Homosexuality in America

There's been a fury of research about the gays lately. I think it's probably an attempt to neutralize the issue so that it's not a large part of the upcoming election. One researcher thinks that a person's homosexuality can be perceived by the way they walk. If that's true, I'll be watching the Republican National Convention VERY carefully. More Americans are beginning to believe that if a person IS gay, he or she was born that way. I think that would stand to reason as I can't imagine people would choose to be ostracized by a majority of their society, such as the military and the Christians. Maybe this is our biological answer to overpopulation and the homosexual community should be celebrated as humanity's saviors.

What's Your Number?

If you have traveled internationally lately, you have a number you don't know about. It was assigned to you by federal agents and the ATS (Automated Targeting System) based on your in-flight meal, seat preference, where you're from, your motor vehicle records, and other factors. This number is designed to give airport security an at-a-glance view of who they should be watching, frisking, denying the right to travel, etc... But don't worry - privacy advocates are on it, just like they were on the Patriot Act and the mandatory fingerprinting at Disney. Secure Flight, a similar program designed for domestic travel, has been banned by the courts until it can be proven that it is accurate and private. These numbers are not made available to the people they're assigned to, nor is there any way to know whether you have been assigned one at all.

We are quietly losing our civil liberties and no one seems to care. People just allow these things to happen without question, though President Bush and his Administration have used every trick in the book to make these things happen without arousing any suspicion from the public. Is anyone watching? Why isn't the media calling attention to these things? Why aren't more people calling for impeachment? The more I watch the news, the more I see a clear conservative bias. The liberal media is dead - if it ever existed at all.

2,888 US Soldiers dead
21,921 US Soldiers wounded

Don't Ask. Don't Tell.

Lately the major issue to reduce the limitations on civil liberties facing homosexuals in this country has been gay marriage and civil unions, but we forget that there are other issues at stake, especially one that is infinitely more important. If we are living in a tolerant society in which everyone has equal rights, why is it that a gay soldier cannot make his or her orientation known? There are events in which spouses are invited to attend, as well as normal office conversations centered around husbands and wives. Why must homosexuals be excluded from these events and discussions? How does that show that we are one of the most tolerant nations in the world? More importantly, why can't gay and lesbian soldiers enjoy the same freedoms they are fighting for and may die defending?

At Harvard Medical School a group of students gathered to protest the "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy of the United States Military. At the military school nearby, any student who engages in homosexual activity, no limited to the act of sex itself, is to be immediately dismissed. It is a major insult to be called gay. But yet, we continue to pretend that we live in a society where all Americans are treated equally.

Dazed...

When President Bush mentioned last April that a court order was required for a wiretap, he forgot to mention that a court order cannot be obtained for domestic communications. Under President Carter, the Attorney General could approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order as long as it did not involve "the contents of any communication to which a United States person is a party." That's important. It means that the government cannot eavesdrop on our conversations without a warrant, as long as the conversation is taking place on United States soil. Under President Clinton, the Attorney General could approve physical searches to aquire foreign intelligence information without a court order as long as they did not involve "the premises, information, material, or property of a United States person." This is also important. It means that the government cannot search our houses, cars, records, etc..., without a warrant as long as they are on United States soil. President Bush authorized searches or surveillance of American citizens on United States soil, which is against the law. Presidents Clinton and Carter did not "do it, too". The Drudge Report didn't quite get it right.

Throughout this administration I've been wondering when all this will start catching up with the President and his boy Dick, and it's beginning. It didn't look good for them when there were no weapons of mass destruction. They did a pretty good job of not playing the blame game when it came to the CIA leaks. They even managed to convince people that they did not feel they were "above the law" in the torture arena. But this wire tapping thing, this is serious. But finally, a judge is so disgusted that he has quit. The new President of Bolivia called our President a terrorist. A senator is suggesting censure. I wouldn't mind hearing calls for impeachment, but I can wait until after the holidays.

Civic Duty

Something I read the other day stated that the hyper-rich in our country have lost their sense of civil duty. While I agree, I would say that all socio-economic levels in America have seen a decline in a sense of civic pride. The decision to enter military service is sometimes linked to patriotism, but more often than not, young men and women are looking for a way to support their families and get an education. Only 30% of Americans voted in the last Presidential election, and voting is the most important civic duty next to protest, which is rarely seen and seldom heard. Getting people to perform acts of community service is like pulling teeth, unless they're trying to beef up their college transcript or get in good with the Pastor. Most parents won't even volunteer their time at their child's school unless they're coaching some sport. Americans seem to feel so entitled to what our society has given them that they forget to give something back to society. Everyone has something to offer, even if it is only time.

Euthanasia

I'm for it. I think it's a pretty simple argument. It's your body and your choice as long as you have the mental capacity to make it. If you're suffering and you chose to end your life, that is your choice. Your family should still have rights to insurance claims as long as your condition was chronic, terminal, painful, degenerative, or mentally debilitating. There are legal ways to handle it, and Oregon has done a pretty good job. If you are old and decide your time is over, your family should be eligible for insurance claims covering funeral costs only. If life is too hard and you decide to end it all, your family gets nothing.

The Slow Death of Dissent

Americans have this strange idea that the only people who are worth listening to are experts. More credence is given to doctors, lawyers, politicians, and news anchors. Year by year, the roots of our country have been covered over slowly. We forget that those involved in the War of independence were not all experts, they were just revolutionary. Normal, everyday Americans have created the Confederacy, the League of Women's voters, the Civil Rights Movement, and hundred of other campaigns to change America and help her grow.

A country's political identity is based on its philosophy, and ours is nearly indefinable. Our entire way of being is based on an ideal. We began as a nation of philosophers and from the Puritans who came seeking religious freedom to the immigrants who give up everything to be an American, one thing still remains - the dream. This has always been a land where those who were too conservative fell by the wayside and those who allowed themselves the freedom to dream prevailed.

While Democrats and Republicans compete over who is more patriotic, what Americans really need to know is who has stayed true to the dream, regardless of political party. Engaging in childish name-calling such as Ultra-Conservative and Left Wing Radical takes our focus away from the actual issue - without staying true to the dream, we cannot all get along. We have become a nation of extremists. Whether the subject is religion, politics, or chocolate, we all have a strong opinion, but we have forgotten about the facts.

It is the fault of the average American that we have a corrupt and immobile government because we allow it to exist. We overlook the indiscretion of politicians. We expect our news media to be contextually accurate and non-biased. Many Americans feel they are not represented and they are not wrong, but without more involvement by average Americans we cannot expect a higher standard of government. The Majority Rule system is not working but those in power see no reason to change it. They're paid well whether the system works or not.

More and more people are choosing to ignore their government. This will allow the system to get worse until someone cries "REVOLUTION", and then we'll all be damned. Rules, both spoken and unspoken are being imposed on those who disagree with our government. The definition of freedom has been twisted and redefined by lesser men than our Forefathers had hoped.

We cannot give up control. More importantly, we cannot allow ourselves to become the tyranny we escaped when our Forefathers wrote the Declaration of independence. We must take a stand, any stand, and fight, before our countrymen start fleeing America for a place where they can remember their dreams.