Democracy Is Ours To Preserve

I went down to my local polling place to vote, and I found myself all alone. Well, not exactly alone. There were the poll workers, a police officer, and a few political volunteers holding signs outside. At first I found it somewhat spooky, then I began to wonder……“how many other of my fellow citizens had bothered to vote?” In a city of 30,000, less than 20% of my neighbors had bothered to cast a ballot. How reassuring.

Granted this was not a Presidential year, or even a Gubernatorial election. No one was running for Federal or State office, nor was there any State referendum on the ballot. This election was only about electing my City Council, School Board, and Police Commission. These are the very same people that will decide the vision for my city. I was only casting a vote for the representatives that control my schools, my police and fire departments, and are task with the safeguarding my community standards. How important is that stuff anyway (note the tone of sarcasm)?

It is not like we do much better during our presidential elections. Mind you, in the same week when thousands were protesting in support of Democracy in Pakistan, many Americans “just didn’t have the time” to vote. What must the rest of the world, many without the simple right to freely elect their representatives, think of us?

Like a playground teeter-totter, our political process moves us up and down with each bounce of an election. Bouncing up and down on that teeter-tooter is fun at first, and then it gets a little boring. This boredom is usually relieved when one of the bouncers decides to jump off, typically when the other bouncer is up in the air. One bouncer is laughing while the other is rubbing their butt from the fall. Many Americans have jumped off the teeter-totter known as Democracy, while many more are rubbing their butts.

We all have an issue we are passionate about, but all too often we surrender our power to others. Don’t wait until the fringe of each party has selected the candidates before you decide to get involve. It should not matter that we are casting a ballot for President, Governor, Mayor or Dog Catcher. In 2004 there were over 215, 000,000 eligible voters (Remember, America’s population is around 300,000,000). 56% of the eligible voter’s cast a ballot (122,000,000). Of those 122,000,000, George Bush won roughly around 56 % of vote (62, 000,000). 16 (that’s right…sixteen!) other candidates received another 1.5 million votes. So in the end 20% of Americans decide for the rest. Makes you wonder what our country would look like if all 215,000.000 eligible voters showed up on Election Day. Imagine still if 215,000,000 participated in the Primary process.

What excuse do you use not to vote:

1. I don’t like either candidate (out of sixteen candidates, you didn’t believe in at least ONE!)
2. I am disgusted with both parties (once again, what about the other sixteen candidates).
3. I am too busy (more busy than a solider in Iraq?). Yet, somehow more people found time to vote for the next American Idol than cast a ballot in the 2006 elections.
4. I don’t know where the candidates stand (but you can tell me who did what on Desperate Housewives, how your fantasy football team is doing, or which spoiled teen drama queen is in trouble).
   

American’s hold the power for change, yet too many Americans have chosen to walk away from the very act that millions have sacrificed to preserve. The famous quote “the pen is mightier than the sword” could easily be change to “the vote is mightier than gun.” Over 80% of the citizens of Iraq showed up and voted. Do the Iraq’s know something we have forgotten? To quote Vice-President Cheney - ""It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you."

Apathy and complaisance have made us a lazy country; to lazy to participate in the survival of our own Republic. We are a government “of the people, and for the people.” Your representatives work for YOU! I know it is kind of cliché, but you pay their salary, so why wouldn’t you have the right to demand a satisfactory level of service.

Like that schoolyard teeter-totter, participating in the experiment we call the Republic of the United States is not always exciting. But if you jump off, the only one left to decide is the one with the sore butt. The only one left is the voter who:

1. Cast their ballot in anger, not in reason.
2. Pulls the lever based on the propaganda that has been spoon-fed to them, instead of with the respect of those who have sacrificed to make this country great.
3. Votes the straight party ticket, when they should be voting on the individual merits of each candidate.
4. Thinks of themselves instead of America.
5. Believes that America is a pure democracy where the majority rules, instead of a Republic governed by the rule of just laws.

America is “the people’s child.” Conceived in liberty and born of sacrifice. We, you and I, are now the parents of the United States of America. And like a parent, it is our obligation to look after our child so that it can continue to grow and thrive. When American’s opt not to vote, they freely relinquish their power to others. It is important to remember that in order to make democracy work you must be an active participant, not simply an observer. And honestly, in the end, those who choose not to vote have no right to complain.

Where have all the voters gone?

Newsflash: George Bush’s and Global Warming are to Blame for the Wildfires in California!

Leave it to some Democrats to stumble over themselves in an effort to lay the blame for the fires in Southern California at someone’s feet. While people are sufferings and watching their homes burn to the ground, two Democrats felt it was necessary to politicizes their pain, instead of providing leadership and compassion:

Senator Barbara Boxer somehow feels the fires are President Bush’s fault, while at the same time taking another swipe at the Iraq War. Boxer claimed that Iraq War was responsible for diverting the National Guard that could have been used to fight the fires:

Like a Parrot: "Bush is to Blame, Bush is to Blame, Bush is to Blame..."

Not to be outdone, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid blamed Global Warming (which we also know is President Bush’s fault as well) for the fires:

First Polar Bears, Now Malibu

Makes you wonder how Vice-President Cheney, Big Oil, Wal-Mart or Rush Limbaugh escaped blame for starting the fires.

I have a coffee mug at my desk that I should send to Reid and Boxer (or for that matter every left-wing Democrat). The mug reads – “Every time George Bush sneezes, somewhere a puppy dies.” How true, how true indeed.

UPDATE - 10/25/2007 - Arson linked to Wildfires:

Does President Bush Have An Alibi?

News for Dogs: Week of October 21, 2007

Sorry, We Can Only Hang Pictures of Deadbeat Dads:

Since 2001 the employees at the Paso Robles (CA) Post Office have been honoring local men and women serving in the military by placing their picture on a wall behind the counter at the post office. All of that ended on Friday, October 19, 2007, when an “anonymous person” filed a complaint with the US Post Office Customer Affairs Division.

Soldiers Wall of Shame

The complaint alleged that the pictures were “pro-war,” and should be removed. Paso Robles Postmaster Mike Milby and his staff were ordered to remove the display because it “violated a regulation against displays of nonpostal business material at any U.S. Post Office.”
“It’s an emotional issue, and people look at their post office as a hub of the community, but the post office is there to do postal business and it’s not a place to post things or make displays,” said postal spokesman Richard Maher.

“What happen to the pictures? Why were they taken down?” asked Shelley Reeger, (a military wife), who was just one of many who were upset Friday morning when they learned that the pictures had been taken down. “We just cannot put those photos back up, they should not have been up there to begin with,” stated United States Postal Service spokesperson Richard Maher.

The employees at the Paso Robles Post Office could find themselves in more trouble for first refusing to take the pictures down (good for them!), then placing signs at the counter stating they had been “forced” to take down the pictures.

Paso Robles Mayor, Frank Mecham, expressed disappointed over the incident, and made a request to their Congressman to look into the matter.

Commonsense was thrown right-out the window on this one. What is most frustrating though was that the voice of one, small-minded individual, how obviously harbors strong anti-military hostilities, failed to look upon the pictures and see his/her neighbors. Instead, this sad nameless person looked past the eyes of these brave soldiers to see only contempt.


What’s New Pussycat!

In one of the more interesting stories this week, and a news story dogs will truly enjoy, some have speculated that “Socks,” the former First Cat, could come back to haunt Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton.

Socks The Wonder Cat

Socks, who was somehow credited with presenting Mrs. Clinton in a “warmer-light (?),” was banished from the White House with the arrival of First Dog Buddy (may he rest in peace). Socks disliked Buddy from the beginning, “hissing and attacking” Buddy each time they came in contact with each other.

From The Atlantic (article):

Some feel that Clinton’s treatment of Socks cuts to the heart of the questions about her candidacy. Is she too cold and calculating to win the presidency? Or does it signify political invincibility by showing she is willing to deploy every weapon to get what she wants?

“In the annals of human evil, off-loading a pet is nowhere near the top of the list,” writes Caitlin Flanagan in the current issue of The Atlantic magazine. “But neither is it dead last, and it is especially galling when said pet has been deployed for years as an all-purpose character reference.”

I am not sure how this story will play out, but I am confident that the Clinton campaign will produce a press release blaming the disappearance of “Socks” on some “right-wing conspiracy.”




“In (fill-in the blank) We Trust”

I end this week’s highlights with two stories about God, or should I say without God:

The Disney Corporation believes that they are so powerful that the can make a cartoon called “The Ten Commandments” without using the name God in its advertising:

(un) Smart Marketing

It is not as if Disney needs any more bad press. Early this year Hamas used Mickey Mouse to indoctrinate future suicide bombers. Minnie Mouse was there as well, but she was wearing a burka and instructed to remain silent. The Mickey Mouse video was the first of many videos Hamas plans to produce that will feature Disney characters. Up next will be a video featuring Goofy and Donald Duck playing the roles of President Bush and Vice-President Cheney:

Now I am not in marketing, but I would think that some smart executive at Disney would have realized that by eliminating the name God the company would be disenfranchise the target audience for such a movie.

The other story comes compliments of the Office of the U.S. Capital Architect:

A 17-year-old Eagle Scout from Ohio, Andrew Larochelle, decided he wanted to send his grandfather the gift of a US Flag that had flown over the US Capital. No big deal, right? Not so fast. Andrew requested the inscription "In honor of my grandfather Marcel Larochelle, and his dedication and love of God, country and family," be placed on the accompanying certificate.

When Andrew received the flag and certificate the name “God” was missing. Andrew, who had paid a fee of $9.00 for the flag and certificate, was informed that it was against the policy of the Office of Capital Architect (AoC) to include religious expressions on the certificates.

What is the problem?

Now to be fair, Mr. Ayers is not the bad guy here. This policy was in place before Mr. Ayer’s took over, but apparently never enforced. In a statement Ayers admitted that "It is inappropriate and beyond the scope of this agency’s responsibilities to censor messages from members". Ayers also said that after reviewing the rules, he concluded that they were inconsistently applied and should be changed.

However, every story of “right and wrong” must have a villain, and this story is no exception. None other than the Speaker of the House, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi defended the decision to remove “God” from the certificate, and originally had no plans to change the rules.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, speaking on the behalf of his fellow Republicans and thousands of angry Americans, strongly disagreed with Representative Pelosi:

"This practice, which overturns a longstanding and long cherished congressional tradition, has rightly drawn outrage from the American people, who have grown weary of endless attempts by politicians and bureaucrats to bar the word God and even the most tacit references to faith from our public institutions."

The pressure was too much for Mrs. Pelosi, who suddenly had a change of heart, and later stated that the AoC should not be in the position of censoring House member’s request. Just another example of Mrs. Pelosi’s “bold and decisive (or should I say divisive) leadership.”

This is a First Amendment issue (“Congress Shall Pass NO Law….”) and the policy should not only have be changed, it should have never been written. Since Mrs. Pelosi has more pressing matters (like trying to improve their 11% approval rating), Mr. Larochelle’s Representative, Michael Tuner, R-Ohio, last week introduced House Resolution (H.R). 3779, to amend the policy.

This story does have a happy ending. Mr. Ayers had a new certificate sent to Larochelle that include the name GOD, and with the approval of Congress amended the policy. To think it took an Eagle Scout to provide a civics lessons to some members of Congress. Great Job Andrew Larochelle.

The (dis) Honorable Representaive Pete Stark

Representative Pete Stark, D-California, is an embarrassment to his office and to the people he represents. This week on the floor of the United States Congress Rep. Pete Stark lost his mind, going off the deep end once again, when he made the following statement:

"You're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement," Stark told Republicans on the floor of the House.

The comments where so outrageous that even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed criticism:

"While members of Congress are passionate about their views, what Congressman Stark said during the debate was inappropriate and distracted from the seriousness of the subject at hand - providing health care for America's children," Pelosi, D-San Francisco, said.

No Democrat has made a public request asking Rep. Stark to apologize for his comments. The news media barely touched the story, and the Internet is filled with Liberal Bloggers who support Stark’s comments and accuse Republicans of being crybabies. Keith Olbermann found Stark’s comments “refreshing,” and a CNN poll found that 88% of their audience does not feel that Stark should apologize (big surprise!)

I understand passion and “getting lost in the moment,” but to suggest that President Bush finds any amusement in what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan is pathetic and mean spirited. I wish that Rep. Stark had only shown this type of passion when terrorist were chopping the heads off of civilians and filming for the amusement of the fellow “freedom fighters,” because they are the real enemy, not President Bush.

Rep. Stark’s is just another example that its is the hardcore, Left-wing elements of the Democratic Party who are truly the hate-mongers and practitioners of divisive politics. Is it any wonder the current US Congress has record low approval ratings.

Rep. Stark’s Statements on the House Floor:

Rep. Stark’s Previous Tirades:

If you feel that Rep. Stark’s comments were unprofessional and require a public apologize, one that should be made on the floor of the Congress, write him and your representative expressing your disapproval:

Contact Rep. Stark

UPDATE 10-24-07:

Representative Stark apologized (sort of) for his remarks. Like most apologized offered by politicians it included a “however,” which makes the apology disingenuous.

"I AM SORRY, BUT......."

Putin on the Ritz

President Vladimir Putin hit the road this week to meet with the leaders that represent the countries bordering the Caspian Sea.

Putin to the USA: Back Off!

The gathering started off with a “hug fest” between Putin and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, of Iran. America was hoping that Putin could talk some sense into Ahmadinejad regarding his nuclear program and Iran’s continued aggression in the area. Instead we witnessed the dictator’s edition of “Dancing with the Stars” .

President Putin assured Iran that he would not support any military action against his “newest, best friend,” by encouraging the other nations in attendance to sign a non-aggression treaty:

"It is important that we do not even think about the possibility of using force," Mr. Putin told the summit before signing a non-aggression declaration, which was also backed by Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

It just goes to show that “you can take the boy out of the KGB, but you can’t take the KGB out of the boy.” Putin is a die hard loyalist, devoted to the restoration of the USSR, not as a democracy, but to its former glory as a totalitarian state. The difference this time is that Russia, like China, will use capitalist principals to their advantage. The Russian people will enjoy the trappings of a strong, somewhat open economy, without all the hassles of individual rights and freedoms.

Putin: From Friend to Tyrant

Queue the music, because the Evil Empire (and I don’t mean the NY Yankees) has returned. That is not to say that it ever went away. Russia struggled to “find its identity” after the fall of communism (thank-you President Reagan, Prime Minister Thatcher, Pope John Paul, the Polish People, and the US Military). Putin took the reins a decade later when the former Russian Navy was rusting away in Baltic ports, gangsters pushing drugs and prostitution controlled Moscow, and many Russians were unemployed. Putin used Russia's vast natural resources to build an economy never before seen in Russia, and used his KGB experience to attack the criminals, and occasionally rounding up a few dissents along the way.

Does all of this sound familiar? It should, because except for the names, it is analogous of the factors that led to the rise of the Third Reich:

Lose of National Pride. A once mighty nation reduced to being the laughing stock of the World. Especially by the “holier than thou” Western Nations,” who couldn’t help but gloat.

High Unemployment/Poor Economy. Unhappy people, who are not working, aren’t making money. People not making money can’t pay taxes. Without taxes the infrastructure of a country collapses, governments lose strength. A weak government can’t help their people, further making them unhappy.

Crime and Moral Decay. Crime feeds into National Pride. Great ballet companies and gold medal Olympians were replaced by crime lords, prostitutes and drug addicts.

A strong leader can use all these factors to their advantage, and that is exactly what Hitler did, and that is what we are now witnessing from Putin. I am not saying that Putin is the next Hitler. I am saying that Putin is using many of the same methods Hitler used to restore National Pride, all the while consolidating power.

Putin once lived in a Russia that was a superpower, a country that did not have to answer to anyone, even America. This type of demises is not easy to swallow, and tends to stick in your throat for a long time. Putin is using time tested methods, as well as new found wealth to re-establish the glory of the USSR:

Russia: A New Found Strength

Putin’s smile and charm are a masquerade being used to hide the true intent of an ardent nationalist. Putin is trying to seduce everyone (not just America and Iran), in the hopes that we remain asleep at the wheel, only to suddenly wake up to a Russia reminiscent of the land of Stalin, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev. But what else would you expect from a person who reportedly stole the 2005 New England Patriots Superbowl Championship Ring (Oh, So Shiny) from the finger of their owner, Bob Kraft.

The return of Russia to Superpower status, where both the USA and Russia could also be joined by China (and possibly India), is looming in the not so distance future. A strong United States has always been in the best interest of the world, but the arrival of “oppressive” nations (this would exclude India) to Superpower status would return us to the days of the Cold War. Only this time I wonder if the United States would have the resolve to win, let alone participate.

Putin: Big and Grandiose

"Let us beware that while they [Soviet rulers] preach the supremacy of the state, declare its omnipotence over individual man, and predict its eventual domination over all the peoples of the earth, they are the focus of evil in the modern world.... I urge you to beware the temptation ..., to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of any evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong, good and evil." - Ronald Reagan