Feb 5 2005
This is my inaugural post. I have this feeling there are more of us that are effectively disenfranchised than we know. Listening to the news has made me feel the need to be more involved with how my country is governed. I don't know when we began deviating toward a representative oligarchy from our model representative democracy. What became of civil debate of issues? It seems to me that our representatives are chosen by those in power and they have gerrymandered their districts to continue to vote them into office (look at the reelection rate of incumbents). The winning party no longer defines the issue and works with the minority to solve the proble in a way everyone can support. Now we have a majority who will work with those that agree with him. It is very disconcerting that 48% of people that voted will not be given a voice.
Our government is more concerned about how and with whom individuals express their feelings than by how many resources are expended 'protecting' democracy. As a devout heterosexual, I can not care any less about same sex marriages. None of my business. Shouldn't be the Bible thumper's issue either. Morality is a funny thing. It is ok to spend ouselves into debt for the forseeable future, but it isn't ok to raise taxes to pay for Iraq. It is ok to redefine why we went to war and deny what was said, but it isn't ok to lie. It is a higher value to contribute to victems of the tsunami, but don't raise taxes to cover social problems here at home. It is ok to start personal savings accounts through redirection of social security taxes, but the ceiling on exempt payroll still exists. It is reasonable to make tens of millions of dollars per year as a corporate leader, but it isn't ok to raise the minimum wage enough to allow a dignified living. If life begins at conception, why don't Right to Life supporters have services for miscarriages? Who decided that life doesn't begin at 26 weeks?
I think there ought to be an enforced law that says that your rights end where mine begin, that I don't have to be a fundamentalist anything to have my views listened to, that I don't need to make large contributions to the party in power to be a part of government, and I may not use any adjective to modify my being an American (what became of the Melting Pot our ancestors came out of?).
Our government is more concerned about how and with whom individuals express their feelings than by how many resources are expended 'protecting' democracy. As a devout heterosexual, I can not care any less about same sex marriages. None of my business. Shouldn't be the Bible thumper's issue either. Morality is a funny thing. It is ok to spend ouselves into debt for the forseeable future, but it isn't ok to raise taxes to pay for Iraq. It is ok to redefine why we went to war and deny what was said, but it isn't ok to lie. It is a higher value to contribute to victems of the tsunami, but don't raise taxes to cover social problems here at home. It is ok to start personal savings accounts through redirection of social security taxes, but the ceiling on exempt payroll still exists. It is reasonable to make tens of millions of dollars per year as a corporate leader, but it isn't ok to raise the minimum wage enough to allow a dignified living. If life begins at conception, why don't Right to Life supporters have services for miscarriages? Who decided that life doesn't begin at 26 weeks?
I think there ought to be an enforced law that says that your rights end where mine begin, that I don't have to be a fundamentalist anything to have my views listened to, that I don't need to make large contributions to the party in power to be a part of government, and I may not use any adjective to modify my being an American (what became of the Melting Pot our ancestors came out of?).
posted by Craig at 9:52 PM
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