Am I Missing Something, Because I just Don't Understand It

Was at the local chamber of Commerce Christmas party this past week and ended up getting into somewhat of a political discussion with some people that I know. I serve on a local board with them (not for profit). I do like them, so I try to avoid political discussion as much as I possibly can.

One of the gentleman in particular and his wife are former hippies. So, I get the whole "government is bad" thing that they feel. After all, anti-government was at the heart of the hippie movement. I thought that "anti establishment" was too; ie: anti Corporatism. This particular person leans more toward the entire free market, small government movement. I'd say that he is probably a libertarian, but I think ultimately he's a Republican. Again, I like him and so I try to avoid conversations about it. I could tell his wife was too, but apparently I said something that made her blurt out "But he is a liar" when I was talking about our President. I like her too, so I just ignored it and let it roll off my back. That is really hard for me to do on subjects that I feel very passionate about. It's not so much that I feel passionate about Obama, but more that I'm so fed up with the bullshit, particularly from the Republican and conservative camps.

But here is what I don't understand. I can't remember exactly how the conversation went (it's been a few days) If I am remembering correctly I was trying to explain how, at one point, I was an independent listening to all political parties and what they had to say and explaining how and why the Republican party has lost my ear, probably forever. I was explaining how, socially, I always tend to lean left anyway and brought up the example of gay marriage and said something to the affect that I don't understand how or why gay marriage is such a hotbed issue. They should be able to be who they are etc. At this point one of the gentleman at the table (not the one I mention above) turns and says, "well yeah, that's what the Nazi's and Hitler thought too?"

What? Oh great. I found out this guy was one of those people I think are absolutely ridiculous comparing Obama to Hitler. He told me I dont' get it now, but I'll get the parallel.

Parallel? What parrallel? Um. Newsflash people. Hitler believed in a "pure race".. ie" a race where we are all the same. In this case he was referring to the "German" or "anglo saxon" race and in particular he did not like Jews. So much so that he exterminated them like bugs! So how, exactly, does that parallel with allowing people to be who they are, what they are and treated equally?

Oh man. I just don't get it. So, because Obama made it his mission of his administration to a) make sure that every American has access to health care b) Banks and Wall Street are regulated so that they don't screw the economy as they have and that we once again build up the middle class rather than allowing big business to squash them as they have, he's a Nazi?

What these men do not get (and the one lady) is that the pendulum has swung too far to the one side. Big Business is no better than the Big Government that they fear. In my opinion, big business is far more dangerous. Big business is KILLING the middle class in this country. The Republicans hide behind their mantra of "protecting the small business owner". It's complete and total bullshit! Small Businesses do not make enough income to benefit for the tax cuts that Bush gave out during his presidency to the wealthy. No small businesses were bailed out when Wall Street tanked. Small businesses do not have CEO's that make obscene amounts of money.

By the way, trickle down is complete farce. With all those tax cuts that they did get, did any of it "trickle" down? Hell no. Instead more jobs went overseas and the middle income workers salary has remained stagnant while the upper echelon have awarded themselves the benefits of more money from the tax cuts. Just look at the difference between pay of the executives at companies and it's regular employees.

They lived at a time when government was the big bad ugly machine they had to fight. However, we are now living in an age where Wall Street is the big bad and ugly monster that we have to fight against. I don't trust politicians either. I don't trust Republicans the most, but I don't entirely trust Democrats either. After all, they take money from the enemy and screw the people just as much as the Republicans do (like on the financial regulation bill that came out, with the weakened consumer protections). It just so happens that they did not do that as much in regards to the health care issue.

I'm grateful that Obama has unsurped some power from the lobbyists by eliminating them from certain positions within the government. It's about damned time. Now if the House and Senate would just follow suite!

And, all the talk about the "czars" that Obama is naming. As John Daly pointed out (love that show) the loud mouths bitching about it didn't have a problem with the "Czars" that Bush was appointing. Czars are NOT new and I believe was created under the Bush administration. Actually here is the clip. It's funny, enjoy!

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But, if any of you readers out there can explain how the line about allowing people to be who they are (and ultimately enjoy the same rights irregardless) equates to Hitler and Nazi like actions, please, I'd love to hear how you can draw that conclusion or parallel!

Oh. .and these same two guys wanted to also draw similarities between WWII and Afghanistan (making quips about informing the enemy of the date we'd leave in WWII and how well that would have gone over). I don't think they get the difference. It's so very obvious to me. This war we are in is NOT a war in the traditional sense. Our mission in Afghanistan, at this point, is to help the new government defend itself against the enemy we unsurped! Having a target date and time frame on accomplishing that is extremely important and if we do the job right, irreglardless of when we start to pull out our troops, the Afghan government will be able to keep fending off the Taliban. Whether we are there or not will not make the difference. Nor should we be there forever. Would they prefer that we continue to ignore our domestic issues and pour money into staying in Afghanistan for an undetermined period of time? Funny that the same group that complains about government spending is so willing to spend so much money on fighting a war on the other side of the world. Or, would they prefer we just leave now and allow the Taliban to overpower the Afghan government yet again putting us right back in the position we were in on 9/10/01? That would have erased everything we have accomplished to date.

I did also mention that , for all the hub bub about obama's spending, it pales in comparison to Bush. I didn't have the article on hand, but here it is http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/10/obama-grappling-with-fall_n_387121.html.

A forthcoming study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities concludes that the $1.4 trillion annual deficit run by the government has little to do with current White House policies and much to do with George W. Bush's actions.

When you take those things into account -- in other words, if we hadn't enacted the tax cuts, had the wars, if we hadn't had the recession and needed the legislation to deal with those problems -- the deficits are much, much lower. And basically none of those represent Obama's policies. He didn't run saying he wanted to pass a stimulus to deal with the recession or that he wanted to continue the war in Iraq or escalate [to this extent] in Afghanistan. He inherited these issues once he took office."

So there it is folks. The deficit is NOT Obama's fault. Rather it is the fault of the previous administration. This recession ocurred during the REPUBLICAN Parties rein and control over the office of the President, the House and the Senate.

That being said, no party is perfect. One just so happens to be less imperfect than the other. And that's all I have to say about that , for now.

My Thoughts on the Decision to Send More Troops into Afghanistan

For the most part I have not yet been dissappointed in the President of the United States. Sure, some of his ideas have yet to pan out and work (I'm thinking job creations and the foreclosure prevention programs)but, at least he did something rather than just sit back and do nothing. The Republican party tends to do nothing on just about everything, in my opinion. Oh, accept declaring war etc. After all , two wars is the only real accomplishments Bush and the Republicans have made during their rein. In addition, we are , for the first time, on the brink of reforming our very screwed up health care system. Sure, the Republicans and the right are whining and quite loudly about ANY proposal that comes out of the Democratic House and Senate, but to me, they have NO credibility on the issue. Why, you might ask? It's simple. They did nothing, proposed nothing for well, eight years! If they were still in "control" there simply woudn't be any discussion of health care reform at all!

There are many reasons I voted for Obama. One of them is and was on the promise of ending the war in Iraq. I personally do not remember any promises made on the war in Afghanistan. What I do remember thinking is that perhaps the focus would be turned to the war we should have actually been fighting and finished with a long time ago. When I heard about him contemplating whether or not to send more troops to Afghanistan I was hoping that he would not. After all, we need to focus on more domestic issues. Since we gave all that money to Wall Street (and the right likes to use that as an excuse to block health care reform) I felt we really needed to just get out now before we spend even more money we don't have. And, I knew darned well the right would use the surge of troops in Afghanistan as more "proof" to why we should NOT be enacting major health care reform in the U.S.

I took in the information. I read (I didn't watch) the President's speech. I read articles and took in what was being said and spoken about on the news. I had a conversation with a good friend of mine who tends to be socially liberal, fiscally conservative and doesn't really identify with either political party ( I believe she is a Libertarian). In addition, she has a husband that is about to be deployed to, well probably Afghanistan. I spoke with her about how dissappointed I was, but how I thought hard, long and deep about the entire situation. In the end, while I wish we didn't have to do it, I ultimately believe that Obama made a tough decision but one that needed to be made and he made the right one. After all, turning our focus on Afghanistan will ultimately put an end to the war started (and focus taken off of) when those buildings went down on 9/11. If we left Afghanistan now, all we would be doing is repeating the mistakes made in the 80's that lead to the anger, hatred and resentment of the United States that ultimately lead to the rise of the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden. If we walked away now we ultimately would be putting ourselves right back to where we started and where we were on 9/10/01. And, with an unfocused half assed "in" in Afghanistan what should take a few years would end up taking decades and costing us triple or more in both money and lives. Ultimately, even though her husband was going to be one that most likely would have to go, my friend pretty much agreed. Let's get in strong, get it done, then get the hell out. Obama listened to the people he is supposed to listen to.

What I found really interested and made me laugh was hearing stories in the media that the President was indecisive and showing his lack of experience in making the decision? WHAT? Huh? So, let me get this straight. If he makes a decision on the fly he is "cramming things down the American peoples throats" but, if he thoughtfully contemplates his choices and his decision he is "indecisive"? All I could do was roll my eyes. Really people. You (the right) are NEVER happy with ANYTHING ever are you? Ironically was not McCain all for sending more troops to Afghanistan?

But here's the difference people. Obama has a PLAN.. not an open ended, could go on forever "plan". To me, THAT is being a leader. Get in, get in strong, do what you want to do and set your goals and GET THE HELL OUT! But McCain says this is a bad thing? What would he have done? Send more troops in there, but keep them their for an undetermined period of time? Or would he have NOT sent them in at all? Keeping in mind that the decision to send more troops is very unpopular, you can't just do it and do it with no ending in sight. THAT would have been repeating the mistakes of the past administration. That would have been more of the same.

So, while the right and those opposed to Obama want to say that he is doing more of the same, I say NO ,he IS doing something different. He is cleaning up the mess that was left by the previous administration in Afghanistan and doing so with an actual plan and goal of getting out. That is why I elected Obama. And, I'm glad he took his time to make the decision. Makes me believe that he truly examined every option available to him.

A Republian Says Something REAL That I Can Actually Get Behind! Can you Believe it?

Well today while visiting one of my favorite sites, Huffington Post, I came across this article in the Political section.

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but thank you California Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher!

Yes folks, that's right. I'm applauding something a Republican has said! And no, hell is not freezing over.

My favorite part of what he had to say was this

"The American people rightfully think the Republicans are just complaining, because we had power -- we had both houses of Congress and we had the presidency," Rohrabacher explained. "What did we do with it? All of these changes that we could make to have improved our healthcare system we didn't do during the Bush years when we had both houses in Congress."

He also talked about the battle within the Republican party as this:

"There is a rift between some very powerful forces within the Republican Party, who are very wealthy interests and powerful in the economic arena and business community and what's going on with regular Americans," Rohrabacher said. "And either we side with regular Americans -- the patriots -- or we won't win."

Wow! Well Said sir, and thank you!

The Ugly American

So, it has been awhile since I blogged here. Things on the health care front have calmed somewhat, for now. At this point there is nothing much that I can do or contribute and it's out of my control. Hell, it's out of all our controls and in the hands of the elected officials we put in office. I will say that I will be paying close attention to who votes for what and I will make my opinion known the only way I know how (that is writing strongly worded letters and , of course, at the polls).

But, I do still engage in political discussions at the city-data.com website. And, I'm still amazed at what trolls actually troll post there. They still go on about Socialism, Fascism and all that other nonsense. It blows my mind that they seem completely ignorant to the fact that we indeed have many socialistic principles in practice in our society.

Here is something from Wikipedia about the elements of a mixed economy, which is what the U.S is defined as:

The elements of a mixed economy typically include a variety of freedoms:

• to possess means of production (farms, factories, stores, etc.)
• to participate in managerial decisions (cooperative and participatory economics)
• to travel (needed to transport all the items in commerce, to make deals in person, for workers and owners to go to where needed)
• to buy (items for personal use, for resale; buy whole enterprises to make the organization that creates wealth a form of wealth itself)
• to sell (same as buy)
• to hire (to create organizations that create wealth)
• to fire (to maintain organizations that create wealth)
• to organize (private enterprise for profit, labor unions, workers' and professional associations, non-profit groups, religions, etc.)
• to communicate (free speech, newspapers, books, advertisements, make deals, create business partners, create markets)
• to protest peacefully (marches, petitions, sue the government, make laws friendly to profit making and workers alike, remove pointless inefficiencies to maximize wealth creation)

with tax-funded, subsidized, or state-owned factors of production, infrastructure, and services:

• libraries and other information services
• roads and other transportation services
• schools and other education services
• hospitals and other health services
• banks and other financial services
• telephone, mail and other communication services
• electricity and other energy services (e.g. oil, gas)
• water systems for drinking, agriculture, and waste disposal
• subsidies to agriculture and other businesses
• government-granted monopolies to otherwise private businesses
• legal assistance

• 
  

As you can clearly see, that is exactly what our economy is. It is exactly what the UK , France and Germany are as well. As a matter of fact the industrialized free world all operate under the same mixed economy ideals. And, the fact that they all have socialized medicine does not make them anything else but what they already are. Nor would it make us anything different.

Which now brings me to the title of my post the Ugly American. Here is the definition

Ugly American is an epithet used to refer to perceptions of loud, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless and ethnocentric behavior of American citizens mainly abroad, but also at home.

And boy,have I come across many of them on City-data.com in the politics forum. Obviously the "loud" portion does not apply but, the arrogant and ethnocentric portions just bleeds through the screen.

I was having a discussion on a thread topic entitled "Do We Love Socialism". My post basically said that anything in it's pure form is not a good thing and that included both capitalism and socialism. There needs to be a balance in anything you do in life . Just look at nature. Nature is all about balance. Therefore our lives and how we govern it should also be about balance. I simply said that no, we do not love socialism, but indeed we love the balance of having socialism mixed with free market principles and ideas in a way that has helped shape and form this great country of ours.

This tool, yes he is a tool says this about Europe because they have a socialized system of medicine;

Euros are sheep,they don't mind gov control,

for them the terms "government","public sector ","welfare " are...positive.

Ah.. yes, here is where the ugly comes in. He obviously knows little or understands little about Europeans. For one, we are the most "sheeple" of societies. Just look at how we are controlled by corporations, commercialism etc.

Europeans are always aware of their surroundings. Guaranteed they know more about what goes on with American politics and government than we do, as we are too busy worried about Britney Spears next breakdown or following the exploits of Jon & Kate and Octomom. That's not a put down of American culture because I do enjoy all those things, but to turn around and claim that Europeans are "sheeple" and suggest that they are in essence "drones" is , well extremely stupid and yes arrogant.

We are the ONLY industrialized free nation in the world that has not yet adapted a system of health care that takes care of all of it's citizens. It is completely stupid and reckless to believe that in the entire world WE are the only ones that are "right" and everyone else is wrong. It's not about trying to gain favor in the world, but there is a point when you have to look at yourself and your nation and say, hmm.. what can I learn from the rest of the world? Same is true in our personal lives and some of the most successful people in the world will tell you that they became successful because they knew when to look to someone else to help them in areas in which they did not excel. Rather than think they are the best and know the best they instead had enough humility to know their short comings and learn from someone else who excelled in those areas. So , why is it that we as a nation can not do the same?

It's our arrogance..that Ugly American persona that rings so true in so many aspects that is going to drag this country down and, we'll soon find ourselves falling from the 'top' as the most powerful nation in the world. I for one , do not want to see that happen. We are the greatest country in the world, but we will only remain that way if we practice some humility and realize that we could learn something from other nations.

Despite The Awesome Speech.. Some Would Still Prefer to Believe the Lies

Despite last nights very direct speech, some people with whom I communicate with via Facebook still insist on believing the lies and some still have no clue what they are talking about.

For example. Today, I , a self employed entrepreneur, was told by someone that "those people that are uninsured should just go get a job and work for it like my husband does". Uggh.. comments like that just make me want to throw my hands up in the air and bang my head against a wall. I wish there was a clue store, because this person really really needs to buy one. She obviously doesn't know that the vast majority of the uninsured are working families, either in jobs that do not provide coverage or in a small business that can not afford the high premiums. Those who are then what she was trying to imply were "lazy" or non employed (by choice, not by default) and who aren't making an income are NOT uninsured. They get their insurance FREE through medicaid. Self employed are NOT unemployed. Perhaps she needs to learn the difference in the two.

I would love for her to stand in front of a person that lost their job in this crappy economy and who has been pounding the pavement, in some cases for over a year now, and say that to their face. This person, by the way, is a stay at home mom (nothing wrong with that) with three kids. Husband is employed with benefits.

She needs to think and think long and hard about this scenario. What if the company that her husband works for lays him off tomorrow? Does she even have a clue what the cost of covering her family would be under cobra? Well given that the average cost is $12K for a family of 4, and she is a family of 5, I'm sure she'd be quite shocked at the bill that comes in the mail for the cobra coverage.

Is this person not aware that there are plenty of people, like myself, that are ready, willing and able to pay for insurance but then are refused coverage for a pre-existing condition. It would be important to note, by the way, that this person that I was debating today could very well be "disqualified" for health insurance or charged at a much higher premium because of their weight. That's not a knock to her for being on the heavy side, but it's just the reality of it.

But I should have known I wasn't going to get a good and meaningful debate out of this person when the question she posed on her Facebook wall was "What do you think of Obama's Death Panels?"

I guess some people on this issue are going to be just completely hopeless to reach or reason with.

Then there is the crowd that debated more intelligently but who's stance is that they simply do not trust the government and truly believe that this reform Obama is proposing is a complete takeover of the health care industry. I get that these people are afraid of the government. But.. WHAT about the government makes you so "afraid"?

See, it's complex. I don't fully trust the government or politicians either but I don't trust them because I feel that most, if not all, of their decisions are based on who paid them the most to vote they way they voted. In other words, our government has been bought and paid for by the highest bidder. Most of the ones who most strongly oppose this health care reform INCLUDING the "blue dog" democrats are politicians who take the MOST money from insurance lobbyists.

The entire thing is quite genius on the part of big corporations and special interest. On the one hand they decry that the government can't be trusted but on the other side they are the ones that are corrupting the government. All of this happened while we were all too busy with our "pop culture" to pay attention to our own political and government system. As we became complacent it became easier and easier for special interests to overtake the government.
Let me ask you this. If we were debating a reform that would actually LINE the pockets of insurance companies and increase their profits, do you really honestly think that this debate would be so heated and so polarized? No! It wouldn't! We probably would not hear hide nor hair of the reform if that were the case. But,be it as it may, this debate IS so heated because when, for the first time, our government is actually working in the interest of the INDIVIDUAL citizens and NOT in the interest of big profits, those with the money to throw around (and hence the weight) throw it around and do everything in it's power to defeat it because they DO not want this reform to work because it is NOT in the best interest of their profits.. even though it is in the best interest of this countries citizens. They , those that are in the pockets of the corporate interests in this matter, go on TV, radio and what have you , and outright LIE to the American public creating false rumors about death panels, free medical care and coverage to illegal immigrants and so on and so forth. They play into the public's most paranoid fears with propaganda. They demonize the President, they demonize the government. And the sad part is the public buys it and eats it right up. Some have been so far gone that no matter WHAT the President says, they are not going to believe him.

See, the concept of government is NOT an evil one, not in a democracy. However, the lust for money and anything motivated by money is what is the "evil". Governments quest is simply to govern and to protect the public from being taken advantage of by policing actions and creating laws that allows our society to live in harmony as a civilized

Perhaps its more fun and exciting to demonize the President of the United States and call him Hitler than to actually listen to reason.

Uggh.. The entire thing is just infuriating. That even after that speech, where he talks about HOW it's gong to be paid for and how it's NOT going to be paid for, it still wasn't enough for some people. I mean what did you want him to do .. throw out ALL the numbers line by line in the budget? WE would have been there for not hours, but days. He said it people..loud and clear and here it is again;

a) the public option, for one, will NOT be funded by public tax dollars
b) Cleaning up and clearing waste in medicaid/medicare (which is outlined in several ways in the bill, including electronic medical records to make the administrative costs less, more streamlined and efficient and eliminate paperwork . All of which will be beneficial to the private markets as well.)
c.) BUDGET CUTS in other areas of spending if need be.

How much more specific beyond going into it line by line can you get?

Listen. Our taxes are going to go up, but NOT because of health care but because of a war in Iraq and Afghanistan and because of the billions of dollars used by the government to bail out Wall Street (again..those big corporations... who weren't screaming and crying about government spending then huh? No talks of Hitler or fear mongering from the corporations then was there? )Funny how when now some of our tax dollars will actually be spent on helping us CITIZENS each individually with a much needed reform is all this dirty back and forth going on.

Needless to say, another FB friend is gone from my list. It's not because she has a different opinion. It's more that her opinion is based on ignorance, incomplete facts and figures and once again, when I illustrated a point supported by actual facts, she had no real intelligent comeback beyond the empty "all those uninsured should go get a job". Is that all you got?

President Obama's Speech Tonight on Health Care

Well, you didn't think I wouldn't blog about it now did you? Of course I'm going to.

Anyone who knows me and has read this blog knows how deeply entrenched in this issue I am an how deeply personal it is to me (pre-existing condition and all, self employed and uninsured). I've spent the last month, just like the rest of you, listening to all the crap out there about this health care reform bill. Hearing people scream outright lies and asking questions based on hyperbole and rhetoric at town hall meetings has frustrated me to tears. I've de-friended at least 2 Facebook "friends" because I couldn't take their nonsensical crap anymore ; posting about how Obama is Hitler, birth certificate conspiracy theories, and basically empty arguments against health care reform, all of which I have illustrated in this post. It's hard to discuss something with people who, in response to you actually posting FACTS and FIGURES to prove your point can only come back with "your a commie and a traitor". That just shows they know not what they speak and they have no actual facts to back up their assertions.

Needless to say, this exhausted "liberal", was so very excited when I heard that Obama was going to take the stage tonight at Congress and speak to them and to us and confront, head on, the lies and tell it straight out like it is. Finally. I was feeling alone and beat up defending health care reform and in particular defending HR. 3200 and the many wonderful qualities in it.

The President hit the nail right on the head. I particularly like how he called out all those politicians that did nothing but lie and spread outright falsehoods about the bill. I love how he addressed the seniors and reminded them that the Republicans, who are quick to claim that this bill is going to deplete their medical benefits, is the same party that wanted to make strong cuts to medicare and switch it to a privatized voucher system thereby disintegrating it. I love how he pointed out that when SS was first introduced the same argument about how we would lose our freedoms and become a socialist nation was unfounded, as well as when Medicare was first introduced.

The best line " We did not come here to fear the future, we came to shape it". Very powerful.

Most importantly he took every single one of the controversial issues that have been talked about and very strongly confronted the issue head on!

I had been feeling almost hopeless about reform being passed and he once again gave me hope. He let me know that he wasn't going to back down on the public option, something I feel is so very important for a comprehensive bill that will truly make insrurance companies more competitive (ie: trimming their excess in order to compete in premium costs with a much lower overhead government not for profit system). All the rumors of him making certain compromises I felt would render the bill unaffective, were quashed.

I literally had tears in my eyes listening to him speak about the issue, not only with the passion that he so obviously has for the issue but with conviction. And, everything he has said, every point he has made I have been making over and over again for weeks against the opposition.

This health care reform IS common sense.

There is ONE thing that I agree with Republicans on in this issue and that is the tort reform issue. I was very glad and proud that Obama was going to include that in this bill.

The Republican rebuttal was empty. They were once again talking about the entire over state lines issue. Well is not the national exchange just that.. a pool of many different insurance companies competing on a national level for consumers? Why are the Republicans so opposed to a public option to compete with private? As the President pointed out, it already exists in other areas without detriment to private industry. It never makes sense to me that the same party who constantly chants how incompetent the Federal Government is , is afraid to compete with it. The President even remarked how he would agree with their "fear" of a public option IF that public option was going to be funded by tax payers dollars which he clearly states will not.

And that Republican from SC, Joe Wilson , that yelled out "liar" when the President was speaking (I believe it was when the President talked about how it was a lie that this bill would cover illegal immigrants - and the bill doesn't say that at all.. I read that section and blogged about it in this post. It was completely disrespectful and he should be ashamed of himself. I plan on writing him and telling him so as soon as his website is accesable because I can't seem to get through to it at the moment (my twitter was a blaze with everyone tweeting that we should all email him and blast him for being so disrespectful, or, as I like to put it, for being a tool!).

So I will be anxiously waiting and watching wondering if those whiny neo-cons that have been spouting utter nonsense about this bill will finally give their crap a rest. I don't have much faith they will, but who knows. There is no reasoning with the irrational. They seem hell bent on turning Obama into Hitler and the anti-christ. I also hope that the public actually listened and took something positive away from this speech. This health care reform is such a good thing for this nation and so badly needed.

The Objection to President Speech is Completely Absurd! Get a Grip on Yourselves Already

I don't know if it's just my PMS'g hormones this week, but man .. the attitudes of so many Americans is just really, well pissing me off is the only way that I can put it.

I can not believe that people seriously were objecting to the President of the United States, the highest office held in the most powerful country in the world, to speaking to their children about staying in school and working to achieve better in their lives. Especially coming from a man of his background (under privileged) and his wife's background.

Yeah.. I know the "objection" was to the "assignments" proposed by the administration and the Board of Ed , particularly the "How Can I Help Obama" question. But , since when is teaching your children to GET INVOLVED with politics and the issues in this country a BAD thing. I heard one person on the news object to their child becoming a "community organizer". When did being a community organizer , or one who works within the community in a positive and productive manner, or volunteer in the community become such a dirty word? I mean really?

For crying out loud people, I wish my generation, myself included, would have been more involved, paid more attention, knew more about the issues and voiced opinions about them. Then perhaps this country wouldn't have been bought and paid for right under our nose to the highest bidder while we were all too busy.. well NOT paying attention!

That's it you neo-cons.. teach your children to just sit back and do nothing but whine. Apparently it's all the right knows how to do these days. Everything that President does they twist, turn and make into some sick conspiracy theory. It's really quite sickening. You don't have to agree with everything he does or says. You don't have to agree on all of his policies, but why demonize him? What is the point? What does it achieve? Really, all it does is make you all look like a bunch of lunatics.

What the hell happened to actually RESPECTING the office of the President?

Bush sure as hell wasn't my President (well at least the first time around and half way through the second time I realized I'd made a huge error in judgement when I cast my vote for him!). But you know what, he was still my President and irregardless I had respect for that.

Now Obama is our President. Let the man get something done! The only ones sinking this country further down the rabbit hole are those that want to demonize everything the President does!

Any school, any parent that objected and didn't let their kids listen to his speech missed an amazing opportunity. Even if they do not agree with the Presidents politics (of which wasn't even in the darned thing anyway) they missed a great opportunity to open the lines of communication with their children to talk about the issues and to teach their children about U.S Politics . Wow, imagine that. Parents sitting around having a conversation with their own children and talking to them about their personal political views on any and all issues facing this country today. Imagine the children sitting and writing a letter, for themselves, on ways they could "help" the President.. perhaps by making suggestions on such issues (and that includes ALL points.. like objecting to his health plan). The younger children probably would have said something cute about "helping" the President with his dog or something (because obviously a younger child will not grasp the concepts) and teenagers could have taken the opportunity to figure out how they feel about certain issues. The letters suggested weren't even ever going to be sent to the President anyway. It was just an exercise.

Even if his speech was completely lined with political rhetoric and wasn't bi-partisan, it still would have been an excellent opportunity for parents on the other side of the issues to discuss the issues. But you know what, there is no need to even address the 'what if'. It was not anything even remotely resembling anything of the sort.

Here is a link to the SUGGESTED lesson plan for Prek-6
Here is the link to the SUGGESTED lesson plan for 7 - 12

I particularly think the last 2 questions at the end are THE most important.

• What do you believe are the challenges of your generation?
• How can you be a part of addressing those challenges?

But then again, this is the same group of people who seem to think that not discussing sex with their children means that their children will not be having sex.. (insert smack head emotion con here).

And, then again, perhaps they are doing us a favor (those neo-cons that didn't allow their kids to hear the president thereby opening up discussions at home about the "issues") because , after all, the only thing they would have done is poison their children's minds about their crazy rhetoric and lies ; ie: the government wants to kill granny. Yeah.. that's all we need. The younger generation buying into that crap.