A Return To Letter Writing

Negotiations with Iran have long been a polarizing subject from all colors on the political spectrum. This has always seemed a little odd to me given the United States’ tenuous relationship with the country, the vile policies of their leadership, and their attempts to vilify and desire to destroy Israel. To this end, I would support the current nuclear negotiations with Iran if they would simply reverse every position that they have doggedly held on to for so long.

This was the driving force behind Netanyahu’s speech to Congress as Israel can’t afford, nor can the United States, to see Iran develop a nuclear arsenal. To think that this radical country would stick to any agreement let alone one so ill-conceived is naive at best. Believing that they will only use the development and technology for peaceful purposes is like saying Hillary only deleted private emails. It just doesn’t add up.

It was for this reason that Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) penned a letter to the Islamic Republic and why 46 other Senators joined him by signing the letter (the full text of the letter can be found on The Wall Street Journal blog). Contrary to many of the reports from “unbiased” news outlets, this was not an attack on the president nor was it a threat. The letter was a means to demonstrate the significant public opposition to the current negotiations. The current 10 year plan is one that won’t work, one that should not be supported, and if signed, one that should be overturned as quickly as possible to limit the fallout.

With that said, the means by with this message was presented may not have been the best decision. But, again, this is not a means to offend or undermine, it is a way to ensure that the opposition is heard loud and clear. Frankly, it is one of the more transparent actions that I can remember seeing come out of Washington. There was no doubt as to who signed the letter.

The subsequent twisting of the words and assumption of motive is what the public should be up in arms about. That and the idea that there are too many who are placing their trust in the untrustworthy, crossing their fingers, and hoping that there is some semblance honest in the empty promises of a murderous republic. That is simply a stance that I cannot support, Israel does not support, many in the military and intelligence communities do not support, and at least 47 politicians in Washington do not support.

Voting SNAFU!

I knew that I was going to be arriving late the office this morning. After all, I had to stop by my polling place and cast my vote (even though it wouldn’t make any difference in the area in which we live). I arrived at my designated polling location and it seemed as though I had never left the apartment building.

Of the dozen or so people staffing the location only a couple of them weren’t neighbors. I knew each and every one of them which is why I can confidently say that this was not a politically diverse crowd. Maybe that is why no one would say a word to me as I walked up to the building and through the doors.

There were only a couple people in front of me so it didn’t take me long to get up to the table. The lack of participation is not surprising as, according to recent study by WalletHub, only 42.1% of voters ages 18-24 and 68.9% of senior citizen even bother to show up at the polls. License in hand I gave them my name and watched as the confused look fell upon their face as to why I would have a photo ID out. Thirty seconds later I was in, and out, of the booth and heading back to the car.  

By the end of the long day, with the results beginning to come in, I was both incredibly disappointed by my state and happy about the shift in power that was going to occur in Washington. While the process is necessary for the people to have their voices heard I just can’t get over the fact that we will have to put up with a new Governor that does not represent us. To add to the entire fiasco is the fact that his main body of supporters are completely oblivious to the contrariness of the vote that they just submitted in their naive push of the button.

These people who take pride letting everyone know that they are part of the 99% just voted for someone who is part of the 0.1% to represent them. They claim that they want the government to stay out of their bedrooms and their lives but they support having their rights limited and, in some instances, taken away. They want people to take home more of their hard earned money but they support tax policies that obliterate their paychecks. They say they want people to have greater opportunities in life but they don’t want to encourage them to be self-sufficient, they prefer giving them handouts.

WTF!

This whole day just proves the point that sometimes saying that you voted is like saying everybody poops. We know that its true but it doesn’t mean you should be applauded for crapping on the carpet. Voting for the Republican candidate in my town is like farting in the middle of the room… they know people will notice but they don’t want to admit to it. Well, pull my finger because I’m the one who voted Republican across the board.

Someone Needs A Time Out!

In the midst of the Ebola news that was swirling around last week and dominating all the nightly news programs there were countless statements made, ‘experts’ interviewed, and reports made of possible cases. There was also a variety of social media posts both attempting to find any possible, badly timed, humor and also the never fail conspiracies.

It should come as no surprise that one of the most controversial pieces that has been circulating throughout the main stream media comes from, no surprise, Ann Coulter. While I do give her credit for unflinchingly sharing her opinion with the world it really isn’t helping anyone and it is probably doing more harm than good… especially for my party. Frankly, this woman needs to come to terms with the fact that she is the flashpoint for anti-conservatism amongst the liberal media and learn how to shut the heck up.

Contrary to the earlier paragraphs in Coulter’s article, I don’t believe in criticizing those who are using their talents to help people throughout the world. Those people are dedicating their lives to better the world and that is an admirable calling and they should be respected for that. To attempt to lay waste to their life’s work is indeed in poor taste and it makes one wonder, what has Ann Coulter done to better this world? I would argue that she has done nothing but prance like a peacock in the field trying to call attention to herself while providing the Democratic Party with all the ammunition they need to misguide the public. In Fact, she may be the Ebola of the Republican Party.

However, just like the study of such horrendous outbreaks there is always something fascinating that can be found in the chaos. While poorly phrased, there were a few lines that did stand out to me as having some semblance of sanity: “America is the most consequential nation on Earth, and in desperate need of God at the moment. If America falls, it will be a thousand years of darkness for the entire planet. / Not only that, but it's our country. Your country is like your family. We're supposed to take care of our own first.”

While grandiose in language, the underlying idea behind those words make tremendous sense. While world causes need our attention, we can’t lose sight of what is happening here at home and the problems that permeate society. Both may be equally important but if the choice has to be made dedicate your life to making your home just a little better, improve your community in some small way, make the effort to help your neighbor. Set the example at home first. If we work on solving the problems around us now we will be able to better serve each other and the world in the future.

Did You Vote?

I am a huge proponent of exercising one's rights. The variety of the rights granted unto us are there to be embraced. We all have the option to exercise the rights that we chose to use. While there are rights I fervently support, sometimes I do not exercise one of my rights. Sometimes there is little motivation and even less time to get to the voting booth.

On Monday night I went to bed with my alarm set about thirty minutes earlier than usual so that I could swing by the community center in the morning before heading to the office. When the alarm sounded in the cool glow of a new day, I was having nothing of it and, without hesitation, reached over and hit the snooze button on my phone. The next thirty minutes, this process was repeated like the directions on a shampoo bottle. Finally I rolled out of bed and began my groggy routine.
 

Before heading out the door, my wife and I discussed the plans for the day and the times we expected to be home that night. It was a lodge night so dinner was pretty much up in the air. I guess we were going to just have to figure it out later in the day…. Usually during out midafternoon phone call. By this point I had been watching the minutes tick by on my watch and I knew that the voting booth was just going to have to do without me in the morning.

If it were a simple run in, run out type of thing I would have taken the detour but I know the people that work the polls and I know the contingent of Democrats that flood this particular location. Frankly, I didn’t want to deal with the delay or the debate. Not that morning. Besides, I know who my nominee is heading into the heat of the campaign season.

Throughout my drive to the office I couldn’t help but think about the various races with the Governor’s race playing the most prominent role in my mind. And while this may seem wrong to some but I couldn’t help but hope that the weakest, most radical of the candidates would win the nomination. I won’t name names but let’s just say that I am really not a fan of the Congresswoman from Abington and her radical brand of liberalism. If anything, I wanted her to win simply because of the fact that it would demonstrate just how successful the Governor has been and the balance that he has brought to the economy of the Commonwealth.

In the end, a one percenter secured the nomination and held a party at a minor league ballpark that he rented out in York. I hope he stays in the minors (maybe we could start calling him "Meat"). I know what you’re thinking and its okay he owns a Jeep that he drives himself so he’s just like one of us. I wonder if he supports paying his own ‘fair share’? It should be an interesting race to watch and I know you will all be shocked when I say this but I already know who I am voting for come November. But, until then, Play Ball!

I Was Wrong… This Is The Season That Smells Like Poo!

As the weather gets warmer the interesting season is already in full swing at the television and radio ads are on a constant loop. While not as persistent as they were a couple of years ago or as annoying as they will be in a couple of years, they are still just as bothersome especially in Pennsylvania with a Governor doing his best Mohammad Ali impression. Well, I guess that isn’t a great comparison until the final ballots are counted and the vote comes out in his favor.

Just like the natural season that we find ourselves in at the moment, now is the time when the aroma of bovine feces is at its peak. Yes, that’s right, its primary season. This is the point in the election cycle when facts have no bearing on the race for the nomination as accusations take center stage, voting records are glossed over, and personal histories are manipulated to both entice and repulse the public. It is also a time when the fringe element makes their presence known, her presence in this instance.

It is also the time when partisan lines are clearly drawn and pitches are tailored to the party members that are able to determine their fate (Pennsylvania only allows those registered voters to vote in the primary according to which party they are registered). Leave it to this time of year for the grandiose plans to briefly pop up above the line of the tide and the demands on incumbents to answer questions on policies and decisions that would have been handled differently if said candidate were in office. However, don’t bother using facts or try to demonstrate why the best decision was made, it will be determined wrong no matter the response.

That is the problem throughout the electoral process both locally and nationally. The facts have been lost in the rhetoric and the ability for a voter to come to their own conclusion is deemed radical and, sometimes, racist (this is being seen more and more in recent years to the point that you would think that we were all minority owners in the Clippers). Even what should be hard and definitive numbers are commonly questioned leaving costs to go unchecked in underperforming and financially dangerous policies. Job creation is shouted down and gainful employment is seen as a problem rather than something to be thankful for.

So, take the time to think for a moment and vote for what is right… vote for your rights (even the ones you don’t use at the moment because you never know). Consider the candidates that your friends may see as ‘the enemy’ and determine for yourself if they are really holing you down or whether they believe in the rights of individuals to better themselves. Once you have made your decision get off your butt and vote. And while you’re at it make sure you vote for grandpa even though he died in 1996. After all, no one is going to ask you for a photo ID.  

Politics 101: The Doody Head Assertion

Sometimes it’s not work which tires you out is all the stuff that surrounds the working hours. Even a family dinner out can be a bit draining. However, many times it is the things at the end of the day that can turn things around. That same family dinner can have that impact on others.

However, the one thing that can provide the greatest mood swing in your day is the voice booming through the speakers of your car as you listen to the news, talk radio, or some random “music” station. Sometimes all it takes is one piece of news, one detour, one commentary, one horrendous song that can turn a really good day into one that can’t end soon enough.

Maybe I am putting too much thought into this or maybe I am too easily riled. Of course, I could be increasingly temperamental due to the idiots around me that can drive worth a darn, don’t know how to merge, and think a blinker is optional. I blame them.

Listening to talk radio for much of my ride home at night it is astounding the people that call into these programs that are just blind followers without a single neuron working toward the goal of original thought. And I say this as something that applies to both sides of the aisle because on too many occasions the basis of some of these arguments comes down to the fact that they think a certain politician (or a group of politicians) is a doody head.  

Idiocracy reigns and all the people live in blissful ignorance. It seems as though we are living in a H.G. Wells novella waiting to be summoned to the dark recesses of the earth and sacrificed “for the greater good”. While the goal is to do whatever they can to save a single life keep in mind that they didn’t mean you. We are responsible for ourselves not everyone around us. While we are, in many respects, our brother’s keeper we are not going to let our brother be responsible for our death.

See, the above may sound good and I may say something in the same manner on occasion but there really isn’t any substance to what was just said. The above boils down to the fact that I don’t like whomever I am speaking about and frankly I think they are a bunch of doody heads. Much of the public debate is not red or blue; it’s a deep shade of brown.