Yes, I'm a liberal. And yes, I'm proud to be an American. Neocons are like religios extremists. They live in their own little world where anyone who doesn't believe as they do is somehow inherently evil. And like a cult, they find believers who do not question them. They bring people in on sensitive issues while screwing them on the important ones.
But I do love America. There's no country I'd rather live in. There's no other country where you can really start off with absolutely nothing and, at least in some places, can earn a college degree at no cost to you. You can in Georgia. And we're 49th in SAT scores (only because we make all high school graduates take the test, not just those who want to, unlike high-ranking states such as New Jersey).
Sure, maybe we don't have national healthcare. But, go to a county hospital, and they have to treat you a little. Maybe it's not great. Maybe it's not always enough. But it's better than bleeding to death in the street.
But what makes our country truly great? Freedom. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness. And who's trying to take that away? It's not the liberals.
The Patriot Act, the Department of Homeland Security, brain children of our president and the current congress, take away freedoms. They restrict our liberty. By June 2008, you'll have to have a passport to go to Mexico or Canada. Or anywhere outside the U.S. That's a little unnecessary. Terrorists didn't get through our borders from either of those countries.
There's been so much propaganda on both sides, and what you want to believe is up to you. But do this. Don't listen to the media. Don't listen to your mom. Don't listen to your best friend.
Listen to yourself.
Find out who will be on your ballot. This can be done through your state's website. Watch the political advertising and find out which candidates are running in your districts. Call your elections office, and they can give you a sample ballot. Then, use the internet. Go to the candidates' websites. Find out what they say they believe in and what they will fight for. Sure, they won't live up to all their promises, but they'll give you an idea of where they stand.
If they say things like "core family values" and "conservative leadership" and that sounds a little vague, there's a reason for that. They don't want you to know that they want to restrict your freedoms and become a big brother over your life, censoring information and checking up on who you call and even on your bank records.
If they say things like "national healthcare" and "open foreign policy" and those things are important to you, look at that candidate. Don't worry about them being blue or red. There are Republicans who are genuinely good leaders and Democrats who are generally crappy ones. And vice versa. Even if we don't want to believe it.
What's really sad is the campaigning being done in Georgia now. There are two big Democratic candidates running for governor against an asshole Republican, the first in 182 years when he was elected. Instead of pulling together, they're tearing each other apart. Whichever wins, no one will want to vote for the winner of the primary come November.
I think that happens on the national level, too. Candidates tear each other apart, and, by the time one is picked, we don't like them. So we go with the incumbent. And that's not right.
You have to education yourself, do your best to discern what people stand for, and don't vote straight ticket. I know that "Republican" or "Democrat" button is tempting, but don't press it. Although Charlie Manson would have to be running as the Democrat for me to vote Republican at this point, I'm still going to vote for each office.
Primaries are coming up. Ours are only 13 days away. This is the first step in this election process, and yes, it's a very important year. The Neocon congress (I don't like using Republican as a durogatory term, but the people the party has chosen to represent them are certainly deserving) has been screwing us. The lastest tax cuts will cost the country $1 trillion over the next 10 years, allowing only the top 1.5% to save money.
The burden falls back on us, the middle class, the voters. I can't afford to vote this way. I don't want my rights stripped. And I'm going to stand up and vote for who will represent me. I want a congress that looks out for the people, not the corporations. I want a congress that is going to pump money into healthcare, education, and national security.
The current congress has cut spending on national security. Spending has been cut in DC and New York City. In the years since 9/11, hundreds of thousands of cops have been laid off due to cuts in federal funding.
I don't know about you, but I'd rather pay a little more taxes, make the rich pay the taxes they should be paying in the first place, and put cops on the streets, protection at our borders, ports and air ports, and protect our own citizens by giving them opportunities for education and giving them real health care, not just sick care.
Decide for yourself. Are you happy with the status quo? Do you think we should continue on this track? Do the people you vote for get elected and then not represent you? Then vote for someone else. Vote your own beliefs.
I'm a liberal. And I love this country. I want to protect it. Right now, we're slowly being destroyed. Gay marriage will seem like a non-issue when half the country lives in poverty and we are under attack from nations like Iran and North Korea who feel like they have to make a pre-emptive strike against our tyrrany and WMDs, that we not only have but have used.
And that's leaving out the fact that over 1 billion world citizens could have to move because their homes will be under water, like New York City, Los Angeles and Miami. But there's no such thing as global warming. I don't feel comfortable with our leaders living with their head in the sand.
stand
Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at 6:49 AM 
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