My issues with neocons
(it's pretty funny going over this in hindsight, you can see the path my brain took as I wandered through hippy stereotypes on this).
I am NOT anti-America, but yes, I hold America to a higher standard than I do other countries, because I know the ideals upon which this country was founded, and I love them with every ounce of my being. I have already rambled on this journal about how many of my family risked their lives fighting for it, and I am proud with every ounce of my fiber for their willingness to sacrifice for the US. And so when I look at what the current administration has done to this country, destroying our civil rights while undermining our safety, destroying the concept of separation of powers, and checks and balances in exchange for autocratic executive privilege and power, it makes me want to cry and scream and rant (which I do the latter of, a lot, as you all know).
I am NOT anti-US-Military personnel, but I want them to not risk their lives except for reasons that actually make the world a *better* place. That actually keep this country safer, not make the single most unstable part of the world LESS stable, introducing an organization which THREATENS the US to a country which was, no question, severely fucked up, but that was not a risk to us. (you all know my opinion of the argument that taking sadaam out was good based on human rights in Iraq, there are plenty of countries where there are issues as bad, or worse, that we have great trade relations with).
I am NOT anti-religion. If kids want to get together at lunch on their own and pray, I hope that it brings them peace and joy. But if schools *require* my child to pray? You better be damned sure that I will holler. Faith is a private thing, between the person in question and their understanding of the divine. And that could mean that faith is non-existent. And every spectrum of the faith rainbow deserve respect. I will respect your right for your kid to pray, and hell, I'll fight with you to make sure that it can happen, but you better respect my kid's right to believe that the divine is a flying monster made of Italian dinner goods whose expectations of prayers requires the throwing of marshmallows at oak trees (okay not that this is part of FSM faith, but ya' know, picking something random) and is insulted by quiet prayer. And if you tell me that my tax money is going to an NGO that feeds the poor simply because they need food, I will cheer. If you tell me that my tax money is going to a church organization that bibles bought with my tax dollars with that food? I will bloody scream. (yes, I know it happens).
I am NOT anti-marriage. I take the life I've built with my husband very very seriously, he is my best friend and any number of other warm fuzzy terms that come to mind when you think "love of my life." BUT, I want to know why Britney's misuse of Vegas marriages is somehow something sacred which needs protection from the relationships I've seen between gay friends over the years, which are somehow undermining of the concept of marriage. They are devoted friends and lovers, who put each other first and work together to create a life for themselves and their children. Sure some gay relationships are pretty dysfunctional, I agree completely, but, oh.. wait.. guess what, so are some heterosexual relationships. And friendships, and professional relationships.
I am NOT pro-abortion. I want women to use their brains and use protection if they have sex (and if the human race has proven an ability in one area, it is interesting ways and places to have sex, we're REALLY good at it, we REALLY enjoy it, and we do it, no matter how many rules are in place to stop us. In second place is methods of preventing, and if that doesn't work, terminating pregnancies. There are rules about it in nearly every society going back before Rome that I'm aware of. It's one of the reasons men could leave their wives given in the Cain Lamnana (the book on marriage laws from 9th c. Ireland)). SO, people are going to have sex, and women are going to have abortions, so lets keep it safe, let's keep it sanitary. Let's not end up with dead young women and crippled, malformed children. But more importantly, let's try to introduce FEWER unexpected pregnancies. No, condoms and bcps are not 100%, but they are a SHIT load more effective than not using protection. And given the recent studies about STDs among young women in the US, and increased rates of pregnancy, clearly abstinence only education (which started when the teenagers today were in elementary school, or very early middle school, around when most schools used to have the condoms on bananas talk) doesn't fucking work. I knew a lot more "good christian girls" whose parents preached abstinence who got knocked up in high school and college than "damned heathen whores" whose parents taught them what a condom was, how to use one safely, and got them into the gynecologist for bcp prescriptions when it was time. (not that accidents do not happen to everyone, and there are "good christian" girls whose parents were sensible, and so on, etc etc etc caveats of common sense galore). I can say that I couldn't have one if we found out that we'd had an oops today, though I really don't have any serious desire for a second (in fact I'm a little terrified of the concept as much as I love the squirt). But I am also almost 30, in a stable and loving relationship, with a home, and a job, and the money to afford a second child. I am also not going to tell another woman that she has to make the same decision about her body and her life.
I am NOT anti-personal-responsibility. I've busted my ass since high school, I've been putting money away in my retirement since day 1. It's not a HUGE amount, but it's there and it's not an insignificant start. I've tried to be reasonably responsible about my money, and have carefully watched my credit over the years, making sure that that magic number stayed high. I will be the first to walk into my supervisors office if I fuck up, and acknowledge what I did wrong, and look for a way to correct it/fix it - and accept whatever "punishment" needs to be put into place. I will tell the truth even though I know that it makes me look bad, because if I fucked up, it's my responsibility to accept it. And it pisses me off when people play games to make themselves look better at the expense of other people. I deserve to enjoy the perks of the hard work I've put into my life. BUT. Basic food, shelter and education are things that should not be questionable. How can you expect kids who are starving to pay attention to school? How can you expect adults who have no home or education (because they couldn't pay attention when they had no food as children) to walk into a job interview and perform as well as, well, me. I have my BA, I'm, well, ya' know, mostly through my MA. I have a pretty little table full of makeup to make me look clean and well put together, and 12 weeks of Barbizon's finishing school (no I'm not kidding, don't ask) to teach me how to walk in heels and carry myself well in meeting situations (given my dislike of social situations, I handle non-presenting meetings very well). And a *shower*. If you want people to be able to get themselves out of poverty, with the exception of some really amazing folks out there (who do exist, I'll be the first to admit it), then they have to have a CHANCE. Breaking the poverty cycle is NOT as easy as it can seem when you read those great stories of success out there. So let's give people a REAL chance, make sure they can afford an education, make sure that they can eat and not die from cavities (that story REALLY REALLY REALLY makes me twitch, still). And you know what? EVEN paying higher taxes than I once did (as I make more money now than I have previously), I STILL lead a better life. And you look at the UK, which is a highly socialized state, those who work harder, and make responsible decisions lead better lives, with more perks than those who don't, even though they pay more taxes. I have more, therefore, I can give up more. It's that simple and even giving that up, I DO reward from my hard work.
I am NOT pro-rioting of any nature. I think violence is (very very nearly) NEVER the answer (Hitler needed a violent response, but technically given my above "violence is never the answer" belief, HE shouldn't have been violent to begin with, but ya' know). I AM pro-demonstrations, pro-sit-ins, pro-peaceful-civil-disobedience. It is necessary to keep politicians honest and in some cases draw attention to situations that may not be known outside of a small population. And quite frankly, this country has a long history of them. Tea anyone? OH, wait, sorry, it just got pitched into the harbor.
I am NOT anti-Israel, but if Israel is going to claim that they have the higher ground, then they need to stop blowing up Palestinian children and use their AMAZING fucking secret services (seriously, they're scary!) to actually take out the people they want WITHOUT creating young men and women who have lost their fathers, AND their mothers, and sisters and brothers, and aunts and uncles who will HATE the Israeli government, even if their father was the one who brought the reaction down on the family. Does it make the extremist Palestinian violence okay, hellfirefuck no. Does it make the death of Israeli children okay? Uh, let's see, hellfirefuck no. Does it mean that I want to see the state of Israel fall? Again, hellfirefuck NO. But I also do not think that the Israeli government (notice I'm focusing on the gov't here, not the people of Israel) do not necessarily have a good dictionary kicking around, because their concept of proportional response is... uhm... not making ANYTHING better. Do the Israeli people deserve any of it? NO. Do they need to take some of the issues up with their government? HELL yes. (Does Abbas need to sit down with the idiots in Gaza (and a not small population of folks in the West Bank) to explain that they are absolutely making everything worse and they need to put their dicks away if they want their children to know peace and a free Palestinian state? YES.) (okay, do I think that the six day war was, uhm, problematic? Yes. For pure disclosure. But at this point, that's really a moot point, the borders are there, it's time for peace, but that takes *two* parties working together with both hands, not two parties poking a finger at the mess once in a while).
(and those who disagree with that last one are welcome to rant at me if they feel the need, I realize that it is a very touchy subject for any number of reasons, and I am not sure that I haven't horribly offended anyone, though I hope I clarified where my frustrations lie clearly enough that it's not against Israel's existence, but rather the way that BOTH sides are handling the situation, and the conservative concept that having issues with *both* the Israeli and Palestinian governments handling of situations makes me antisemitic and anti-the-state-of-Israel, neither of which I am).
Wow, that was kind of cathartic.
I was parked next to a minivan with a Mike Huckabee bumper sticker and it made me all ranty... (yes, just the fact that someone honestly would vote for the lunatic left me that ranty, I was sort of surprised too. lol)
Anyway.. It's 11:30, and tomorrow morning will be me getting miss monster butt out on my own (who is, I think, healthy enough to go to school finally this week (maybe?), YEAH!), because..... Greg's sick as a dog. The perk of being me, I have a screwy stomach, and I get sinus infections at the drop of the hat, but I rarely get REALLY sick. Unlike Greg, who is healthy most of the time and then gets kicked in the ass when he does get sick. My immune system is lazy, but once it gets moving it's pretty burly. :)
*headdesk* I think we need to replace the sign out on the front (actually it needs work, my device has peeled off on one side, oops) and replace the 'hold name with "Plaguehouse, avoid at all costs, unless you are planning on pickling yourself with booze to ensure that bugs won't survive in your bloodstream"... But that might be too long. :)