Over the years, I have probably heard every possible opinion in the abortion debate. I have heard the Pro-Life and the Pro-Choice side, including every possible extreme and middle position in both. Some are flexible, some are set in stone, and others are open minded to hear how wrong the other side is. And while the current state of affairs favors the Pro-Choice side (see Roe V. Wade), the Pro-Choice side swears up and down that it won't be that way for too much longer. My opinion? The debate is pointless.
Right about now, you fall in one of three categories: 1. You are pissed and will either stop reading or send some bitter comment on my Facebook page, 2. You couldn't agree more because the courts have already decided the debate in your mind, or 3. You are intrigued as to why I would make such a statement. For those of you in groups 1-3, this is what I mean.
The current debate focuses entirely around whether or not to keep a medical procedure legal. One side wants women to have the right to decide what they are going to do with their pregnancy (guess which side they are), while the others are convinced that the medical procedure equates to murder and should be eliminated. As you can see, both sides are arguing completely different things about the same topic. Therefore, the debate does nothing but polarize the populace and gain some ratings for conservative talk show hosts.
This is what should be done instead. If the Pro-Life movement is really interested in preserving children and helping women keep their babies, they should do just that. So many times, I have seen and heard people in the Right to Life crowd talk about the new shock ad or the new truck driving around with aborted fetuses on the side. For some reason, they do not want the practice to occur because it is sick, grotesque, and disgusting. Yet, they feel no shame, in fact they feel pride, over putting the result of that practice for all to see. This would be the same group of people that would sue war protesters for displaying the remains of a victim/soldier involved in a war, however, they see no contradiction in what they are doing.
I know it seems like I am bashing the Pro-Life movement, mostly because I am bashing the Pro-Life movement. Their time, money, and resources all go toward lobbying and advertisement campaigns such as the billboards. Meanwhile, there are countless women placed in the dire consequence of having to choose whether or not to abort. The debate is pointless because there has been nothing but menial gains by either side. One side gets a law passed, and the other gets it overturned in court. Vice versa, vice versa, and vice versa. Nothing ever gets done.
Rather than being stuck in an endless legal battle, the Pro-Life movement should work toward actually helping lives, born and unborn. They should put up clinics, housing, and resource centers that allows the most at risk women to have the things they need in order to provide for their coming family. They should operate to serve and protect the women that need help, rather than judging and protesting them. They should be warm and welcome them rather than hate and despise them.
There is an opportunity to change the way that the world works. Do not worry about Roe V Wade, make it irrelevant. By helping those that need it most, we would be helping those that cannot help themselves as well.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The True Cost of Freedom
The more I study the political system of America, the more I realize that our democracy is not really run by the people put into charge in the beginning, us. The average people. There were founding fathers that had great educations, great intellect, and wrote some of the greatest political theory and commentary still used to date. However, the intent of these men was clearly demonstrated when they declared America to be by the people, of the people, and for the people. Yet, in every political debate, it is not the average Americans that are looked upon but instead corporations, coalitions, and PACs. Campaigns are judged by how much money they draw in, as seen by the amount of press given to the financial reports filed every quarter. In essence, it when from common folk holding the key to corporations holding the key and charging for even walking into the building.
I know, I know. Every political commentator likes to bash the big corporations and blame them for being the big shots on Capitol Hill. However, I would like to point out that the people, that's right, average people, are to blame for this much more than the corporations are. Corporations are in business to make money. That is their goal, intention, and motivation. People, however, are supposed to be in charge of things, especially things that keep corporations from getting out of control. It comes back to us. We became apathetic. The generation in charge has kept us completely irrelevant, and in fact, most of their peers irrelevant as well. We are less interested in being part of the system because we cannot see the system doing any good. Health care legislation is watered down to help stave off pressure from providers. Food additives are allowed to be put into our food supply that make us more hungry, more obese, more everything except our lifespans, in order to keep food/snack corporations' money flowing. Electric cars are killed every time they start to present a viable alternative to internal combustion engines.
The point is this. All of these things have happened because we allowed it. Being in charge is a responsibility that we have passed around and around until the corporations have offered to take it off of our hands, hearts, and minds. It is time that we take back our country. We need to recognize the need for us to lead once more. The corporations are only going to look after themselves because that is their objective. It is time that we make ourselves relevant again and become the leaders we should have always been.
I know, I know. Every political commentator likes to bash the big corporations and blame them for being the big shots on Capitol Hill. However, I would like to point out that the people, that's right, average people, are to blame for this much more than the corporations are. Corporations are in business to make money. That is their goal, intention, and motivation. People, however, are supposed to be in charge of things, especially things that keep corporations from getting out of control. It comes back to us. We became apathetic. The generation in charge has kept us completely irrelevant, and in fact, most of their peers irrelevant as well. We are less interested in being part of the system because we cannot see the system doing any good. Health care legislation is watered down to help stave off pressure from providers. Food additives are allowed to be put into our food supply that make us more hungry, more obese, more everything except our lifespans, in order to keep food/snack corporations' money flowing. Electric cars are killed every time they start to present a viable alternative to internal combustion engines.
The point is this. All of these things have happened because we allowed it. Being in charge is a responsibility that we have passed around and around until the corporations have offered to take it off of our hands, hearts, and minds. It is time that we take back our country. We need to recognize the need for us to lead once more. The corporations are only going to look after themselves because that is their objective. It is time that we make ourselves relevant again and become the leaders we should have always been.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Blueprint for Democracy
As election season heats up and the steaming piles of crap are thrown from one side of the isle to the other, I for once am going to sit back and enjoy this season of give and take. I know that most people reading this would expect me to highlight an issue or candidate that is foremost in my head. However, the time has come to relax and let the political system work out its own demise. You see, in this, the year of our Lord 2010, one party will gain power while the other loses it. The American people are fuming with anger over deficits, social issues, the scope of Federal power, and other nice table conversation. So, trained as they are, those same people are going to go to the polls and vote for the guy without the incumbent sticker next to his name. Chances are he/she will be a Republican and they will probably pull off gaining back one house of Congress, making the next two years irrelevant.
That is when the party really gets started. The American public will look at the Republicans and ask why they didn't accomplish anything. No deficits were solved, no crisis adverted, nothing really got done at all. The Democrats will blame the Republicans in the Senate, the Republicans will blame the Democrats in the House. And that is when things will get fun. The American people will finally realize that having two massive party systems, neither of which listen to constituents, give voice to the public, and both of which scare potential voters into votes, is not the way things need to be run. They will wonder why they only have two options on the ballot and will demand open and democratic elections. And out of all this dust and debris will rise the age of the Third Party. It used to be a joke. Every now and then a state legislature in the Northeast would have one or two members of a third party in its ranks but the two major parties never thought they would amount to much. But now, after the American public realizes that the party in power never listens and the one not in power just sits around assuming that they will be re-elected next cycle, the joke is over.
I don't know how it is going to go down, nor do I care. What I do know is that the two party system in America is numbered. It is time to shock the world, America. It is time for all people to have a voice. It is time to have an option that does more than force an agenda one second, violate the Constitution the next, and bring it full circle with two years of doing absolutely nothing for the American people. They may not see it, but we do. And it is only a matter of time before their party comes to a crashing halt.
That is when the party really gets started. The American public will look at the Republicans and ask why they didn't accomplish anything. No deficits were solved, no crisis adverted, nothing really got done at all. The Democrats will blame the Republicans in the Senate, the Republicans will blame the Democrats in the House. And that is when things will get fun. The American people will finally realize that having two massive party systems, neither of which listen to constituents, give voice to the public, and both of which scare potential voters into votes, is not the way things need to be run. They will wonder why they only have two options on the ballot and will demand open and democratic elections. And out of all this dust and debris will rise the age of the Third Party. It used to be a joke. Every now and then a state legislature in the Northeast would have one or two members of a third party in its ranks but the two major parties never thought they would amount to much. But now, after the American public realizes that the party in power never listens and the one not in power just sits around assuming that they will be re-elected next cycle, the joke is over.
I don't know how it is going to go down, nor do I care. What I do know is that the two party system in America is numbered. It is time to shock the world, America. It is time for all people to have a voice. It is time to have an option that does more than force an agenda one second, violate the Constitution the next, and bring it full circle with two years of doing absolutely nothing for the American people. They may not see it, but we do. And it is only a matter of time before their party comes to a crashing halt.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Things that make me go huh?
Well, I apologize for my long absence but I have been doing a lot of thinking recently. It has occurred that there are some serious holes in today's political system. I was browsing the internet when I discovered an interesting nugget of information, Senator Lindsay Graham (R, S.C.) apparently wants to cut out part of the Constitution. The member of the party that decries when gun control and health care are brought up now want to eliminate a part of the Constitution that is inconvenient to their needs.
Senator Graham wishes to eliminate the 14th amendment of the Constitution, giving children born in the United States automatic citizenship. The reasoning behind such a suggestion? The 14th amendment is irrelevant and does not serve it's intended purpose. This is the Senator that claimed the government was taking rights away from people and shredding the Constitution, yet he wants to take away a cornerstone of American society. His position reminds me of another position that he battles against fiercely, gun control. The argument for stricter gun control is that the 2nd amendment served it's purpose and now is misinterpreted and is no longer relevant, yet Senator Graham and the rest of the GOP would never hear of such blasphemy.
I am not asking for strict gun control or a reversal of over a century of the cornerstone of American immigration policy. What I am asking for is simple Constitutional consistency. If one part of the Constitution is irrelevant because of modern events, then let's update the entire document. However, if the Constitution is a rock solid backbone to American society, then leave all parts of it alone. The Constitution shouldn't be torn apart from Democrats for gun control, then defended to the death for immigration policy, just as opposite from the Republicans shouldn't be allowed to happen. It is as simple as picking a path and sticking to it. Not appeasing independents, not obeying lobbyists and special interest groups. Constitutional consistency. Because if part of it goes, it all should go.
Senator Graham wishes to eliminate the 14th amendment of the Constitution, giving children born in the United States automatic citizenship. The reasoning behind such a suggestion? The 14th amendment is irrelevant and does not serve it's intended purpose. This is the Senator that claimed the government was taking rights away from people and shredding the Constitution, yet he wants to take away a cornerstone of American society. His position reminds me of another position that he battles against fiercely, gun control. The argument for stricter gun control is that the 2nd amendment served it's purpose and now is misinterpreted and is no longer relevant, yet Senator Graham and the rest of the GOP would never hear of such blasphemy.
I am not asking for strict gun control or a reversal of over a century of the cornerstone of American immigration policy. What I am asking for is simple Constitutional consistency. If one part of the Constitution is irrelevant because of modern events, then let's update the entire document. However, if the Constitution is a rock solid backbone to American society, then leave all parts of it alone. The Constitution shouldn't be torn apart from Democrats for gun control, then defended to the death for immigration policy, just as opposite from the Republicans shouldn't be allowed to happen. It is as simple as picking a path and sticking to it. Not appeasing independents, not obeying lobbyists and special interest groups. Constitutional consistency. Because if part of it goes, it all should go.
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