Do you care about politics? Why or why not?

I do care quite a bit about politics. If you live in a democracy and don't care about who is elected to office or how they are governed are poor citizens.

Ask me anything

what... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

African or European swallow?

Ask me anything

formspring.me

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/MLCoburn

Whats the one thing you know you cant buy but you want

A PS3

Ask me anything

The year is halfway over today. What’s the best thing that’s happened to you so far in 2011?

Going back to work, even if it is a temporary position, it feels great to feel useful again.

Ask me anything

Gay Marriage

Now that NY has made same sex legal, I am almost afraid to go to church tomorrow. I fear that my pastor is going to say something that will I will find really offensive.

Before I go further, let me explain the thought process that occurs in my head that makes it possible for me to support issues that most believers so vehemently oppose:

1. Acceptance does not equal endorsement: Just because I feel that someone should be entitled to make their own moral decisions does not mean that I am going to agree with what they decide. For instance, I could never abort an unborn child; I would never want someone with whom I am involved to abort a child that we had conceived together. It is not within my personal moral make-up to allow that to be acceptable for me. Just as I am allowed to come to that decision on my own, I do not want to disallow someone to go through their own moral struggle and come to their own decision, even if I disagree with their decision. While I do not agree with their decision, my allowing them that freedom is not an endorsement of the conclusion they have reached after their own consideration.
2. The rights of others is not an imposition or infringement of my rights: This is the idiotic notion that allowing gay marriage is an attack on or somehow diminishes of my right to choose who I want to marry; that allowing people of other faith to have their religious customs honored in our judicial system (I'm talking about Sharia, here) is an attack on my right to have the customs of my Christian faith honored in our judicial system.
3. We are supposed to hate the sin, but love the sinner: This is one of Jesus's teaching that I see people of faith stumble over time and time again. I have seen preachers and pastors try to talk about touchy subjects (such as homosexuality) and invariably attack the person and not the offense. If I see someone shacking up without getting married, I am instructed by the Bible to love them, even if I abhor the act in which they are engaged. And that includes not talking about them, judging and damning them in my mind, distancing myself, yelling at them, etc. This is the teaching that I see every single believer (self included) fail over and over again - more than any other.

Having explained that, let me say that gay marriage is not an attack on marriage, it is not an endorsement of homosexuality and we should celebrate with gays and lesbians that they now have the right to be married to who they love and enjoy the same protections under the law that we do even if we would not want to marry someone of the same gender.

Somehow, I know my pastor is not going to greet this news happily. I may have to leave my evangelical church that I love and become an Episcopalian...

Republican Vs. Democrat: Who Believes What

Reposted from addictinginfo.org:

With all this hullabaloo going on about which party does what… I’d like to offer you my opinion, backed with common sense, and very noticeable to the naked eye fact. You can assume it will be biased, that is also common sense… but you will soon see why. I know we are more than a two-party country, but thinking realistically as to who predominately wins elections, I’m going to stick to the Republican and Democratic Parties.

I will start with the elephant in the room… the Republicans.

What do Republicans believe in:

• They prefer State Rights and Laws over Federal Law.. they feel that States should be able to fend for themselves. (Even though it’s pretty certain that there once was a war over this same issue… it was Civil though, and the North was full of “Aggression”.. it seems it cut into profit to treat humans like humans)
• They prefer little to no taxation, and reliance upon the individual. (This may also include, but is not limited to, paving and painting their own roads, responding to their own emergencies, fighting foreign invaders, and delivering their own mail)
• They feel that the solution to gun violence is more guns being allowed in more places. (..because this is working out great for the middle east, and parts of Africa. I’ve always wanted to form a well-regulated militia whilst dusting off my tri-cornered hat and musket. Like I’ve always said, “guns don’t kill people, people kill people… with guns” .. We need more “well-regulated” gun laws, not less)
• Some Republicans want to cut federal regulation of air, water, food, pharmaceuticals, airlines, as well as building codes. (because who needs to be healthy and safe anyways?)
• They want the individual to pay for their own health care, because they think being healthy is a privilege and not a right. (Even though if we had Universal Care we would still be paying for ourselves, it would cost less, and everyone would be covered for every ailment without question or hesitation… Doctors should be paid for quality of care and healthy patients, instead of procedure, and the number of unhealthy patients…. but that just makes too much sense.. I know)
• Most Republicans seem to think it’s okay to discriminate in regards to pay and employment based upon gender. (Instead of performance… I guess women leave to take care of their families… because the men don’t?)
• Some Republicans want to eliminate a minimum wage, employee bargaining rights, as well as other benefits. (… because being a good employer is too expensive when it cuts into profit…. ever heard of investing in human capital?? You’d see a better outcome overall)
• Many Republicans think that it’s okay to take public tax payer dollars away from public schools and give them to private and religious schools. (As long as the money goes to private industry and not back to the tax payer… it’s all good… so sayeth the Republicans)
• They think that the nation will be better off if we continue to give billion dollar handouts (subsidies) to record profit-making oil companies that don’t pay any taxes, instead of to the actual tax paying citizens that deserve to see services from their money.
• Some Republicans think that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) should be cut, and or abolished all together (Ron Paul). (Those that vote Republican, seem to hate the government, until they desperately need it due to natural disaster… while the Republicans say… “too bad… fend for yourselves”… Yet many continue to vote for them. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.)
• Some Republicans will tell you that they think the ‘Civil Rights Act’ was bad, and that it takes away from personal freedom. (Yes, the personal freedom to be a racist and a bigot, and not see consequence for such abhorrent, juvenile behavior)
• Republicans think that it is okay to openly discriminate against LGBT individuals. (Based upon their religious beliefs, which is in direct violation of the Constitution barring the involvement of Church in legislative matters that effect everyone. Not everyone has the same beliefs… and we are not a Theocracy)
• Some Republicans also think that it’s okay to restrict citizens from voting by any means necessary. (Apparently, they can’t win by legitimate means)

Now onto the Party that I feel if you vote for them… “The ass you save, may be your own”

What do Democrats believe in:

• They prefer State rights and legislation for local issues, and federal law for human rights, as well as other issues that pertain to the nation as a whole. (Democrats believe in a Nation of, by, and for the people… every person, not just oneself.)
• They prefer a tax that will be suitable to the current time and situation, and reliance upon the nations citizens to understand when we are in multiple wars that are not paid for, as well as a terrible economic climate where more people due to poor policy, are out of work and need assistance. (Assist those that need it, not those that don’t. Democrats believe in a Nation of, by, and for the people.)
• They believe in “well-regulated” gun use. (This is not the wild wild west, nor a video game… “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people… with guns.”)
• Democrats believe that it is the job of our elected legislation (elected by and for the people) to make sure that we maintain proper and safe conditions for the quality of air, water, food, and drugs… as well as making sure that airline and building safety is safe and up to code.
• Many, if not most Democrats believe that health care is a right, and not a privilege. They believe that we should have a national system set up to ensure everyone has the ability to be properly cared for. (“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”… Without life, we can have no liberty to pursue happiness. Without health we are not alive… that is common sense.)
• They believe that there should be no discrimination based upon gender or race in the workplace or when applying to a school.
• Democrats understand “human capital”. (Human Capital: “The attributes of a person that are productive in some economic context. Often refers to formal educational attainment, with the implication that education is an investment whose returns are in the form of wage, salary, or other compensation. These are normally measured and conceived of as private returns to the individual but can also be social returns.”) (Invest in people, and you will invest in the company, and/or the nation.)
• Democrats understand the importance of everyone having the ability to achieve a high quality education, and firmly believe in the investment into public schools… this goes back to “human capital”… we will later see a return on this investment.
• Democrats believe that we should be investing in people and not giving hand-outs to big corporations, and big oil. (Wealth doesn’t trickle down… pee does.)
• They believe in the importance of a national disaster relief service such as FEMA. We are after all a nation of, by, and for the people (not corporations)… we help our people when it need, that’s what makes us great.
• Democrats believe in equality for all, where all men and women are created equally, and have the equal right to pursue their own individual version of happiness, albeit law-abiding. (This includes eliminating the red tape for immigration, treating all minorities as decent human beings that have the same right to be in this nation as anyone else, and recognizing that LGBT individuals are just people in love with other people, which has nothing to do with anything else. They should be given the same rights and privileges as everyone else… It’s not about some “losing freedom”, it’s about others gaining freedom and catching up.)
• Democrats believe in fair and just voting practices that do not eliminate someones right to vote based upon trivial matters.

These are my opinions… take them as such, but also take them to heart when deciding who to vote for.