Democrats, Gays, Minorities, and Women

I want to start this post by letting you know I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I don't vote for parties, I vote for people.  I agree with George Washington who warned this country at its very inception that party politics were an evil to be avoided for it would tear the nation in two, causing people to defend their party rather than put the interests of the nation at the forefront. I have witnessed this first hand, with people throwing support behind a party even when that part is clearly and demonstrably in the wrong on an issue.  

Having said all of that, I have watched and listened to both sides and what I find is that Democrats really don't seem to hold a very high opinion of most of the groups that they claim to support.  While claiming to champion the cause of minorities, women, and those who profess to be homosexual, the underlying messages are actually very condescending and outlandishly insulting to the intelligence, integrity, and worth of those individuals.  I'm picking out three messages I hear consistently from the Democratic party and explain to you why I think these are absolutely appalling:

1. Homosexual marriage should be supported because gays can't help themselves.

This one is by far the most insulting of the arguments used because it implies that it is impossible for people with same sex attraction to exercise self-control.  It seriously reduces them to the level of animals, since this is the reason we do not hold animals accountable to the law.  Is that really the message that homosexuals want people to believe about them? That they are animals incapable of controlling their urges and impulses?

The more dangerous part of this argument is that decades ago it was arguments like these that were used to support the eugenics movement, classifying some people as unable to improve their lot in life because they were simply born that way. Human behavior is not hard wired into our genetic code, although we may have a predisposition toward certain behaviors, we are still free to choose them.  That, more than anything else, is what separates man from animals.

2. Blacks, women, and gays can't compete with white men for jobs without government intervention.

Speaking as a woman, I find this statement to be beyond the pale. I don't need government help to compete in the workplace.  I want to be hired for my qualifications, not for my skin color or my gender or my sexual preferences. If I am qualified, I can prove it. If I am not able to get hired by someone else, I am capable of starting my own business and finding clients who will purchase what I have to offer without the assistance of the government. All I ask is that the government not be an obstacle or an impediment to my efforts to prove myself.

3. Women need birth control because it helps free them to be more like men.

First, why would women need to be more like men in the first place? This implies that there is something inherently wrong with being a woman, that we need to be "fixed" somehow.  There is nothing wrong with being a woman. It's a glorious thing, and no woman should ever feel like she needs to stop being feminine in order to be able to get ahead in life. Yet this is the exact message she receives from the Democratic party.

Second of all I want to ask how, exactly, does birth control help women? By reducing us to sex objects for the pleasure of men? By messing with our hormones so that we are more likely to become depressed, less likely to seek out healthy partners, are more likely to contract diseases because it throws off our immune systems? By pitting us against our children, telling us that we must choose between them and a decent life? By decreasing our sex drives? By encouraging us to be careless in the bedroom so that we end up contracting STD's or facing a pregnancy without a partner to help us?

I just can't see how birth control helps women at all.  It seems to me like the plight of women has gotten worse, not better, since birth control was legalized in the early 1970's.  Rates of divorce are higher, rates of cheating, the numbers of single parents, incidents of domestic violence - and violence specifically targeted to pregnant women - has increased, even child abuse has gone up over the last 40 years.  How is any of this helping women?  

Furthermore, doctors used to actually try to solve women's reproductive health issues.  Now, when a woman complains about some problem with her reproductive system, the first and often only response she gets is a prescription for birth control.  This is INSANE! Birth control doesn't solve any problems. It only masks them, and the real problems get bigger and bigger.  Girls as young as 11 are being prescribed these hormone altering drugs - hormones that impact their growth and development - as a way to "help" solve their menstrual problems or keep their menstrual cycles regular.

What really helps women is to teach them to value themselves enough not to give in to the pressure to sleep with a guy in the hopes that he'll love you. What really helps women is to encourage them to develop self-control and take responsibility for their lives. What really helps women is to teach men not to treat women as objects of pleasure and to help men realize that there is no such thing as consequence-free sex.  If you really want to help women, help them to take control of their lives so they don't have to be the victim all the time.

Homeless in Elko: Andrew Hockenberry

This guy is Andrew Hockenberry.  He is homeless. He lives here in Elko, and his home is his van.  He works a full-time job as a dishwasher at Red Lion. He's 42 years old.  He was born and raised in Salt Lake City, UT.  He came to Elko because his kids needed help.  The housing market is tough here and, between his child support payments and his minimum wage job, he doesn't have enough money to be able to afford a place of his own.

When it gets below freezing, he buys a propane tank and fires up his camp stove so that there is enough heat to catch at least a few hours of sleep. When he isn't working at the Red Lion, he spends time holding a sign at one of Wal-Mart's exits, hoping for a few dollars here and there.

 This isn't his first bout with homelessness, in fact he's spent about 15 to 16 years total being homeless.  He says the hardest thing about being homeless is staying clean - mentally, physically, and with the police. It's easy to get discouraged, to feel like giving up on life.  He says what homeless people need more than anything else is love - to know that someone cares, to know that they matter to someone. His advice to other homeless people is not to give up.  Even if you have to spend a week asking for help, and you get nothing, keep trying.  It will come eventually.

To get a bath, he often slips in to a restroom.  Sometimes, if he can't do that, he buys a jug of water and finds a deserted spot in the woods.  When he gets enough change, he does his laundry at the laundry mat. Food isn't a problem.  He is on food stamps, and there are plenty of places in town that offer food to people in his situation.

He doesn't have a post office box.  He has people send his mail to the Elko post office attention: General Post. He has a cheap, pre-paid cell phone that he uses to make phone calls. Before he had one of those he was able to use the phone at the JOIN office (Job search aid office here in Elko) to make calls to and receive calls from employers. He doesn't belong to a specific church. He says he is non-denominational, although he was raised in the Mormon faith. He doesn't make it to church all that often.

This is Andrew, and this is only part of his story. Like most people, he has way more story than can fit in an hour or two long interview. Like most homeless people, he doesn't fit the stereotype.  He's not a drunkard looking for his next bottle of booze, or a junkie looking for the next score. He's a person who has made his fair share of mistakes along the way but is struggling to make up for those the best way that he knows how. The real difference between those who are homeless and those who aren't isn't the number of mistakes they have made in life, it's the size of the community they have around them who can help pull them back to their feet when they fall.

News that isn't news

Recently, I read an article reported by CBS5AZ about a woman who jumped off the Hoover Dam bridge and died. This article reminded me of things that I find frustrating about our media outlets. They are constantly reporting things as news that ARE NOT NEWS!

Anything that is expected is NOT NEWS.  For example, if the KKK and the Black Panthers say hateful things about one another, or kill one another - that's NOT NEWS. It's the expected result. If someone jumps off a really tall building or structure and dies - that's NOT NEWS. It's the expected result. If a Democratic candidate or party member says something negative about a Republican candidate or party member - that is NOT NEWS.  It's the expected result.

Things that ARE NEWS:
1) KKK and Black Panthers co-host a community picnic and a good time is had by all with no bloodshed.
2) Someone jumps off an extraordinarily tall building or structure and LIVES.
3) Democrat party member of candidate says something positive about, or otherwise agrees with, Republican candidate or party member.
4) Middle Eastern country declares PEACE with Israel.
5) UN does something useful.

These things would be news. Why? Because they are things you DO NOT EVER EXPECT TO SEE!! Truthfully, I feel like I should be given a refund of my money every time I have to read some story about news that isn't news. Come on, media, you have over 7 billion people on this planet. You can find some things to talk about that are real, genuine news.

Fair taxes and balanced budgets

Taxes are necessary for the maintenance of infrastructures, our military, and for the pay of government employees. Our tax code, however, requires a virtual Ph.D. to understand and apply correctly and there is plenty of discussion about how to both simplify the tax code and ensure that everyone pays their fair share for the welfare of our nation.  There is also the matter of an ever-growing 14 trillion dollar debt we owe as a nation, primarily to China, and how to get out from underneath such a load while maintaining a balanced budget.  Here are my suggestions.

1) Implement a flat tax rate based strictly on income.

A flat tax rate of 15% for all persons of legal voting age is fair and reasonable. It ensures that no one bears too great an economic burden but that all participate to the best of their ability. 

2) Eliminate all deductions and tax credits.

Deductions and tax credits complicate the tax code unnecessarily and create special protections for special interest groups. 

3) Eliminate all welfare and entitlement programs.

Tax money should never be used to fund charity programs of any kind. Using tax money to fund charities is like forcing a man at gun point to give his money to someone else. Not only does it breed resentment, but it also lends to distrust.  People are more likely to give when they are not forced to do so, and to give more generously when they give voluntarily. Let those who are concerned about those in need roll up their sleeves and do something about it personally or get together with other like-minded individuals and  work together to do something about the problem. 

All those who have paid into Social Security should be given a lump-sum refund along with 1% interest for each year the money was kept from them, and no more than that. Retiring for reasons other than your physical or mental incapability of working is something that should be discouraged, not endorsed. For those seniors who have reached a state where they are no longer capable physically or mentally of working, let them be cared for first by their families, then by their Church or other organization they belonged to, and then by those in the community.  

4) Where possible, replace paid government employees with volunteers.

If Americans are committed to these things, if they believe they are worth keeping, let them demonstrate their care and commitment by service and not by forcible taxation.

5) Establish a national language, and only print documents in that language.

Printing costs money, and printing in multiple languages is a huge waste of time and resources. Establish a national language (I do not care if you pick Spanish, English, Latin, or some derivative thereof, but pick one) and then only print things in that language.  Catering to those who refuse to learn the national language does not help anyone and creates an atmosphere of distrust and disunity.

Executive Order: National Defense Resources Preparedness

On March 16, 2012 President Barack Obama published a new executive order with the rather benign sounding title of National Defense Resources Preparedness.  Many worried that this order was paving the road for Obama to declare martial law.  Martial law means that all voting privileges are suspended and the rule of the people is done by police or military force.  This power is usually reserved for times of war, or times of extreme emergency when normal government operations are simply not possible.

There were some in the media who assured readers that this executive order was nothing to concern the average citizen.  Several similar executive orders have been signed in the past, and at least one media outlet claimed that there were virtually no changes between those executive orders and this one.  That media outlet either jumped the gun in reporting the facts, did not clearly understand what they read, or is in league with the President.  A close reading of the contents of this particular executive order should be enough to chill the bones of any freedom loving American.

The first point of concern comes in Part II - Priorities and Allocations under Sec. 201 (6) (b) where it states that "The Secretary of each agency delegated authority under subsection (a) of this section (resource departments) shall plan for and issue regulations to prioritize and allocate resources and establish standards and procedures by which the authority shall be used to promote the national defense, under both emergency and non-emergency conditions. This is a concern because, if read correctly, this seems to mean that the authorities being granted by the president to the various agencies under control of the executive branch have the president's permission to apply every rule in this executive order not only during times of emergency but also during times of peace.

In previous similar Executive Orders, there were provisions made to limit the scope of the powers that the order granted. There is no such provision in this executive order, if anything it seems to be a broadening of the reach of the powers granted.

The second major point of concern is in Sec. 201 (6) (e) Where it grants the Secretary of the resource department the authority to "control the general distribution of any material (including applicable services) in the civilian market".  This means that not only can the government come in and tell any business owner what to provide and to whom, but it isn't just limited to material goods.  It includes services, which means that this gives the government permission to dictate what labor someone must perform and for whom they must perform it.

The third major point of concern reinforces concerns raised in Sec. 201 (6) (e) and is found in Sec. 502 under the title Consultants.  The wording that is particularly troublesome is this, "The head of each agency....is delegated the authority of the President...to employ persons of outstanding experience and ability without compensation..."  In other words, the President has just signed an order that allows him to not only confiscate goods belonging to ordinary citizens but to enslave them, and there does not need to be an emergency for him to do this.

Welcome to the United Slave States of America.

Separating Church and State is Impossible

First, let me define the terms I am using.  Church is any body of people who share a common faith and practice a common religion.  Faith is any system of belief about how the universe came into being, how it operates, and the purpose of humanity within that universe.  Religion is the framework in which you live out your faith.  For example, Catholics believe that the universe was created by God, operates according to laws which are understandable and discoverable by humanity through scientific investigation and divine revelation, and that human beings were created by God for the purpose of loving and being loved by God.  We believe that human life begins at conception and has value because God values it and not because of anything we might or might not do. We believe that all human beings are endowed by their creator with free will. Our religion is that because our lives have the purpose of loving and being loved by God, we are happiest and healthiest when we live our lives in accordance with His will as handed down to us through Sacred Scripture, the Magisterium, and the Pope.  We defend life from conception through natural death. Even though we understand that genetics and environment may play a role in making it more difficult for someone to choose the right behaviors, we still hold people accountable for bad behavior because to do otherwise would be to treat them like animals, as animals cannot rise above these things but human beings can.

Every true Catholic brings our religion into the public square, and we cannot help but do so. It is our measuring stick by which we determine for whom to vote; what causes to support with our time, talent, and treasure; what subjects ought – or ought not – to be taught in a public school; and where our tax money should be spent.  A politician or judge who is truly Catholic will act and judge accordingly.  Those who do not act in accordance with the Catholic faith and religion do not belong to the Catholic Church.

Atheism is also a Church, although very different from the Catholic Church. Atheists believe that the universe came into being spontaneously, operates according to laws which are understandable and discoverable by humanity only through scientific investigation, and that human beings are a byproduct of the universe’s operations and therefore have no purpose at all. Most, though not all, atheists believe that human life begins outside of the womb and only gains value when it can prove itself valuable to others.  Their religion, as such, is that since their lives have no purpose it is up to each individual to determine what to do with their lives and that each individual is entitled to live as the individual sees fit provided that the individual does not substantially interfere in the right of everyone else to live the same way.   

Every atheist brings their religion into the public square.  They cannot help but do so.  It is the measuring stick by which they determine for whom to vote; what causes to support with their time, talent, and treasure; what subjects ought – or ought not – to be taught in a public school; and where their tax money should be spent. A politician or judge who is an atheist will act accordingly and judge accordingly. Any politician or person who says that their beliefs will not influence their judgment, the way they vote, or the laws they attempt to enact is a liar and should not be trusted.

An Open Letter to Representative Gwen Moore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-q0EP8HjA0

Dear Ms. Moore,

How sad I was to hear your remarks about the tragedy of kids having to eat Raman noodles and mayonnaise sandwiches and going without fresh fruit as a justification for providing funding to Planned Parenthood.  While your remarks might sound compassionate to some ears, they sounded cold and hard-hearted to mine.  What you said to a woman like me is that it is better that I were never born, better that my mother should have aborted me.

You see, my mother gave birth to four little unplanned blessings.  We did grow up eating Raman noodles. We never ate mayonnaise sandwiches but we did eat a whole lot of peanut butter and jelly.  That's not a tragedy. Things were hard, it's true, and sometimes we didn't get as full as we'd like.  We wore hand-me-downs from other kids, and sometimes we got made fun of because we didn't have the money for a haircut.  What we learned growing up, though, was important.  We learned how to make the best of what we did have, and we learned that life doesn't owe you anything. We learned to be creative and innovative, to see potential in things that other people think are junk.

I was 19 years old when I found myself pregnant with my own unexpected blessing.  I wasn't sure how I was going to make it. I didn't have a college degree, or a decent job. I didn't know how the future would go.  I simply decided to put my trust in God and I gave birth to a happy, healthy baby boy two weeks before my 20th birthday.

I wasn't the perfect mother, and we didn't have the perfect life. He's eaten his fair share of Raman noodles and peanut-butter jelly sandwiches. Nothing turned out the way I planned it, but that's the truth about parenthood - there is no planned parenthood, it's not a script or a formula, and it never turns out the way you thought it would.  I have an associates degree, but not a bachelor's like I planned.  I never did climb the corporate ladder and I have never made more than $70,000 in one year.  That unplanned blessing, though, saved my life.  I am a better person because he was born. So is the world.

Don't you dare tell me my life has no meaning because I had to eat a few bowls of Raman noodles, or I had to eat a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Don't you dare tell me my son's life is worthless because he had to do the same.  If you really want to help those kids, stop giving money to Planned Parenthood.  Planned Parenthood never once did anything that helped a kid in poverty to get out of it.  You can't eradicate poverty by exterminating the poor as if they were insects, Ms. Moore, and you can't end child abuse by destroying children.  If you really want to help the poor, Ms. Moore, and give those children something better to eat, then fight the HHS mandate so that people who actually value all life can continue to do the work they already do helping poor kids eat and live better.  Stop giving to Planned Parenthood and start giving to charities who actually value life.
Sincerely,

Brandy M. Miller

P.S. Growing up in poverty isn't a real tragedy.  Never being allowed to grow up at all because you were killed before you were born is.