Was anyone this far of the west coast paying attention to what was going on in California during this election? Probably not. People like me were too concerned with the "racial" issue of this presidential election. But, this was something that caught my eye.
So, for those of you who don't know: Proposition 8 was set in motion to reneg on their lovely gay marriage passage (or however you want to phrase it). Ever since the loop hole was found for gays to wed people have been in an uproar trying to squash it.
One of my biggest problems about this whole thing is the idea of the separation of chuch and state. Hello? So, since when did the government have a right to butt in on the sanctity of marriage? I honestly think that homosexuals should have a way to obtain the same rights as those of married couples. Okay, so some churches won't marry them and the religions won't honor it...get another church/religion. Can’t always have your wedding cake and eat it too.
Marriage to the government is just a legal document anyway. Heteros get married for bs reasons (like military members marrying for extra government funding – happens all the time). So why can’t people who care about each other, but happen to have the same genitalia, be able to get tax breaks too?
Okay, and this isn’t about “marriage”. It’s about equal rights. Call it whatever you want. I honestly don’t care. “Marriage” has always been a religious thing and I think it should stay that way. I understand that under my religious background the marriage of two people of the same sex doesn’t happen traditionally. But, that doesn’t mean that I can’t fight for people’s rights. I almost look at this the same way I do racism or sexism.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I want me some happiness!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
What about the electoral college?
I completely understand where many people's concerns stem regarding the electoral college. I know that for the longest time I was very skeptical myself of this system. At first glance having a select few American's vote being the deciding factor for the presidential elections seems unfair. "Does my vote carry any weight?"
Yes, it does.
What people fail to realize is that the electoral college consists of persons WE have elected in the first place. Therefore, if we choose them shouldn't they have the same political ideals as us? There isn't much stipulation as to who can be nominated except for three things: they cannot be a member of Congress, cannot be a high ranking US official, or has rebelled against the US. That sounds fair to me.
Not only that but most states have a "winner-takes-all" mentality when it comes to the presidential elections. So, normally the candidate that wins the popular vote will also win all the electoral votes of that state. Plus, most states highly discourage electors to vote outside their claimed party. "Faithless Electors" can not only possibly lose their electoral seat, but some states can charge them hefty fines and misdemeanors.
So, even though I may agree that the electoral system is flawed (like most things man made) knowing how it works sets my mind at ease.
I still feel like I have a voice.
Yes, it does.
What people fail to realize is that the electoral college consists of persons WE have elected in the first place. Therefore, if we choose them shouldn't they have the same political ideals as us? There isn't much stipulation as to who can be nominated except for three things: they cannot be a member of Congress, cannot be a high ranking US official, or has rebelled against the US. That sounds fair to me.
Not only that but most states have a "winner-takes-all" mentality when it comes to the presidential elections. So, normally the candidate that wins the popular vote will also win all the electoral votes of that state. Plus, most states highly discourage electors to vote outside their claimed party. "Faithless Electors" can not only possibly lose their electoral seat, but some states can charge them hefty fines and misdemeanors.
So, even though I may agree that the electoral system is flawed (like most things man made) knowing how it works sets my mind at ease.
I still feel like I have a voice.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
May the IRS Burn....
“We might hope to see the finances of the Union as clear and intelligible as a merchant’s books, so that every member of Congress and every man of any mind in the Union should be able to comprehend them, to investigate abuses, and consequently to control them. Our predecessors have endeavored by intricacies of system and shuffling the investigation over from one office to another, to cover everything from detection. I hope that we shall go in the contrary direction, and that, by our honest and judicious reformation, we may be able…to bring things back to that simple and intelligible system on which they should have been organized at first.”—Thomas Jefferson, 1802.
Back when this was quoted the only “taxes” that were taken were from tariff imports (which was the only thing taxable at the time). There were no sales or income tax. In fact, article 5 of the Constitution prohibited any direct tax upon the citizens. Our fathers goal was to keep us away from the tyranny of the past governments by ensuring that we had freedoms of opportunity like never before. Woo hoo freedom. They saw that by limiting the power of the Federal Government to tax was the best way to limit its influence upon our ability to make decisions. This is a major part of the original thinking that we have forgotten. In our haste to make quick decisions, and our greed, we gave away our freedom to the government in the form of higher taxes charged directly against us. In doing so the Federal Government garnered more power than it was ever intended to have. This in turn has made the government able to use that power to make a large segment of the population dependant upon it. We lost our freedom because we were ignorant to the teachings of our own Fathers. It has been a subtle, gradual transition, and many will say that it is too late to change. I can only hope that we still have a chance to fix it. I say that we need a way to make the population aware of its own precarious situation. We need to react now, to quickly alter the course of our country by making people less dependant on the government for their problems. We need to restore our independence before it is too late, and the majority seeks the government as they would a Magic 8 Ball for answers. It starts with changing our policy on taxation, and that is why the Income tax has got to go. I fear that with our new president in office we will continue on a path away from democracy and towards socialism. The more responsibilities our government signs up for the more we will see freedom slip away. Everything has a price.
Back when this was quoted the only “taxes” that were taken were from tariff imports (which was the only thing taxable at the time). There were no sales or income tax. In fact, article 5 of the Constitution prohibited any direct tax upon the citizens. Our fathers goal was to keep us away from the tyranny of the past governments by ensuring that we had freedoms of opportunity like never before. Woo hoo freedom. They saw that by limiting the power of the Federal Government to tax was the best way to limit its influence upon our ability to make decisions. This is a major part of the original thinking that we have forgotten. In our haste to make quick decisions, and our greed, we gave away our freedom to the government in the form of higher taxes charged directly against us. In doing so the Federal Government garnered more power than it was ever intended to have. This in turn has made the government able to use that power to make a large segment of the population dependant upon it. We lost our freedom because we were ignorant to the teachings of our own Fathers. It has been a subtle, gradual transition, and many will say that it is too late to change. I can only hope that we still have a chance to fix it. I say that we need a way to make the population aware of its own precarious situation. We need to react now, to quickly alter the course of our country by making people less dependant on the government for their problems. We need to restore our independence before it is too late, and the majority seeks the government as they would a Magic 8 Ball for answers. It starts with changing our policy on taxation, and that is why the Income tax has got to go. I fear that with our new president in office we will continue on a path away from democracy and towards socialism. The more responsibilities our government signs up for the more we will see freedom slip away. Everything has a price.
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