup, and maybe Curt and Ian can give us the recipe? A couple of the ingredients they added looked like poison, and the directions for making it were very long and involved. Not exactly what I'd consider "natural".

This movie is still a "must-see" in my book, and something that I plan to buy if it comes out on DVD. I will probably buy several copies and give them out as Christmas gifts. That way my friends and family can have visual proof of the things I've been trying to say for years now. :)

Change isn't going to happen overnight, but with books, movies, and public demand, maybe we can get the ball rolling a little faster.

New Insight into Gay Marriage

Again Schlock Mercenary comic, Howard Tayler has pointed me... ok, he indirectly referenced a comic strip... which I began reading.

I think I'd probably enjoy the comic more if I was male and a child of the 80's, but David Willis has a few "LOL" strips in the SHORTPACKED mix for all persons of any age (ok, any age that lived through the 80's).

One strip though caught my eye. It's not entirely "LOL" funny, but its definitely a new conspiracy theory twist on Gay Marriage.

Definitely, a mind that would make even a persistent pessimist envious.

Who to vote for?

On a Delphi Forums group, someone posted this handy-dandy test to take in order to pick which candidate to vote for.

Minnesota Public Radio: Select a Candidate 2008

Unfortunately I had to have done something really wrong, as I ended up with John McCain as the one to vote for..

Scary Stuff.

Ron Paul Presidential Candidate

I was pointed to this YouTube video by another blog that I was reading, and I found a couple comments made by Ron Paul in this video which makes me hope that come the elections he's on the ballot.

A couple quotes that make me think he might not be all bad:

"I think a lot of our government is very wasteful."

"We've taught a couple generations to be very dependent on government.. I think you have to have a transition period... I happen to think that the market can deliver any service better than the government can."

So maybe there is a little hope of getting more local control someday? I'll have to look into him a bit more.

Are you the government's whore?

Scary.

You know those secret plots we hear about that our government is secretly tracking us… etc.

What if they are true?

According to a recent article on JunkFood Science talks about mandatory medical record keeping that the federal government is insisting on implementing.

Honestly, this is the problem with federal income tax. It gives the federal government too much power over the states, as that is how the federal government is getting these mandatory programs to go over. States are “voluntarily” switching to these recording measures, because if they don’t, there will be no more federal funds.

Scary Snippets from the JunkFood Science article:

“For example, mandatory electronic reporting of glycosylated hemoglobin (A1c) values by laboratories to the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene was recently enacted in New York City. The mandatory program is without patient’s knowledge or informed consent, nor are people free to opt out, according to World Net Daily. Add to that, we’ve already had glimpses of how this information can and is being used by government officials. Pennsylvania’s new plan to manage “chronic illnesses, as described in a recent post, includes identifying and tracking those with diabetes first and putting them under state disease management.”

“A number of states, including Maine and Colorado, have introduced legislation making all Medicaid and food assistance recipients, and state employees, who are deemed overweight be required to undergo weight loss interventions, including “behavior modification” and prescription drugs.”

While most of the article is about HIV testing no longer being anonymous, its these two things that really got me freaking. So, not only are we required to pay taxes for these very programs, but when we get to the point of actually needing them, we may have to jump through hoops like a show dog in order to get the benefits.

And while it sounds all well and good to make people take care of themselves, maintain their health conditions, etc., what happened to personal rights?

Should you ever happen to need help/assistance, your body is no longer yours, but lots of bureaucrats now own your body. It's a whole new version of selling your body for bucks. Except these bucks, are our own.

God forbid we ever implement a socialized medicine program (government health insurance).