Thursday, October 30, 2008
Why I'm Voting
Going to lay it all out. Lay it all on the line (well lay it all on the HTML of the WWW). I believe that across the board it is best to be honest about your political opinions and feelings and therefore I am going to lay out the reasons for which I am voting for Barack Obama instead of John McCain.
1. Religion
Religion can't not be involved in politics. The distinct separation of church and state is one of the founding principles of our nation. As everyone remembers from their US history lessons settlers arrived on the shores of North American hundreds of years ago to escape religious persecution. As free citizens of this nation we have the choice to practice whatever religion we choose, including the choice of no religion at all.
I am a Christian yet I will never be able to agree with the idea of my personal ideas being completely right in the moral and obligatory sense of the word. My ideas and morals are no better than the next man and therefore there should never be a reason to force them on anyone else. Obama is a man of faith as is McCain. The difference though is that McCain feels that his ideas in life are more right for every American. As he would have it every person in this land will no longer have the ability to choose which morals in life they abide by, for they will have to abide by his. He is seeking to take away the freedom of choice in reproductive rights and the freedom to choose who we want to spend our lives with, merely because he thinks those who are different than him are wrong.
To put this in layman's terms. I could say I don't like the Backstreet Boys CD but I can't say that the Backstreet Boys CD is bad because there are many people who think otherwise.
2. The Supreme Court
McCain consistently says that he will not impose a litmus test on any Supreme Court nominee yet without any uncertainty he would never nominate someone to the bench who does not share the same religious views he does. How is this separation of church and state? His litmus test is obvious.
Obama on the other hand is a Constitution expert. He has a masters in Constitutional Law and taught for years at the collegiate level his knowledge of this important document. This is why he understands that appointing judges to the bench does not come down to a personal point of view but instead what is better for the nation, not for a select group of individuals who feel a certain way.
3. The War In Iraq
Until McCain can acknowledge that the war in Iraq is illegal I will never be able to fully respect McCain as a human being. For all the service he has given to this country as a POW and as an elected official it is in times like this where he needs to admit that the principles for going to war, as put forth by the Bush Administration, and supported by him were wrong.
There were never any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Al-Qaeda was never in Iraq prior to the US invasion.
If McCain is a man of principles he should admit publicly that he was wrong. In order to deal with the future we must understand the past. Admitting you're wrong is a hard thing to do, and it takes a big man to do so. In the spring of 2004 my friend Kevin was killed in Iraq. My friend Brian just left the service after two tours of duty in Iraq. The war has left us as a nation more hated and vulnerable than ever before in history. John Donne wrote that "No man is an island". The same is said for a nation. Our nation is not more safe and better off now than we were before Bush invaded Iraq. We now have more enemies in the world. In order to regain our integrity as a nation we must apologize to the world for what we have done wrong and seek to work with those who are different.
4. Health Care
Under McCain's health care plan I will not be offered coverage and in fact will not be able to pay for it. I have a pre-existing condition. My aorta valve does not work and will have to be replaced sometime in the near future. This requires open heart surgery. I was born with this problem. In the state of Colorado the cheapest insurance I can purchase is $720 a month! This insurance is required by federal law, HIPPA and or COBRA insurance. But under McCain these programs won't exist anymore.
Obama has clearly stated that under his health care plan those who need insurance coverage the most will be offered it at an affordable price. I am a hardworking tax paying citizen. I am not on Medicare or Medicaid or welfare. Yet no matter how hard I work I can barely afford my health insurance.
These 4 reasons are why I am voting for Obama. I believe in the freedom of choice, not associated with my ideas on life being any better or more right than any other human beings. I believe in the right to be happy and to pursue success based on these freedoms. And I believe in the principle of being honest and sincere.
I know there are those of you out there who disagree with me. We can disagree and still be friends. It is our job as Americans to understand our differences and to acknowledge that neither you nor I are better humans or Americans because of these differences. We can all co-exist as long as we recognize that we are all entitled to our own personal choices in life and that I will never ask anyone to change their way of living to be more like mine. We need to each have the option in life to pursue that path which is best for us.
1. Religion
Religion can't not be involved in politics. The distinct separation of church and state is one of the founding principles of our nation. As everyone remembers from their US history lessons settlers arrived on the shores of North American hundreds of years ago to escape religious persecution. As free citizens of this nation we have the choice to practice whatever religion we choose, including the choice of no religion at all.
I am a Christian yet I will never be able to agree with the idea of my personal ideas being completely right in the moral and obligatory sense of the word. My ideas and morals are no better than the next man and therefore there should never be a reason to force them on anyone else. Obama is a man of faith as is McCain. The difference though is that McCain feels that his ideas in life are more right for every American. As he would have it every person in this land will no longer have the ability to choose which morals in life they abide by, for they will have to abide by his. He is seeking to take away the freedom of choice in reproductive rights and the freedom to choose who we want to spend our lives with, merely because he thinks those who are different than him are wrong.
To put this in layman's terms. I could say I don't like the Backstreet Boys CD but I can't say that the Backstreet Boys CD is bad because there are many people who think otherwise.
2. The Supreme Court
McCain consistently says that he will not impose a litmus test on any Supreme Court nominee yet without any uncertainty he would never nominate someone to the bench who does not share the same religious views he does. How is this separation of church and state? His litmus test is obvious.
Obama on the other hand is a Constitution expert. He has a masters in Constitutional Law and taught for years at the collegiate level his knowledge of this important document. This is why he understands that appointing judges to the bench does not come down to a personal point of view but instead what is better for the nation, not for a select group of individuals who feel a certain way.
3. The War In Iraq
Until McCain can acknowledge that the war in Iraq is illegal I will never be able to fully respect McCain as a human being. For all the service he has given to this country as a POW and as an elected official it is in times like this where he needs to admit that the principles for going to war, as put forth by the Bush Administration, and supported by him were wrong.
There were never any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Al-Qaeda was never in Iraq prior to the US invasion.
If McCain is a man of principles he should admit publicly that he was wrong. In order to deal with the future we must understand the past. Admitting you're wrong is a hard thing to do, and it takes a big man to do so. In the spring of 2004 my friend Kevin was killed in Iraq. My friend Brian just left the service after two tours of duty in Iraq. The war has left us as a nation more hated and vulnerable than ever before in history. John Donne wrote that "No man is an island". The same is said for a nation. Our nation is not more safe and better off now than we were before Bush invaded Iraq. We now have more enemies in the world. In order to regain our integrity as a nation we must apologize to the world for what we have done wrong and seek to work with those who are different.
4. Health Care
Under McCain's health care plan I will not be offered coverage and in fact will not be able to pay for it. I have a pre-existing condition. My aorta valve does not work and will have to be replaced sometime in the near future. This requires open heart surgery. I was born with this problem. In the state of Colorado the cheapest insurance I can purchase is $720 a month! This insurance is required by federal law, HIPPA and or COBRA insurance. But under McCain these programs won't exist anymore.
Obama has clearly stated that under his health care plan those who need insurance coverage the most will be offered it at an affordable price. I am a hardworking tax paying citizen. I am not on Medicare or Medicaid or welfare. Yet no matter how hard I work I can barely afford my health insurance.
These 4 reasons are why I am voting for Obama. I believe in the freedom of choice, not associated with my ideas on life being any better or more right than any other human beings. I believe in the right to be happy and to pursue success based on these freedoms. And I believe in the principle of being honest and sincere.
I know there are those of you out there who disagree with me. We can disagree and still be friends. It is our job as Americans to understand our differences and to acknowledge that neither you nor I are better humans or Americans because of these differences. We can all co-exist as long as we recognize that we are all entitled to our own personal choices in life and that I will never ask anyone to change their way of living to be more like mine. We need to each have the option in life to pursue that path which is best for us.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Never Been So Worried About My Future
I've never felt so concerned about the future. John McCain's policies and conservative radicalism don't align with my life. His ideas don't align with a popular majority of Americans.
If I could ask McCain one question it would be "How could you possibly represent me?"
If I could ask McCain one question it would be "How could you possibly represent me?"
Friday, October 24, 2008
upstate new york
There is a common misconception amongst New Yorkers, the city kind, that Westchester county is Upstate NY. Hell, if they're feeling crazy they might call the Catskills Upstate NY. But the truth is that Upstate New York doesn't start until you get to Albany, the state capital, 120 miles north of Yonkers. If you were making a run to Canada you'd still have 5 hours of pavement to cover from Albany north. This is Upstate NY.
I went home a few weeks ago to visit a few remaining friends in the area, saw my sister play some games, and stayed at my folks house. October in upstate is something else, an animal that makes you feel the hum of the earth and the character of your surroundings. The older I get the more I feel drawn to those places that the earth is slowly reclaiming as hers. Perhaps I am alone sometimes in this sentiment but I find these moments beautiful.
I went home a few weeks ago to visit a few remaining friends in the area, saw my sister play some games, and stayed at my folks house. October in upstate is something else, an animal that makes you feel the hum of the earth and the character of your surroundings. The older I get the more I feel drawn to those places that the earth is slowly reclaiming as hers. Perhaps I am alone sometimes in this sentiment but I find these moments beautiful.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sam "joe" The Plumber Owes Taxes, Has A Lein on His House and Doesn't Have a License to Work
Yet McCain seems to think he's an honest, upright American citizen, worthy of being a visual calling card for his tax plan. Actually under Obama his business would pay less money and he'd even be eligible for a tax break. I'm so sick and tired of McCain lying to the American people.
Here's the story from the Associated Press:
One week ago, Joe Wurzelbacher was just another working man living in a modest house outside Toledo, Ohio, and thinking about how to buy the plumbing business where he works. But when he stopped Senator Barack Obama during a visit to his block last weekend to complain about taxes, he set himself on a path to becoming America’s newest media celebrity — and as such suddenly found himself facing celebrity-level scrutiny.
As it turns out, Joe the Plumber, as he became nationally known when Senator John McCain made him a theme at Wednesday’s final presidential debate, may work in the plumbing business, but he is not a licensed plumber.
Thomas Joseph, the business manager of Local 50 of the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters and Service Mechanics, based in Toledo, said Thursday that Mr. Wurzelbacher had never held a plumber’s license, which is required in Toledo and several surrounding municipalities. He also never completed an apprenticeship and does not belong to the plumber’s union, which has endorsed Mr. Obama. On Thursday, he acknowledged that he does plumbing work even though he does not have a license.
His full name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher. And he owes back taxes, too, public records show. The premise of his complaint to Mr. Obama about taxes may also be flawed, according to tax analysts. Contrary to what Mr. Wurzelbacher asserted and Mr. McCain echoed, neither his personal taxes nor those of the business where he works are likely to rise if Mr. Obama’s tax plan were to go into effect, they said.
None of that is likely to matter to those who see Mr. Wurzelbacher as a symbol of the entrepreneurial spirit they hope to foster with tax cuts, but even Mr. Wurzelbacher said he was shocked by all the attention.
“I’m kind of like Britney Spears having a headache,” he told The Associated Press on Thursday. “Everybody wants to know about it.”
Just five days ago, Mr. Wurzelbacher, 34, lived in anonymity in Holland, Ohio, a single father who, as he said on national television, worked all day and came home to fix dinner and help his son, 13, with his homework.
But he became the hero of conservatives and Republicans when he stopped Mr. Obama, who was campaigning on his street, and asked whether he believed in the American dream. Mr. Wurzelbacher said he was concerned about having to pay higher taxes as an owner of a small business.
“I’m getting ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $280,000 a year,” he told Mr. Obama. “Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn’t it?”
That encounter wound up on YouTube and led to appearances on the Fox News Channel, interviews with conservative bloggers and a New York Post editorial, all of whom seized on a small part of Mr. Obama’s long reply. “I think that when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody,” Mr. Obama had said.
Mr. McCain invoked Mr. Wurzelbacher in Wednesday’s debate as a way to criticize Mr. Obama’s tax plan and wealth-sharing argument, and picked up the theme again on Thursday.
“You know what Senator Obama had to say to Joe? That he wanted to spread his wealth around,” Mr. McCain said at an event in Downingtown, Pa. “America didn’t become the greatest nation on earth by spreading the wealth,” he said. “We became the greatest nation by creating new wealth.”
After some version of “Joe the Plumber” was mentioned two dozen times during the debate, Mr. Wurzelbacher found news crews outside his home and Katie Couric on the phone.
Mr. Wurzelbacher told reporters that the company he works for, Newell Plumbing & Heating, has two full-time employees: himself and the owner, Al Newell.
Neither Mr. Newell nor Mr. Wurzelbacher responded to telephone calls. And Mr. Wurzelbacher has provided only vague information on his and the company’s finances since talking to Mr. Obama. But if the plumbing business remained a two-person company and the net proceeds — after deductions for business expenses — were shared by the two men, both incomes would most likely fall well below the top tax brackets on which Mr. Obama wants to raise rates, as would the company itself.
Both, in fact, would probably be eligible for a tax cut, said Bob Williams, senior research associate at the independent, nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, though the cut would probably be greater under Mr. McCain’s tax plan than Mr. Obama’s.
According to public records, Mr. Wurzelbacher has been subject to two liens, each over $1,100. One, with a hospital, has been settled, but a tax lien with the State of Ohio is still outstanding.
In his interview with Ms. Couric, Mr. Wurzelbacher, who voted Republican in Ohio’s March primary, said that his encounter with Mr. Obama had been prompted by his desire “to ask one of these guys a question, and really corner them and get them to answer a question for once instead of tap dancing around it. And unfortunately I asked the question, but I still got a tap dance.”
He added, “He was almost as good as Sammy Davis Jr.”
Here's the story from the Associated Press:
One week ago, Joe Wurzelbacher was just another working man living in a modest house outside Toledo, Ohio, and thinking about how to buy the plumbing business where he works. But when he stopped Senator Barack Obama during a visit to his block last weekend to complain about taxes, he set himself on a path to becoming America’s newest media celebrity — and as such suddenly found himself facing celebrity-level scrutiny.
As it turns out, Joe the Plumber, as he became nationally known when Senator John McCain made him a theme at Wednesday’s final presidential debate, may work in the plumbing business, but he is not a licensed plumber.
Thomas Joseph, the business manager of Local 50 of the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters and Service Mechanics, based in Toledo, said Thursday that Mr. Wurzelbacher had never held a plumber’s license, which is required in Toledo and several surrounding municipalities. He also never completed an apprenticeship and does not belong to the plumber’s union, which has endorsed Mr. Obama. On Thursday, he acknowledged that he does plumbing work even though he does not have a license.
His full name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher. And he owes back taxes, too, public records show. The premise of his complaint to Mr. Obama about taxes may also be flawed, according to tax analysts. Contrary to what Mr. Wurzelbacher asserted and Mr. McCain echoed, neither his personal taxes nor those of the business where he works are likely to rise if Mr. Obama’s tax plan were to go into effect, they said.
None of that is likely to matter to those who see Mr. Wurzelbacher as a symbol of the entrepreneurial spirit they hope to foster with tax cuts, but even Mr. Wurzelbacher said he was shocked by all the attention.
“I’m kind of like Britney Spears having a headache,” he told The Associated Press on Thursday. “Everybody wants to know about it.”
Just five days ago, Mr. Wurzelbacher, 34, lived in anonymity in Holland, Ohio, a single father who, as he said on national television, worked all day and came home to fix dinner and help his son, 13, with his homework.
But he became the hero of conservatives and Republicans when he stopped Mr. Obama, who was campaigning on his street, and asked whether he believed in the American dream. Mr. Wurzelbacher said he was concerned about having to pay higher taxes as an owner of a small business.
“I’m getting ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $280,000 a year,” he told Mr. Obama. “Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn’t it?”
That encounter wound up on YouTube and led to appearances on the Fox News Channel, interviews with conservative bloggers and a New York Post editorial, all of whom seized on a small part of Mr. Obama’s long reply. “I think that when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody,” Mr. Obama had said.
Mr. McCain invoked Mr. Wurzelbacher in Wednesday’s debate as a way to criticize Mr. Obama’s tax plan and wealth-sharing argument, and picked up the theme again on Thursday.
“You know what Senator Obama had to say to Joe? That he wanted to spread his wealth around,” Mr. McCain said at an event in Downingtown, Pa. “America didn’t become the greatest nation on earth by spreading the wealth,” he said. “We became the greatest nation by creating new wealth.”
After some version of “Joe the Plumber” was mentioned two dozen times during the debate, Mr. Wurzelbacher found news crews outside his home and Katie Couric on the phone.
Mr. Wurzelbacher told reporters that the company he works for, Newell Plumbing & Heating, has two full-time employees: himself and the owner, Al Newell.
Neither Mr. Newell nor Mr. Wurzelbacher responded to telephone calls. And Mr. Wurzelbacher has provided only vague information on his and the company’s finances since talking to Mr. Obama. But if the plumbing business remained a two-person company and the net proceeds — after deductions for business expenses — were shared by the two men, both incomes would most likely fall well below the top tax brackets on which Mr. Obama wants to raise rates, as would the company itself.
Both, in fact, would probably be eligible for a tax cut, said Bob Williams, senior research associate at the independent, nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, though the cut would probably be greater under Mr. McCain’s tax plan than Mr. Obama’s.
According to public records, Mr. Wurzelbacher has been subject to two liens, each over $1,100. One, with a hospital, has been settled, but a tax lien with the State of Ohio is still outstanding.
In his interview with Ms. Couric, Mr. Wurzelbacher, who voted Republican in Ohio’s March primary, said that his encounter with Mr. Obama had been prompted by his desire “to ask one of these guys a question, and really corner them and get them to answer a question for once instead of tap dancing around it. And unfortunately I asked the question, but I still got a tap dance.”
He added, “He was almost as good as Sammy Davis Jr.”
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Why McCain Is Wrong
During the Presidential debate tonight John McCain said that we need to "change our culture" in regards to abortion.
I'm sorry John but you're an egotistical lunatic if you honestly believe that people WANT TO BE LIKE YOU. 54% of Americans don't want to "change their culture" to be like you. In fact 54% of Americans want to have their constitutional freedoms protected. John, isn't this what you stand for, at least you say it is. Yet you have this radical set of blinders on that limits you to only seeing the world as you personally see fit.
Unfortunately John this is not the way the world works. The world is about people being different and us accepting others for having their own beliefs. You are the most self centered self righteous self proclaimed moralist I've ever heard of. You consistently talk about how you've spent your entire life in the service of this nation. This is true. But by choosing only to represent one type of person you unfortunately haven't spent your life representing those who are different than you. People aren't going to change to adopt your points of view.
Do you not realize that Obama offers me a choice? He also offers you a choice. You're "culture" doesn't have to choose to have an abortion. But he's going to let 54% of Americans have their own belief and their own choices.
Why don't you "change your culture" and become like the majority of Americans? How would you like that?
I'm sorry John but you're an egotistical lunatic if you honestly believe that people WANT TO BE LIKE YOU. 54% of Americans don't want to "change their culture" to be like you. In fact 54% of Americans want to have their constitutional freedoms protected. John, isn't this what you stand for, at least you say it is. Yet you have this radical set of blinders on that limits you to only seeing the world as you personally see fit.
Unfortunately John this is not the way the world works. The world is about people being different and us accepting others for having their own beliefs. You are the most self centered self righteous self proclaimed moralist I've ever heard of. You consistently talk about how you've spent your entire life in the service of this nation. This is true. But by choosing only to represent one type of person you unfortunately haven't spent your life representing those who are different than you. People aren't going to change to adopt your points of view.
Do you not realize that Obama offers me a choice? He also offers you a choice. You're "culture" doesn't have to choose to have an abortion. But he's going to let 54% of Americans have their own belief and their own choices.
Why don't you "change your culture" and become like the majority of Americans? How would you like that?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
kids from my high school
My little sister showed me these videos last week. All four kids go to my old high school, and most of them are in my sisters grades or a few above. The guys in the Backstreet video are all in a hardcore screamo band. Those 3 think they're tough guys so the pure fact that they made this video and then put it on youtube is awesome. I 100% applaud their courage in stepping outside the box and making fun of themselves.
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