Still musing about yesterday's post. As my dear friend Mark pointed out, people of all races are dependent on government assistance. I didn't mean to sound like I just see it all in black and white. My perspective for that blog entry was that slavery has persisted all these years in different forms. Initially it was through poverty and segregation... now it is through government assistance. It grieves my heart to know that so many are unable to escape those chains that bind... when so many have fought so hard for freedom.
The other point that I don't think I established well, having been sleep deprived and against a deadline (having to leave for work)... was that many of the groups who blindly support the Democratic Party as the lesser of evils... are not getting what was promised to them... Why aren't more people asking what have they done for me lately? Is your life better today because of any legislation that has been passed under this administration? Is there anyone reading my blog who can tell me their life is better because of the stimulus packages that were passed? Is anyone's life better because the debt ceiling was raised? Those without health insurance still don't have it... and those who were barely able to afford health insurance are having an even harder time affording it as insurance companies are forced to adjust premiums in anticipation of being forced to accept all comers, regardless of their condition.
It would be like only buying auto insurance after you have an accident. The insurance company couldn't possibly pay claims if they only received premium when there was already a loss. It's absurd to expect private businesses to be obligated to situations where they cannot possibly profit, therefore the only health insurance available will be through the government. I'm not a financial genius - and as one reader rudely pointed out last week, I am "uneducated" - but I have enough common sense to know that any business that can't make a profit can't continue to do business. Do the math... you're going to pay in, say, $3000 annually in premiums once you've already been diagnosed with - let's just use me for example - I've had... oh, I don't know... maybe $30,000 in health care costs this year. What company can stay in business paying out ten times the amount they take in? And that's a modest example. Who subsidizes these insurance companies to keep them in business?
*deep breath* It just grieves me to see how divided we are as a nation. I had a fairly well informed lady in my office yesterday who expressed the perspective that the Republicans opposed raising the debt ceiling because they are racist and want Obama to fail. Personally, I am offended by that. If a white person disagrees with a black person's politics, how does that make the leap to racism? Isn't that racist against the white person... to demote them to being incapable of having a legitimate argument against the process and procedures and politics that has nothing to do with race? There again, just put the chains back on... because you have failed to judge someone based on the content of their character... but because of the color of their skin.
Just like this whole amnesty thing... it doesn't matter if the people coming across the borders illegally are Mexican or Canadian or ... Syrian for that matter... not controlling who is able to enter into your country in this era of terrorism is foolish. We are at war. I guess it's easy to forget that since the attacks within our borders have been minimal but there are millions of people who see Americans as infidels and want us to die. Are we that naive, ten years after 9-11 to believe that we should just throw open the borders and let nameless, anonymous people enter? We are practically molesting people before they board a plane ... but it's unconstitutional to put a law on the books that says that illegal aliens are... illegal..... and therefore should be sent back to their place of origin?
I just feel like Alice in Wonderland... things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser and I feel sometimes like the people with common sense are being maligned for daring to stand up and say, "wait a minute... this is not right!"... But if you disagree with Obama, you're racist. If you want illegal aliens deported, you're racist. If the government wants to spend irresponsibly you're supposed to just open your wallet and let them take and take and take because to speak up is to oppress the poor, which is therefore... racist.
The point of all this is that our American culture is broken. The post World War II generation worked hard, lived within their means and saved whatever they could. My generation has obligated themselves to debt - both personally and nationally - that they can't possibly repay. We believe in freedom of speech, yet those who speak out for anything in opposition to the Democratic agenda are maligned and labeled. We bend over backwards to achieve political correctness but mock Christian values. Put a nativity scene in a town square and you'll find out who has freedom in this country and who doesn't.
I have always had a tolerance for people whose politics and perspective might be different from my own. Sometimes, though, I just watch the things that are going on, the persecution that Christians face, the persecution of hard working Americans, the persecution of anyone who dares to voice opposition to Obama... and it grieves me. I have personally been attacked for my opinions, very recently and it just reinforces my perspective that we aren't free... and that those who consider themselves liberal are in many ways the least tolerant of all.
Anyways... so that's my soapbox for the day... all this before dawn!
Austin stayed up late last night and finished unpacking the living room and kitchen and I am so delighted at the outcome... it looks like a home. I still have a few projects to work on... and we are definitely filling the pantry this weekend...
Gonna grab a shower and set out on a major food run before the rest of the county wakes up.
Love, hugs, peace...
8 comments:
Great post Heather. Whether you live in the US or OZ we are facing similar situations and its nice to hear someone stand up and say how they feel. You go girl! And you don't need to be 'educated' to have an opinion!
Love and hugs from down under
Wendy
Very well said! And whomever said you aren't "educated", is mistaken. While you might not hold a college degree (I don't know if you do or not), you write like an educated person and have very sensible opinions. I just don't understand how people can say it's okay for illegals to be here, illegally! Anyways, I don't need to get started on my tangent this morning on this subject, but I just don't get some people who have an opposite opinion regarding your subject matter. Although we are all entitled to our opinions, right or wrong. Thanks for your blog!
I'll leave you a comment. Let's see if this one stays put or gets erased like the last one did. I'm not sure who wrote to you rudely but if you're referring to me, I'd have to read it again & that cant happen cuz it's gone. Which brings me to my first point. You speak of feeling maligned for expressing a different view but when I express an opinion different to yours I'm censored. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?
Black? Now that's funny. I read yesterday's post. It was pretty racial. Now I know you. I don't believe it came from racist hatred so I let it slide. We can't be perfect all the time.
You did say that you were offended by a "fairly well informed lady" that expressed that Republicans opposed the raising of the debt ceiling so Obama could fail. I think maybe she wasnt so well informed. Cuz that aint what happened & thats not how it went down. But people don't really pay attention. People aren't really informed. They get a snippet of news coverage & take it as gospel. Depending on whose news you watch or listen to determines what slant you get. After listening to that same stations commentary you become a minion. If they slant right so do you. Left & you head that way. It takes time & effort to weed thru the propaganda & most dont take the time. They spew forth opinion without really knowing all the facts. Not only is that ignorant. It's dangerous. Your commentor Wendy expressed you dont have to be educated to have an opinion. That's a big part of the problem. She's not wrong. But you do have to be educated to have an educated opinion & that just takes too much time in this fast food, instant gratification world we live in. It's sickening. People that spout off & take a firm stand but dont really know what they're talking about.
You speak of mocking Christian values. Uh, A nativity scene in a town square is not within the confines of church property. Therefore it mixes church & state. That's a violation of the Constitution & is illegal. You want a nativity scene? Great. Keep it at the church. To force that view on others who may be of a different religion borders on violating religious freedoms. And again, thats illegal.
Lastly, you have complained here that you & others are being blasted for your opinions. Maybe it's not the opinion but the lack of fact & merit that backs them that people find offensive. You're an intelligent woman. Use that empathy I know you have. Check your facts before you publish. Preface or p.s. a comment with the fact that its just your opinion & not mathematical, scientific fact. I could go on but at this point my comment may be longer than your post.
I'll close with this. I like your blog. I think it comes from a good place. I've also seen it change. And in my opinion is it seems as if you are closing yourself off & hardening just a wee bit. You have reason to, I get it. But maybe you could examine that for yourself & make a change if needed to not only allow the faults & opinions of others but to allow your own stance to sway as the wind thru the trees. Just may learn something new along the way. A little mental sway might help the rigidity of that back pain. But what do I know?
One must keep in mind that there are many who blindly follow the Republican Party as well.
I would like to remind everyone reading that the stimulus package was first proposed and passed PRIOR to this administration. I may not be happy with everything that has been going on over the past 2 years but it really burns me when the current president keeps getting pigeon-holed for things that happened before him.
I'm no liberal even though I may share some more liberal-leaning ideals. I also share some more conservative ideals as well.
Heather, you might not take issue with having a black man for a president, but you have you admit that there are people who DO take issue with that. I think the whole birther movement was just a cover. John McCain never showed his birth certificate to prove his birthright either. Why did no one question GWB? Because he has a southern accent and sounded like a "good ole boy"?
BOTH sides are at fault for where we are today. The financial meltdown in the real estate market occurred during a Republican administration. It just really irks me when people ask as if GWB was just perfect and the current president is evil.
One doesn't necessarily need to have a formal education in order to be well informed. The problem is being sure of where the info is coming from. Various media outlets no longer provide news, just conjecture in order to promote a certain agenda. MSNBC apparently is only left-leaning. I don't watch anything on it so I can't really say from personal experience. I can agree when it comes to Fox News. I try to be well-informed as I hate not know what's going on in the world, not just in America. So I do what I can to hear multiple perspectives on issues before making up my own mind. I have watched Fox News multiple times and get irritated by what they choose to not mention or choose to focus singly on. I really can't remember then ever saying anything negative about GWB during his administration.
Those speaking against the Republican agenda from 2000-2008 got just as maligned and labeled. I'm not saying it's right for anyone to do that but just be fair in your statements.
I encountered the same thing in my family. I refuse to talk any politics whatsoever because some of my views are different and I'm not allowed to have a differing opinion.
Living in a vacuum of having the same information repeated over and over is not healthy nor very enlightening. Unfortunately, I see it often on both sides. I want to make it clear that I am not accusing you of that because I don't have enough info to make just a statement. I've listened to all kinds of people with varying views so I know what's being said and I can understand where different people are coming from. Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Al Franken, Bill O'Reilly, Ron Reagan, Randi Rhodes, Mike Malloy: quite a variety of opinions.
I think yelling racism is an excuse to not discuss the issues that were brought up. You don't have to be educated to have common sense and you don't necessarily have common sense because you have a education. Not all education comes from schools, life is a big educator.
Yay for common sense! :) Thanks for putting into words so much of what I feel!
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