Gun Control vs. 2nd Amendment

   In 1791, when Congress adopted the Bill of Rights, guns were single-shot, flint lock rifles. There were no magazines, percussion caps, or pistols. Guns were loaded through their muzzles. As technology has changed the firearm, so we must also change the laws and regulations pertaining to them. I agree with the right to protect yourself, your home, and your family. However, it should be a privilege to own a firearm, rather than a right.
   We should have federal regulations on background checks. There should be a federal waiting period. Assault weapons, semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons should be banned from civilian ownership. There should also be a limit to the amount of guns that a registered owner can have. People make the argument of guns for sport; semi-automatic weapons are not sport guns. There is no sport when you can spray bullets. Hunting is only a sport when you have to display marksmanship by killing an animal with rifle. Concealed weapons permits should be issued under the highest scrutiny. We need to make serious changes to our gun laws to curb the violence that has become so prevalent in our society. We are supposed to be a civilized, first-world country, but when innocent children are being slaughtered, it shows how uncivilized we really are. 
   The NRA press conference highlighted how delusional we really are as a country. Having armed guards in our classrooms is not a solution and arming our teachers is dumb idea. We have been through too many school shootings and mass killings and gun rampages. Sandy Hook was the straw that broke the camels back. Innocent children, kindergartners, were slaughtered in cold blood for absolutely no reason. School is supposed to be a safe place for children. More importantly than the right to bear arms, is the right to the best education available in the safest environment possible. We need to demand real change and actual answers from our elected leaders. The time for action is now. We need to do everything in our power to ensure that this type of horrific tragedy never takes place again.

Who's Next?

              The political season is in full swing as the Presidential Election near. We, as voters, are faced with several difficult decisions from the national elections to our state and local governments. The days of 'Hope and Change' are passed and the lackluster achievements of those topics have left a bad taste in the mouths of many. Personally, I feel disenchanted with the left and completely disconnected from the right. President Obama has succeeded on several social initiatives, but has failed at the economic issues that have plagued our ailing country for the better part of four years. The Obama administration has gotten us out of Iraq (where we should have never been anyway) anyway and come up with a plan to drawdown from Afghanistan. Don't Ask Don't Tell has been successfully repealed, proving that a person’s sexuality doesn't affect their ability to serve their country; the President has even taken a pro-gay marriage stance. Most impressive has been the foreign policy positions led by Hillary Clinton, who has made one hell of a Secretary of State. Hillary's positions and interactions on the world stage have set a positive tone. This experience as the leading social diplomat really bolsters Hillary's credentials for a 2016 run (Clinton-Rice 2016 would be an amazing ticket). Despite the peaceful policies, the President did manage to find and kill Osama Bin Laden. These successes really make the case for a 2nd Obama term. The hard reality is that people are hurting all across the country and the administration has not been able to reign in the out-of-control spending to chip away at our ever-increasing deficit. Unemployment is still above 8% nationally, which is misleading, as people have fallen out of the job market; the true number of unemployed or under-employed Americans is much higher. Another shortcoming has been the administration's inability to bolster small business and limit the red tape that constricts private enterprise. A strong private sector is the backbone of America and making it easier for businesses to open, flourish, and hire is a necessity to get this country back on track. Also proving difficult for the President was the bailout of the auto and banking industries as well as a stimulus package that didn't get the job done as the administration had hoped.
           Unfortunately, there weren't many options for a replacement. The Republican primaries were intensely divisive amongst the candidates (Jon Huntsman was probably the best candidate out of the lot; he has the foreign policy credentials and is more centrist).  In the end the GOP selected Mitt Romney, who definitely has the business background. Despite Romney’s background in business, he still faces a few obstacles, most importantly himself.  Mitt’s lack of personality gets in his way when he is trying to deliver his message to voters; quite frankly the man is blasé, and nothing about him excites me to listen to him. Obama is a gifted orator, but listening to Romney takes me back to high school economics class.  What Romney boasts in business savvy, he lacks in charisma. Another problem for Romney is his lack of details. I understand that you have to keep some cards close to the chest, but if you expect people to vote for you to tackle our nation’s problems, there has to be some explanation of how you intend to accomplish that task. The debates will be coming up soon and that could be a good vehicle for Mr. Romney to unveil some details. More troubling though, are the recent developments.  Shortly after the U.S. embassies were attacked in Egypt and Libya, Mitt Romney seized that opportunity to criticize the Obama Administration’s handling of the events and the embassy’s “apology” to those who were offended by the anti-Muslim internet film.  Romney’s criticism was early and sadly the news broke a little later that four Americans, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, were killed in an attack on the embassy in Benghazi. Particularly troubling is the timing. Mr. Romney decided to publicly criticize the President and his administration immediately in the wake of an attack on U.S. diplomats and U.S. interests. Romney’s decision was completely inappropriate. That would have been the time to reassure America that despite our political differences, we are all united against these terrorists acts and that we stand together in the name of liberty and freedom. We condemn the acts of violence, yes, but we also condemn the vile, vitriolic film which directly attacked the Islamic faith. Instead Mr. Romney attempted to politicize the events; these actions don’t unify, they polarize. Certainly, we do not want a leader who ‘jumps the gun’ to criticize and speak about events which are still unfolding. This type of decision making is similar to what got us into an unnecessary war with Iraq. As a country that is feeling the effects of two decade-long wars, we cannot afford to be put into that situation again. This was the proverbial 3:00am phone call and Mitt Romney blew it.

                Something else that has come to light in the last few weeks are these videos from private Romney fundraising dinners, where he suggested that 47% of Americans believe they are the victims, they abuse government aid, and don’t pay income taxes. We all know that there are some people who take advantage and work the system. However, I truly believe that the majority of people don’t want to be victims. We have to believe that the American Dream is still alive and well; that people want to succeed and do it through their own hard work. Yes, we all dream about winning the lottery and striking it rich, but the true American Dream is to rise up and do better than our parents did; to take where they left off and continue on. For many of us, our parents had to work exceptionally hard to make ends meet and to give us the opportunities that they never had; and we expect to do the same for the next generation. That is the American Dream and is it forged deeply within us all. There is an unfortunate side of truth with what Mr. Romney was saying. That 47% doesn’t believe that they are victims, but the truth is that in some ways they are.  Those individuals are victims, victims of discriminatory accounting tactics which force most people to pay higher percentages in taxes than the upper echelon of the wealthy class, including Mr. Romney. The rich get rich and the poor get poorer. We don’t need to go to the opposite extreme and call for a complete redistribution of wealth, but we definitely need to level the playing field so that each and every person pays their fair share. These preferential policies are widening the gap between the classes.

                I, for one, am looking forward to the upcoming debates. This election is incredibly important for the future of America.  Who can get us out of the economic slump in which we find ourselves? Who can keep us safe and protect our interests? Will our foreign policies alienate us from the rest of the world? The next four years will be no easy task.

Remembrance and a New Path Forward

With the 10^th Anniversary of the September 11^th attacks approaching, we all remember where we were and what we were doing.  The attacks were the first time in my life time that America was being tested physically.  The reports of what was going on across the country filled our senses; TVs and radios were on all day as we watched and listened to the news of unfolding events.  We learned of unspeakable tragedy as thousands of people lost their lives in attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and we learned of the heroic sacrifice that everyday citizens made aboard Flight 93. In the days following the attacks, America showed her strength as a nation. The unwavering patriotism of the American people came to the forefront of our society.  Flags hung in windows and outside of houses as symbols that we would not surrender and America would not be brought down.  It was this patriotism that united a country and a society. Congress convened together, not as members of different parties, but as Americans and sang “God Bless America” on the steps of the Capitol.  We were proud and we stood firm in solidarity.  America would not be broken and we will never give up.  This atmosphere of hyper-patriotism was reflective of our core strength as a people. 

We have come quite a distance in the 10 years after 9-11.  The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down, but new economic disasters threaten our way of life.  We need to revisit the patriotism, the strength, the unity that we exhibited a decade ago.  We need to channel these values and work together to fix our current situation.  We need to put aside partisan differences and do what is best for the American people. Our neighbors are hurting for work, losing their homes, and struggling to feed their starving families.  Let’s work together to restore the strength of the American economy and to make this country the strongest and most powerful in the world.  We need to make smart decisions that perpetuate our strength and resilience.  We need to teach our students with the best education available to keep us competitive in the world. We need to lead by example and show our citizens that the country can live within its means just as each individual and family does.  We can grow this economy, we can make America strong once again, and we can show that the American Spirit that lives inside each and every one of us will not fade.  We can do these things, we must do these things, but we can and must do them…together.

Approaching the Ceiling

With the 2012 Presidential Campaign already under way, the main focus is clearly the economy.  The recovery has been a sluggish process marked by one step forward and two steps back.  Contenders are falling in line and there is a long list of Republican candidates looking to remove President Obama from the White House.  My question is “Why are there no Democratic Challengers vying for the same goal?”  Evidently nobody within the same party feels disenchanted with this President.  I applaud President Obama for certain social advances made under his leadership: the repeal of DADT, universal healthcare (although it has adversely affected the cost of my coverage), the justice department no longer defending DOMA, and  a better approach to foreign policy than we had seen in the previous 8 years.  This leads to my assessment that Mr. Obama is not a bad President; rather, I believe he would have been a great President, at a different time.  The social triumphs are great; if Don’t Ask Don’t Tell were not in place when I graduated from high school, I probably would have served in the military. I do not agree with the wars in which we’re involved, but I am a proud American who would have loved the opportunity to serve and defend my country.  My main argument against the Obama administration is that the primary focus should have been on jobs and the economy. 

When the housing bubble popped and the mortgage meltdown led to the largest financial collapse since the Great Depression, we needed a President whose main priority on day one was the recovery of our failing economy.  The bailouts were approved under the outgoing Bush administration and the unemployment rate has since fallen slightly, but we needed the CEO of the most powerful nation in the world to approach the situation with a clear plan to reinvigorate the job market.  This is where the promises of “hope” and “change” fell short.  There are countless Americans still out of work and more and more families are struggling to make ends meet.  This is unacceptable in the most powerful nation in the world. 

The biggest piece of political theatre has been over the debt ceiling.  Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling by the first week of August, or the US will be unable to pay its debts.  The idea of United States of America defaulting on its debt is unprecedented.  When talks between congressional leaders and Vice-President Biden broke down in June, it was predictable.  Joe Biden isn’t exactly the most tactful.  Now that talks have broken down between Speaker Boehner and President Obama we are staring down the barrel of default.  Congress needs to cut its spending, reform entitlements, and increase income.  The Bush tax-cuts (the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans) were intended to be temporary; which is how they were approved in the first place.  This perpetuates the idea of “the rich get richer.” The very wealthy can afford to pay their fair share.  We have to be certain that taxes will not increase on small businesses and hard-working middle class families.  I am sick of Washington covering their asses rather than working to help the people they were elected to represent.  We do not want to push this debt ceiling vote into next year; 2012 is going to be the next big political contest with the President and several key congressional leaders up for reelection.  We do not need more distractions from dealing with the financial future of our country.  We need financial reform and a plan to help us pay down our debts and reduce our deficits.  We cannot afford this game of financial “chicken.”  Congress needs to stop using the livelihood of their constituents as fodder for their political warfare. 

Radical Homosexual Agenda!

OK.  So as the mid-term elections were gearing up, I received this email urging me not to vote for Harry Reid.  I received this letter on Oct. 31, while I was at church, and couldn't wait to get home to type my reply (which is below the original email).  Interestingly enough, when I emailed my reply, I "accidentally" hit reply- all. 

Dear Concerned American,
Harry Reid is an enemy of traditional values.

He has repeatedly and with malice voted against the family and has become nothing but a pet of the Homosexual Lobby.

Harry Reid’s underhanded tactics made it possible for the unconstitutional and immoral Thought Control Bill to be snuck into law attached to the must-pass Defense Authorization Act.

And he plans to do the exact same thing with the Gay Bill of Special Rights.

Harry Reid is even coming up with a “Lame Duck” scheme to ram through the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Never has the family had a more formidable enemy in their crosshairs.

Sharron Angle is holding him accountable and will stand up against the radical Homosexual Agenda.

Unlike Harry Reid who wants to ram through:

*** The Gay Bill of Special Rights forcing schools and churches to hire and prevent them from firing open homosexuals. Men dressed as women will have the “right” to share bathrooms with young girls and those who disagree will face lawsuits, even prosecution; to,

*** The repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act eliminating the legal protection we’ve established for those states that reject Homosexual “marriages” by codifying traditional marriage into law; to,

*** The Homosexual Classrooms Act creating pro-homosexual indoctrination classes designed to eradicate traditional values in the next generation of American students; to,

*** The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell forcing our soldiers to share foxholes, bunks and even showers with open homosexuals. The U.S. military, once representative of the best in America will degrade into a social experiment of homosexual activism; to,

*** The Homosexual Adoption Bill will force private religious adoption agencies to allow homosexual “couples” to adopt young boys and girls into their homosexual “family.”

As you can see, Harry Reid is an enemy of traditional values.

You and I must hold him accountable.

Please call Harry Reid’s office at 702-388-**** now and demand he stand up for the family.

Let me know you do not support the Homosexual Agenda and refuse to support anyone who does.

Thanks for your time.

For the Family,

Eugene Delgaudio

President

Public Advocate of the United States

P.S. Harry Reid is an enemy of traditional values.

He has repeatedly and with malice voted against the family and has become nothing but a pet of the Homosexual Lobby.

Please call Harry Reid’s office at 702-388-**** now and demand he stand up for the family.

Let me know you do not support the Homosexual Agenda and refuse to support anyone who does.

Here's my reply!

Dear Eugene,

Your email amounts to nothing more than hateful fear-mongering. As Harry Reid lives in Nevada and is running for Senator of Nevada, I cannot vote one way or another. In argument to what you call the "radical homosexual agenda" and "homosxual lobby," you are very clearly preying upon the misunderstanding and misconceptions that people have with the LGBT community. You say that Family has never had a more-formidable enemy than Harry Reid, because he supports gay-rights, this implies that equal rights for gays and lesbians is against family values; nothing can be further from the truth. You say that Harry Reid wants to pass:

*** The Gay Bill of Special Rights forcing schools and churches to hire and prevent them from firing open homosexuals. Men dressed as women will have the “right” to share bathrooms with young girls and those who disagree will face lawsuits, even prosecution; This is a completely misconstrued argument; Public schools should be subject to equal employment laws which prohibit them from discriminating against homosexuals; however, churches and religious schools should be allowed to hire those individuals who prescribe to the same religious doctrine. The men dressed as women and using restrooms part is just made up fear mongering.

*** The Homosexual Classrooms Act creating pro-homosexual indoctrination classes designed to eradicate traditional values in the next generation of American students; This makes it sound as if the homosexuals are recruiting and forcing others to be gay. We need schools (public schools) to be a safe place for all students and to teach tolerance for those who are different from yourself. This doesn't eradicate traditional values in the next generation of American students. It eradicates bigotry and intolerance.

*** The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell forcing our soldiers to share foxholes, bunks and even showers with open homosexuals. The U.S. military, once representative of the best in America will degrade into a social experiment of homosexual activism; Repealing DADT will make our miitary stronger, it will strengthen military cohesiveness, and allow soldiers to have a better understanding of the people they are teaming with. By eliminating DADT our military will be stronger, because we will not be discharging American's with valuable skills, such as the multitude of Arabic translators that have been discharged under the discriminatory policy. This will not "degrade our military into a social experiment," other world powers have open military policies and their militaries function quite well, France, Spain, and the UK are fine examples of how inclusive militaries can functional in normal capacity. The honor of openly serving your country should be a right afforded to all Americans!

*** The Homosexual Adoption Bill will force private religious adoption agencies to allow homosexual “couples” to adopt young boys and girls into their homosexual “family.” Religious agencies can do as they please, but public-funded social agencies should be able to place children with gay and lesbian adoptive parents. With the amount of young boys and girls who just need a family to love them, how can we in good conscience prevent that from happening? Studies have shown that children of homosexual parents are just as well-adjusted as children of heterosexual parents. Children need parents who care about them, who love them, and who have their best interests in mind.

This is not a radical agenda, this is a desire for a better, stronger, more inclusive America. This is not an agenda to eliminate family values and indoctrinate others, this is the need to eliminate bigotry and eradicate intolerance.

Please stop your intolerant messages.

Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,

Jonathan S. Serret
Concerned Citizen

It gets better!

Recently, we have lost quite a few individuals to suicide as a result of bullying and harassment. This has brought to light what has been a big problem for many years; bullying. Teasing and taunting crush a person’s self-esteem and reinforce self-doubt.  The recent deaths of several teenagers are indicative of the negative association of being gay.  These kids were merely being human and exploring their own feelings; they were shamed and taunted for it, and ultimately they took their own lives.  This is completely unacceptable. We have lost far too many people at their own hands, and need to prevent this senseless act. These suicides are united by the common thread that the teenagers were gay or were perceived to be gay, but it isn’t just the LGBT kids who are being bullied. There are kids who are teased because they are overweight, because their families don’t have the money that others do, because they are a different ethnicity, or have a different accent.  There are a whole host of reasons why people get bullied and harassed; to those who do the teasing it seems funny, but it isn’t. We can’t afford to keep losing innocent lives to suicide. If you are being harassed, tell someone who you trust.  If your friends are being picked on, do something…stand up for them; doing nothing is almost as bad as doing the teasing yourself. If you are being teased for being gay, whether you are or not, and you are thinking of suicide… talk to somebody; a friend, a parent, a principal, or call the Trevor Project lifeline at 866-4-U Trevor (866-488-7386) there are always people who care.  If you are considering suicide for any other reason, call 800-273-Talk (800-273-8255).  These hotlines are anonymous and free.  Please don’t let the negativity get you down. I remember what it was like to be picked on and teased; it is a constant nightmare.  But hang in there. The world needs you. It gets better! 

Operation Iraqi Freedom, Current Problems, and Future Goals

Today, as Americans, we can celebrate that combat missions in Iraq have ceased. Operation Iraqi Freedom is complete. However, there are still the looming effects of the Afghan war and the economic crisis here at home. President Obama ought to be congratulated for honoring his commitment to bring the troops from Iraq back home. After seven and a half years of fighting a war that was waged on false pretenses and falsified evidence, we can bring our brave men and women home and re-evaluate our resources. Countless brave Americans served their country, some for cause they didn’t agree with, and thousands of them have lost their lives. We can only hope that those thousands of Americans did not perish in vain and that the newly formed Iraqi government will be united in their quest for an Iraq that is free of tyranny and oppression.
Now we turn our military attention fully on Afghanistan, which should have been the focus all along. We need to be able to devote our military resources to ensure the safety of our troops on the ground in Afghanistan. While the necessity of being at war in Afghanistan is debatable, the necessity of protecting our men and women in uniform is not. Hopefully, one year from now, we will be able to declare the combat missions complete in Afghanistan and will be able to focus on the problems facing us here at home.
Our government is being divided by partisan politics. We need to find bipartisan solutions that reach across the aisle and work for the benefit of all Americans. For too long, our politicians have lined their pockets and campaign coffers with the money of special interest groups and lobbyists in an effort to keep their jobs and maintain their often-extravagant lifestyles. With the anti-incumbent attitude sweeping across America it is time for a changing of the guard. We need new Representatives and Senators who understand that they work for their constituents and need to do right by the citizens they serve. We need independent voices to fight for the good of the American people.
The economy isn’t recovering as quickly as many had anticipated. Although we are not in a recession any longer, millions of Americans are still unable to find work and get back on their feet. Families across the United States are still struggling to keep a roof over their heads, and many are losing that fight. We need for private industry to start hiring so that more people can get back to work. As the unemployment rate drops, consumer confidence will rise and people will start spending again; hopefully we can get our economy back in full swing by 2012. America has faced economic adversity before, and has come back; we will do it again!

It is this never-ending desire to succeed, our dedication to always do better, and our unwavering fortitude that will drive us forward.

We will overcome these obstacles and will celebrate a prosperous, renewed American spirit.