Politics

Go vote in this Channel 6 survey

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Politics

Go vote in this Channel 6 News survey right now. Of course, you should vote in favor of same-sex unions.
The Indiana Civil Liberties Union is suing the state of Indiana for not recognizing the Vermont same-sex unions of three couples in Indiana. Read an excellent analysis of the suits here. Its much better than the local coverage in the Indy Star. I know one of the couples suing the state, David Wene and David Squire, from their volunteer work for Indianapolis’ Gay Library and for Jesus MCC.

Continue ReadingGo vote in this Channel 6 survey

Letter to America

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Politics

Wow, this letter to America is an eye-opener. To the rest of America, that is– they seem to be freaking out about this letter all over the net. I, on the other hand, have been saying some of the same things, in nicer ways, for a long time. America does need to wake up and realize that the world hates us. Most of their reasons for hating us are unjustified or unfair, but some of them aren’t. And we need to have enough of a conscience as a nation to recognize the difference. Also, we need to kick that Dumbass Bush out of office.

Continue ReadingLetter to America

FBI and customer discount cards

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Politics

According to Fox News: Store Customer Cards a Source for FBI?

So you have a secret craving for Little Debbie peanut butter bars and a penchant for Kendall-Jackson merlot?

While that customer loyalty card at the supermarket might perceivably save you a few pennies at the checkout counter, your buying habits could end up in the hands of government agents.

According to one privacy expert, at least one national grocery chain voluntarily handed over to the government records from its customer loyalty card database in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

And others say customer databases — including those culled from travel, financial and insurance industries — are routinely shared with the government for surveillance purposes.

“I think this is exactly what the FBI wants to do and there really isn’t any obstacle to them doing it anymore,” charged Lee Tien, a policy analyst with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Continue ReadingFBI and customer discount cards

liberal european cultures and fundamentalist Muslims

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Politics

This is a really fascinating article on the difficulties liberal european cultures face when fundamentalist Muslims emigrate to their countries. Muslims, who believe that homosexuals and women who are raped should be put to death, are trying to maintain their beliefs and even change the laws of the countries they live in to reflect their beliefs.
To me, there’s a simple solution to this problem:
1. Erect wind turbines throughout the U.S. Doing this in just three key states would produce enough energy to power the entire nation.
2. Legislate the use of hydro-electric fuel cells in all cars. Within 5 years, all cars could be using more energy efficient fuel systems, which would improve the environment and reduce global warming.
3. Get a whole bunch of nuclear bombs, and drop them on every Muslim country. Now that we’re no longer dependent on middle east oil, we have no reason to be allies with the sick fucks who live in Saudi Arabia, and we have no reason to try to negotiate or otherwise deal with Iraq, Iran, or any other backwards ignorant assholes.
Yeah, yeah, I’m not serious. Well, I kind of am. I know I’ve ranted and raved against Bush going to war against Iraq, and I don’t think I’m being inconsistent here. I don’t want Bush to create a war out of thin air to justify his own re-election in 2004, which is the one and only reason he’s even trying to wag that dog with Iraq. He doesn’t have any good reason to go to war. However, I don’t have a problem dropping a bunch of nuclear weapons on the heads of guys who think it’s okay to rape women and to then punish them for being raped by killing them. I’m really pretty much in favor of blowing them to kingdom come.

Continue Readingliberal european cultures and fundamentalist Muslims

The Meaning of Courage

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Politics

“for the same basic choice of courage or compliance continually faces us all, whether we fear the anger of constituents, friends, a board of directors or our union, whenever we stand against the flow of opinion on strongly contested issues…. A man does what he must-in spite of personal consequence, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality.” — From The Meaning of Courage, John F. Kennedy

Continue ReadingThe Meaning of Courage

Spy on your neighbors for the Federal Government

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Politics

Okay, check out this unbelieveable shit… you can sign up to spy on your neighbors for the Federal Government. “Operation TIPS will be a national system for reporting suspicious, and potentially terrorist-related activity. The program will involve the millions of American workers who, in the daily course of their work, are in a unique position to see potentially unusual or suspicious activity in public places.”

Police state, here we come. Okay, now can we impeach the president? Um, I think this qualifies, doesn’t it?
UPDATE: Here’s a transcript of a sample call to the TIPS hotline. Remember, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not after you.

Continue ReadingSpy on your neighbors for the Federal Government

rights you no longer have

A breakdown of the rights you no longer have under the U. S. Patriot Act. War on Terror my ass. More like a war on the U. S. Constitution.

What I did this weekend… scraped and painted more of the house, stripped and refinished the window to go in the entry hallway. Now I need to finish stripping the outside of the window and get glass for it. I’ll have photos up when I’m finished…

Continue Readingrights you no longer have

Random Acts of Freedom

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Politics

It’s been a tough year for Americans. We’ve endured one of the worst events in our nation’s history — the stealing of an election by a man who didn’t win the office. We’ve also had to deal with a terrible terrorist attack on our own shores… something we never imagined could happen. And since then, the liberties we’ve enjoyed as American citizens have been systematically dismantled under the guise of "Homeland Security." Now more than ever (oops, that’s a cliché, isn’t it?) celebrating our Independence Day is very important.

Bill

In celebration of the Fourth of July this year, why not do something other than just shooting off fireworks? Why not do something that truly says, "I’m a free human being living in the United States of America, and I believe in the founding principle of my country: Liberty!"

Do something (anything) to exercise one of the freedoms guaranteed to you in the most important document that belongs to our country–the Bill of Rights (reprinted here for you to peruse).

Removing God From Your Money

Also, Here’s something you COULD do. I’m not saying I do this, but you could do it, if you wanted…. Considering the recent hullabaloo about the unconstitutionality of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, a number of people on both sides of the issue have pointed out that we celebrate God on our money with "In God We Trust." The religious right wants you to believe that our founding fathers were responsible for including references to God on our currency and in other government institutions, but the reality is that this happened during the red scare in the 1950’s. Prior to 1956, our national motto was "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of Many, One), not "In God We Trust."

Take any bill of currency, find the phrase "In God We Trust" and cross out the word "God." Yep, cross it right out. He’s not supposed to be here anyway. (See Amendment I below.) Then, above the word "God" write in the word "Freedom" or the word "Liberty."

Is this illegal? Is defacing money against the law? Only if you deface the money in such a way and with the intent that it can’t be recirculated. If you tear it, cut it up, make it unreadable or in some way that it cannot be used any longer. Simply crossing out the "God" on your money doesn’t make it impossible to pass on to someone else. In fact, that’s really the point, isn’t it? Passing it on to someone else so they see it and spend it, too. Writing on money is just an expression of the First Amendment.

However, there are some cases where federal officials have harassed people who defaced money and otherwise threatened or intimidated them. Which is why I personally am not defacing any money. No siree.
"Not enough" you say? This is too small to make a difference? Well here are some other suggestions for things you can do to protest the erosion of your basic freedoms.

  1. Register to vote
  2. 2. Contact your elected officials
  3. 3. Donate money to your political party of choice
  4. 4. Check out other non-violent protests and use them as a model.
Continue ReadingRandom Acts of Freedom

Our Rights Were Derived From God? What?

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Politics

On the recent ruling about removing the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance:

President Bush found the ruling “ridiculous,” saying today it was “out of step with the traditions and history of America” as he promised to appoint “commonsense judges who understand that our rights were derived from God.”

Okay, this man CANNOT remain in office after making a statement like that.

Continue ReadingOur Rights Were Derived From God? What?