Hatriots - Catchy Name, but a Bunch of Horse $&!^

This guy is entitled to his opinion (I keep saying this), but give me a break. Mr. Avlon, is again seeking to paint anyone not on board with large more expensive government that will limit your freedoms in exchange for perceived security, as a violent hate-monger (the full article here http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/30/avlon.hatriots.militia/index.html?hpt=C2) First if you value freedom and believe in the Constitution, how is this bad. If you want to make sure you keep your freedom and ensure that our Government follows the premises in the Constitution, how is that bad? So if you speak up when you think your freedom and the Constitution are being infringed, this is a bad thing. OBVIOUSLY it is according to Mr. Avlon and he will try to brand you a HATRIOT. He says "Another new Hatriot group is the Oath Keepers, who claim to have some 3,000 dues-paying members, including current and former law enforcement officers, members of the military, and others who meet to reaffirm their oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. "The whole point of the Oath Keepers is to stop a dictatorship from ever happening here," its founder, Stewart Rhodes, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal." So as long as you are willing to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic and as long as those enemies are NOT part of the government it is OK. If you think we may have some enemies that are threatening the Constitution and they are part of the government then that makes you a hatriot. I did not see anything that even indicated HATE...so on waht is Mr. Avlon basing that accusation. If they support the constitution that means they are haters? If you are willing to throw the constitution out the window in order to suit you political beliefs that is fine, but don't label others and slander them, just because they do not believe the same was as you. I can't believe CNN is still viewed as middle of the road with OP-ED's like yours (but then again if you only have Fox and MSNBC, I guess it would be easy to think CNN was middle of the road). I guess we need to be careful what we think then (we wouldn't want you to label us or libel us either). There are those out there that advocate violence (both on the left and right), but there are many others that worries that our liberties are being threatened but not advocating violence. If you think a government is being unjust and not addressing the peoples concerns, at what point are you supposed to look at correcting that injustice. Hopefully you can correct it in the ballot box, but if not what then and when? A little revolution every now and then is a healthy thing (as long as those doing it agree with you beliefs). The American Revolution is in the past, but it was fought because of an unjust government imposing its will on a certain population (taxes wasn't it without representation...or at least that is popular refrain). The constitution was written to try to prevent the same abuses from being repeated. As we have gotten farther and farther from what is written in the constitution we have come ever closer to repeating those mistakes. I do not know when people will be outraged enough to correct the errors, but hopefully we will have enough people to do it when the time comes (if we aren't all sheeples by then). Have a little more tolerance. Remeber free speech is supporting the people right to be hear even when their thoughts are counter to yours and with which you oppose...that is freedom of speech, what you Mr. Avlon wrote in that article is counter to that precept and merely throwing mud at some of those that you fundamentally disagree. I expect better from a member of the press.

IDIOTS OF THE PRESS

OK, OK. The title is probably too strong, but give me a fucking break. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but no one's opinion is any better than anyone else's (it is opinion after all...not fact, so quit trying to state it as such).

Now Mr. Rich is an Entertainment Critic, he is still entitled to his opinion. I won't debate that with him. His OP-ED is as well written as it is biased ( http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/frankrich/index.html ). Don't confuse his biased opinion (it is the NY Times after all) with factual reporting. In fact Pat Sajak (that is right the Game Show host) did a very good rebuttal to Mr. Riches blatherings (see link http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36241 ).

What seems to be dismissed, is that anyone that didn't agree that the health care bill (or abomination) was just a racist and couldn't possibly have any worthy ideas. I don't agree with all opinions of the tea party (or coffee party for that matter)protesters, but they did have some legitimate issues with the health care bill. This is just one example of the media marginalizing those with ideas that differ from theirs (if you want me to provide some examples form Foxnews I can as well).

When did the press decide that reporting things objectively (meaning facts) was no longer a virtue. Now we only have YELLOW JOURNALISM and political spin (oh yeah and Lindsey Lohan's latest drunken or drugged escapede). I can't remember the last time I watched the news cycle and say any attempt at being biased. Even now those that claim to be 'fair and balanced' must think I am a complete idiot. They are biased in every story they report and equally in what they do not report. CNN is equally as bad, but when you have MSNBC on one side and FOX on the other, people conclude that CNN is middle of the road.

We should be demanding OBJECTIVITY in all of our news agencies, rather than allow them to be the undirected mouth pieces for our two political parties (or allow other parties to play on an equal footing).

Democracy - How It Is SUPPOSED to Work

Democracy is a difficult form of Government to get to work well. It requires all to be a part of it. The thought is that the group comes up with a better decision than an individual or smaller group could have arrived at. It requires them to be educated when they vote. it require them to actually go and vote. Why is it that most Americans can tell you who one on American Idol last night (I am smugly proud that I can't tell you that), but couldn't tell you what checks and balances are. The problems our country has experienced recently would hopefully galvanize more of the lazy Americans into action, but apparently not. Get off your dead asses and get educated and express your (educated) views in your vote, in your letter to your representatives. Do some research actually watch more than one news station (like CNN and FOX...and even...the channel that has lost all pretense at being unbiased MSNBC) and draw your own conclusion and act accordingly. It is your government, act on your behalf, perhaps your input can keep it from screwing it up any more than it has (it might even improve it).

A Few Other Ideas To Rein In Our Overlords

1) Get control of the House and Senate again and populate them with true representatives (they clearly didn't hear one word of protest on health care...well why would they with most media baising it their way...or marginalizing those that didn't share their views).

2) Start a movement to repeal the 17th ammendment (return appointment of US Senators
to the control of state legislatures)

3) Take the money out of national politics by ending political donations (as much as I hate limiting it...if we don't take it away from them, they will never give it up themselves). Make politicians get a required number of signatures and then apply for federal money with which to campaign. Eliminate of so-called independent PACs and shorten the political campaign season. Make it about issues and ideas, rather than who donates the most money and what they want to have happen.

4) Make laws that exempt politicians null and void. They want health care and retirement...let them all do social security and our health insurance just like you and I. If it isn't good enough for them, why would they think it would be good enough for us.

5) Put a ceiling on the wages of federal employees that is linked to the median income of private sector employees in similar jobs.

6) Put a limit on what an executive order can be used for and make them use the line item veto. The President shouldn't be able to weasel out of signing it, just because it was a part of a bill. Ban executive appointment of czars and creation of departments by the executive branch. If it isn't in the Constitution, it shouldn't be there.

7) Ban omnibus bills. Restrict all bills to a reasonable number of pages and require each member of Congress to read the bills and certify that they have been read in their final draft before they can vote on them. make it a LAW to do so (send them to jail if they don't...deport them...something).

8) Link pay for senators, representatives and the executive branch to the GDP and the the deficit or eliminate it altogether.

9) Give the states the ability to force recall elections for national office holders

10) Start scaling back entitlements (social security and Medicare should be restricted to the payer and spouse) by a percentage each year.

11) If it is not spelled out as a power reserved for the Federal Government in the Constituion, it is a State responsiblity. Return the power to where it belongs. If you think it should be at a Federal level there is a method to make it happen, it is called an amendment to the Constitution. Yes it is cumbersome, but it was made that way to limit the centralization of power.

Health Care - Oh Great, Thanks A Lot (insert sarcasm here)

Oh good we will all be cared for now. Rest at ease...our elected officials have fixed everything for us. Our Government will make it all better (they have done SOOOO good so far we can trust them to do it well this time...thats sarcasm in cased you missed it). So we have made it MANDATORY for you to purchase a product. Probably the only time I am glad there are lawyers, but go forth and challenge this. EVERY State out to be on this lawsuit band wagon. How much will this help our economy...was it so important to do it now (aside from the Democratic Orgasm of being able to enact one of their most coveted programs with no chance of anyone stopping it)...why was there a rush to pass it (aside from last quote)...wouldn't it have been better to go slow make sure it was the best we could do (AND ACTUALLY READ AND UNDERSTAND THE DAMN THING) before passing it.

First this wasn't reform. It was socializing health care , with a few reform elements.

Second the cost of this is not just the government and states, but every company and
individual that no has to bear the cost of this unfunded mandate.

Third how many of those without insurance where without it because the could truly afford it, or just didn't want to sacrifice luxuries to pay for insurance.

Fourth is this really to help the people or build greater numbers and more sheeples to be loyal and more dependent on elected officials the political elites (obviously this benefits DEMOCRATS than Republicans).

I Could Go on, but will stop with this one - This will save us money. It costs the government billions. They might have been able to convince me if the actually told me how this would save us money (oh wait they have to READ AND UNDERSTAND it in order to do that).

You Gotta Be Kidding Me AGAIN!!!!!

Okay this is venting and is a bit dated, but as I was going through my old rantings and writings...I also want to relay my severe anger at the comments of Mr. Conyers ...“I love these members, they get up and say, ‘Read the bill,’” said Conyers. “What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?” If you don't know what it says or means you sure as heck shouldn't be voting on it. Health care is an important issue for everyone. Why is there a rush to pass legislation on such an important issue (aside from the political reason, which is only important to politicians)? It is better to take the time to do it right, especially considering the costs involved. If there was money to spare, I would have less heartburn with it but we are already far, far, far, into debt (despite the fact that it is WE THE PEOPLES money, and not Congresses'). We elected them to represent us and make decisions for us (it makes me cringe, but we did). Part of that DUTY is to make the laws and that requires making them, understanding them and knowing EVERYTHING about them, before you actually enact them. To not read them and then voting on them is a GROSS MISFEASANCE, if not outright MALFEASANCE of elected duty. Those that say this or abrogate their duty ought to be censured at the very least (and their constituents out to throw them out of office at the earliest possible time).

Encumbants and Carrer Politicians Should Go!

Collectively I would impeach or vote out every single incumbent, or recall them immediately. I would provide an overall grade to the Congress and President, but there is nothing lower than an F-. Positions and policies presented by the government that limit freedom and socialize aspects of society is an anathema to me. I will vote against and oppose it every single time. I do not need the federal government to look after me. That is my responsibility. Doing this merely enables others to not do for them what they ought to do and allows us a good excuse to not hold anyone accountable. If there is to be guidance from the government it should be retained at the lowest level possible (state or local). It is time for brave (think of new and possibly unpopular ideas to solve our problems), unselfish (think about what is right, NOT what will get you elected…if job security and reelection is your priority, please let me know....so I can support someone else), leadership (willingness to act on the correct ideas and policies).

On a Similar note - The 2 party system is blocking 3rd parties from expressing views of many Americans. They maybe a minority, but some of their ideas do have merit and should be heard. I realize that you are all Republicans or Democrats...a few Independents, but sometimes it is more important to allow others to express their views, even if it means that the two major parties give up part of their power (that being the monopoly on power the Dems and Reps are currently sharing). Debates, funding and allowing candidates on ALL ballots is part of the democratic process (even if some of them have some...uh...unique ideas). I ccall on all of you to put aside the politics of this and support 3rd party issues and allow the positions to be heard.