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Saturday, June 04, 2005
Warning! Danger, Will Robinson!!
I think we need a new warning system in this country...
Beware: Stupid person is about to open their mouth.
Now I'm all for hearing different opinions. I love the differences between cultures, religions, and political beliefs. Though what gets under my skin more than anything is reading someone tell another they are a moron for believing what they do.
I have recently started reading a few political message boards, okay so maybe I'm the architect of my own misery, but I fail to understand why a person has to be called an idiot because they believe differently. Now I'm a left wing bleeding heart liberal and proud of it. I don't agree with the conservative position 99.999% of the time. That being said I've never believed someone was a moron or stupid if they don't agree with me.
I think the only way we can advance in this world is by listening to each other without demonizing those of different beliefs. When did it become acceptable to be so intolerable?
Who cares what your neighbor does as long as it is within the law? Why care so much about his morals and values. Today's ultra conservative moment reminds me of the 1950's when church and the moral majority feared that Rock & Roll would corrupt the youth of the country. Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and pay attention to what is going on in your own home. Want to effect the future, pay more attention to your kids then what your neighbor is watching on TV.
The most important lesson we can teach the children of today is tolerance. Seems to me that is something lacking big time in America.
Posted at Saturday, June 04, 2005 by Just my .02
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Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Man Leaps From Car to Retrieve Cigarette
And who said smoking wasn't addictive?
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050523/ap_on_fe_st/smoker_s_face
FOREMAN, Ark. - A man was injured when he jumped from a car traveling 55-60 mph in an effort to retrieve a cigarette blown out of a passenger-side window.
Jeff Foran, 38, suffered trauma to his nose, eyes and chin after leaping from the car Saturday night and landing on the eastbound lane Arkanas 234 near the Oklahoma border, state police Trooper Jamie Gravier said.
The driver of the car, Jerry Glenn Nelson, 44, of Haworth, Okla., said Foran had asked him earlier in the evening to be a designated driver after a night of drinking.
"Foran did the right thing and asked his buddy to drive him home. Foran showed up at Nelson's home about 45 minutes earlier saying he (Foran) was too intoxicated to drive home, Gravier said.
"Nelson said Foran was smoking a cigarette when it blew out the window and Foran jumped out the window to retrieve the cigarette. Nelson said he was driving between 55 and 60 mph when Foran jumped out," the trooper said.
"It was obvious he was extremely intoxicated and this man was hurt," Gravier said. "If anything could make him stop smoking, this should be it. The man is lucky to be alive."
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Posted at Tuesday, May 24, 2005 by Just my .02
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Sunday, May 22, 2005
So what if I have to have my shoes in a certain order on the shoe rack or that I like to have my clothes hanging a certain way in the closet. Doesn't everyone separate their clothes into categories in the closet? you know tee shirts, pants, dress clothes, sweaters, sweatshirts, and long sleeve shirts. It makes it so much easier to find what I'm looking for. Why is it weird that I alphabetize my movies according to what kind of dvd holder they come in? It's easier to find and with them separated by the kind of dvd holder they're in, makes the separation look much nicer. And you can't tell me there is a certain place for everything in your house. Oh sure I don't ask my husband to dust because if he did he wouldn't back those things that he had to move back in their proper position.
What's wrong with having all your canned goods facing the same way or towels perfectly even? Nothing looks worse than two towels hanging at different levels. And someone tell me what's so weird about having to make a bed before you go to bed? If I don't make my bed during the day I do it at night. I don't want to sleep on messy sheets.
Geez, you'd think the way people react to me telling them these things ... you'd think they think something is wrong with me. Why I'm perfectly normal. ;-)
Posted at Sunday, May 22, 2005 by Just my .02
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Thursday, May 19, 2005
Posted at Thursday, May 19, 2005 by Just my .02
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Americas Role in the World...
I've been thinking a lot about Americas role in the world and exactly how we decide where we intervene and where we don't.
The last year or so I've heard a bit here and there about "Darfur" and I never really knew much about it or exactly what it was. I heard enough to know there was a genocide and that it was somewhere in Africa. Finally one day I got curious enough to look it up. Darfur is the western part of Sudan in Africa.
Where is Sudan? Sudan is the country just south of Egypt and is boarded by Libya, Chad, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and several other countries.
My interest in the current crisis in Darfur really grew after watching two different movies about the Rwandan genocide of 1994, "Hotel Rwanda" and "Sometimes in April." Up to one million Rwandans were killed when the Hutu ethnic majority attempted to carry out ethnic cleansings of the minority Tutsis and the Hutu moderates who were opposed to the genocide. The United States and the United Nations refused to get involved and the genocide ended when the Tutsi Rwandese Patriotic Army invaded from Uganda and a Tutsi led government took power.
The Darfur Conflict from what I've been able to learn began in 2003 after a rebel group began attacking government targets. They claimed that the region was being neglected by the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. The rebels say that the government is oppressing black Africans in favor of Arabs. Additionally there has been a history of tension in Darfur between the nomadic Arabs and farmers from Massaleet and Zagawa communities over the land and grazing rights.
Currently the conflict is between the Janjaweed, a government supported militia whose members have been recruited from local Arab tribes, and non-Arabs in the area. These militias are eliminating communities of African farmers where villages are being destroyed, women and girls raped and branded, and men and boys are being murdered. Also the food and water supplies are being targeted so people of these communities are being starved. Some reports even suggest after some of these attacks by the militia, the government launches air strikes on the very communities that were just targeted.
I've not been able to find a consistent number of how many people in the area have been killed though it seems the general consensus is anywhere between 100,000 to 300,000 people have been killed with an upwards of close to 2 million people displaced from their homes. Most of the people who've fled are now living in refugee camps. Once they arrive in these camps many of them are forced to leave to find food. If the men and boys leave to gather food they are often murdered. So the women and girls are often forced to go out to gather food and they risk being beaten and raped by the Janjaweed.
I'm sure the conflict is much deeper than what I've just stated but it is my understanding of the current situation in Darfur. So after watching what happened in Rwanda and learning about what is currently going on in Darfur, it leads me to ponder Americas role in the world.
In 2003 the American government claimed Iraq posed a substantial risk to American security by being in possession of weapons of mass destruction. So America sent it's troops to war hoping against hope that we could stop terrorism in it's tracks. We could prevent Iraq from attacking our friends in the area and close the training grounds which had become available to terrorists. Come to find out, there where no weapons of mass destruction and there wasn't any training grounds for terrorists in Iraq. No Sadam didn't want them in his country and they didn't want to be there. Ironically after Sadam was captured and freedom was brought to the Iraqi people, Iraq has now become a training ground for the very people who are trying to kill us.
Then the government changed their story. It wasn't about weapons, no it was about the rape rooms in Iraq. The torture of the people of Iraq. Sadam was a tyrant who terrorized the Iraqis for thirty years and he had to be stopped. Though you can't change horse in midstream,well no I guess apparently you can. So now everyone seems to have forgotten why we went there in the first place and now we're trying to help a budding democracy.
So my question is if the administration now claims we went to Iraq to free the Iraqi people from a horrible dictator, shouldn't this country help the people in Darfur? Shouldn't we help put an end to people being murdered by machetes and women and girls being raped? Oh we're not the worlds police right? No we should take care of our own. What do we care if people are starving over there we've got people starving here that we need to take care of. Except those people who make that argument can't make it now because we became the policemen of Iraq.
In this "culture of life" that some in this government seem to be so fond of quoting, they don't want to acknowledge that "culture of life" also extends to places like Darfur. If they fight so strongly to save Terri Schivo shouldn't they also being fighting just as hard to save a mother, father, and their children in Darfur? We can't pick our moral battles. We either believe in them completely or not at all.
It strikes me that the reason the culture of life doesn't apply in Africa is because it's Africa. Politically it's not a good move. It's not about oil or weapons and it doesn't look good on any politicians platform. There was a line in "Hotel Rwanda" where the main character said that once the world saw the footage of people where being murdered with machetes the world would come to help. The journalist responded and said "I think if people see this footage, they'll say Oh, my God, that's horrible. And then they'll go on eating their dinners." That's true that's exactly what the world did.
When did it become okay for us to continue on lives and not be outraged by genocide? When did our news coverage become all about the Michael Jackson trial and the runaway bride? Why does the news not lead every day with the conflict, the genocide in Darfur? Instead our news is about a country singer and an actress getting married and not news people are starving the death.
We talk about our politicians not caring and the media being the devil but the fact is we can't blame the ills of society on them, we have to blame ourselves. We have to stand up and demand better. We aren't just citizens of the United States of America we are citizens of the world. We have a responsibly to the world to be a part of the world and learn what's going on outside of little communities. People ask why do they hate us and the answer is simple. Americans believe America is the center of the universe and nothing matters unless it affects our way of life.
I have been so deeply moved with this situation in Africa. What happened to the time of "We are the world"? Where we came together to help feed starving people in Ethiopia? The great thing about Americans is that we are a people with heart and when someone or something pulls our heartstrings we come together and make a difference. It's time we come together and make a difference in Darfur.
Everyone who reads this, go do research on Darfur. Rent a few documentaries and educate yourself what's going on over there. Then write your congressmen and the President. There are so many different things we can do to help out that region but only if our politicians feel the pressure of the public. Once you've educated yourself pass along that info and encourage others to become aware.
We must become more aware of the world around us. To those who much is given, much is expected.
Posted at Thursday, May 19, 2005 by Just my .02
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Friday, April 22, 2005
It's not always about politics
The Foreign Relations Committee has delayed the vote on John Bolton for Ambassador to the UN and the White House has accused the committee playing politics.
I believe that is an unfair accusation. When politicians disagree, it doesn't always boil down to playing politics. Three of the committee members who have serious questions about John Bolton are republicans. Well respected former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who worked with Bolton, has told two of the three republican senators (Lincoln Chafee (R.I) and Chuck Hagel (Neb)) that Bolton is challenging to work with on personnel and policy matters and that he is a smart but very problematic government official. This is Colin Powell we're talking about here. He's universally respected and he's telling us .. "Hey take a second look at this guy. He may not be the best choice."
Bolton has been quoted as not having much respect for the United Nations and a lot of Americans agree with him. The question is, should we send someone to represent us who has such disdain for the very organization that he will be working with? Should someone who has a history of not working well with others and bulling them into agreeing with him be sent to work with the worlds ambassadors? It's not about differing opinions. Right vs. left. It's about sending someone who knows how to be diplomatic and the senators of this committee are questioning whether this guy can be diplomatic instead of problematic.
So it's time for the White House to stop accusing the committee of playing politics, and let them do their job.
Posted at Friday, April 22, 2005 by Just my .02
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Tuesday, November 02, 2004
As an American I have decided to hold my breath for the next twenty four
hours. Of course it will be unpleasant. If I'm lucky I might actually pass
out and lose consciousness. Wake up in a week from now, maybe a month, maybe
two and know who the next President is going to be.
Since its unlikely that I will have the willpower to stop breathing, I'll
have to find a way to muddle through tomorrow. Maybe I'll spoon out my eyes
.... a trip to the emergency room will be a nice little distraction.
Posted at Tuesday, November 02, 2004 by Just my .02
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Monday, September 13, 2004
For the first time in my life, I am beginning to tire of politics. Don't get me wrong, I've always loved politics but it seems to me the mudslinging is worse this year in the US Presidential election than ever before. If someone like me, who thoroughly enjoys politics is tiring of it, can you imagine how the average person who only pays attention every four years must be feeling?
My biggest pet peeve is reserved for the 527's in this years election and how they've focused our attention on Vietnam instead of Iraq. Yes our past tells people a lot about us but at the same time it's not always an accurate portrait of who we are. A lot can change in 30 years. We grow as people and sometimes see mistakes we made in youth. It's a fine line one must balance in trying to figure out what values a 60 year old man has by looking at the decisions he made good or bad when he was 25 years old.
I think safe to say that George Bush did probably have preferential treatment and as young man he probably did act as a young man. Maybe he didn't take his duty seriously. However as grown man with many years behind him, I think you can say he does take his duty seriously.
It is also pretty safe to say I think that John Kerry probably made decisions in the heat of battle that his chain of command didn't approve of. Maybe he did make mistakes when he came home and protested the war. However as a grown man with many years behind him, I think you can he does take his duty seriously.
The real differences in this election is not where each man was in the late 60's and early 70's. The real difference in this election is where we will be in 10, 20, or even 30 years. That is what is being lost in this years election.
Posted at Monday, September 13, 2004 by Just my .02
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Monday, August 23, 2004
As I tried to fight off another sleepless night last night I found myself watching the Olympics. Usually I'm not a fan of the Olympics. Oh it's great for the athletes but for me it's just a TV Schedule of events I could care less about. For the first 13 games there was only one event in Ancient Olympics. (Read History here) Now there are to my count ,39 sport events that a person could buy a ticket for (Athens Tickets for sale) and that doesn't include multiple events for the same sport.
I guess maybe I'm a little old fashioned or close minded but Olympic sports are marathons, swimming, weight lifting, and a few others were I can see a legitimate reason for existence. However is race walking, badminton, synchronized swimming, table tennis, water polo, or a handful of other sports - are they really sports that should be included in the Olympics?
Now I'll be the first to admit that I can't synchronize my thoughts half the time much less swimming. And badminton well lets just say to hit that little thing and get any kind of distance out of it pretty much amazes me. I'll give credit where credit is due ... but are these really sports that should be included in Olympics?
Here in the States there is 24 hour coverage between 5 or 6 different channels and I'd be interested to know what the ratings are. What does it say about this country when we get only four hours of a National Convention of a major Political party in a four day spread that will determine the path and the future of this country. Yet race walking is aired live from start to finish from the other side of the world and the athletes are people we'll never know. Yeah I can see how the coverage of the race walking is more important than trying to figure out what our direction will be the next four years.
After all you never know, maybe table tennis will lead to world peace!
Posted at Monday, August 23, 2004 by Just my .02
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I was raised to respect the military. Respect the service. Four of my uncles served, three in combat zones so maybe I don't have what it takes to bash a person whose served their country with military service. It is beyond me how George Bush could condone the bashing of John Kerry's military service. Oh the campaign says they're not behind it but you know what with a wink and a nod the bashing continues.
The debate is not about Vietnam, frankly I'm not sure what the debate about. However I will tell you what it's NOT about. It's not about this the failure of this administration to catch the "Big" fish Osama. It's not about a war that was conducted on wings of lies. It's not about the slow undoing of our civil liberties or the continuing decline of the worlds view of America. It's not about rising gas prices, fewer jobs, health care, social security, national debt, or the countless other issues that face Americans every single day. No the focus is on man's military record who Volunteered for duty in a combat zone.
Military service is important and it is a window into a life but it's not the sum of a life. It doesn't tell the whole story of a man or his journey. I think Bush should be judged not for military service but for his Presidential service in the last few years. And when he's judged on that level I think falls short of a passing grade. It's time for the torch to be passed to someone new who can lead us into a brighter future. Hopefully.
Posted at Monday, August 23, 2004 by Just my .02
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