God, I'm totally devastated. I can't even think about what's going on with Florida, let alone the rest of the country...

So disappointing.


Also, I really want to also comment on the fact that, as of the last poll commentary I heard about 8 hours ago, there will be no African-Americans in the next US Senate, but I really have nothing left that I can say. less

I said it before in a post about gay marriage and I'll say it again here:

I really wish that politicians would focus on governmental issues like national security and education and leave social issues like abortion and gay marriage alone.

And I'll elaborate: I am not the typical right-wing Christian. I lean more towards the moderate standpoint. I like my politics to be conservative, but my social issues to be liberal. I think we should reign in spending and that people SHOULD work hard to build a successful life for themselves. There is a gross sense of laziness and expecting the government to bail us out of our self-inflicted problems (self-inflicted... not situational problems... not for unexpected job-loss or other issues that are not based on things that have happened without any fault of the individual). That being said, I don't think the government has any place in telling us who we have (consensual, of course) sex with, whether we can marry them, what we can do in the bedroom with them. I also don't think the government has any right to tell us what we can or cannot do with our bodies.

This is why I hate bi-partisan politics. I feel that if a candidate cannot stand on his/her own merit and not sling mud at the other guy, then they don't deserve my attention. I feel that too many people vote based on those ads and if they cannot or will not take the time to research their candidate, they probably shouldn't step foot into the booth because they will, inevitably, make the wrong choice. Just think about our political situation over the last 60 years as the media has become more and more involved giving little snippets here and there about what candidates "stand for." With all the information that is at our fingertips nowadays, it's irresponsible to not research your candidate fully, then when their incumbent does something that they didn't expect and don't agree with, people are all "Oh my gosh, what happened??? Why did he/she do that? She promised she wouldn't?" Ummm, if you research their political history as opposed to listening to ads, you'll be able to somewhat predict their political future.

Sorry... I'll... *ahem* step down off my box now... *ahem* less

The Poor are not Poor due to laziness.

They are Poor due to lack of Access. Until Conservatives understand that ONLY those who already HAVE THINGS can make things "happen" for themselves, we will still demonize the Poor and the Infirm, women and Gays.

What the Right wants is to so totally eliminate ACCESS to everything (Education, Higher Education, Healthcare, Birth Control, Decent Housing, Good jobs, Livable Wage etc) for everybody but themselves, so they can BLAME people for their own lack of wealth and power, that NOTHING will change until we......tax the SHIT out of the rich or bring back the Guillotine.

Being a Christian has NOTHING to do with "being Conservative." Jesus helped the poor, he didn't ask "Do you deserve it? Did you WORK for it?" He just helped them........

Christ was a Liberal. That's why I like Him. less

I'm not talking about the people who cannot access the things that can better themselves... I'm talking about the people who won't. I see it. Everyday. My neighbors. The matriarch of the family has a job that she works herself into the ground with. Goes to school. Wants more. Her children: don't work, have 1-2 kids and are on welfare, all live with her, her husband rarely works. They are all smoking pot all day (I know this because we share a wall and I can smell it) even in front of the babies, and someone is always drinking a can of Steel Reserve. It's not that they CAN'T find a job. It's that they WON'T find jobs. My heart goes out to that woman. She works herself into the ground for her family and they basically spit in her face.

What the Rights want is for all charity to be privately funded, but people don't make enough to privately fund them, which makes it a vicious cycle. There's something grossly wrong in Washington and I think everyone's to blame. I agree that that top 2% of the country need to be willing to give more of their money to help the poor... I don't know if washing that money through Washington is necessarily the answer.

Yes Jesus helped the poor. He loved them. He loved the orphans, and the ill, and the widows. We are supposed to do the same. It's part of why I left my last church, legalistic right-winged uber-conservatives that actually did nothing to help the poor, or the ill, or the orphans, and I now go to a church who focuses a LOT of their time/spending on helping people. less

I think it's unfair to make assumptions on anyone and even if you do know what's going on in that one family, that does not mean that it's happening often enough to warrant screwing the people who want to do better and don't have the access to the better life. Not to say it doesn't happen ever, but you can't just assume you know which are which. Really there is just so many factors to things and likely unless you are that person you can't say what their situation is. less

I'm not talking about the people who cannot access the things that can better themselves... I'm talking about the people who won't. I see it. Everyday. My neighbors. The matriarch of the family has a job that she works herself into the ground with. Goes to school. Wants more. Her children: don't work, have 1-2 kids and are on welfare, all live with her, her husband rarely works. They are all smoking pot all day (I know this because we share a wall and I can smell it) even in front of the babies, and someone is always drinking a can of Steel Reserve. It's not that they CAN'T find a job. It's that they WON'T find jobs. My heart goes out to that woman. She works herself into the ground for her family and they basically spit in her face.

What the Rights want is for all charity to be privately funded, but people don't make enough to privately fund them, which makes it a vicious cycle. There's something grossly wrong in Washington and I think everyone's to blame. I agree that that top 2% of the country need to be willing to give more of their money to help the poor... I don't know if washing that money through Washington is necessarily the answer.

Yes Jesus helped the poor. He loved them. He loved the orphans, and the ill, and the widows. We are supposed to do the same. It's part of why I left my last church, legalistic right-winged uber-conservatives that actually did nothing to help the poor, or the ill, or the orphans, and I now go to a church who focuses a LOT of their time/spending on helping people. less

The Libertarian idea that "all "charity" can be privately funded" is a bust. We KNOW that those who have the most, give the least percentage of what they make, as a rule.

If "Charity" could solve the Poverty Crisis in this country, IT WOULD HAVE by now. How would we know? Poverty would be a thing of the past, due to "Charity" doing so much good. It hasn't. Taxes are an insurance that those who have, are going to give People, especially those who have More, usually left to their own devices, as a rule, think they are "entitled" to "what they earn" not realizing that the color of their skin, their background, and their access to education and money has a huge impact on what they "earn."

We need taxes TO HELP the downtrodden, (because we can't perform miracles like Jesus did,think of it that way) because those who have the MOST give the least. Yeah yeah yeah, Bill Gates gave away his money. He also made more last year than he gave away. Bill Buckley is smart, he INSISTS the Rich should be forced to give more. He's the second richest man in the USA, so he should know.

I can't understand how anyone with an income under 2 million a year could consider themselves "Conservative." The Right wants votes, but does nothing for THEIR OWN middle class. (That's a good explanation why the Tea Party was started. Well, that and the fact that the Traditional Conservative Party Line wasn't hateful enough towards many social issues.) Ain't nobody middle class being let into the "Bush, Boner, Limbaugh, Rove, Cheney ect" Boys Club. It amazes me that anyone Middle Class could think that the Right is doing ANYTHING for them. WE didn't get tax cuts the RICH did.

Then the Depression hit, because we went into More Debt paying the Rich for things they didn't need. And starting Wars based on nothing more than a lust for oil, and a hatred for Brown People who are "Safe" to target.

I can't judge my neighbors who are Poor, there is always someone's "example" of what is wrong, and they use it as a "reason" why the Government shouldn't help the Poor, the Downtrodden and those who don't have Access.

Access is Power and Access is necessary for people to take care of themselves. When access is DENIED (as many on the Right want to do) then there will be MORE Poverty, not less.

IMO, the Government needs to be there and be ACTIVE to PROTECT us from the most evil intentions of the Selfish Rich.

We need MORE regulation, not less. Or was the Oil Spill and the Economic Disaster (only 7 years after Clinton balanced the Budget and we had a surplus) not recognized as part of the problem with Runaway Rich being handed the County on a platter with NO controls over what they do or who they hurt?

I'm not making personal indictments at all. I try not to do that (not against people on the site and not against anyone in real life....except the Disgustingly Rich)

But, we can't FIX problems by doing EXACTLY what was done to CAUSE them.

And we can't ignore the fact that many people need help. Taxes are simply an insurance that at least a small bit of that gets done. Of course, as in the case of people like Bill Brady, so many of the Rich, under the Bush Tax Cuts For Those who Need It the Least, some pay NO taxes at all. THAT needs to change. TAX THE SHIT OUT OF THE RICH and we will get ourselves out of this Economic Depression. They will still have enough to feed their greedy, rich faces.

I didn't get a tax cut under Bush. Did you? The thing is I didn't WANT one. I feel taxes are my social and MORAL responsibility to help the Country Run. Freedom Ain't Free. That means that Social Responsibility is more than just a phrase.

Mileage and all that. All good intentions abounding. I hope this is taken in the friendly manner it was intended. less

I just cannot stay out of things.... but I'm not disagreeing, really.

Here's what I think. We all (okay, maybe not all... but most) want the same thing and we ALL have different ways of approaching it and NONE of it is working.

I truly HOPE that there is not anyone out there that wants anyone to be hungry, or homeless, or illiterate, or sick.

Like I said in my PM to you, P'Gell:

We elect liberals to fix one thing, they kinda work on it, but do something else that wasn't necessarily good or right. So then, we elect conservatives, who try to fix that and they screw much more up in the process. So then... we do it all over again. It's a horrible cycle and it's blatantly obvious by the state of our nation that none of it is working. less

The Cycle sucks, I agree. Yeah, the Dems tend to get Lazy when they get in office and the Repubs tend to only help themselves.

I am glad we can discuss this in a rational, civil, adult and friendly way. I think it's interesting to see how people think, and why they do. It makes me happy that Eden is a place where we can do this, without rancor. Yay Eden!

Hugs, Variety is the Spice of Life. less

I suppose I should stop talking sex and politics and go do some laundry! It's my anniversary and I should do some stuffs around here that will make my hubby super happy! Like having clean socks and a blow job! Not at the same time!

Just thought I should make people laugh a little too! less

At least this is good news!

I really agreed with Jon Stewert's speech at the Rally last weekend.

I'm also starting to worry how much politicians have become "celebrities"...kinda scary really. less

Thank you, JR. Let's hope this doesn't get repealed (that's all they were talking about this morning, "repealing" any Progress.)

I work in Health Care, a fertilized egg is NOT a person and it's not a "pregnancy." Pregnancy does not start until implantation. Also, giving "Personhood" to a fertilized ovum would destroy the Fertility Industry (who makes a LOT of money off of desperate wanna be parents.) I am willing to bet that Fertility Clinics had a huge bolus of money injected to defeat this most ridiculous idea from becoming law.

I want my daughters to be able to continue to safely and legally purchase birth control. Some in the Tea Party want to outlaw anything which "prevents conception." Please. They, on the other hand, want to ALSO abolish the Department of Education. Makes no sense. less

I tied my tubes and I have no problem, when they are of the right age (teenagers, because i have babies, 3 and 5) giving my kids birth control. These fundamentalists think that they can politically impose morality (more specifically...T HEIR morality) and that is not the purpose of politics. It's disgusting.

I hate fundys... *shiver* less

At least this is good news!

I really agreed with Jon Stewert's speech at the Rally last weekend.

I'm also starting to worry how much politicians have become "celebrities"...kinda scary really. less