To those of you who have come to expect frequent posts on this blog, I must apologize. There has been a lot going on in my life lately that has prevented me from blogging as often as I would like. An horrific event that was revealed to me by a loved one has been weighing heavily on my mind. It has left me virtually unable to think of anything else. I cannot elaborate upon the details, but those people affected by the shocking revelation are painfully aware of that event to which I am referring. To make things worse, another loved one revealed an injustice that had been perpetrated against her this morning.
Questions and thoughts about justice, morality, pain, revenge, and redemption have been plaguing me.
In my brief exposure to Buddhism, I have learned that the Buddhist's goal in life is to relieve human suffering. I have also learned a little bit about Karma. Karma is the good and bad energy that you put into your life-force. Your life-force is eternal and allows beings to live multiple lifetimes in many different forms. You and I are now in human form but depending on how much good or bad Karma we add to our life-force, we may be something entirely different in our next life. Those with enough good Karma may progress to a higher spiritual plane in the next life. They may become free of pain and suffering. They may become enlightened beings well on their way to achieving Nirvana, or a state of pure bliss and contentment (the Buddhist approximation to Heaven.) Easing suffering, living well, acting morally, are all ways to add good Karma.
People who taint their life-force with bad Karma are destined to be reincarnated as a less advanced life form. For example, a person who tortures animals may become a dog in his next life. He could become a cockroach. His Karma will decide his fate, depending on how he lived his most recent life (or lives.) After several lifetimes of being the best cockroach, dog, or whatever that he can be, his life-force may be reincarnated as a human once again. Perhaps in that lifetime he will add enough good Karma to advance toward Nirvana. The cycle only stops when Nirvana is achieved and he becomes a Buddha, or Enlightened One.
I believe that a person who could commit the attrocious act that has set my mind to work could be reincarnated as a virus. To scientists, a virus is the most primative form of life in the known universe. It would take a thousand lifetimes to build up enough good Karma from this lowly state to become human again. Perhaps in that amount of time, the perpetrator's and victim's paths will cross again and a better outcome will result. One cannot tell what the future holds. I can only hope that the suffering of my loved ones will end.
I need to go meditate a while.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Saturday, November 18, 2006
We're Debt Free!!!
Bethany just sent a check to her student loan company that paid her balance in full. With the exception of our house, we no longer owe any money to anyone anywhere! Because we no longer make car payments, student loan payments, credit card payments, etc., we could triple our house payment each month and own our home outright in three years!!! However, we are setting aside that extra money for our adoption expenses so that we will not have to borrow one red cent of the $20,000 it will cost to complete the process. Then, we will begin to pay off the house in earnest.
Our goal is that in five years we will have the house paid off, have an emergency fund, and have a decent nest egg built up. Imagine having ten acres of land, a fully furnished four bedroom home, two automobiles, two college degrees, two children, three dogs, three cats, two goats, a retirement fund, an emergency fund, a college fund, and not one dollar of debt! I openly share this dream with you not to brag about our success but to inspire you to do the same. In the past two years we have managed to eliminate over $42,000 in debt!!! We have done this while also making monthly house payments, investing money for Alex's college fund, saving for retirement, and saving for an adoption. How did we do it? By living within our means. By creating a budget and sticking to it (thanks to Bethany's careful planning). By not spending money that we don't have. Some people might say, "Yes but you have two decent incomes that have helped. Not everybody makes as much money as you." We are very fortunate to have the jobs that we do. But you must remember that for the first year of this debt elimination I did not work at all and we relied on Bethany's income only. In fact, I dabbled with selling used cars for a while which as you may recall cost us a few dollars when all was said and done. I can say that we are a typical, middle class family who did something quite atypical- we resolved to live like no one else so that later on we could live like no one else.
In other words, we made sacrifices and worked hard to achieve our goals. We lived the past two years on a very tight budget. We paid cash for things or else went without. We sold our brand new four wheel drive truck and dumped the $400 a month payment in exchange for owning a pair of cheaper, yet paid for vehicles. We haven't bought new cars even though Bethany's transmission went out and my water pump and intake manifold gasket had to be replaced within a week of each other. We haven't bought a new stove even though ours only has two burners, the outer shell of the oven door is gone, and it doesn't even have a handle. We haven't bought a new refrigerator even though ours is rusted and the ice maker had to be disconnected because it leaked water all over the floor. We haven't bought a new dryer even though we have to dry each load twice to get the clothes fully dry. We haven't bought a new washer even though the control knob broke off a year ago and now we have to use pliers to durn the dial. We haven't bought a new furnace even though only two of the four heating elements still work. We have resisted the temptation to run out and charge new things on a credit card when our old things break. In fact, we no longer have credit cards at all. That's what it means to live like no one else.
After we pay off the house, we should have about $4000 a month in surplus income. Then we will really be able to live like no one else. All new appliances paid for in cash! A like-new car paid in cash! Hiring someone to dig and stock a fishing pond paid in cash! Paying for college without borrowing a penny! Enjoying the rest of our lives without stressing over money issues! If we can do it- anyone can. And its never too late to start. I hope that you will find financial peace, too. A great way to start is by reading "The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey. Bethany will be calling in to Dave's radio show next week to announce to the world, "WE'RE DEBT FREE!!!"
Our goal is that in five years we will have the house paid off, have an emergency fund, and have a decent nest egg built up. Imagine having ten acres of land, a fully furnished four bedroom home, two automobiles, two college degrees, two children, three dogs, three cats, two goats, a retirement fund, an emergency fund, a college fund, and not one dollar of debt! I openly share this dream with you not to brag about our success but to inspire you to do the same. In the past two years we have managed to eliminate over $42,000 in debt!!! We have done this while also making monthly house payments, investing money for Alex's college fund, saving for retirement, and saving for an adoption. How did we do it? By living within our means. By creating a budget and sticking to it (thanks to Bethany's careful planning). By not spending money that we don't have. Some people might say, "Yes but you have two decent incomes that have helped. Not everybody makes as much money as you." We are very fortunate to have the jobs that we do. But you must remember that for the first year of this debt elimination I did not work at all and we relied on Bethany's income only. In fact, I dabbled with selling used cars for a while which as you may recall cost us a few dollars when all was said and done. I can say that we are a typical, middle class family who did something quite atypical- we resolved to live like no one else so that later on we could live like no one else.
In other words, we made sacrifices and worked hard to achieve our goals. We lived the past two years on a very tight budget. We paid cash for things or else went without. We sold our brand new four wheel drive truck and dumped the $400 a month payment in exchange for owning a pair of cheaper, yet paid for vehicles. We haven't bought new cars even though Bethany's transmission went out and my water pump and intake manifold gasket had to be replaced within a week of each other. We haven't bought a new stove even though ours only has two burners, the outer shell of the oven door is gone, and it doesn't even have a handle. We haven't bought a new refrigerator even though ours is rusted and the ice maker had to be disconnected because it leaked water all over the floor. We haven't bought a new dryer even though we have to dry each load twice to get the clothes fully dry. We haven't bought a new washer even though the control knob broke off a year ago and now we have to use pliers to durn the dial. We haven't bought a new furnace even though only two of the four heating elements still work. We have resisted the temptation to run out and charge new things on a credit card when our old things break. In fact, we no longer have credit cards at all. That's what it means to live like no one else.
After we pay off the house, we should have about $4000 a month in surplus income. Then we will really be able to live like no one else. All new appliances paid for in cash! A like-new car paid in cash! Hiring someone to dig and stock a fishing pond paid in cash! Paying for college without borrowing a penny! Enjoying the rest of our lives without stressing over money issues! If we can do it- anyone can. And its never too late to start. I hope that you will find financial peace, too. A great way to start is by reading "The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey. Bethany will be calling in to Dave's radio show next week to announce to the world, "WE'RE DEBT FREE!!!"
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Authentic Hannibalian
Hannibal MO is the boyhood home of both Mark Twain and myself. We were both very popular fellows I might add. Although I lived in America's Hometown for a full decade and was assigned Twain's famous literary works as required reading in school, I never actually read "Tom Sawyer"or "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Some stories from "Tom Sawyer" soaked into my head over the years through osmosis (one can't live in Hannibal and not be bombarded with such stories) or by skimming Cliff's Notes, but I never really read either of the celebrated novels penned by Hannibal's favorite son. Now, that has all changed. I, Travis Naughton, have read both "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn" in 2006. I just finished Huck Finn today. Sure it took me 35 years, but I did it. And you know what? I enjoyed them both thoroughly. Now I can finally understand what all the fuss is about.
Twain would cringe at the commercialism that the popularity of his books has spawned in today's Hannibal, but he would also probably find a lot of humor in it. The "Tom and Huck Motel" is one of the best examples. Huck Finn would have hated staying in a motel. He preferred sleeping under the stars in an empty hogshead or on a raft floating down the river. The motel is owned by a family from India. Move over "Injun Joe" and make room for "Indian Patel." I guess that's the beauty of Twain's writing- it transcends time, distances, and cultural differences. Hell, there's even a Tom Saywer Land amusement park in Japan.
The thing that struck me most when reading the books was the similarities between Tom and Huck's childhood and my own. Even in the 1980's, boys in Hannibal had a lot of the same adventures that they did in Twain's day. What boy doesn't pretend to be a pirate once in a while? What boy never played Cowboys and Indians? What boy didn't try to impress his Becky Thatcher by doing something completely obnoxoius to get her attention? What boy could sit through a church sermon without squirming a little now and then? What boy in Hannibal didn't venture down to the river and dream of floating away on a raft or boat in search of adventure? What boy didn't explore caves half-expecting to run into Injun Joe? What boy didn't laze away hot summer days fishin' and swimmin' with his friends? In the past 150 years, being a kid in Hannibal hasn't changed a whole lot. I think that's a good thing. When I got older, all I wanted was to leave Hannibal because I thought it was boring. But when I was a kid it sure was a fun place to live. And in my mind it will always be that same innocent little town- thanks in no small part to Mark Twain.
Speaking of reading- Alex is now able to read several books. He even reads to his classmates once in a while. He's pretty proud of himself and we're pretty proud of him, too. There's hope for him yet. Even Huckleberry Finn learnt ta read 'n' write on account a' the Widder Douglass and Miss Watson- 'spite how it made him a might bit uncomfterble and figgitey at times. I 'spect its good fer a body to do some readin' now and then. I mightn not wait another 35 yearn to give it another try I reckon. I happend ta git aholt a' copy a' "Life on the Mississippi" by that Twain feller. I might give 'er a look with my young 'un, by and by.
Twain would cringe at the commercialism that the popularity of his books has spawned in today's Hannibal, but he would also probably find a lot of humor in it. The "Tom and Huck Motel" is one of the best examples. Huck Finn would have hated staying in a motel. He preferred sleeping under the stars in an empty hogshead or on a raft floating down the river. The motel is owned by a family from India. Move over "Injun Joe" and make room for "Indian Patel." I guess that's the beauty of Twain's writing- it transcends time, distances, and cultural differences. Hell, there's even a Tom Saywer Land amusement park in Japan.
The thing that struck me most when reading the books was the similarities between Tom and Huck's childhood and my own. Even in the 1980's, boys in Hannibal had a lot of the same adventures that they did in Twain's day. What boy doesn't pretend to be a pirate once in a while? What boy never played Cowboys and Indians? What boy didn't try to impress his Becky Thatcher by doing something completely obnoxoius to get her attention? What boy could sit through a church sermon without squirming a little now and then? What boy in Hannibal didn't venture down to the river and dream of floating away on a raft or boat in search of adventure? What boy didn't explore caves half-expecting to run into Injun Joe? What boy didn't laze away hot summer days fishin' and swimmin' with his friends? In the past 150 years, being a kid in Hannibal hasn't changed a whole lot. I think that's a good thing. When I got older, all I wanted was to leave Hannibal because I thought it was boring. But when I was a kid it sure was a fun place to live. And in my mind it will always be that same innocent little town- thanks in no small part to Mark Twain.
Speaking of reading- Alex is now able to read several books. He even reads to his classmates once in a while. He's pretty proud of himself and we're pretty proud of him, too. There's hope for him yet. Even Huckleberry Finn learnt ta read 'n' write on account a' the Widder Douglass and Miss Watson- 'spite how it made him a might bit uncomfterble and figgitey at times. I 'spect its good fer a body to do some readin' now and then. I mightn not wait another 35 yearn to give it another try I reckon. I happend ta git aholt a' copy a' "Life on the Mississippi" by that Twain feller. I might give 'er a look with my young 'un, by and by.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Veterans Day, etc...
First and foremost, I hope everyone takes the time to thank a veteran for their contributions to this great country of ours. Never confuse political disagreements with a lack of support for our troops. I appreciate the sacrifices that our men and women in the military have made and continue to make everyday.
"Your mother wears combat boots!" That's a derogatory expression many of you have probably heard over the years. To me, it is a compliment. My mother was in the United States Marine Corps. As Mom says, "Yeah, and I drive a tank to church!" My battle cry as a kid was, "My mom can beat up your dad!" Seriously, thank you Mom for having the courage to leave behind a laid back California-girl lifestyle in favor of service to your country at a time when it was not a very popular choice to support your government during the Vietnam War. You are a great example and an inspiration to women who have since gone on to have outstanding military careers.
I would have moved to Canada during the Vietnam War. 55,000 Americans died in a country many couldn't have found on a map prior to their service there. Countless young men dodged the draft by fleeing north and were branded as cowards because they refused to die in a war they felt was unjust. My dad didn't dodge the draft. In fact, he didn't wait around to get drafted. Although being in college would have exempted him for being drafted, Dad volunteered to go to Vietnam. He felt that it was his duty. The Marines were his branch of choice, and sure enough, he did go to Vietnam. Luckily, he survived the experience, although he would be forever transformed by the ordeal. Thanks Dad for having the guts to do what you thought was right.
My dad's brother, my uncle Mike, went to Vietnam in the AirForce. He, too was a brave young man who volunteered rather than wait to get drafted. He too was forever changed by his experiences. I remember a conversation with Mike in early 2003 when he said, " I sure hope we don't go into Iraq." He knew what most Americans now believe- war with Iraq would not make us or them any better off. We should take the time to listen to our vets once in a while. Thanks, Uncle Mike for having the courage to stand up for what you believe in.
My grandfather, Aldace Naughton, Jr received a Purple Heart for his service in World War II. He was wounded fighting the Japanese during the darkest hours of human history. I look forward to watching Clint Eastwood's new movie "Flags of our Fathers." It documents the battle for Iwo Jima when the Flag was raised by those brave Marines who survived one of the bloodiest battles in the war. Young men like my grandfather were slaughtered by the thousands trying to take island after island in the Pacific. People like my Uncle Jim Naughton fought Hitler's army in Europe at the same time. Jim was in the "Battle of the Bulge" and after surviving the Second World War served in the Korean War as well. Thank everyone from that generation for your freedom today. The world would be a radically different place without the sacrifices that our soldiers, sailors, and Marines made during those years.
In high school, I had the bright idea that I should join the Marines, too. I enlisted into the Marine Corps Reserves. After making it 2/3 of the way thru bootcamp, my knees gave out and I was issued an "entry level separation". This meant that I was never there, that I was never a member of the military, and therefore could not collect disability benefits. The trade off was that I would be home in time for my first semester of college rather than having to wait in limbo for up to 18 months in San Diego for a medical discharge that would have entitle me to benefits. The way I looked at it, I could still walk, which was more than a lot of veterans could say. I was lucky. In fact, I was so lucky that six months later, the first Gulf War broke out and the reserve unit that I would have joined was activated and deployed to Iraq. They were combat engineers. They built airstrips, base camps, and temporary bridges, etc. I later found out that some of them were ordered to use their bulldozers to bury Iraqi fighters alive in their trenches. I guess my sore knees were a blessing afterall.
So on this Veterans Day, please remember the sacrifices our men and women in the military have made for us. Without them, I would not have the freedom to blog and you would not have the freedom to read the rantings of a 35 year old goofball in mid-Missouri. Thank you Veterans!
"Your mother wears combat boots!" That's a derogatory expression many of you have probably heard over the years. To me, it is a compliment. My mother was in the United States Marine Corps. As Mom says, "Yeah, and I drive a tank to church!" My battle cry as a kid was, "My mom can beat up your dad!" Seriously, thank you Mom for having the courage to leave behind a laid back California-girl lifestyle in favor of service to your country at a time when it was not a very popular choice to support your government during the Vietnam War. You are a great example and an inspiration to women who have since gone on to have outstanding military careers.
I would have moved to Canada during the Vietnam War. 55,000 Americans died in a country many couldn't have found on a map prior to their service there. Countless young men dodged the draft by fleeing north and were branded as cowards because they refused to die in a war they felt was unjust. My dad didn't dodge the draft. In fact, he didn't wait around to get drafted. Although being in college would have exempted him for being drafted, Dad volunteered to go to Vietnam. He felt that it was his duty. The Marines were his branch of choice, and sure enough, he did go to Vietnam. Luckily, he survived the experience, although he would be forever transformed by the ordeal. Thanks Dad for having the guts to do what you thought was right.
My dad's brother, my uncle Mike, went to Vietnam in the AirForce. He, too was a brave young man who volunteered rather than wait to get drafted. He too was forever changed by his experiences. I remember a conversation with Mike in early 2003 when he said, " I sure hope we don't go into Iraq." He knew what most Americans now believe- war with Iraq would not make us or them any better off. We should take the time to listen to our vets once in a while. Thanks, Uncle Mike for having the courage to stand up for what you believe in.
My grandfather, Aldace Naughton, Jr received a Purple Heart for his service in World War II. He was wounded fighting the Japanese during the darkest hours of human history. I look forward to watching Clint Eastwood's new movie "Flags of our Fathers." It documents the battle for Iwo Jima when the Flag was raised by those brave Marines who survived one of the bloodiest battles in the war. Young men like my grandfather were slaughtered by the thousands trying to take island after island in the Pacific. People like my Uncle Jim Naughton fought Hitler's army in Europe at the same time. Jim was in the "Battle of the Bulge" and after surviving the Second World War served in the Korean War as well. Thank everyone from that generation for your freedom today. The world would be a radically different place without the sacrifices that our soldiers, sailors, and Marines made during those years.
In high school, I had the bright idea that I should join the Marines, too. I enlisted into the Marine Corps Reserves. After making it 2/3 of the way thru bootcamp, my knees gave out and I was issued an "entry level separation". This meant that I was never there, that I was never a member of the military, and therefore could not collect disability benefits. The trade off was that I would be home in time for my first semester of college rather than having to wait in limbo for up to 18 months in San Diego for a medical discharge that would have entitle me to benefits. The way I looked at it, I could still walk, which was more than a lot of veterans could say. I was lucky. In fact, I was so lucky that six months later, the first Gulf War broke out and the reserve unit that I would have joined was activated and deployed to Iraq. They were combat engineers. They built airstrips, base camps, and temporary bridges, etc. I later found out that some of them were ordered to use their bulldozers to bury Iraqi fighters alive in their trenches. I guess my sore knees were a blessing afterall.
So on this Veterans Day, please remember the sacrifices our men and women in the military have made for us. Without them, I would not have the freedom to blog and you would not have the freedom to read the rantings of a 35 year old goofball in mid-Missouri. Thank you Veterans!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Pre-election rant
Family values. Moral majority. Passionate conservatism. Thanks to Karl Rove, the Right-wing formulated a plan to seize power over the masses in this country. By hijacking morality, Republicans made the American people believe that it would be un-American to vote Democrat. They said that Conservatives represented family values. They said Liberals' lack of respect for traditional family values would destroy America. Let's see how well the Righties walk the walk.
Rush Limbaugh, the voice of the right wing, called Michael J. Fox a faker and physically mocked him on camera when describing Fox's "exaggerated" Parkinson's tremors in a political ad. This was an attempt by Rush to discredit "those evil Liberals" who have exploited poor Mr. Fox for their own political gains. The truth: Limbaugh was fired from ESPN for racist and ridiculous remarks he made about quarterback Donovan McNabb being overrated because he is black. I guess leading his team to four straight NFC championship games was just dumb luck. Rush also was caught in possession of drugs that he had no prescription for and later admitted he was addicted to. And he is a man we should be taking morality lessons from? Sadly, millions of brainwashed Americans believe the garbage the Limbaugh spits out every day on the radio. He is a divider of America and has done more than most politicians to tear at the "United We Stand" credo of this great nation.
But the immoral majority does not limit itself to radio personalities. The leader of the American Association of Evangelicals who has long condemned gay relationships has been outed for having a long term gay relationship with a meth-dealing male prostitute. He has taken part in weekly conference calls with President Bush since Dubya took office. This is the President's spititual compass. Pat Robertson, an ordained minister and leader of the Christian Coalition has publicly called for the assasination of world leaders and has even expressed that Hurrican Katrina was God's way of punishing sinners in Louisiana. WWJD? Jesus preached the virtues of peace and love, Pat. Do you ever read that Bible or do you just thump it?
There used to be a time when poor folks and middle class families refused to vote for Republicans. To them, Republicans represented the greedy, industrialized "Fat Cat" America that didn't care about the little guy. After the right-wing's propaganda campaign against Democrats on the battle grounds of morality, many of these left of center voters began to believe that Conservatives cared more about their problems and really did share their values. Do you think Halliburton (a contracting firm that has made billions of dollars "rebuilding" Iraq by receiving no-bid contracts from the Administration- the same Administration that includes Vice-President Dick Cheney who was a board member for Halliburton before he was sworn into office) cares about the little guy? Do you think Cheney and his friends care about the poor folks who couldn't afford college who are now finding themselves in Iraq wearing bulls-eyes on their backs?
Do you think Republican congressmen like Tom Delay, Mark Foley, and Duke Cunningham who have all been forced to resign due to ethics violations are in any position to claim that they know morality? I received a mailer the other day from our state representative Ed Robb claiming that he was "pro-life" while his opponent Jim Ritter is "pro-abortion." Does he really think Ritter is "pro-abortion" (meaning he wishes everyone would have abortions) or does he know that Ritter supports a woman's constitutional right to choose what medical procedures she feels that she needs, yet Robb uses divisive, hateful, and incorrect speech to sway voters anyway? That doesn't sound like a morally right thing to do. Neither does bombing abortion clinics, supporting the death penalty, and sending thousands of troops to die in a war that never should have taken place- especially for any politician who calls himself "pro-life." And how much can they value life if they cut seniors' Medicare benefits leaving elderly Americans to choose which life-saving prescriptions that they will have to do without due to lack of coverage?
The Right is wrong. At every turn they have abused the power they seized in 2000. They have divided this country by constantly accusing Democarats who disagree with their views of being anti-American. They say that Democrats don't share their moral values. Personally, I am glad I don't share their values. Hopefully, the majority of Americans will vote this Tuesday for the party that truly does seek to help the poor, infirmed, and the elderly. The party that has always stood for real American values is the Democratic party. The party that has never accused dissenters of being anti-American is the Democratic party. The party that values the American family over making billions in profits for big business is the Democratic party. The party that will give us the best chance of pulling this country back together, rather that dividing us further is the Democratic party.
Do yourself, your family, your country, and the world a favor- vote Democrat on Tuesday, November 7.
Rush Limbaugh, the voice of the right wing, called Michael J. Fox a faker and physically mocked him on camera when describing Fox's "exaggerated" Parkinson's tremors in a political ad. This was an attempt by Rush to discredit "those evil Liberals" who have exploited poor Mr. Fox for their own political gains. The truth: Limbaugh was fired from ESPN for racist and ridiculous remarks he made about quarterback Donovan McNabb being overrated because he is black. I guess leading his team to four straight NFC championship games was just dumb luck. Rush also was caught in possession of drugs that he had no prescription for and later admitted he was addicted to. And he is a man we should be taking morality lessons from? Sadly, millions of brainwashed Americans believe the garbage the Limbaugh spits out every day on the radio. He is a divider of America and has done more than most politicians to tear at the "United We Stand" credo of this great nation.
But the immoral majority does not limit itself to radio personalities. The leader of the American Association of Evangelicals who has long condemned gay relationships has been outed for having a long term gay relationship with a meth-dealing male prostitute. He has taken part in weekly conference calls with President Bush since Dubya took office. This is the President's spititual compass. Pat Robertson, an ordained minister and leader of the Christian Coalition has publicly called for the assasination of world leaders and has even expressed that Hurrican Katrina was God's way of punishing sinners in Louisiana. WWJD? Jesus preached the virtues of peace and love, Pat. Do you ever read that Bible or do you just thump it?
There used to be a time when poor folks and middle class families refused to vote for Republicans. To them, Republicans represented the greedy, industrialized "Fat Cat" America that didn't care about the little guy. After the right-wing's propaganda campaign against Democrats on the battle grounds of morality, many of these left of center voters began to believe that Conservatives cared more about their problems and really did share their values. Do you think Halliburton (a contracting firm that has made billions of dollars "rebuilding" Iraq by receiving no-bid contracts from the Administration- the same Administration that includes Vice-President Dick Cheney who was a board member for Halliburton before he was sworn into office) cares about the little guy? Do you think Cheney and his friends care about the poor folks who couldn't afford college who are now finding themselves in Iraq wearing bulls-eyes on their backs?
Do you think Republican congressmen like Tom Delay, Mark Foley, and Duke Cunningham who have all been forced to resign due to ethics violations are in any position to claim that they know morality? I received a mailer the other day from our state representative Ed Robb claiming that he was "pro-life" while his opponent Jim Ritter is "pro-abortion." Does he really think Ritter is "pro-abortion" (meaning he wishes everyone would have abortions) or does he know that Ritter supports a woman's constitutional right to choose what medical procedures she feels that she needs, yet Robb uses divisive, hateful, and incorrect speech to sway voters anyway? That doesn't sound like a morally right thing to do. Neither does bombing abortion clinics, supporting the death penalty, and sending thousands of troops to die in a war that never should have taken place- especially for any politician who calls himself "pro-life." And how much can they value life if they cut seniors' Medicare benefits leaving elderly Americans to choose which life-saving prescriptions that they will have to do without due to lack of coverage?
The Right is wrong. At every turn they have abused the power they seized in 2000. They have divided this country by constantly accusing Democarats who disagree with their views of being anti-American. They say that Democrats don't share their moral values. Personally, I am glad I don't share their values. Hopefully, the majority of Americans will vote this Tuesday for the party that truly does seek to help the poor, infirmed, and the elderly. The party that has always stood for real American values is the Democratic party. The party that has never accused dissenters of being anti-American is the Democratic party. The party that values the American family over making billions in profits for big business is the Democratic party. The party that will give us the best chance of pulling this country back together, rather that dividing us further is the Democratic party.
Do yourself, your family, your country, and the world a favor- vote Democrat on Tuesday, November 7.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The Scariest Halloween Costume in the World
"My opthamologist says I only need to wear my glasses to read my sheet music!"
Blog Daddy Band Geek
This year, my Halloween costume was not a big stretch for me. I was (and am) a band geek. Notice the 72 awards ribbons adorning my actual band jacket that I proudly wore in high school. "One time at band camp..."
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