Veterans Day of Honor

This is a day on which we celebrate those who serve and have served in our military.  These brave men and women who fight for the rights and liberties of this glorious nation are an important and incredibly special part of our country.  The comprise of about 1,455,000 men and women on active duty and 833,616 on reserve.  This means that this country has the second largest military in the world, second only the People's Republic of China.
This is a time of great unrest in the world with wars, natural disasters, disease, and a new issue that has become more prevalent and that is hate.  There has become a widespread feeling of distrust and ill-feeling for this within our own nation and those who are elsewhere but this horrible feeling must end.  We just had another election and we celebrate the opportunities that we have to vote freely and speak our minds freely.  This is a right that is protected by these phenomenal men and women of the United States Military.  Let us honor them by doing our part to add to the feelings of unity and trust in this country.  Let us stand together lest we fall apart from within.  Happy Veterans Day to all.

All is Fair in Love and War... and Politics?

The American Government has problems... There is no doubt about it and there is no small amount of literature spouting ideas and reasons why this travesty came to pass.  One such book is written by Sunil Ahuja and although the book has an obvious bias (Liberal) there are some truths listed within.  The 1950's and 60's were a time of great changes happening within policies and congress was working together (bipartisanship) to create a greater good for the country.  The were able to work on health care, education, and welfare together because as former congressman Bob Michel (R) puts it "they respected the institution".  It seems that today the opposing sides demonize the other and have become exceptional blame game players.  As Fred Greenstein states in his incredible book "The Presidential Difference", oftentimes what it takes to run for and be elected president are not the same characteristics to be a great president.  There are few men that have been truly remarkable presidents although they did run a great campaign filled with promises and pledges to the American people to create "change" and "hope".  Why do we keep voting for people that have proven they will never change.  The goal is to become safe in a position and get re-elected which means they are because less bipartisan.  There are less and less bills that go through congress and the house that are bipartisan which means that no matter what, a large group of people will be feeling very unrepresented and there will be consequences.  After the Newt Gingrich revolution in 1994 the Republicans were in control of both houses until 2006 and here we have again, less than 4 years later the Democrats lost the House because they were not doing their jobs.  They were not representing their constituents and it has come down to the Republican party to help change the path this country has taken over the past 4 years.  Let us hope that congress will work together to ensure a safe and economically stable future for this nation.  The greatest nation in the world: The United States of America.  Congratulations to those who were elected in this intense mid-term election.  Serve the country well.    

Red November

Congrats to the Republican and Tea Party members for this phenomenal win in the elections.  The map was a lovely shade of red when I awoke this morning and I could not be happier except if the country was united in this happiness.  I am proud to say that I voted yesterday along with an incredibly high number of voters hitting the polls yesterday especially for a midterm election.  What inspiration!  This country CAN vote and the people have spoken.  No more mis-representing.  No more policies that few people support.  No more!  What a lesson for the upcoming generation that voting makes a difference.  It is the most clear our voices as one, are heard by the federal government and you can bet that things will be changing.  Not over night but changes will occur and I can only hope that the Republicans live up to their promise to America.  God Bless this glorious nation!

Some "Fun Facts" About Elections in the United States

• A majority of the voting-age population does not vote in most
elections in the United States?
• Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, when first elected president,
each received the votes of only about one quarter of those eligible
to vote in his sizable electoral victory, Barack Obama received the
votes of 33 percent of those eligible and 30 percent of voting-age
adults?
• most members of Congress have no effective opposition in running
for renomination, and some have no opponents in the general
election?
• More than 90 percent of members of the House of Representatives
and 80 percent of senators were re-elected in the period from 1960
through 2008.
• No third-party presidential candidate has received any electoral
votes since 1972?
• There were more ballots discarded or under-counted in New York
City and Chicago in the 2000 election than there were disputed
ballots in the controversial Florida presidential vote that year.
• About $5 billion was spent on federal elections in 2008? .
• Information about how elections are conducted in the United
States is so fragmentary that the government does not know how
many people were turned away at the polls, how long people stood
in lines waiting to vote, how many ballots were voided.or simply
not counted, and how many voting machines malfunctioned.
• It took more than seven months in 200S for officials and the courts
to determine the winner of the election in Minnesota for a seat in the
U.S. Senate?
• The average length of time that presidential candidates appeared
on the evening news shows of the major broadcast networks in the
last three elections was about seven seconds?
• More than 50 percent of candidate advertising in recent federal
elections contained some negative reference to an opponents
character or policy positions?

• More than $200 million was spent on advertising during the 2008
nomination process, with the Democrats spending more than
twice as much as the Republicans? (BUT REMEMBER, Liberals are supposed to be the savior of this nation... Obviously it is not working)
• Only about one-third of the people can name the member of
Congress who represents them during nonelectoral periods?


These statements were pulled from the Stephen Wayne's book "Is This Any Way to Run a Democratic Election?".

Facts About Healthcare Today... and the Future

It is a common notion that wars are expensive.  Keeping up with the economy is expensive.  Healthcare is expensive.  LIFE is expensive.  Just because we are American does not mean that the federal government should pay for everything and give us "discounts".  People moan and groan about the costs of healthcare and blame the federal government for hiking up prices but if the government were to turn to a socialized healthcare system the country would collapse from the sheer weight of pressure.  I was recently speaking to a good friend of mine from South Korea who happens to be a huge supporter for socialized healthcare.  South Korea is a country of around 50 million while the United States population sits at about 310 million.  To support a country that is small compared to our population, yes I would say that most South Koreans are probably quite satisfied with their system because it is adequate to fit their needs however when looking at this country and the size versus the number of doctors and hospitals, the numbers do not add up.  Doctors would make less money which would give them less incentive to do their best or even become doctors because they would be overloaded with patients with symptoms ranging from minor colds or cuts to cancer and MS.  This is not a rational process for this nation.  People declare that only the elitists of the country can afford decent healthcare but I myself am living proof that this is false.  I pay under $100 dollars a month for health and dental and I am well taken care of.  I rest easy at night knowing that I am in good hands instead of fearing that one day I might contract a fatal virus and will be left on my own because the cost to save me would not be worth the effort as it would be in a socialized healthcare system.  We really need to, as citizens of this great nation find a happy medium.  Entitlement is not going to help this country but it will certainly hinder it and with the international and domestic issues running rampant today, healthcare is one things we should not have to worry about.  Lets get the GOP back into office to hopefully save the country from the lethal bandwagon fallacy shall we?  

Get Out the Vote

I recently spent several hours campaigning for the Republican Party in Kansas and what an experience that was! I have campaigned in Washington, Nevada, and Idaho previously but this was extremely different for several reasons.  The first was the fact that there were about 4 or 5 of us out walking the streets of Manhattan, Kansas and passing out voter registration forms, advanced voting ballots, and candidate information packets as opposed to the dozens I have been with in the past.  The second difference was the amount of youth (and by youth I mean the 18-25 age group) were actually interested in what we had to say.  It was a relief to see my generation being involved in some way with the political process and I couldn't be happier.  It is our civic duty and obligation to voice our opinions of those government officials who directly impact our way life by voting.  It is so simple and usually quite quick however there are still a massive amount of people that just will not do it.  Why is this?  The lack of civic engagement has caught the attention of several prominent political scientists and sociologists over the past decade and their findings show that although the advancement of technology has allowed for an increase in accessibility, this advancement has also been detrimental to relationships among citizens.  We as citizens of this fantastic country have the right and agency to choose who we vote for and it is sad to see that because of laziness and a disconnect on an individual and local level, we do not act on it.  There are so few countries that have the same freedoms we have and yet we claim so readily that our freedoms and liberty are being taken from us but we have the right to vote for those that are "taking our freedoms".  Do something about it.  Get out the vote in this mid term election and let your voice be heard.

Extremism Part 2

Really America?  What is this country coming too?  I love patriotism but this is getting out of hand.  Liberals v. Conservatives on EVERY issue is not how this was meant to be.  Maybe Madison was right in Federalist 10 (you should go read it often to keep yourself in check) when he said factions were dangerous.  We have to pull together in this country or we will ruin ourselves.  Pointing fingers and accusing opponents of ridiculous actions and statements is not going make the other side look better.  I feel like the news has reverted back to junior high when everyone was in that awkward stage and was rude and inappropriate in many aspects.  There needs to be differences and no one would deny that but the differences are now tearing the country apart and instead of inspiring people to get out the vote, the extreme antics of both parties is pushing people further into the wood work and before we know it extremism will be much more prevalent because the more cautious and wise moderate center will no longer have interest in the process.  These topics such as homosexual marriage, abortion, healthcare, etc must be resolved somehow but because neither side will (or can) come to a solution perhaps it is time to mix things up in the government.  Lets get some unknowns and newbies into the mix and maybe with the combination of the wise and seasoned with the new and fresh will create some ideas and policies that will actually work for both sides.  I know that extremism really knows no concessions but there is no room for a "one size fits all" in the policies and we must come closer to the center to avoid favoring small groups over what the general population wants.  Can we do it?  I would say yes.

Realism v. Idealism

When thinking of politics and the root of the words realism and idealism, which sounds more usable in relation to international and domestic policy.  Sure, ideally we would love to have every citizen be happy and content with each policy decision and each country we interact with agree with and adhere to alliances and sanctions that are agreed upon however... the world is not ideal.  The real story is that each country and each citizen within that country act rationally according to their personal disposition and belief.  There is no way in anyone's mind that those beliefs are going to match up and although there is a strong correlation between the belief system for the larger mass of citizens there are still differences that (as we have seen over the past decade) can escalate into culture wars and sometimes lead to civil wars.  It is imperative to understand that realism is the dominant theory that is applied to politics in this sense and the reasoning is logical.  Although most politicians and institutions will use euphemisms to describe hot topics or controversial issues, behind the smoke screen is a very realistic point of view and if we dig deeper almost everyone (excluding the outliers or extremists on both sides) has the same goal in mind the means to that end are the differences.
If every nation viewed the world ideally, there would be very little cooperation because it would be chaotic to try to comprehend why those from other nations are acting irrationally according to our personal perception of them and vice versa.  Idealism is a theory that NGO's use to try to gain influence and power because it "sounds" acceptable and less harsh but in reality, the world is a harsh place and it comes down to those who have the power and those who do not.  The G-20 make most of the world economic policy decisions because they have the resources to provide for their personal benefit which typically benefits other nations as well but countries are always looking out for number 1 because they have to.  That is key to survival and that is why idealism as a theory, would never work in a worldwide arena.  There are too many opposing views and beliefs that come into play, hence realism dominates.
This is something that has been on my mind over the past week or so as different news headlines have been debated and topics in class have circled these very issues.  I hope you can make a rational decision for yourselves after researching further what has been stated in this particular post.

Liberty, Democracy, and Security

There are strong correlations between liberty and democracy since the rise of the United States of America shortly after the Revolutionary war.  In an article by Russel Bova called "Democracy and Liberty: Cultural Connection" various relationships are pointed out but one struck me more than the others.  He pointed out that culture and the institution are key indicators of how well democracy and therefore liberty will work and be successful.  Most of the countries that are successful in democracy and oftentimes liberty are Western or have a high Western influence.  These countries have strong ties to national security and have expanded to international security through the past century.  Although the concept of democracy and human rights have been introduced into Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa, some of the countries have not had success in this endeavor.  The question is why?  In several Eastern European and Latin American countries, the poor human rights were changed quickly and they have been able to have continuous success in the push toward liberty.  Africa is a different case; many of these countries have been unable to break away from traditional institutions and have struggled with human rights laws along with security of their people.  It is my personal opinion that quality of life can be changed if given enough time and enough support.  It is pointed out within Bova's article that both Hong Kong and Singapore were influenced by the United Kingdom and yet Hong Kong has a better economy and significantly better human rights laws.  Singapore has struggled and the main reason is the influence of economic strength from the UK to Hong Kong (who was a much more dependent nation at the time) and the lack thereof in Singapore (a much more independent country).  The amount of influence and the amount of time given to change is key and I believe that this is a value often forgotten in foreign policy.  The United States is a democracy and although liberties have been given up for security at times in history, the country is safe.  We have the freedoms that other nations have sacrificed their lives for and still have not secured.  Total security and total liberty are not both possible within a democracy.  There is a fragile line between the two and depending on events, some security must be given up to secure rights and liberties and vice versa.  This is important to remember about history.  Let us not repeat the same mistakes that led to terrible struggles and even wars.

Belated Tribute

I love this country.  I love the men who fought to create this country.  I love the men and women who continue to fight to preserve our lives, liberty, and happiness in this country.
God bless America and God bless those that passed on during or as a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center 9 years ago.  God bless the families of those that passed on and God bless those that survived and are alive today to proudly represent resilient patriotism and nationalism.
Behold, Our National Anthem:
Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light 
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming; 
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, 
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, 
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there: 
Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? 


And this be our motto: "In God is our trust": 
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

God Bless this country and all it's citizens, may it forever be a pillar of Democracy and freedom.

Electoral College

Many people have heard of the electoral college, but what is it?  What is the purpose?  Why is it used?
These are all questions I hope to answer and share my opinion of the reason why we do not have a direct election for the most important position in the Federal Government.
A lot of this information is readily available on the archives website for the United States Government by the way so I would definitely research for yourself.
The Electoral College is written into the Constitution by the Founding Fathers to assure fairness in voting for the President of the United States.  It is a process by which the citizens of the country elect the electors and the electors then vote in the General Election.  The system can be somewhat biased however, if 51% of the electors vote for on nominee and 49% cast their ballot for the opposing nominee, the individual who scraped 51% takes all the votes in all states except Nebraska who splits the votes according to percent.
Each state is allotted the same number of electors as they have in both houses of congress.  Obviously this changes from year to year but population rarely changes in states enough to change the apportionment in congress so as we know California, Texas, and New York have large amounts of influence.
I would like to know how this is perceived as fair.  If a candidate is able to get 49% of the votes, he should be allotted those votes in the final count.  Nebraska is the ONLY state that does this and it seems that they understand equality in voting and the importance of each vote mattering and being counted.  Why then are hundreds of votes thrown out each year to produce results that are less than fair according to vote itself.  By just looking at the 3 big states mentioned previously (California: Obama-61 McCain-37, Texas: Obama-44 McCain-56, and New York: Obama-62 McCain-37*) would have changed the winning number from a landslide to closer race than originally thought.  Indiana for example sent all 11 of the electoral votes to Obama despite the fact that he only received 50% of those with McCain receiving 49%.  Does that seem fair?  No, it does not and I would suggest more research be done on the effects of the Electoral College to possibly make changes or adopt Nebraska's model.
*This numbers were from the NPR website on the 2008 electoral map page.

Federalist Paper # 10

Although these papers were written over 200 years ago, we can draw a lot of the original intent of the framers and apply it to how we create laws and understand the United States Constitution.  Federalist 10 (written by Madison) discusses factions and points out the flaws in them along with the purpose of them in politics.  Most of us are passionate about something and the purpose of the two political parties of the United States is to encompass those beliefs.  It has become increasingly difficult over the past 2 years to see that the 2 parties are in fact very different because of the splitting within each party and the incessant mud slinging of politicians in both from both.  There is nothing that can divide quicker and more efficiently than the divide that comes from within.  There are extremists in both parties, there are moderates in both parties, and there is everyone in between.  The major differences are well known and stated in the political platforms of each party but the major ones are of course Homosexual rights, Abortion, Environmental Issues, and Government Powers (size and expanse).  These are issues that often deal with individual morals which are a part of people's foundations, therefor it is obvious that these are going to be passionate subjects and the arguments will turn into personal attacks and rumor spreading.  Is this what Madison was warning us of?  I doubt he had any idea as to what American would come to but it is a safe bet that many of the founding fathers would be disappointed with the country they fought and died to create and protect.

Education of the Masses

Seymour Martin Lipset stated "Who knows only one country knows no countries"
I was reading "How Academia Failed the Nation" by Francis Fukuyama (one of the most intriguing political writers in my opinion) and I felt the need to share my findings with you.  The article talks about the September 11 attacks and the lack of preparedness the United States felt during the response period.  Fukuyama states that there were few that even spoke Pushto or Arabic at all and most of those involved in the assault on Iraq had little understanding of the culture and this led to some of the devastation that would have possibly been avoided had they been educated on the deeper meanings of culture to other nations.
There were few schools that even had Middle Eastern studies as a part of their curriculum at a college level and there were even less specialized programs with training to handle and understand other cultures specifically those in the Middle East.  It is hard for someone at my age to remember in detail what foreign diplomacy and relations were like because I had just started my freshman year in high school but as history has shown, all it takes to shove the masses into education is a tragedy.  The world wars, the attempted invasion of several Asiatic countries, and the Stock Market crash of 1929 were all events that pushed us as a whole into branching out in our education of those things beyond the norms of the time.  It is apparent that this country is lacking in certain knowledge which I believe comes from being a hegemon that has little to fear from any other country.
Fukuyama goes on to say that although it is imperative for people to have at least a basic knowledge of regional studies, it is not enough and "has it's own limitations".  It is more simple to understand one's own country of origin than it is to learn about something completely foreign in immense amounts of ways.  It is easy to overlook and draw general conclusions in areas where specificity is necessary.  Can this be changed?  Will it always take something terrible happening to bring us to reality?  Let us hope not but let this be a lesson learned that we must (as should other countries) be well learned about nations with whom we interact.

Common Good v. Individual Rights

This topic has been on my mind for the past week and each time I have sat down to write about it, something does not sound right in the delivery so hopefully this one is crystal clear.
I recently stumbled upon a quote that I personally agree with about those that tend to support too much focus on the individual rights and it goes as follows "Liberalism, because of it's emphasis on individual autonomy and choice has been criticized as being morally rudderless and insufficiently concerned about the common good"  I have always believed that a common ground must be met in the case of general and specific.  If we never focused on the individual, many rights would be lost and I believe that the Bill of Rights would be made void however, if too much focus is placed on the individual chaos ensues.  There will be riots and the common good of all will be forgotten in the process as some rights are given leeway and others are trampled.
The answer should be simple but as everything in America, it is not.  There are no longer just two sides of the playing field as each side has branched off and created it's own story and interest group.
What to do what to do America?  Have we really been so blind to see that the rights given to the masses are slowly being chinked away in the name of equality?  The past couple decades have produced brilliant minds that have produced brilliant euphemisms to replace harsh or ugly words like Pro-Abortion (now Pro-Choice), Homosexual Marriage (now Equality of Marriage), and Affirmative Action (now Race-Equality).  Trying to go back and fix what was done in history is not the key to success in the future.  This upcoming election will show where the thoughts of out citizens are at but until that time, fight for what you believe in and fight for the rights of the common good because as those rights are given back, individual rights will fall into their place instead of taking the place of what the Bill of Rights promises.

Illegal funding? Perhaps.

Nancy Pelosi has been one of the few politicians that is under constant fire since she became Speaker of the House and for good reason.  She is known for being abrasive and inconsistent in her views.  I was recently reading an article by Charles Babington of the Associated Press and he stated that Pelosi has been able to raise more money than anyone else in the political realm for herself and others with the exception of the President.  This made me wonder and question the validity of the funds because it has been proven although basically ignored that President Obama used illegal funds to support his and other's campaigns.  If Pelosi is doing so well especially during an economic downturn can it be fully within the laws of political campaigns and donations?  There are very strict limits on how much PACs, individuals, businesses, and party members can donate in each election but somehow she is receiving more?
It is enough dishonesty that allowed dead and imprisoned people to vote for Democrats in recent elections but to be receiving and accepting illegal funds that clearly tear down the laws of this country that they should be upholding?  That is a disgrace.

Do Polls Tell True Approval Ratings?

I was recently researching the approval ratings of governors around the country and was surprised to find that the Republican governors are doing a remarkable job in maintaining good marks with the people from their states.  I of course question the validity of polls because I have learned that they are not always accurate but it would appear that the GOP is handling the crisis around the country with flying colors.
Bobby Jindal of Louisiana has a 74% approval rating according to the Rasmussen Report.
Sean Parnell of Alaska is at a 58% approval rating according to the Public Policy Polling.
Gary Herbert of Utah has a rating of 57% according to Utah Policy.
Sonny Perdue of Georgia has a 56% rating from Rasmussen Report.
Linda Lingle of Hawaii has an approval rating of 71% according to Ballotpedia.
On the Democrat side Chet Culvuer of Iowa has a 33% approval rating from Rasmussen Report.
Jack Markell of Delaware hovers around a 40% approval rating according to Public Policy Polling.
David Paterson of New York is at a 21% approval rating accoring to Maristpoll.
Bill Richardson of New Mexico has an approval rating of 28% according to NMPolitics.
As we can see, these are some of the highs and lows but I would urge you to research this trend yourself because I found it interesting that the tide has turned so quickly against the Democratic party.

A Man With Everything to Lose Starting Out.

President Barack Obama was the face of hope to many people in the United States.  He was able to get many different races and age groups out to vote that normally had low turnout rates and as a result he won the Presidency with a landslide election and at the top of his game... However as we have seen in history, things change within a matter of months in the political realm.
President Obama has been unable to keep many of his promises because there have been several large items that have require his immediate attention including the Oil Spill down south, foreign relations abroad going sour, domestic battles of immigration, religion, and free speech.  Although these are not the only reason why his promises have yet to be seen as kept, they have contributed significantly.  It is sad that this man who was a rock star Senator and won with a huge approval rating has fallen so quickly in the polls of his people.  His most recent approval ratings are around 41% which is an all time low for his presidency.  There have been many dishonest items that have risen over the past year and a half and the people are not impressed.  His actions have directly resulted in his political party losing support and with this upcoming election holding so much for both parties, they really cannot afford this loss.  We will know in the next couple months whether people are truly upset enough to show it in their vote or not but it is safe to say that this upcoming election will be one of the most intriguing mid-term elections in recent history.

Mosque on Ground Zero

This is a subject that I have mixed feelings about... I believe that since the religion of Islam is a wonderful religion and has very few radicalists within their ranks, they are being unfairly judged in this matter. However, I feel that it is interesting that some sort of middle ground has not been found. Clearly people are upset and showing their emotions in the streets but most of these Muslims are citizens of this country and the 14th Amendment is clear when it states "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws".  These people have every right to build a mosque on whatever land they have purchased and it is unfair and unjust for others to try and stop them.  I do think that the Muslims could consider changing the location by a block or so and those fighting the placement of the building could appease on the location a block or so just to show that both sides are willing to work together to find a peace on this.  The United States is known for being a melting pot and as long as other races and ethnicities enter the country within legal means, I see nothing wrong with them embracing their religions and customs because it brings that special spirit that is America the Land of Dreams.  Hopefully this will not end with bad feelings because peace can be found it just needs to be discovered first.

Facebook Status: Intriguing

I posted this on Facebook on August 17, 2010 and within less than 15 hours I had 82 comments.  

Me= my posts and this color and initials are the comments of my friends.  Enjoy.

ORIGINAL POST: I disagree with abortion, affimative action, homosexual marriage, and big government.
I agree with the death penalty, capitalism, legal immigration, and harsher punishments for parole violation.

CL: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. you're really trying to stir the pot aren't ya.

AC:  Love it!

BD: That's like a political testimony there.

JS: What... are you running for Miss America or something. You left out world peace.

AM: You don't believe in gay marriage? What is wrong with you?

Me:  It is wrong on so many levels no matter how it is looked at. Of course I don't believe in it... I believe in God and the Bible :)

DG: Don't forget gun control.

Me: Oh yes. I do enjoy shooting guns :) that is one good thing about Idaho is gun control laws!

TG:  FRRRRRREAK YEAH!!

DG:  and make sure you vote for Dino Rossi, he'll really need it this year!:)

Me: I wish I could! He should have won in the past 2 gubernatorial races but thanks to Acorn (Obama's friends) and other groups, dead people and imprisoned people's votes were counted and he lost. I am not a resident of Washington technically anymore :(
CH:  I think I disagree with you on everything. I LOVE IT. Good luck at K-State.
SF: That's sounds very unchristlike and very much like dick cheney
Me: Haha so Christ disagreed with God's decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? It was destroyed because homosexuality by the way. 
And Christ also thinks that one race is better than another and that they should get special privileges even if they didn't earn them?
And he also believes in the killing of innocent babies just because their mother is too selfish to either live with the consequences of her actions or someone else's?
Yeahhhh I'm so sure that Christ believes in lowering standards and morals in order for people to feel good about their poor and weak behavior. Nice try :)

JJ:  And I'm flaccid.

JA:  

For starters; The God of the old Testament was Jehovah. So it was the proper Lord that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. And the city was destroyed for multiple reasons - not just a single one. 

And of course the Lord is no respecter of person regardless of color. However, given the sad history of race relations here in the US I think its a safe assumption that the Lord would be all for trying to "level the playing field."
As for abortion; its silly to assume that people support abortion. However, people do support the right of a woman to chose. Even the church supports a woman's right to chose in cases of incest, danger of the child/mother, or rape.

If I could only see the world as simply as you do I would probably agree with you more.

I MISS you Lindsay! Again, just keeping you on your toes! Safe travels.

Me: Justin if you are flaccid I wouldn't know but I would say it is weak to lower standards for a selfish reason :)
And Josh I was making a point that obviously there was no disagreement in Heaven with the decision and there have been many references that state homosexuality was not only the final straw but was the main reason and even the dirt of the area was destroyed because of it.
Also, leveling the playing field as you call it lessens the professionality in every job. A job or a spot in college should be earned because the person has worked their butt off to get not because they are a certain color. That is wrong in every way because it then taking from every other race to appease that one. Let's look at Native Americans for example: one of the most self sufficient groups of people has become largely one of the most lazy and uneducated because of this theory of leveling the playing field.  

 

Oh and I know plenty of people that support abortion for a plethora of reasons not just so the mother has a choice. It is selfish no matter how you look at it and no matter the circumstance. I said previously that whether her actions or other, I can't believe that adoption isn't an option. Unless it is 100 percent that the mother would die if the pregnancy were continue, I don't agree.

I did get to Kansas safely and I am LOVING it out here!
Ps its not hard to see the world in black and white. More and more theses days there is less gray area and its quite obvious to me :)

A black man is president now if you weren't aware so I would say that the races are doing just fine.

AC:  

I'm pretty sure Lindsay's last comment was pure and complete sarcasm. Although rampant promiscuous sexual relations (especially among the homoesexual crowd) were a huge reason Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed, there were obviously more reasons.

I must say that I disagree with the abortion argument. People do support abortion (do some research on how much $$money$$ is in the industry). And please don't give me the "choice" argument. I strongly believe in a woman's right to chose, and when she chooses to have sex, the consequence of that action sometimes produces a baby; the choice has already been made.

I also think it's absurd to think that the Lord (the one who has a PERFECT understanding of agency) would be an advocate for leveling the playing field. He would be forced to take one side over another and succumb to being a respecter of persons and would then cease to be God (but I guess that is a philosophical question for another day).

Lindsay, keep up the good work. Some of you other guys, you need to work on your arguments!

(DISCLAIMER: I WASN'T BEING SARCASTIC).

CG: I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVE reading your status updates. :)

JA:  

I enjoyed the flaccid comment. I LOL'd.

There's really no need to clarify the comments. The point I was trying to make is often the over simplification of situations makes for weak, and at times, illogical arguments.

Lindsay, I'll visit you in Kanas and you come visit me in DC. Deal?

JJ: 

Let me clarify. I'm flaccid and I love sweeping generalizations on issues.

JA:  I keep liking all these flaccid arguments. Does that make me day? Dangit.

Me: So you would prefer specifics on everything? 

Hmmm that would take to long :)
I prefer my generalizations. Especially since I am right. Cool huh?

JJ: Hmmm, that's exactly what I tell children when they ask for something and I say no. Then again, I've heard thats great parenting.

MC:  and world peace...

Me:  

Even if someone doesn't believe in God there are completely logical reasons for my perspective. I've already explained the homosexual perspective but affimative action and big business are for similar reasons.
In ANY business, you would want the best correct? No matter what gender, ethnicity, or race you will want someone that has the education, the mind, and the drive. If an equal playing were real, everyone would have the same chance and they don't because they have to have their quotas filled with all the different races. I'm sorry but that is just stupid and unwise. Its not difficult to understand that.

SP: DISLIKE!!!

Me: There are a few things I like that Ann Coulter says but one is "if Democrats had any brains, they would be Republican". Totally!

CS: My name's Clayton and i support this message (lindsay's original post). Well said.

SP: Question:
How many people who have had abortions have you met?
How many gay people do you know?
How many un-wanted babies have you adopted?

Although the rambling of ignorance is quite entertaining.

AC: So, does that mean that I need to go out and make friends with women who have had abortions to be able to voice an opinion on the subject? Or how many gay friends does it take to make an informed decision on gay marriage? Sherri, I'm dieing to know so I can be enlightened in your eyes.

Me:  are you serious?
Let's see... Since most women do not go around broadcasting the fact that they have assisted in murder, I know of few but of the 6 that I do know ALL regret it. Abortion is not only wrong but it has a HUGE psychological effect on the mother and oftentimes they fall into depression and many have attempted suiced. Yeah. Great option there.
I know many many gay people most of whom I really like and am good friends with. They know how I feel and we don't discuss it typically because our friendship goes beyond political beliefs.
I am 23 years old and single. What right do I have to adopt. What a stupid and uneducated comment you just made. Really. If I were to walk into an adoption clinic (which I plan to when I am married) and ask if I can adopt, they would never let me because I am a student and single.
Way to make yourself the status fool though :)

JJ:   FYI, you can license for foster care at the age of 21.
SF: The funny thing is you being a Mormon should see how evil capitalism is and should know Joseph smith actually intended the church to be communistic and Mormons will someday live that way again so they say. Well good luck tryin yo do that then when you can support it now. Capitalism promotes greed and dishonesty if you want to bring Christ into this he was a socialist he looked out for everyone. Then again the more religiously conservative people usually are less tolerant of everyone else and other people. Quite a paradox I'm sure Jesus would accept the gays nowadays just like he hung out with the prostitutes and heathens back in his.
SP: I guess we can agree to disagree. Most of my facebook friends would think you were the one who made yourself the status fool. It is easy to get everyone to agree with you when they are all in your own political and religious circle. I dare you to post this somewhere were anyone can comment and see what feed back you get.
Me: As you can see Sherri many of my friends disagree. Many of my friends are more liberal and are not a member of my religion and I have posted this elsewhere :) I have a political blog. So what do I get for already doing the dare?
Justine, your comment didn't make sense and I feel as though you may be drunk...? If so thanks for negating your stance by proving your instability :)
Shawn... Yeahhhh communism and socialism are SO different from the Law of Consecration its not even funny that you would bring that up. You want to bring God in, no amount of sin can be looked with the least degree of allowance... You REALLY think Jesus is just hunky dory about people that support this?

 Adam and Clayton, thank you :) I appreciate the support from everyone :) and I appreciate the posts from people that don't agree because I really like to explain myself and why and this gives me the chance.

SF: That's fine Adam and I respect your view I don't agree with it but I respect. But when Lindsay goes tea party radical with what she says about alternate and different ways of life other than hers it becomes intolerant and very very contrary to what Jesus actually taught.

Me: I'm not even close to being a radicalist. Not even close. Why can't I comment on alternate lifestyles when they have a political significance to me? I trying to bar my freedom speech Mr. Ferguson because that is unconstitutional :)
I love my gay friends. I love the girls I know that have had abortions.
I don't have to agree with people to care about them but I have every right to say they are wrong. Although I would never go so far as you have (hypocrite) to say it is intolerable.

SF: No they really aren't that different Lindsay not at all. In fact if you did your historical research Joseph smith started the church with communistic principles (how dare he?!). The law of consecration is exactly like communism with a theological head instead of a secular head. Bottom line: capitalism is polar opposite of the law of consecration therefore it must be opposite of a godly law. So you have to support one and hate the other. Take your pic. And I will still hold on to the fact that Jesus hung out with the sinners he was tolerant the way you have portrayed yourself show just how intolerant you are. I am fine if you are conservative even ultra conservative I respect all views but when it's portrayed in a dogmatic as a matter of fact way it becomes ugly and very counter productive as you have so gracefully demonstrated by your posts.

MC: I think you all are friggin idiots for turning this from a political discussion to a religious one. Sure people get their ideals from their religion but quit playing the Jesus card! Shawn, there is a BIG difference from communism and the LAW OF CONSECRATION. It's not communism. The only thing that should matter here is people have CHOICE in their life. ALL choices have consequences whether good or bad. I know where I stand on issues, I have to give other people their freedoms if I am going to enjoy the same. That is right and that is fair. What those people DO with those same freedoms is up to them.

SF: Well Matt it sure ain't capitalism if that's what you want to argue.

Me: Thanks Matt. it still makes me laugh that Shawn thinks I'm intolerant because I disagree with gay rights and abortion. I assure I am not at all and it goes to show how much you know in general about me. If I am intolerant what does that make people who commit horrible hate crimes? What does that make people who use racial and derogatory slurs? What does it make people who actively go out and protest against people who are different (yes I said different because we are ALL different in our perspectives obviously) than them because of fear or hate? You don't get it and I really hope you do one day. Sometimes I think you are so liberal because you wanted to be different growing in Red Rexburg... You need better facts.

AR:  

I have no interest in your political views or religious views ( no offense) although I do find the facebook debate highly entertaining...I do agree with you that you don't have to agree with people's lifestyle choices to love and care about them, I personally do not understand homosexuality and as a christian believe it is not the way God intended us to live, I do however love the people in my life who choose that lifestyle because as it says in the bible it is not our job to judge but to love unconditionally. I have friends and family who have had abortions and while I personally do not believe in their choice I love them regardless, my relationship with them has not changed because of it. Lindsay is not a bad person for voicing her opinions she is clearly not ignorant as she has been educated quite well, you don't have to agree with her but the thing is we live in America where she has the right to believe in what she wants to believe in and say it when she feels, I haven't seen her comment that any one who disagrees with her is ignorant or stupid so perhaps the conversation should be kept political and not personal...just a suggestion.

MC:  

I'm not arguing anything. Capitalism has its flaws sure. what economic theory doesn't? but capitalism gives us the most choices in our life. Communism doesn't, that is about control. I am arguing choice. For good or bad, better or worse, richer or poorer, etc, etc. There is always going to be someone there to take advantage of the system in any economy. But Capitalism gives us all the choices we want and make a decision for ourselves what we want to spend our money on or what to produce etc etc. That is what is most important! Choice! I don't want someone to make that choice for me. If I want to blow 3 grand I don't have then heck that is MY choice. I will have to deal with the consequences of such an act. But hey! I made a choice right?

Me: Congrats to Ashley for silencing everyone with honesty and best of all, with love and respect. We could all take a lesson from her.

DG: Who is ready to cleanse the House this November!! Shawn, Chris, and Josh, I hope you're as giddy about this as I am! But the GOP needs to purge its ranks of RINOs and then we can look fwd to November, I'm glad we are finding more and more candidates who can articulate their differences with Democrats.

SF: She hasn't silenced me ms. Ashley Reed sorry you dont even know me She and everyone who doesnt see the flaws in her thinking definitely has shown ignorance with how she condemned gays abortion an everyone else who doesn't see eye to eye. Yes I hold to what I said before the more religious you are the more intolerant you are. That's that and you Ashley and lindsay won't
Agree because you are blind to it. That's fine I don't care I guess you can pull the blinders off your eyes in your own due time. I'd have to say Lindsay I'm pretty disappointed with how arrogant you have become since the days of byui. What a blessing getting a masters degree is for you I'm happy for you.

DG: some one please give a scriptural reference were the Lord commanded that the temporal welfare of the people be vested in the power of the state, please anyone? Aren't we judged upon what we do as individuals and not the social government programs we vote for? Aren't we blessed for the quiet acts of service we do for those in need, and condemned for sounding our loud, boisterous trumpets to be seen of men? I think some here would do well to read the writings of President Benson, and how he expressed that forcing reluctant citizens to perform "acts of charity against their will" was not in keeping with the gospel, and is in fact the design of the adversary. Are there people in need? Yes. Do we have a duty to help them and bear one another's burdens? Of course. But do it individually...pay a generous fast offering, give of your time and talents to help those in need, but don't force others to pay through government compulsion and against their will. Salvation is not vested through government compulsion and redistribution.

AR:  

Its unfortunate that you didn't objectively read what I wrote. I am not condemning anyone for anything, I think that we live in america and have the right to choose our beliefs, I think that we have two different political parties who we can freely choose to support. I don't think anyone who is gay, supports gay marriage, has an abortion or supports abortion is a bad person or ignorant. I think they are different then me that doesn't make them any better or worse than who I am. Ignorance is defined as a lack of knowledge, information, or education, I don't think that you me or Lindsay is any of those things. I didn't personally attack any ones intelligence or the type of person they are or even their beliefs. I am perfectly tolerant some of my closest friends have had abortions, I didn't ever say anything to them, in fact I supported them in the decision they chose whether I thought it was right or wrong, even more so I drove her to the clinic and sat by her side so she didn't have to be alone, if thats intolerance then I must be severely misguided. I am not saying that as a whole people with strong religious beliefs don't tend to be intolerant but I think that it is unfair to include me a person you don't know in a blanket statement.

AC: Wow, from what I've noticed, Daniel is awesome, and Shawn can't put a sentence together without making someone feel stupid. I say Daniel wins this one.

BE: Interesting debate here Lindsay. I've gotta say that for the most part, I agree with what you have to say, especially the opening argument.

Shawn, I just don't see any logical points in any of your posts. All you've shared is the fact that you think capitalism is ruining the world and that anyone that has any sort of religion in their lives is ignorant and intolerant. I don't see any support for any of your arguments, and quite frankly, see a lot of the anti-Mormon argument in your comments. For anyone that is LDS, you've probably noticed that when you talk to a person of another faith about their religion, that person tends to focus more on the LDS beliefs and why they feel they are wrong, rather than what they believe. Hence the criticism without the support for their own beliefs. Come back with your own beliefs instead of simply criticizing others.

I didn't grow up LDS, or grow up religious at all for that matter, and I have agreed with Lindsays original argument since I was old enough to know what each of those statements mean.

Sorry, I don't have anything witty or insightful, I'm just tired of the criticism without belief and support of their own.

Me: I just don't understand how anyone can say anyone else on here is intolerant. Well except maybe Shawn at this point because he refuses to see that no one is condemning but merely stating how we feel. Since when is this wrong?? Shawn... Calm the freak down or stop commenting because you are being absolutely uncalled for

AE: DISLIKE AS WELL!!!!! LINDSAY, NOT SURE IF YOU REALLY REMEMBER ME FROM SCHOOL OR ONLY REQUESTED ME BECAUSE WE HAD MUTUAL FRIENDS BUT I AM A "HOMOSEXUAL" AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THESE SO CALLED "GAY FRIENDS" OF YOURS WOULD EVEN REMAIN FRIENDS WITH YOU FOR SAYING ANYTHING LIKE WHAT YOU HAVE SAID! I DON'T DOUBT YOUR SMARTS AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU HAVE SUCH COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO YOUR BELIEFS BUT IF THAT'S THE CASE AND THAT IS REALLY HOW YOU FEEL....I DEFINITELY AM NOT ONE OF YOUR "GAY FRIENDS!" @ SHERRI PHILLIPS: I HAVE TO SAY THAT I ADMIRE YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE POSTED, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU AND I DO NOT FEEL THAT YOU ARE IDIOTIC, STUPID, NOR UNEDUCATED....GOOD FOR YOU!

Me: I remember you obviously because we went to the same school for years but my gay friends are super comfortable with who they are and our friendship is much deeper than our political thoughts which are very different. They choose to not be offended as should you.
Calm down with the all caps because it's a bit dramatic.

AE:  LMFAO! YOU CALM DOWN WITH THE HYPOCRITICAL STATEMENTS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SAY THAT YOU ARE AGAINST HOMOSEXUALITY AND THEN ON THE SAME NOTE SAY THAT YOU "KNOW MANY MANY GAY PEOPLE WHOM MOST YOU REALLY LIKE AND ARE GOOD FRIENDS WITH. THEY KNOW HOW U FEEL AND YOU DON'T DISCUSS IT TYPICALLY BECAUSE YOUR FRIENDSHIP GOES BEYOND POLITICAL BELIEFS." YOU ARE CONTRADICTING YOURSELF!

Me:  Ps maybe you all should read my status again. It says I don't agree with gay marriage... I didn't condemn anyone although I'm enjoying being condemned in return.

Abby I doubt you have even read most of the comments and its actually called hypocrisy when someone accuses you of doing something or not doing something when they themselves are doing or not doing it. It was being implied that I shouldn't say anything against abortion unless I had adopted kids when they hadn't either. I am allowed to say and perfectly legitimized to say that I don't believe in gay marriage. Since there are only 10 countries in the entire world that even recognize gay marriage, I would say my thought process is prevalent.

AE: NO ONE SAID THAT YOU ARE NOT "ALLOWED" TO SAY ANYTHING BUT WHAT WE HAVE SAID IS THAT WE DISLIKE YOUR STATUS AND THAT WE DISAGREE WITH YOU...EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINIONS AND I HAVE VOICED MINE AS WELL. GOOD LUCK TO YOU..

Me: I'm not saying otherwise but you and others have stated loud and clear that I'm condemning people and contradicting myself and I'm not. I know what I believe and I stand by that but it is clear by your response that you didn't even read my status so how can you respond in a way that makes sense if your argument is against something I never claimed? That is unfair. I'm sorry that you are upset but that is politics and that is our country. Ash stated that we are all entitled to our opinions and I'm glad you can see that fact. 

Thank you for clarifying.

AE:  I ACTUALLY READ EVERY SINGLE COMMENT AS WELL AS YOUR ORIGINAL POST, IT JUST SEEMED REPETITIVE AND AS THOUGH YOU WERE CONTRADICTING YOURSELF...SORRY IF I MISUNDERSTOOD, I WAS A LITTLE OFFENDED. I AM NOT SORRY FOR VOICING MY OPINION THOUGH. AND ONE MORE THING...I COMPLETELY SUPPORT HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE SINCE WE ARE "CLARIFYING."

Me: I get that you support it. Again that was loud and clear but the reason why it seemed repetitive was because people were throwing the same argument and I felt it necessary to address them as such.
I want to point out a comment my roommate made about this whole thing which is that there are many homosexuals that do not support same-sex marriage. I think it is because many people in general feel that marriage is the next step to procreating and since same-sex marriages cannot provide that, they don't see the purpose in marriage. Its just some food for thought.

CL: abby haven't you ever disagreed with a parent, a friend, a sibling, a roommate, anyone? a person can disagree with someone and still remain friends.

Me: Hey Chris... I stirred the pot :) look at allllll these people that I got angry. Just for stating my opinion. I guess politics is the road for me because I already have the basics down.
I'm not sure if Abby will answer you but I am living proof that you can disagree and remain friends. Its part of a mature relationship right? If everyone agreed, how boring would that be?

CL: very boring. but if people couldn't disagree and still be friends, we would all live in caves. alone. because nobody could stand to be around anyone else:)

BE: Abby, sorry but if you can't get over the fact that people don't believe in or support it but are still willing to be your friend, perhaps you need to get steppin'. I in no way support gay marriage, yet I have friends who are homosexual. I also have friends who are members of the church and homosexual. They all know my beliefs, but they also know they have agency and I'm not condemning them for acting on that agency. I don't have to accept everything someone believes in, supports, or acts upon in order to care for them as a friend.

Do you agree with all the choices every member of your family makes? But do you love and care about them anyways?

AE: YES CHRIS I HAVE DISAGREED WITH PEOPLE I CARED ABOUT AND YES MOST OF THEM ARE STILL FRIENDS AND OF COURSE MY FAMILY WILL ALWAYS BE MY FAMILY NO MATTER WHAT. GOOD POINT.

BE:  Abby I'm sure you're a wonderful girl and a lot of fun to be around. Please don't confuse our disagreement with is not liking you. We do and we like that you're finding out for yourself who you are.

Can you please take the caps off?

Me:  Everyones comments have most definitely created to most interesting set of comments I've ever seen. If no one minds I would like to post this to my political blog. I will be posting the website for the blog later today when I have finished adding my pieces and will then update the blog on a regular basis. If anyone has any questions or concerns please let me know.