What the heck is going on in Arizona. Immigration is not just the issue but possibly an issue in general for people to be different. Being completely clear, I don’t think people should come here illegally what ever your shade or background. The word illegal itself states that something less than correct has been done. While I can’t remember a time when I have gotten away with doing something I wasn’t supposed to, I still can’t see supporting a law that enables simply looking at a person to be the jump start for the are you legal question. Lets just be honest for a second, making a law that allows local law enforcement to have authority to ask such questions is going to lead to unfair scrutinizing of certain people. We all know that this law is aimed at those who don’t satisfy the blend quotient. You know for those whose presence creates a level of concern and angst. Governor Brewer knows exactly what she is doing, just keeping it honest. Sorry governor, your plan stinks. What is the answer for immigration, who knows, but simply suspecting that a person isn’t legal by sight just isn’t going to cut it. But wait, that’s not enough for Arizona and good old governor Brewer, they are really on the ball out there aren’t they. Now not only if I look at you and think you might not belong will you have an issue but the fact that you may dare to learn about your heritage is also cause to throw up a big red flag. How dare you! Who do you think you are? According to the governor’s spokesman “the governor believes public school students should be taught to treat and value each other as individuals and not be taught to resent or hate other races or classes of people.” Truly laughable excuse. I guess the history lessons are next. You might as well not even worry about the few who are taking an ethnic studies course if the true concern is about potential resentment or hate for groups of people because of what might be learned in a classroom. Again I’ll just say, there go the history lessons or at least the accurate ones. I guess the governor doesn’t want anyone to think about the times when groups of people have been oppressed, mistreated and devalued or maybe just doesn‘t want anyone to learn about it. After all she wouldn’t want anyone to get upset. Too bad governor Brewer isn’t enlightened enough to want to open up dialogue about various aspects of a cultures history instead of trying to stifle it. Why shouldn’t it be a lesson in of itself that even if things were once a certain way that was inequitable to a particular group or groups that as a people, an American culture and forward moving and thinking country despite those inequities there is room for growth, development and conversation. Long story short, I think most people can agree that as a nation, especially at this time of concern for American safety, there needs be some serious oversight of immigration into the country. But as governor Brewer contemplates what she feels may be deemed as anti-white it seems that in no uncertain terms she has declared herself anti-, I’ll just say other.
Archive for the ‘Government’ Category
If You Blend, You’re In
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010Funny Pages
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010So I read this article that came to me via twitter from yahoo buzz that discussed the “arrogance” of our current President. “Americans reject arrogance in our leadership” read the tweet. I too reject this so I opened the article to see what it was all about only to find a comic strip of opinion about how this President is so much more “arrogant” than others. As I read on I realized that I had in fact stumbled upon a joke, the funny pages if you will. It always cracks me up when people reference health care reform as a negative, Rush Limbaugh as a positive and say that Sarah Palin is “unpretentious” and a “leader“. I could hardly contain my laughter. Since everyone gets to share their opinions I guess I’ll throw mine in there. Generally I believe myself to be a pretty objective person. I am willing to listen to various perspectives and ways of thinking if only to try to understand others better. The desire for everyone to have adequate health coverage, the ability to take ownership of and acknowledge previous errors and the quest to move forward in a more enlightened way just doesn’t strike me as being a bad thing. Yet these ideas seem to be such a thorn in the side to many people and I can’t help but wonder why. Is it the idea itself that gives them pause or the person presenting it? We all have room for improvement. Yes this includes President Obama. But I haven’t personally heard of one law that satisfies every person or addresses every potential issue that falls under its umbrella. As annoying as it may be, the fact of the matter is it just happens to be life. No matter how much it may suck in a particular situation. The sooner we know that on a personal level the quicker it can translate to our society at large. Because I’ve never read this particular comic before after I was done and reflecting on its message, I try to do that no matter how ridiculous at first glance a statement seems, I couldn’t help but wonder if the writer felt the same kind of outrage and contempt for the behavior of those in opposition to the new health care bill. Disagreement is one thing. Violence and absurd behavior is another. And since she liked to reference teachers and scolding I can only hope that somewhere she had the words to scold those whose behavior was reprehensible. Somehow I can’t help but doubt it, she seems to be just that well, lets just say funny. Now I want to note that those words that appear in quotes don’t belong to me. I haven’t said where you can find them yourself because I chose to protect the teller of these jokes. We don’t want too many people knowing just how ridiculous, strike that I totally meant funny, she truly is.
I’m The Man
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010Is it just me or does anyone else have a problem with Sen. Bunning getting a “deal” to agree to allow an extension for unemployment benefits. I guess he has come up with a commodity other than money to help people pay bills and maintain a sense of normalcy within their lives. No, that didn’t happen? Oh for Sen. Bunning I guess it is acceptable to exist while holding your breath waiting for your life’s bubble to burst. I’m trying to figure out why he has been given so much power. Okay so politics requires tit for tat, we all know that, but what a blatant example of peacocking at the expense of others. I agree there is an extreme amount of debt piling up without knowing what the long-term outcome will be, but when did the basic standard of living get to be an acceptable sacrifice? When I see someone think somehow its cool for everyone else to do without and be okay, I can’t help but wonder what they would, scratch that, have given up as they dictate and decide what everyone else should be able to do without. So Sen. Bunning as you take your grand stand, I just have a few questions. Are you in jeopardy of falling behind on your mortgage and if not are you willing to downsize, probably at a loss, to cut your expenses? How many vacations have you skipped? Have you and your family forgone shopping? Have you parked your car? What exactly have you done other than say other people have been receiving too much money and it needs to stop. Did you forgo your salary or benefit package in the order to offset spending? Probably not. It’s really easy to sit in the only chair in the room and tell others to make themselves comfortable. Cutting off peoples unemployment benefits without offering another options highlights your humanity and true concern for your brethren. After all who cares if they have four walls if you Sen. Bunning, don’t get an extra vote.
Sick and Tired!
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010There is nothing worse than being sick. I take that back. There’s nothing worse than having a sick kid. Well I kind of take that back. There’s nothing worse than having a sick kid and feeling like you can’t take them to the doctor because you don’t have insurance or can’t afford to create a new bill. Honestly I am not sure whether or not universal healthcare is the answer, but I do know in a country where we fund so many things I wonder why there is such a problem with deciding to fund this. One thing I know for sure is healthcare should not be tied to a job. Having a job should not be the key to health and not having one should not mean your health is irrelevant. Particularly at this time when employers are cutting so many workers either to part time which means no benefits or coverage so limited that it might as well be considered no benefits, or all together, something has got to be done. For those who oppose everybody having healthcare my question to you is why are you opposed? Is it due to feeling that people just aren’t worth the expense of everyone having coverage? Or does it have more to do with politics and not wanting to see the President be successful? Is it perhaps because somehow “others” shouldn’t be entitled to benefits that the elite are privileged too (um Congress, I might be talking to you). Irrespective of politics and hey even money, where is the humanity? Most people can’t walk by a sick animal and not want to help, but the underprivileged, unemployed or underinsured, well I guess that’s another story.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Friday, September 11th, 2009That’s what we are missing as a society. People are so quick to be consumed with their own self importance that they forget consideration for others. We are a society of inconsiderate people, organizations and groups. Be it banks, mortgages companies, employers, service providers, government agencies, politicians; I’ll stop now because the list can go on and on. The bottom line is even on an individual level there is too often a lack of respect and consideration shown towards our fellow citizen. We should not feel in order to be successful, turn a profit, or be at the top of our game that we must make others feel insignificant, unimportant or nonexistent. Why don’t we try treating others the way we would want to be treated, I thought I heard that somewhere before but apparently it’s a novel idea. Maybe what we need is to require “Consideration and Respect Training” country wide, you know like maybe when you renew your drivers’ license. I’m sure eyes are rolling because I suggested one more requirement, but hey I’m going to benefit from this one, so keep the rumbling to a minimum please. So since I just put that on my ‘to do’ list, while I work on my manual I will outline a few key points. 1. Treat others the way you want to be treated, I learned that at home and even in kindergarten 2. Do not interrupt the person who has the floor, Rep. Joe Wilson, I hope you’re paying attention. 3. Tone is important when you are communicating with others, email shouters take note. Though these are lessons that I’m sure most of us know, banks, employers, mortgage companies, politicians, service providers and hey everyone and anyone, are you paying attention, a periodic refresher is apparently needed.
Teachable Moment
Monday, September 7th, 2009Isn’t everything a teachable moment? I thought so even if the lesson was one you didn’t care that much for. Isn’t there value in learning how to agree to disagree, to speak your mind about those things that concern you and provide constructive input about the way you think things should be? There is “controversy”, surprise, surprise and listen I’m removing the sarcasm from that statement because I am truly surprised that people are objecting to the President of the United States talking to school students. Come on give me a break. Okay, then there was a back peddling saying it’s not that the President is speaking but there is an issue that a lesson plan was proposed to go along with the speech. Oh the horror, something associated with school actually may require students to pay attention and gasp, provide some information about what they heard. Listen I didn’t agree with organic chemistry or physics, mostly because I didn’t know what the heck was going on, but it certainly didn’t give me the right to refuse to participate. And newsflash whether you like Mr. Obama or not, whether you voted for him or not, he is the President of this country. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything he says or does but there is a level of respect and consideration that should be granted to whoever holds that office. Not everybody can be President, as smart as I am I’m probably not on track for the office. There are a series of lifelong choices that are associated with making it to a level of achievement where you can be the President of our country or heck even president of the bank that just ripped us off. So kudos are due to those who put themselves in the position to reach such levels. Teaching our children that they don’t have to have respect for authority and accomplishment, that they can pick and chose when and how they listen to authority, and can show disregard for not only their elders but the hierarchy of our society is an attitude that will not serve them well when it’s time to face the real world.
How Can I Be Down
Thursday, July 30th, 2009I am frequently left to wonder “how can I be down”. While I think it’s great that the President is helping to resolve an issue between his friend and the officer that arrested him, it just reinforces my thought that I need to get some friends in high places. Don’t get me wrong, I always believe it is a step in the right direction when people can discuss those things that are causing strife, stress and concern in their lives, I would just personally love to have someone like President Obama help with facilitating discussion and mediating some of the issues that I have. You know, actually I’m not that demanding, the Vice President will do just fine. No honestly, I REALLY do have some issues I would like addressed. I’m not joking. I really need some HELP! Mr. President or even Mr. Vice President, will you please drop me a line? I don’t drink beer but I would happily talk over say an iced tea or lemon water.
The Price of Clout
Sunday, July 5th, 2009The fact that you have influence shouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. So why is it that those who are in that position usually end up being loathed by those who are not. The reason is simple; the power goes to their head. Take for instance the reported $250,000 dinner that was supposed to have allowed influential business people to meet influential White House staffers, what exactly was that money supposed to buy them? I’m guessing a favor of some sort is what they were planning for. At least now we know the cost of trying to sell us out.
The Cost of Government
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009The problem with the seemingly endless taxes and taking by government is just that, it’s endless. It feels like there will never be a time when it is enough and governments whether state or federal take from you every way they can. And they’re the government, so they can and do a whole lot. Now honestly I feel that any and everyone should be able to go to the doctor when needed. I think the life and health of people should be a primary concern, after all it is people who make the world go round, I think I heard that somewhere before. So with that being said, why don’t we stop some of the frivolous spending on things like unnecessary investigations, impeachments, special sessions to get budgets passed and the general wastefulness that occurs, and take care of those things that are important? Let’s add to the pot by putting a hold on looking so important by jumping on every worldwide cause at least for a little while, and be important to those who share directly in our lives, our fellow Americans. Charity begins at home; I think I heard that before too. Wouldn’t we garner more respect and consideration within the world if we took better care of our own people? It’s my opinion that the world expects us all to have wealth, health and a better life. Wasn’t that the draw for so many immigrants? The current economic situation is a highlighter on how far we are from that dream.
“We Got You”
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Banks want us to believe that Congress is solely to blame for the increase in credit card rates. Hey banks, just stop. So you’re telling me that the only reason rates are higher is because of the change in laws. Yeah, come on, stop. The number one objective of banks is to get consumers to deposit money or get credit, then keep that money and/or indebt you to them as much and for as long as possible. That’s why they didn’t care when the occasional account was “underperforming”, they would just tack on some fees and smile as individuals figured out a way to pay. Now it’s out of hand because so many people are “underperforming”. Unfortunately for banks, their method of doing business didn’t stand the test of time and the major downturn in the economy. But stop trying to act like increased rates and fees are something new when fees and increased rates are synonymous with banks and credit cards. After all, we do have to pay for those executive bonuses some way. So banks, you are not fooling anybody. The least you could do is at some point exercise a little integrity and tell us, “we admit it, we got you“. Maybe then we might start to respect you again, well, probably not.