We live in a time where there seems to be a culture of rape. This behavior has somehow become acceptable. Instead of the acts being shunned for being deplorable, women are made to be victims twice over. Politicians and media would have us believe that a woman is at fault for her rape. There is nothing I could wear or not wear, say or do that would warrant getting raped. If I say no, then it means no. If I say stop, then it means stop. The attack on women has been in high gear for the last almost 2 years. Women have been victimized again and again. there has been a lot of slut shaming going on. Newsflash: a woman who is sure of her sexuality and likes to have sex isn't a slut. She is still a woman. And, if I like to have sex, so be it. None of that makes it ok for some man to rape me. My body is my own. My choices are my own.
The above picture is very accurate. "Society teaches (women) don't get raped rather than don't rape." People should be taught at a young age that this behavior is wrong and illegal. Rape is wrong. No one has the right to take what does not belong to them. Rape is less about sex and more about power. No one has the right to take my power from me by force. It is not yours to take. This ridiculous culture of rape in America is unbelievable to me. I should not be afraid to wear what i want, go where I want and do what I want. I should not live with the fear of some man, known or unknown, attacking and raping me. This is not right. No woman asked to be raped. Nor should she be. Women need to be protected by the laws and the lawmakers. A rape culture should be shunned. I don't know how anyone could feel any other way.
There are many things I do not understand about Republicans. Plenty. But, what I cannot get is how any woman, Democrat or Republican, could vote against the Violence Against Women Act. This act covers The White House issued an official pdf of what VAWA is. It is very detailed. Quite simply, it protects women. End of discussion. So as a woman, how could you vote against it? There has to be a special place in hell for the women who did not stand up for this particular act to be made into law. I don't even have the energy to go in on this subject. And, I truly don't have to. Thankfully, it was passed and President Obama signed it into law. Below are the main points of the new law. Happy that it exists.
The Violence Against Women laws provide programs and services, including:
Federal rape shield law.
Community violence prevention programs.
Protections for victims who are evicted from their homes because of events related to domestic violence or stalking.
Funding for victim assistance services, like rape crisis centers and hotlines.
Programs to meet the needs of immigrant women & women of different races or ethnicities.
Programs and services for victims with disabilities.
Ray Nagin was the Mayor of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. He served the city for two terms. From the beginning, I was never a fan of this man. He came across as oily and arrogant. Yesterday, he has been indicted on 21 different counts ranging from bribery to fraud. It has also been said that his actions stopped the rebuilding of the city after Katrina for up to 4 years. This man took trips and took money when he was supposed to be running a city. He is the worst kind of politician in my opinion. Louisiana has a history of corrupt politicians. It is actually one thing we are known for. This indictment has been years in the making. Nagin truly had this coming. I don't think there is anyone here who was surprised by this.
Nagin truly reminds me of a true life Clay Davis. For those of you who don't know who Davis is, let me explain. Davis was the slick as oil Senator from "The Wire." Davis had his hands in every illegal act he could while holding office. He was in bed with other politicians as well as the worst criminals in Baltimore. Everything about him was dirty, filthy. This, to me, is the exact representation of who Nagin is. I am interested in seeing how this plays out for Nagin. Because this is real life and not a scripted HBO drama. It is time for Nagin to reap what he sowed. He deserves to pay for his numerous crimes. And, this is why I will always be interested in politics. It is always like a real life soap opera. I will always be here for it.
The NRA is full of it. Completely and totally. I've never been an advocate of guns. Never. I hate them. I don't want to touch them or shoot them or own them. That's just my personal opinion. That is not my issue with the NRA. My main issue with them now is this ridiculous ad they just released. The NRA's ad questions why the President's daughters has Secret Service men protecting them. Really? Seriously? The NRA's response to the horror that was the Sandy Hook shooting was to insist that the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun is more guns. And, that all schools should be policed more heavily with armed guards. Our President is vehemently opposed to this plan of action as am I. That won't solve the issue at all. The above ad is just sickening. As President, his life and the life of his family is of high priority. Presidents and their families are afforded this protection because it is needed. I have never known of any other President's family being protected by Secret Service being questioned. No one really wants to send their kids to school with guards. We need to figure out a solution. Gun laws need to be tightened. Kids need to be protected at school and in their neighborhoods. The NRA needs to offer solutions or shut up. The President needs to put his foot down on the neck of Congress and the House and get laws passed. But, bottom line, this ad is disrespectful and wrong. The Obama girls need protection because folks are insane. We need to do better.
You may or may not the man above. Let me introduce you to the governor of my state. His given name is Piyush Jindal. He goes by the very Americanized name of Bobby. He does not answer to his given name. Every move he has made is to strategically place himself in the best position. The problem with hie plan is that his record will follow him. And, it is nothing to be proud of. He is single handedly killing my state. He is so focused on his next political move that he does not care about any of his constituents. He just drafted a letter and sent it to the White House declining to institute the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). The government will pay for the program 100% for the first two years. It would cost the state nothing. It would take care of kids and elderly people who do not have insurance. Jindal refuses to implement it. Thankfully, the President does not need his approval or cooperation. Obamacare is the law. This is just one huge red mark on his record.
One of my favorite political show hosts Mrs. Melissa Harris-Perry wrote an open letter to the Republican Governor. She is also lives in New Orleans as well. She knows first hand what this state needs and is lacking. Her letter is direct and concise.
"If all you want is to reach higher office, pull a 'Palin' and quit now."
She goes on to say that Jindal "does not give a damn about his own backyard." And, she is beyond correct. His actions have shown this in the last few years. He has mentally checked out. When he talks now, his eyes never seem here. He is never coherent. You can read the entire thing here. My hometown paper also took a stance on the Governor. That article is here. The man is politically driven and motivated. The problem is when that motivation drives you to completely disregard the same people who voted for you. Granted, I did not vote for this farce of a man. I am not a fan of anything he has done. I though I would get a break from writing about politics for a while. But, the Republicans keep saying dumb things like this. I think I am done ranting for a while.
And, just because the track below inspired the title, here's a little Jay-Z to take us out! "Politics as Usual"
Not when George W. Bush was leading us into a war on the hunt for non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Not when Bush was tanking the economy. But, now. Now, when the country has overwhelmingly re-elected the Black President again. Now, when the people have spoken by more then 3.5 million votes on who they believe in more. Only now have 23 states started a petition to secede from the Union. Why? Why now? The only thing I see is color. I am not a woman who sees racism wherever she looks. But, I am a woman who knows racism when I see it. Other than the President self identifying as a Black man and looking like a Black man, I cannot understand the issues. In his first term, he was stunted by filibuster after filibuster by the GOP. He was also met with roadblocks to any and almost everything he tried to do. I do not know of any other President in recent history that has been faced with so much hatred and insubordination. From day one, Senator leader Mitch McConnell said that their (GOP members) only goal was to make President Obama a one-term President by any means necessary. Ironically, they failed. Miserably. So, now there is this plan to embarrass him. It makes me sick that people are this blatantly racist.
There are two articles that I've read over the last few days that have shined a light brightly on this subject. They are this article and this one. Please do yourself a favor and read the ridiculousness that is white privilege in America. Who the hell do these people think they are? Also, how stupid are they? Yes, you can petition until you are blue in the face. But, the kick of this situation is this: in order to secede, you NEED the permission of the President. On the White house website, you can file a petition. If it gets 25,000 signatures in a 30 day period, the President will review it and decide what to do. But, seriously, what President in his right mind would give into a tactic such as this? One does not reward unruly children with gifts. I read the below and had to share because it was so true.
Dear Louisiana: You cannot remove yourself from a union that pays to feed, educate, shelter, and clothe a large portion of your population, subsidizes the vast majority of your economy, provides border-free tourism to support your largest university's athletics department and your largest cities, and routinely makes massive payments to protect, restore, and rebuild your coast.
You would have to create treaties and pay tariffs in order to import, refine, and then export for sale any oil pulled from offshore. You would have to pay a fine to continue using any interstate roads, pipelines, trains, etc. You would no longer benefit from the use of Border Patrol, ICE, The Navy, Air Force, Marines, NASA, Army, or the nationally funded National Guard. You would also need to create your own air space controller system, and have those people interact routinely with now international airspace controllers. Speaking of, any use of aircraft near the border of ...your airspace is a threat, and outside of your airspace is an attack.
You are now not allowed to use nuclear power, losing Louisiana many thousands of jobs and requiring you to purchase all electricity from the USA. Sorry, but new countries with nuclear powers are a threat, remember?
Do you have family in the USA? You cannot visit without a visa, and any attempt to do so is illegal immigration. Your students are no longer accepted as licensed professionals outside of your borders without retaking any licensing exams and the federal money given to your schools is no longer, so the higher education program will collapse. Healthcare companies no longer have any bylaws or contracts, so health insurance effectively does not exist in this new country. There go the hospitals.
Your police force cannot cross the border, so anyone leaving your state after committing any crime is safe under amnesty laws, and you will have to pay a high price to extradite them- and put them in now unfunded prisons.
I could go on but surely you see the idiocy of this idea by now?
Thought so.
One last note: Your agriculture is now entirely unable to be sold anywhere but Louisiana due to import and quarantine laws- both animals and plants.
Leaving the union sounds great when you are cherry picking your issues, but in reality, the USA needs you infinitely less than you need it.
I thought after the election I would get a break on blogging about politics. I was worn out. Happily worn out after the President won. But, here we are a week later, and there is even a more ridiculous political conversation. I am disgusted all over again with people. Some ignoramus from my home state started this petition here. well, I am a Democrat living in Louisiana who is not signing a petition so frivolous and childish. I like my President. I believe in him. And, furthermore, if I could live through the Presidency of an idiot like George W. Bush, then I can surely survive this one. I just want people, in general, to be smarter. Think with the brain in their heads and not the hate in their hearts. And, if anyone is so upset with the President and the state of this great country, then they should all feel free to leave...this country. Book a flight and catch a plane overseas. Trust me, you will never be freer anywhere on Earth than you are here in America. That I know is true.
As a political enthusiast, nothing makes me happier than a political scandal. They are even more interesting when the politician is running for office. Such was the case on Monday for Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. It is the things politicians say amongst friends and in private that let us into their real train of thought. This website broke a huge story Monday afternoon. It was a recording of Romney speaking at a fundraiser to a group of very rich, very elite, very white group of people. His words may be his own undoing
"47% of the people will vote for the president no matter what. There are 47% who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. These are people who pay no income tax. My job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. Women are open to supporting me but we are having a much harder time with Hispanic voters, and if the Hispanic voting bloc becomes as committed to the Democrats as the African American voting block has in the past, why, we’re in trouble as a party and, I think, as a nation." - Romney
How do you want to be the President of the U.S. but you don't care about almost half of the citizens? It's bad enough that Romney clearly doesn't care about women, the poor, or the elderly. Now, he said put of his own mouth that these people are unemployed, government dependent and are on welfare. Oh the irony of accusing 47% of Americans of not paying taxes is not lost on me. Romney, none of us are sure that you've paid any taxes in years. He definitely hasn't paid his fair share if any. I read a headline that this recording will cost him the election. I hope so. The man is antiquated and out of touch. He does not see the same future for all Americans. His only concern are the very rich. That is not the quality of person I want running this country. In this day & age, politicians have to know that nothing is private or secret. And, what's worse is that his response to the video is that his words were "inelegant" not that he was dead wrong. I was mad on Monday. Today, I'm taking this for what it is: a gift. November 6th can't get here fast enough. Vote or die.
Romney picked Ryan as his running mate this past weekend. So, now that battle has been set. With the picking of Ryan, Romney solidifies the fact that he is only about the rich population of the U.S. Ryan, like Romney, wants to tax the middle class while giving all the tax breaks to the rich. He also wants to do away with Medicare as we know it. Ryan is just as bad as Romney. The bottom line is if we don't re-elect President Obama, Romney/Ryan will be running this country. Americans can't afford what they are selling. I cannot say a whole lot more about it. But, I will list some things about Ryan below. This is serious business. This election will come down to the very last vote. We should all be watching what's going on. Politics are serious business. It affects all of us. Vote or Romney will be President. I can't let that happen. We cannot allow that to occur.
12 Things You Should Know About Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan by Scott Hoffman
1. Raises taxes on the middle class, cuts them for millionaires. 2. Dramatically increases Medicare costs for seniors, increases eligibility age. 3. Leaves Social Security to the whims of Wall Street. 4. Budget would result in 4.1 million lost jobs in 2 years. 5. Eliminates Pell Grants for more than 1 million students. 6. Embraces extreme individualism (selfishness is “virtue.”) 7. Keeps $40 billion in subsidies for Big Oil. 8. Ryan’s Family stands to benefit from oil subsidies 9. Claimed Romneycare has led to “rationing and benefit cuts.” 10. Believes that Romneycare is “not that dissimilar to Obamacare.” 11. Accused generals of lying about their support for Obama’s military budget. 12. Co-sponsored a personhood amendment.
"All signs point to Paul Ryan being Romney's VP pick. So the man who doesn't care about the poor and likes "firing people" will pick the guy that would end Social Security as we know it. hmmm way to alienate everybody. The poor, the elderly, etc..."
Mitt Romney and his team spent all day yesterday claiming that our current President is "un- American. " Really? Is it me or is this not a reboot of McCain in 2008? Back then, the GOP slandered President Obama with the claims that he was a Muslim and that he wasn't born here. That would mean that he wasn't an American. Has the Republican party ran out of ideas? It appears that they are just going to recycle the same mud from the last election. Newsflash to them: it didn't work then and it won't work now. It makes Romney & the Republican party look out of touch and racist. They need a new platform because this one is just stupid. How more American can the President be? Born and raised here and he has ascended to the highest office in the land. He pursued the American Dream. He came from nothing to acquire something. Is that not American of him? I love politics but I hate the mud slinging that comes along with it. Campaign on the facts. Just the facts. The people will decide what is fact and what is fiction. Un-American my ass!
As, the November elections draw closer, I thought it would be wise to remind people just exactly what President Barack Obama has done thus far. I had some help via Google with some of these. Read, remember, and vote accordingly!
Here is a list of 109 things that Obama has accomplished during his presidency so far:
1. Saved the collapse of the American automotive industry by making GM restructure before bailing them out, and putting incentive money to help the industry.
2. Shifted the focus of the war from Iraq to Afghanistan, and putting the emphasis on reducing terrorism where it should have been all along.
3. Relaxed Anti-American tensions throughout the world.
4. Signed order to close the prisoner “torture camp” at Guantanamo Bay.
5. Has made the environment a national priority, and a primary source for job creation.
6. Has made education a national priority by putting emphasis and money behind new ideas like charter schools, but speaking directly to school children in telling them they have to do their part.
7. Won the Nobel Peace Prize.
8. $789 billion economic stimulus plan.
9. Appointment of first Latina to the Supreme Court.
10. Attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles.
11. Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans.
12. Renewed dialogue with NATO and other allies and partners on strategic issues.
13. Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military 20 years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force… this includes new procurement policies, increasing size of military, new technology and cyber units and operations, etc.
14. Better body armor is now being provided to our troops.
15. “Cash for clunkers” program offers vouchers to trade in fuel inefficient, polluting old cars for new cars; stimulates auto sales.
16. Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan.
17. Closed offshore tax safe havens.
18. Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan.
19. Ended media “blackout” on war casualties; reporting full information.
20. Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts.
21. . Ended media blackout on war casualties and the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB.
22. Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules.
23. Ended previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now realizing hundreds of millions in savings.
24. Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific and environmental rules, regulations, and reports.
25. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has created 2.1 million jobs (as of 12/31/09).
26. Ended previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions.
27. Ended previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring jobs back.
28. Ended previous policy on torture; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards.
29. Launched Recovery.gov to track spending from the Recovery Act, an unprecedented step to provide transparency and accountability through technology.
30. Ended previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry’s predatory practices.
31. Ended previous “stop-loss” policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date.
32. Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources.
33. Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient.
34. Established a new cyber security office.
35. Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children.
36. Expanding vaccination programs.
37. Families of fallen soldiers have expenses.
38. Provided the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with more than $1.4 billion to improve services to America’s Veterans.
39. Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research.
40. Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools.
41. Responded with compassion and leadership to the earthquake in Haiti.
42. Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters.
43. . Launched Business.gov – enabling conversation and online collaboration between small business owners, government representatives and industry experts in discussion forums relevant to starting and managing a business. Great for the economy.
44. Improved housing for military personnel.
45. Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military hospitals.
46. Changed failing war strategy in Afghanistan.
47. Improving benefits for veterans.
48. Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants…) after years of neglect.
49. Donated his $1.4 million Nobel Prize to nonprofits.
50. Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program.
51. Provided tax credits to first-time home buyers through the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 to revitalize the U.S. housing market.
52. Increasing pay and benefits for military personnel.
53. Increasing student loans.
54. Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return “home” to visit loved ones.
55. Cracked down on companies that deny sick pay, vacation and health insurance to workers by abusing the employee classification of independent contractor. Such companies also avoid paying Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance taxes for those workers.
56. Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000.
57. Limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House.
58. Protected 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors through the Recovery Act that would have otherwise been lost.
59. Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration.
60. Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act on February 4, 2009, provides quality health care to 11 million kids – 4 million who were previously uninsured.
61. Lower drug costs for seniors.
62. Making more loans available to small businesses.
63. Many more press conferences and town halls and much more media access than previous administration.
64. . Signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first piece of comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the lives of Americans living with paralysis.
65. New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid, development of infrastructure, diplomacy, and good government practices by Afghans.
66. Announced creation of a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record for members of the U.S. Armed Forces to improve quality of medical care.
67. New federal funding for science and research labs.
68. New funds for school construction.
69. Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut spending.
70. Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful spending and practices.
71. . Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals.
72. Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren’t even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan.
73. Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions.
74. Provided tax credit to workers thus cutting taxes for 95% of America’s working families.
75. Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic.
76. Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research.
77. . Helped reverse a downward spiral of the stock market. On January 19, 2009, the last day of President Bush’s presidency, the Dow closed at 8,218.22. In February 2010, the Dow closed at 10,309.24.
78. Renewed loan guarantees for Israel.
79. Restarted the nuclear non-proliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols.
80. Provided attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles.
81. Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters.
82. Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy.
83. Unveiled a program on Earth Day 2009 to develop the renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents. These regulations will enable, for the first time ever, the nation to tap into our ocean’s vast sustainable resources to generate clean energy in an environmentally sound and safe manner.
84. Signed national service legislation; expanded national youth service program.
85. States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards.
86. Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans refinanced.
87. Successful release of US captain held by Somali pirates; authorized the SEALS to do their job.
88. The FDA is now regulating tobacco.
89. Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date.
90. The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010.
91. The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying.
92. The “secret detention” facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed.
93. US financial and banking rescue plan.
94. US Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast.
95. Signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop fraud and wasteful spending in the defense procurement and contracting system.
96. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office.
97. Improved relations with Iran.
98. Improved U.S. policy on climate change.
99. Set timetable for exiting Iraq (already started removing troops).
100. Improved relations with Russia.
101. Improved relations with the Islamic World.
102. Made progress towards greater cooperation on limiting nuclear proliferation.
103. Economic stimulus plan has created jobs. (Unemployment rate decreasing).
104. Drastically slowed down the recession.
105. Saved Wall Street.
106. Passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act (equal work for equal pay).
107. HEALTHCARE REFORM.
108. Ordered the military operation that killed Osama Bin Laden.
109. Was the first sitting President to take a definitive stand on the issue of marriage equality.
Herman Cain is running on the platform that he is the "anti-Obama." He is right about that. He is nothing like my President. There is nothing inspirational or hopeful about Cain and his platform. I wouldn't even delve into what his platform is. My main issue with Cain is his attitude towards Blacks. He has said that Blacks are "brainwashed into voting for Democrats." To me, that comes off as we cannot think for ourselves. As if we are too stupid, ignorant, uninformed to make an intelligent choice when it comes to voting. I hate for a person to underestimate my intelligence. Herman Cain seems to look down on the 99%, especially Blacks. That is an ultimate no-no in my book. I also see what the Republicans are attempting to do, split the minority and youth vote that got President Obama elected in 2008. I simply do not approve of Herman Cain.
Journalist Toure' tweets "It baffles me how Cain can attack Black people—call us brainwashed, deny racism, deny Obama's Blackness—and still some Blacks loooove him." I totally agree. As a dark skinned Black man who denies that racism exists says a lot about Cain's character. Yes, we have a Black President. But, we still live in a country full of racists. I would be a fool to believe that President Obama's election erased all of the racism in the U.S. That is beyond absurd. Any Black person who believes such an outlandish tale is silly as well. I live in the real world. I leave fairy tales for the kids.
That picture of Herman Cain & Uncle Ruckus is a perfection depiction in my mind. Uncle Ruckus hates Black people. I'm beginning to believe the same thing about Cain. His delivery and condescending attitude grates on my nerves. I also do not think he has a chance in hell of actually securing the GOP nomination. He is being used as a ploy. Sad, that he does not see that. Anyway, I have a very adverse reaction to this man and every thing he says. He is a cartoon character to me. I will be voting for President Obama in 2012. Wish I could vote for him again in 2016. Either way, I would never vote for Herman Cain. It has less to do with him being a Republican and more to do with the fact that he is a joke. I'm not impressed. And, I actually feel sorry for the GOP. There isn't one strong contender in that whole group. Not Perry or Bachmann or Romney. None of them have it. That makes me smile. Oh, yeah just fyi, Obama in 2012!
There are two topics that can get even the best of friends riled up. Wars have been waged and friendships lost behind these topics. They are politics and religion. People feel so strongly about the two. And, in general, you are either with them or against them. I an strong in my beliefs on the two. I will always state my position on either of them. I will not dismiss someone who has a strong argument for their beliefs. I also won't lose a friend over a difference of beliefs. Our differences are what make us unique and who we are. That is blueprint to who we all are. Religion and politics are just aspects of us.
Politics are a very tricky, slippery slope. Democrat or Republican or Independent. I am a Democrat. I registered as one because that's what my Mom was. After that, I began researching the party on my own. I looked into all of them. I was sure that my choice was correct. I was a Democrat because my beliefs lined up well with those of the party. I did not have anything in common with the platforms of the Republican party. And, the Independent party seemed too loose and unorganized to me. The campaign and election of President Barack Obama brought a lot of issues to light. Never before had race and politics been so closely aligned. I had numerous conversations and debates with people about my choice.
I became aware of Mr. Obama during the DNC in 2004. Then, he was a little known Senator out of Chicago. He gave a speech that just captured my attention. There was a light in his eyes. He looked like a star. To me, it was feasible that he would be a contender in 2008. Facebook friends and coworkers all seemed to be against him. And, the bottom line was they didn't want a Black President. That thought was astounding to me. I could not truly believe that in 2007/2008, race was an ultimate issue. After I had that epiphany, I stop battling. I showed my support for candidate Obama with pins, shirts, and informing those who didn't know about his appeal. I can definitely say that a small part of me voted for the Black man. Overall, I voted for the best candidate whose platform closely resembled my beliefs. Nothing else mattered more to me. My political standings are my own.
Another hot button topic is religion. I was raised a Baptist. I believe in God. I was baptized as a kid and then again as an adult. My spirituality is important to me. More important than any organized religion. My relationship with God is my own. Religion has always been a sore spot within countries. Wars have been waged and carried on for years behind it. I do not get that with the diversity of religions that there isn't more compassion between them. I believe there is only one God. I do not see how he could be different from religion to religion. He is the alpha and the omega. That should be a universal truth.
I do not debate religion with people any more. It is a lost cause I believe. A person's religious beliefs are usually very strong, deep and true. It's hard to change some one's mind about their God. That is a personal issue. I cannot comprehend how one's religious beliefs would lead them to strapping a bomb on their body and killing themselves and others because of religion. My God doe not operate like that. It appears very cultish to me. Religion has existed for centuries. It hasn't changed fundamentally in eons. The Bible or the Koran both are the word of God with a little bit of man mixed in. To me, those words carry much weight. Religious differences have led to strive and discourse for years. It's a touchy subject when the people aren't like-minded. I love to be engaged by people who are knowledgeable about the Word. Religious conversations are not always easy and simple. Sometimes they get heated and quickly. cooler heads have to prevail for both sides to learn anything.
With all the things going on in the world, religion and politics have been on my mind. It's clear that the world will never be one big "We Are The World" song. I just wish there was a little more understanding and compassion from all of us to people who are different and think different than us. We are all here fighting to live one more day. We pray and we vote. Well, some of us do. Being able to appreciate some one's differences shows a more human side of all of us. I'm a Democratic Baptist who focuses on the issues and my own spirituality. That is my own truth. That may not work for others. But, my ideology works for me. I am open to what people have to say. I take in what feel is useful. I leave the rest for the next person. I'm just me - not overly religious or staunchly political. But, I do have a stance on both issues. Do you?
