Politations

Ask not challenge...

2011-01-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

Fifty years ago today, President John F. Kennedy gave a great speech. In this speech he issued a challenge to all Americans. "My fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."

Too many people are looking to the government for handouts. They get Medicaid, foodstamps, education... I agree that some people are in need and this is helping them but it needs limits.

I was in line at the grocery store last week. I had my measly food due to the lack of money that I work very hard for. The lady in front of me had a basket full of steaks, chips, salsa, crappy junk food, etc. It wouldn't have been so bad if she didn't whip out a Lonestar card and pay for it all. Really???

I got to looking around online. According to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission:

You can buy food, seeds and plants at stores approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The seeds and plants are used to grow food for your household to eat.

You cannot use food benefits to buy:

○ Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco;

○ Any non-food items (For example, pet foods, soaps, paper

products, and household supplies);

○ Vitamins and medicines;

○ Food that will be eaten in the store;

○ Hot foods.

It just isn't right. Here's an idea:

This was in the Waco Tribune Herald, Waco, TX 18 Nov 2010

**Put me in charge ...**

Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star
cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for
50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese, and all
the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and
frozen pizza ..... get a job.

Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to
get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal
ligations. Then we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol,
and nicotine and document all tattoos and piercings. If you
want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, smoke or get tats
and piercings .... get a job.

Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a
military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of
repair. Your "home" will be subject to inspections anytime,
and possessions will be inventoried. If you want a plasma TV
or Xbox 360 .... get a job and your own place.

In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job
each week or you will report to a "government" job. It may
be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing
public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your
22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo
and speakers and put that money toward the "common good."

Before you write that I've violated someone's rights,
realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our
money, accept our rules.. Before you say this would be
"demeaning" and ruin their "self esteem," consider that it
wasn't that long ago when taking someone else's money for
doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self
esteem.

If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we
should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad
choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to
make bad choices.

Alfred W. Evans, Gatesville, Texas*

Mr. Evans, I applaud your thinking and would love to have you in charge.

Leave my wealth alone... redistribute my work ethic!

Medical Marijuana...

2009-10-19T21:11:00.002-06:00

So, Obama had a bright idea to support a more liberal approach to medical marijuana. Why?

Is this the first step in legalizing pot? I can only imagine the rationalization of the White House... "If people are all stoned, they won't question us a bit... Wait... can we hurry up and get it done and pass a doobie with Hannity, Beck and the other "not-news" people?"

I think it's a bad deal all the way around and will lead to an even worse America. How can we even control the substance? Will there be laws passed about smoking and driving? How will that be regulated?

Marijuana is an illegal DRUG and shouldn't be legalized, medical smoking or recreational.

THOUGHTS???

New Haven Firefighters

2009-06-29T16:02:00.004-06:00

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the "New Haven 20" today. The 5-4 ruling said that firefighters were truly denied promotions due to their skin color.

The story goes, firefighters took their promotion boards. Black candidates didn't score high enough to place in the top 20 spots so the test was invalidated and nobody got the promotion for fear that the affirmative action police would get them.

My question is, why is race even a factor here? People took a test knowing that the top 20 got promotions. It just so happened that 19 white and one Hispanic people took the top 20 spots. The issue of race is far too overused in today's society.

Many say this was a slap in the face to Sotomayor. I say, not so. This was a ruling for truth and justice. The 20 passed the test and deserved the promotion.

Anti-smoking bill...

2009-06-13T19:33:00.003-06:00

President Obama claimed he will quickly sign an anti-smoking bill... after his smoke break, or has he officially quit? Who knows... He's tried a few times.

Don't get me wrong, I know how hard it is to quit smoking. I smoked for 10 years. It doesn't make sense that a smoker would rush to pass an anti-smoking bill.

The bill is aimed to help keep kids off of cigarettes by not having ads within 1,000 feet of schools, doing away with flavored cigs, and make cigarette ads in convenient stores disappear.

Who knows, it just might work.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

2009-06-11T16:56:00.002-06:00

It surprises me to hear that Ahmadinejad is accusing Mousavi of using tactics likening those of Adolf Hitler. How can you deny that the Holocaust ever happened, but still use Hitler in a rebuttal? It doesn't make sense to me.

Can minorities be racist?

2009-06-04T13:43:00.002-06:00

Recently, Judge Sotomayor, the forerunner for the open Supreme Court seat, has been charged with being a racist. Many people are saying that she, as a minority, cannot be a racist. What is a racist anyhow?

Merriam-Webster define racist as, "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race." So, racism produces a superiority of one race over another and you are racist if you feel superior to a race.

Sotomayor is a racist by that definition. She feels she is better than a white person because of her status as a Latin American female. It's plain and simple. One's racist remark cannot be viewed as freedom of speech by another race. It's just not right. Minority have clubs, organizations, television channels, radio stations, etc. If a majority member tried to make an exclusive club, he'd be called a racist.

It's a soapbox that I must try to overcome due to the fact that it will never change.

Yikes, Sykes...

2009-05-11T16:16:00.002-06:00

Wanda Sykes crossed the line last night at the White House Corespondents' Dinner. What does the media have to say about it today? Absolutely NOTHING. Why, you ask? Sykes is a liberal attacking a conservative. If the roles were reversed, a conservative attacking a liberal, the media would eat them alive.

$328 K photo shoot...

2009-05-08T17:06:00.005-06:00

WOW... I just read that the brainiac Air Force One photo shoot, you know, the one that caused panic and flashbacks of 9/11 to New Yorkers, cost a whopping $328,000. I could think of quite a few things the money could have gone to, especially in these economic times. I could've used Photoshop and slapped this picture together at a fraction of the cost and minus the massive panic in New York City. Wasn't he calling Congress to cut $17 Billion from the budget? The $328,000 is nothing comparatively, but it's a start. Way to lead by example, Mr. Obama.

Picture from news.yahoo.com

Janet Napolitano

2009-04-24T19:36:00.004-06:00

"Has this Homeland Security secretary gone absolutely stark raving mad?" Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn, said Wednesday.

"I think the appropriate thing for her to do would be to step down," Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, told Fox News on Thursday.

"Janet Napolitano should resign or be fired," Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, said on Wednesday.

Just a few quotes about the Homeland Security report on right wing extremists possibly recruiting returning war veterans. I think it was one of the biggest blunders to hit the Obama camp(next to taking a book from Chavez and smiling into the cameras the whole time, and don't forget all the upstanding characters he tried to give offices to). I call this a blatant slap in the face for any veteran of any era. Why would we put our lives on the line in Iraq and Afghanistan, only to become domestic terrorists? It doesn't make any sense. This isn't her only blunder in office. I'm with Rep. Burgess. Do us all a favor and step down.

Jackie Chan

2009-04-21T16:59:00.002-06:00

"I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want." The above quote was from Jackie chan in a panel discussion about the Asian entertainment industry.

Recently, a representative for Chan said that the quote that has millions of people in an uproar were simply taken out of context. He was talking specifically of the entertainment industry being censored, not the Chinese people as a whole.

Personally, I would come out publicly and put an end to the rumors. Don't send a rep to clean up your mess. The people will react better to you rather than a rep. At this point, it might be too late for Mr. Chan.

My very first blog... Here goes everything.

2009-04-01T20:34:00.001-06:00

The very first sentence is always the hardest to write. I've been told by many a person that after all is written, go back and check the first line. Rewrite if necessary. This post might not make it past the second posting... Here it goes...

Bernie Madoff... Just hearing the name sends chills down my back. He's a walking, talking, swindling PR nightmare. I was thinking on how to improve his image. At this point, I don't think it is possible. He will go down in history as one of the worst PR disasters the US has ever seen (right next to the Valdez disaster). I've gotta feel sorry for the guy. The government just seized his Florida vacation home. He still has a few left, thank goodness. Did they have to take his yachts (yes, plural), though? Sad day... Not really.

I've enabled comments. What do you think?