Too Late

Today, I've become pretty good at pissing off people who would normally agree with me.  Maybe I should explain.

I've seen a lot of people, in the last 2 weeks, post things across social media starting with this phrase, "I kept my mouth shut during the election, but....", and then they proceed to speak out about some thing they suddenly realize is bad.

Unemployment?  Bad before the election
Food Stamp and Welfare increased participation? Bad before the election
Benghazi?  Bad before the election.
The current healthcare bill requiring religious people to do things against their belief?  That was bad and happening before the election.

Truth?  Speaking about it now is too little too late.  Now?  You are much less likely to change it.  Maybe 3 weeks ago, you could have helped change someone's mind. Now?  You are complaining and protesting, but for the next 2 years there is precious little anyone can really do.

So many people think there is something wrong with being involved politically.    They are afraid of offending people, or having people get angry with them, or whatever.  But if you are unwilling to stand up for something when there is a chance you could make a difference, why bother standing up after the fact?  I guess it's easier then, when our friends from the other side have what they want, and it's not likely they are going to unfriend you now.  

I don't know.  I just know that I get very upset when people say "I didn't before...but now", when what they are complaining or protesting was happening 3 weeks ago.  And then...well... maybe it would have made a difference.

Now I Get to Make Everyone Mad

Really, this is where I excel.  I generally don't made just one side mad, I get to both.

I've come to the conclusion in the last few weeks, that I'm a libertarian.  I really am of the mindset that the government should get out of my life and stay out of my life.  I believe our country was founded on strong state power and limited federal government power.  That philosophy got me thinking.

Are Republicans, in general, any different from Democrats?  Yes, they are.  In some respects they are.  However, most Republicans pay lip service to we the people.  Let's face it.  Nothing in the last twelve years proves that, if given true power, the Republicans wouldn't spend money just like Democrats.  They'd just spend it on different things.  They might not legislate healthcare or carbon taxes, but they darn well would try to legislate abortion and marriage.  I began to wonder if it's really just that some Americans don't want smaller government, but government to be powerful in the aspects that are important to them.  I used to be one of those people.  Not so much anymore.

I am not pro gay marriage.  However, I do believe it's a state issue.  I'm very pro-life, but I also believe that's a state issue.  See, states=powerful, federal government=not so powerful. 

There isn't a single thing the federal government has done well, outside of national defense.  Social Security lockbox?  Unlocked and spent.  Medicare/Medicaid?  Won't survive if we don't do something about it.  Amrtrak?  Still failing to make any money.  Taxpayers subsidize it.  Post Office?  Runs huge deficits every year.  Education?  Has failed to improve at all despite more and more money being thrown at it.  I could go on and on.  

So I'm a libertarian.  And really, I think most people, deep down are.  We've been suckered into a two party system where our choices are "ugly" and "really ugly", and we are dumb enough to continue to vote for the "lesser of two evils".  We continue to play the game, and we never get what we thought we were buying.

It's time we the people took back our country.  We the people need to stop settling for "whatever candidate will do less damage".  We need to stop deciding whether we are okay with double digit debt and single digit debt.  We need to start voting for the real small government people.

We can do this...

Get Over It

So this is what we've come to.  If I post anything marginally political, I'm going to be told "he won, get over it".

My candidate of choice lost the election.  It crossed my mind to post all kinds of things to my facebook page.  For instance "Please don't come complain to me when your taxes go up, you can't pay back your student loans, and you can't find a job".  Considering a full 50% of recent college graduates can't find a good paying job, or even a job at all, that's a distinct possibility.  But I didn't say it, because it would have been sour grapes.

I was treated to a multitude of posts from my President Obama supporting friends.  Some of them were just rejoicing.  Some of them were downright rude.  The posts have continued.  They just can't get enough of rubbing the other sides faces it in.  I let them have their moment.   Pointing out that they sound like our local high school teenage girls after this year's Powder Puff game wasn't going to do any good.

So last night, I had the audacity to mention that people in New York City are walking 6 miles to find food.  They can't buy gas.  Some of them don't have homes to live in.  Some have homes with no heat or electricity.  In that post I mentioned if they had voted Republican this would be a scandal.  I was told "he won, get over it."  

Ok.  That's fine.  But  let us all think back to Katrina.  We are still hearing how it was all Bush's fault.  I'm pretty sure we'll be hearing that for 50 years. So, to me, my comment rings true.  If a Republican was President right now, not only would we be hearing about how he caused the hurricane by not fighting global warming, we'd also be hearing about how people having to walk 6 miles for food was also his fault.

My point was, we aren't hearing much about it.  it's not a scandal.  It's not even a problem for most people.  It's old news.  Except for those living in New York City.  It's a problem for them.  It's not news, it's their reality.  

We the people had every right to hold the  Bush Administration partially responsible for the failures of Katrina.  (We must remember that Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin should also bear part of that load.)  We the people have every right to hold this President partially responsible for what is still going on in New York City.  We should also be pointing a finger at Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg.  

So, no, I won't be getting over this. Not this, not Benghazi, not Fast & Furious.  I have the right to continue speaking up, as I've been doing my entire adult life.  No  matter who wins the election.

Maybe if more Americans paid attention more than every four years...but then, that's just a pipe dream.

So really, stop telling me to shut up.  It won't happen.  Ever.  And you should be thankful for that.  It means we still have the freedom to speak out.

Questions

I have a few questions.  I realize that some people will read this blog and freak out on me, but honestly, I just want to know what the thought process is.

Yesterday the country re-elected Barack Obama to the Presidency.  

To all Black Americans:
Why do you consistently vote for a party that has spent more than 30 years telling you that you aren't smart enough, ambitious enough, or good enough to accomplish anything on your own?  They constantly tell you that without their help, you can't achieve your dreams.   In essence the Democrats have told Black Americans that you need them and their promises and their legislation in order to have any chance in this society.  Do you not find that demeaning? It's been said, that upon signing the Civil Rights Act, President Lyndon B. Johnson said "we'll have them n****** voting democrat for 40 years." He was right.  But by God, just that sentence leaves me shaking my head.  In my world, the color of your skin doesn't matter one iota.  You can achieve your dreams, because it's within your power.  Why do you allow Democrats to convince you that you are too poor or stupid to obtain an id to vote?  Voter ID isn't about disenfranchising anyone.  Do you really want your vote cancelled out by someone who isn't a citizen, or by someone who is voting twice?  Seriously, these people make it sound like minorities are too inferior to obtain a free state identification card.  Where is that okay?  I'm honestly asking the question because I do not understand.

To Women:
Why do you vote for a party that objectified you into the sum of your sex organs?  Your brain didn't matter.  Your ambition didn't matter.  Your abilities didn't matter.  You were reduced to birth control and abortions, as if outside of sex, women don't need anything or mean anything.  I thought true feminism was to fight objectification.  I look around and I wonder where that went.    I heard that the Republicans didn't want equal pay, but where did that come from?  The Lily Ledbetter act did not guarantee equal pay for equal work.  It guaranteed trial lawyers some nice fees because you can sue a company IF you manage to find out that you weren't paid the same as your male counterpart.  But while President Obama showed off Lily Ledbetter, he failed to mention that women in his administration make 18% less than their male counterparts.  If Lily Ledbetter guaranteed equal pay, he wasn't following the law.   As a matter of fact, most Democrats in D.C., pay their female staffers less than men.  In the end, for women, the Democrats made this election about sex, and a bill that really had nothing to do with what they were claiming it did.  And according to the polls, my gender accepted that.  My question isn't full of bitterness, it's befuddlement.  I need to understand.

To Latino/Hispanic Voters:
Why do you vote for a party that consistently votes in opposition of your value system?  I understand that maybe Republicans do a lousy job of explaining it, but most conservatives are not anti immigration.  Heck, everyone in this country is the result of some form of immigration.  Conservatives are anti illegal immigration.  There are so many wonderful Latino and Hispanic immigrants, who waded through red tape and mess to be here legally.  So many who fell in love with America and became citizens.  I was honored to see two young men from the Dominican Republic become US Citizens on completion of Army Basic Training.  It was a moving ceremony.  We welcome immigrants who go through the proper channels to get here.  We'd like to cut down on illegal immigration, because it drains our resources and frankly, it takes away from legal immigrants and those who wish to immigrate to our wonderful country.  So why vote for those who turn their back on the social and religious beliefs you hold dear?  I don't understand.

See, here is my confusion.  I believe in America, in it's exceptional status, in it's exceptional citizenry of all shapes, sizes and colors.  And I just don't understand why so many of us sell ourselves short, sell our values out, and are okay with less than what we ourselves can achieve through hard work.  These are honest questions.  So many people will call me names just for asking them.  But truly, I'm only trying to understand.