As a football fan it truly saddens me to see Michael Vick in this kind of trouble. I do not condone nor support dog fighting in any manner. I feel that it is one of the most abhorrent things that can be done to animals. It does sadden me to see a man who came from his background and struggled to make it to the top squander it all over something like this. Michael Vick was an inspiration for poor children of all races; now he is nothing more than another reason for extremists to scream to the heavens against minorities.
It is strange though that I can understand the peer pressure he was under from his friends. Peer pressure can make any of us do stupid things; that if left to our own devices we would have never contemplated much less done, but it is not an excuse. Michael should have known what would have happened if this was discovered. That is the factor that keeps 99 per cent of us from doing the things our friends dare us to do. Not the fear of the action itself but the fear that if anyone finds out it could be shameful or worse. I do understand how he wanted to impress his friends and be one of the guys; we all want to, but at what cost?
Michael needs help. He needs to get away from these so called friends and find friends who have some values that are not so repugnant. Let us not forget that if it were not for one sane voice within our groups of friends then we too could be like Micheal. Michael Vick must be made to pay for his crimes, against animals, football fans and his race. Let us hope he learns from this and can become a man who we can respect again.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
New Political Party
There is a need for a new political party in the United States of America. The current parties are either out of touch with the American people or just don't care about the average person anymore. There needs to be a party that is based on concerns and events facing the average person. A party that is made up of working class people.
I think the government should do something about the election system. How can a person win the majority of the popular vote and not the election? I noticed that California is now trying to rig the electoral college even more. Soon it will be that we don't have to vote. The government will elect itself. Now that would be something to see.
The new party should have common people who know what is going on in the real world extends beyond the beltway. I know it is a sin to think this; but there are people beyond the beltway. The world does not revolve around the District of Columbia. The politicians pander to special interest groups so why not create a lobbying group for the working people of the United States? A group that is made up of the true working class. It would have so many members that the government would have to at least listen, maybe even take action on some of the things that are truly paramount to the best interests of the common man and woman. Free health care and/or major health care reform should be at the top of the list. After all the government is supposed to protect and serve the people of the United States. With a viable third party in the running for national seats that the government would have to listen. With only two parties there is no need to listen to the common people who make up the majority of the United States.
The new party should not accept money from special interest groups or big business. By accepting these monies the current crop of politicians we have in power are subservient to these special interests. Have you ever heard of a President inviting a mechanic to the White House for lunch? Of course not, a mechanic is not as powerful as the head of Exxon/Mobil, but here is the catch; the mechanic has just as many votes in the general election as the president or CEO of any major corporation. The mechanic may not have the money behind him but he does have a vote. To put together a third party would not be easy; the existing government would fight it tooth and nail. The existing parties want the status quo to remain the same, but both have long since forgotten the factors of their origins. Our nation was established as the result of no representation with taxes being paid to the King of England, now we have no representation for most Americans with taxes being paid to a government that spends billions of dollars it does not have nor will ever have. Congress and the Senate control the money and spend it along partisan lines which is short for taking care of the rich people that they are friends with and who give them nice non-jobs when they leave public office because they know other politicians who owe them favors and who want nice high paying non-jobs of their own. If you or I tried to live like the government does we would be arrested and deservedly placed in either a jail or a mental institution. This is the basis of the need for a third or even fourth party; give the American people true options as to who is elected. Once a third or fourth party did begin to win seats in the Congress and the Senate; providing the new parties did not get Washington fever, change could realistically be expected. Term limits and recalls could also be used to keep politicians in line and serving the people and not big money.
More rants and ravings later.
I think the government should do something about the election system. How can a person win the majority of the popular vote and not the election? I noticed that California is now trying to rig the electoral college even more. Soon it will be that we don't have to vote. The government will elect itself. Now that would be something to see.
The new party should have common people who know what is going on in the real world extends beyond the beltway. I know it is a sin to think this; but there are people beyond the beltway. The world does not revolve around the District of Columbia. The politicians pander to special interest groups so why not create a lobbying group for the working people of the United States? A group that is made up of the true working class. It would have so many members that the government would have to at least listen, maybe even take action on some of the things that are truly paramount to the best interests of the common man and woman. Free health care and/or major health care reform should be at the top of the list. After all the government is supposed to protect and serve the people of the United States. With a viable third party in the running for national seats that the government would have to listen. With only two parties there is no need to listen to the common people who make up the majority of the United States.
The new party should not accept money from special interest groups or big business. By accepting these monies the current crop of politicians we have in power are subservient to these special interests. Have you ever heard of a President inviting a mechanic to the White House for lunch? Of course not, a mechanic is not as powerful as the head of Exxon/Mobil, but here is the catch; the mechanic has just as many votes in the general election as the president or CEO of any major corporation. The mechanic may not have the money behind him but he does have a vote. To put together a third party would not be easy; the existing government would fight it tooth and nail. The existing parties want the status quo to remain the same, but both have long since forgotten the factors of their origins. Our nation was established as the result of no representation with taxes being paid to the King of England, now we have no representation for most Americans with taxes being paid to a government that spends billions of dollars it does not have nor will ever have. Congress and the Senate control the money and spend it along partisan lines which is short for taking care of the rich people that they are friends with and who give them nice non-jobs when they leave public office because they know other politicians who owe them favors and who want nice high paying non-jobs of their own. If you or I tried to live like the government does we would be arrested and deservedly placed in either a jail or a mental institution. This is the basis of the need for a third or even fourth party; give the American people true options as to who is elected. Once a third or fourth party did begin to win seats in the Congress and the Senate; providing the new parties did not get Washington fever, change could realistically be expected. Term limits and recalls could also be used to keep politicians in line and serving the people and not big money.
More rants and ravings later.
Friday, August 24, 2007
The First Post
Let's talk politics. The United States of America no longer has a two party system. All we have now are politicians. Republican or Democrat politicians care only for themselves and what can get them on television. I have lost faith and interest in politics in the last several years as nothing but cookie cutter rich boys and girls run for office. There is no desire to listen to the average citizen by politicians today. Special interest groups, big corporations, big oil and lobbyists control who gets elected in most major elections. Politicians say what they are told and do what they are told by the rich and big business. It is not a leap in faith to say that major corporations run the United States. No matter who is in office the corporations get what they want from all politicians.
The average Americans I know could care less about global warming, diplomacy with Russia, strife in Africa and the cost of tea in China. Average America wants cheap gas, good wages, decent health care and security. Gasoline prices are going to keep going up. I am not sure but if you look most politicians will have stock in oil and insurance companies. Gas is not going to go down and The United States of America is not going to get cheap health care. There is no money in that. If there was health care similar to that in Canada the politicians could not get the money from the big drug companies and their stock would suffer. Same for big oil, if the big oil companies would take some of the billions they earn each quarter and just return ten percent into price reductions at the pump poor Americans could save money.
The higher costs of gas have hit an already suffering group of people really hard. The poor in America who work for minimum wage or close to it are now having to use nearly a quarter of their after tax weekly check for gas to go to their minimum wage job if they fill up their car just once. Food products have gone up as well due to increases on oil prices and it does not stop there. Every segment of everyday life costs more because of oil costs. After all that they have to pay rent on low income housing or on house payments. There is only so far a poor person can stretch the few meager dollars they earn. Taxes proposed in most states affect the poor far more than middle class or rich peoples because of the minimum wage. I live in Tennessee. Our state government has all sorts of ideas on how to generate revenue, they all involve creating additional hardships for the poor.
Of the candidates running for office now there seems to be none that really stand out from the crowd. Two do seem to show some potential if they get the issues right. Obama and Thompson seem to be different than most recent candidates. Obama has some good ideas and from what I have seen of him seems like a fairly genuine guy; or as fairly genuine as a politician can be. Thompson seems like a take charge kind of guy who has made interesting comments on government that show some outside the box thinking and some concern for the way things are. Thompson is a former Senator and as such could be part of the problem but has done some good. Both these candidates bear watching to see if they sell out the average American for the corporate dollar.
The war is Iraq is a war we should have gone into and then left. We should be over there serving our interests and only give lip service to the government they have. Our priority over there is simple; destroy terrorists and the people who support them. Let the Iraqi people choose their government and run their country however they want. If terrorists show up again we go and kill them and those who support them; no matter who it is and no matter where it is.
I feel the United States is in dire need of an alternative to the Democrats and the Republicans. The two have evolved into one large group that is best described as politicians. They serve only themselves and nothing more. More later on another party.
The average Americans I know could care less about global warming, diplomacy with Russia, strife in Africa and the cost of tea in China. Average America wants cheap gas, good wages, decent health care and security. Gasoline prices are going to keep going up. I am not sure but if you look most politicians will have stock in oil and insurance companies. Gas is not going to go down and The United States of America is not going to get cheap health care. There is no money in that. If there was health care similar to that in Canada the politicians could not get the money from the big drug companies and their stock would suffer. Same for big oil, if the big oil companies would take some of the billions they earn each quarter and just return ten percent into price reductions at the pump poor Americans could save money.
The higher costs of gas have hit an already suffering group of people really hard. The poor in America who work for minimum wage or close to it are now having to use nearly a quarter of their after tax weekly check for gas to go to their minimum wage job if they fill up their car just once. Food products have gone up as well due to increases on oil prices and it does not stop there. Every segment of everyday life costs more because of oil costs. After all that they have to pay rent on low income housing or on house payments. There is only so far a poor person can stretch the few meager dollars they earn. Taxes proposed in most states affect the poor far more than middle class or rich peoples because of the minimum wage. I live in Tennessee. Our state government has all sorts of ideas on how to generate revenue, they all involve creating additional hardships for the poor.
Of the candidates running for office now there seems to be none that really stand out from the crowd. Two do seem to show some potential if they get the issues right. Obama and Thompson seem to be different than most recent candidates. Obama has some good ideas and from what I have seen of him seems like a fairly genuine guy; or as fairly genuine as a politician can be. Thompson seems like a take charge kind of guy who has made interesting comments on government that show some outside the box thinking and some concern for the way things are. Thompson is a former Senator and as such could be part of the problem but has done some good. Both these candidates bear watching to see if they sell out the average American for the corporate dollar.
The war is Iraq is a war we should have gone into and then left. We should be over there serving our interests and only give lip service to the government they have. Our priority over there is simple; destroy terrorists and the people who support them. Let the Iraqi people choose their government and run their country however they want. If terrorists show up again we go and kill them and those who support them; no matter who it is and no matter where it is.
I feel the United States is in dire need of an alternative to the Democrats and the Republicans. The two have evolved into one large group that is best described as politicians. They serve only themselves and nothing more. More later on another party.
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