So a man named Tim Cox, who used to work for DELL, decided recently to begin a revolution...
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/19/1019campaign.html
This is the article in which he talks about getting rid of the house of representatives because he's sick and tired of special interest groups funding corrupt politicians to do their bidding.
Basically, one man decided to risk everything... (his job, life, sanity i'm sure...) to live the dream of a working-man party.
We (the average Americans) have the opportunity to send mr. Cox one hundred dollars of our money, and fill out an online questionnaire. We then have the option of grouping together with other anti-house hopefuls to pick out leaders. These leaders will represent us and work their way up to getting on the ballots come November 08. This sure does sound like the system we already have in place....except instead of interest groups controlling the financing...a mildly psycho guy with a dream of leading a revolution get's to distribute wealth he calls "donations"...which are actually 100 dollar fee's. By the way, no rich white men, or lawyers, are allowed to hold candidacy.
Okay...this man is incredible. It's wonderful that he's making an effort...and kudos for putting the idea out there...but we live in a money-fueled, politically corrupt, interest only system where rich people rule and normal people get to bite the bullet. But....I'd rather live here with a couple of flaws than in Russia or Palestine. Wouldn't you agree? I think that it's also a bit hypocritical to assume that just because someone is rich they are going to heed to interest groups. There are, believe it or not, successfull politicians out there who aren't corrupt, and why not use all this energy on working with what we already have?
Friday, October 19, 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Criminal Alien Program in Irving Texas....
If you've ever been to North Texas, (DFW area, Denton, Irving, Richardson, Wichita Falls, etc...), you'll notice something very interesting about the social situation there.
I for one had never been there until college, and believe it or not, not very many people know spanish. In fact, when you're born and raised in a place like San Antonio, or south Texas, it's almost like Northern Texas is a different state, far away from the border.
So it didn't surprise me when I read an article in Dallas Morning News regarding Immigration reform and the City of Irving, TX. Here is the article:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101407dnmetirvrally.168b5d56f.html
And here is my favorite quote:
"Our government has not kept to its oath to protect us from invasion," Ms. Towell said.
This was a woman referring to an invasion of Mexicans coming to steal all of the jobs away that she would probably never allow her children to work anyway. It reminds me of someone deathly afraid of a literal alien invasion....without remembering to think..."hey, these are people too..."
So basically there was a rally on a Criminal Alien Program that catches illegal aliens and if suspicious, they are then given to the feds. The article states that this is a controversial program has already turned 11% of it's criminals over to the federal government for suspicion of being illegally in the country. A few days prior there was a huge rally against the program and the following days there were phone calls from supporters in response. I think it's particularly interesting that at this rally saturday the few dozen supporters were waving American Flags, freaking out over an influx of people who (God Forbid) don't speak English.
The one important and positive aspect of this article is that the program it speaks of has already been on the agenda for years, we just haven't enforced it. I do give Irving props for working on programs that are already intact as oppose to wasting tax dollars on new programs Texans can't afford.
I for one had never been there until college, and believe it or not, not very many people know spanish. In fact, when you're born and raised in a place like San Antonio, or south Texas, it's almost like Northern Texas is a different state, far away from the border.
So it didn't surprise me when I read an article in Dallas Morning News regarding Immigration reform and the City of Irving, TX. Here is the article:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101407dnmetirvrally.168b5d56f.html
And here is my favorite quote:
"Our government has not kept to its oath to protect us from invasion," Ms. Towell said.
This was a woman referring to an invasion of Mexicans coming to steal all of the jobs away that she would probably never allow her children to work anyway. It reminds me of someone deathly afraid of a literal alien invasion....without remembering to think..."hey, these are people too..."
So basically there was a rally on a Criminal Alien Program that catches illegal aliens and if suspicious, they are then given to the feds. The article states that this is a controversial program has already turned 11% of it's criminals over to the federal government for suspicion of being illegally in the country. A few days prior there was a huge rally against the program and the following days there were phone calls from supporters in response. I think it's particularly interesting that at this rally saturday the few dozen supporters were waving American Flags, freaking out over an influx of people who (God Forbid) don't speak English.
The one important and positive aspect of this article is that the program it speaks of has already been on the agenda for years, we just haven't enforced it. I do give Irving props for working on programs that are already intact as oppose to wasting tax dollars on new programs Texans can't afford.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
To torture, or not to torture....
So torture is apparently back in style now everybody.
The San Antonio Express News reported in this article:
that apparently two memos have surfaced that show white house approval for the use of torture tactics when interrogating terror suspects.
I have three major issues with this:
We live in a free society where everyone is innocent until proven guilty. If we are then torturing terror "suspects" that are not yet proven guilty, technically speaking, the United States is torturing "innocent" people. I like to think I live in a much more developed country than one that would treat people as such before knowing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, right?
Second, didn't we resolve this torture issue years ago? When Guantanamo Bay came under attack there was a giant "no torture" agreement that obviously has no meaning when it comes to our wonderful government.
Third problem, and uber disturbing piece of information found in this article was this little ditty:
"The memos were disclosed in Thursday's editions of The New York Times, which reported that the first 2005 legal opinion authorized the use of head slaps, freezing temperatures and simulated drownings, known as waterboarding, while interrogating terror suspects, and was issued shortly after then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales."
Drowning someone in a tank of water to gain information. That's great, let's give them potential brain damage, and then expect our suspect to give us legitimate, concise information. Are you serious? These are "Alias" style techniques that are unrealistic and sometimes fatal. I don't know what's worse....being waterboarded or having to listen to the pathetic excuses given by our politicians for why they do the sick things they do.
The San Antonio Express News reported in this article:
that apparently two memos have surfaced that show white house approval for the use of torture tactics when interrogating terror suspects.
I have three major issues with this:
We live in a free society where everyone is innocent until proven guilty. If we are then torturing terror "suspects" that are not yet proven guilty, technically speaking, the United States is torturing "innocent" people. I like to think I live in a much more developed country than one that would treat people as such before knowing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, right?
Second, didn't we resolve this torture issue years ago? When Guantanamo Bay came under attack there was a giant "no torture" agreement that obviously has no meaning when it comes to our wonderful government.
Third problem, and uber disturbing piece of information found in this article was this little ditty:
"The memos were disclosed in Thursday's editions of The New York Times, which reported that the first 2005 legal opinion authorized the use of head slaps, freezing temperatures and simulated drownings, known as waterboarding, while interrogating terror suspects, and was issued shortly after then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales."
Drowning someone in a tank of water to gain information. That's great, let's give them potential brain damage, and then expect our suspect to give us legitimate, concise information. Are you serious? These are "Alias" style techniques that are unrealistic and sometimes fatal. I don't know what's worse....being waterboarded or having to listen to the pathetic excuses given by our politicians for why they do the sick things they do.
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