An article that ran in the Wall Street Journal last Friday titled "Tea Parties vs. Unions in November" (written by John Fund) articulates the 2 strongest, or at least the two loudest political ideologies at work in our nation. It would seem that our political boundries are no longer Democrat vs. Republican, but instead Small Government vs. Large Government. On the surface it looks to be the same thing, but politics as usual can no longer be defined in terms of donkeys and elephants. Fund makes the argument that both parties are gaining advantages in the political game through the rise in power of both unions and the Tea Party.
Elections this month have enhanced the political clout of two groups widely separated on the political spectrum. The tea party movement stands to play an outsize role in the fall elections now that outsider Rand Paul has swept Kentucky's GOP Senate primary, while unions provided the muscle for Democrats to win a key special election in Pennsylvania....
You can expect friction between tea party activists and union members in coming months.
(for the rest of this article click http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559004575256323526178094.html )
Fund delves into the questions of fair play in media coverage, and the disgusting display of SEIU protesting at private residences in an exercise in intimidation. But interesting is the thought created in the readers mind, that perhaps we are seeing the rise of a new 2-party system.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Cinco de What?
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/07/tensions-high-california-high-school-following-flag-flap/
Did you see this story about the boys who wore American Flags on their t-shirts on Cinco De Mayo and were sent home? I think the Vice Principal caused the problem by bringing attention to the boys. The other students had not made any comments to the boys before Vice Principal Miguel Rodriguez called them aside. If Mr. Rodriguez had asked that all students with printing on their t-shirts, turn them inside out, I would be in agreement with his decision. However, he chose to single out those who wore the American Flag. To be fair, Mr. Rodriguez may be privy to more information. There might just be some racial tension within the school. These boys, might have been "making a statement." If that was the case, both sets of children should have been treated the same. This is a PR nightmare for the school. Obviously, the fact that it made national news indicates that tensions were high, and someone felt it necessary to make the case for the children that were singled out. This shows the tension the entire nation is feeling since the passage of Arizona's new immigration law. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100505/ap_on_re_us/us_immigration_enforcement_lawsuits
Additionally, patriotism is taught. Many of us have this question: How could wearing the American Flag in AMERICA be disrespectful to people who have chosen to live in America? The fact that we "celebrate" the 5th of May, shows respect to cultural diversity, but if I lived in Mexico, I would not expect the Mexicans to avoid wearing their flag on July 4th. Its not their holiday. Come to our country, we welcome you; but do NOT force your celebrations on us in a way that does not allow us to be patriotic in our own country. Combine your culture with ours, don't try to force yours on us.
In this instance, I think most of this could be solved with school uniforms. If the tensions are rising so high, that high school students are offended by what is on a t-shirt, lets just take the t-shirts out of play. We need to create an environment of learning, in safety. However, the bigger issue is that we as adults need to watch our own rhetoric, using care to debate issues and not people. The media focuses on the sensational, setting a very bad example for our children to follow. How can our children treat each other with respect, if the adults around them cannot?
Did you see this story about the boys who wore American Flags on their t-shirts on Cinco De Mayo and were sent home? I think the Vice Principal caused the problem by bringing attention to the boys. The other students had not made any comments to the boys before Vice Principal Miguel Rodriguez called them aside. If Mr. Rodriguez had asked that all students with printing on their t-shirts, turn them inside out, I would be in agreement with his decision. However, he chose to single out those who wore the American Flag. To be fair, Mr. Rodriguez may be privy to more information. There might just be some racial tension within the school. These boys, might have been "making a statement." If that was the case, both sets of children should have been treated the same. This is a PR nightmare for the school. Obviously, the fact that it made national news indicates that tensions were high, and someone felt it necessary to make the case for the children that were singled out. This shows the tension the entire nation is feeling since the passage of Arizona's new immigration law. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100505/ap_on_re_us/us_immigration_enforcement_lawsuits
Additionally, patriotism is taught. Many of us have this question: How could wearing the American Flag in AMERICA be disrespectful to people who have chosen to live in America? The fact that we "celebrate" the 5th of May, shows respect to cultural diversity, but if I lived in Mexico, I would not expect the Mexicans to avoid wearing their flag on July 4th. Its not their holiday. Come to our country, we welcome you; but do NOT force your celebrations on us in a way that does not allow us to be patriotic in our own country. Combine your culture with ours, don't try to force yours on us.
In this instance, I think most of this could be solved with school uniforms. If the tensions are rising so high, that high school students are offended by what is on a t-shirt, lets just take the t-shirts out of play. We need to create an environment of learning, in safety. However, the bigger issue is that we as adults need to watch our own rhetoric, using care to debate issues and not people. The media focuses on the sensational, setting a very bad example for our children to follow. How can our children treat each other with respect, if the adults around them cannot?
The Unintended Consequences of Legislation
The Unintended Consequences of Legislation
http://www.takebackmedicine.com/news/why-i-will-not-take-medicare-money-or-how-russ-the-plumber-g.html
This is an article from the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons website.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/21/hotel-conference-center-trump-private-property-eminent-domain-case/
This is an article from Fox News about an eminent domain abuse.
What do these articles have in common? They articulate the increasingly "acceptable" over-reach of the government in the lives of private citizens. The "Public Good" overrides the needs or rights of the individual. With Wall Street reform on the way, it is interesting to look at how the government regulatory machine is affecting other industries. If the current Dodd-Shelby deal makes it to a vote, what are the unintended consequence of this legislation?
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0520087120100505?type=marketsNews
http://www.takebackmedicine.com/news/why-i-will-not-take-medicare-money-or-how-russ-the-plumber-g.html
This is an article from the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons website.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/21/hotel-conference-center-trump-private-property-eminent-domain-case/
This is an article from Fox News about an eminent domain abuse.
What do these articles have in common? They articulate the increasingly "acceptable" over-reach of the government in the lives of private citizens. The "Public Good" overrides the needs or rights of the individual. With Wall Street reform on the way, it is interesting to look at how the government regulatory machine is affecting other industries. If the current Dodd-Shelby deal makes it to a vote, what are the unintended consequence of this legislation?
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0520087120100505?type=marketsNews
Ah, Mr. President, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me
Ah, Mr. President, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh-yR1HWkbM
President Obama made an appeal to new voters for the 2010 elections. Worry that the Democratic Party will lose large numbers of seats in both the House and the Senate have prompted the release of a short video from the President. With recent losses in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, I wonder how affective this will be. I am also surprised at the specification of which particular groups the Democrats hope will support him, and which groups are conspicuously left out. I wonder if this is the “change’ they were looking for.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh-yR1HWkbM
President Obama made an appeal to new voters for the 2010 elections. Worry that the Democratic Party will lose large numbers of seats in both the House and the Senate have prompted the release of a short video from the President. With recent losses in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, I wonder how affective this will be. I am also surprised at the specification of which particular groups the Democrats hope will support him, and which groups are conspicuously left out. I wonder if this is the “change’ they were looking for.
California is banning Happy Meal toys!
California is banning Happy Meal toys!
Isn’t that what makes it a “happy” meal? I’m guessing that this set of law makers has not had the “happy” experience of begging a 2 year old to ‘eat something!’ Nor have they traveled with a car full of the little darlings, who have lost all interest in the travel toys brought from home. But most of all, they have determined once again that we cannot make correct choices for our own families. What is more astounding, is that this is the same “food” that cafeterias all over the country are feeding our children.
Why? Because these same law makers have determined that it is unhealthy to cook in the kitchens in the schools. This means meals must be made off-site, and brought into the school and reheated. Hence, government sanctioned fast food. Oh, I get it! They don’t want competition!
Isn’t that what makes it a “happy” meal? I’m guessing that this set of law makers has not had the “happy” experience of begging a 2 year old to ‘eat something!’ Nor have they traveled with a car full of the little darlings, who have lost all interest in the travel toys brought from home. But most of all, they have determined once again that we cannot make correct choices for our own families. What is more astounding, is that this is the same “food” that cafeterias all over the country are feeding our children.
Why? Because these same law makers have determined that it is unhealthy to cook in the kitchens in the schools. This means meals must be made off-site, and brought into the school and reheated. Hence, government sanctioned fast food. Oh, I get it! They don’t want competition!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)