New York New York

I remember hearing about the State of New York's decision to allow same-sex marriages last week and almost chose the subject to write about in my own blog.  I was reminded of the issue after reading Sarah Chema's "Finally! Another Point for the Rainbow People!" blog, and was encouraged by her strong stance for this policy change.

I agree that New York taking a stand like this will encourage other states to do the same, and eventually the nation as a whole.   The surprising thing to me is that it is just now happening.  Haven't we been debating this issue for decades now? Aren't we over our nationwide homophobia?  It is important for big states like New York to be part of the first states that makes this change.  People have been looking to New York for guidance since the 18th century, and anything they do still makes it into the public eye.

Discrimination is discrimination.  Racial, sexual, religious, or sexual orientation should be no reason for one American to be denied the basic rights of his/her neighbor.  These are the morals this country was founded upon, and it is about time we step into the 21st century and make discrimination a thing of the past.nother Point f the Rainbow People

Death and Taxes

There is much debate in our country over the right amount of taxes for our citizens.  How much should we be taxed, which economic classes should pay more or less, and what kinds of things should we be taxed on?  Taxes are always a hot topic, but have become especially prominent of late in the discussions regarding the debt ceiling.    Some believe that raising taxes is the answer to the problem, while others believe that extraneous government programs are the problem.  The answer most likely lies somewhere in between, but before we can find that answer America must realize that paying taxes is an inevitability we must accept.

They say two things in life are sure- death and taxes.  The latter seems to some to be as undesirable as the former.  The bottom line is that every Government needs revenue.  In order to run programs and keep the country safe the Government NEEDS taxes.  There are two sides to the Government equation, one being expenses and the other being revenue.  Republicans refuse to budge on tax issues such as the tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent of the nation, which could potentially bring in millions of dollars in Government revenue.  We must all pay taxes, so why should this wealthiest percentage be entitled to a break?  We pay these taxes for the betterment of the greater good, and everyone must contribute for this country to continue to run smoothly.

 In England and many other European nations, a "value added tax" is added to all items sold.  This tax is 12.5 percent in England and runs up to 15 percent in other European nations.  Europeans realize this is a necessary evil to keep up the revenue column.  We would have a collective cow in America if a tax like this was levied.  We may not need this large of taxes, but we need to stop complaining about the ones we have.  Taxes are not  always the most popular agenda, but grow up America.  How else are we supposed to make money?

Religion MUST be Seperate from State

The First Amerndment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". Founder Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to Banbury Baptists association in 1802 that there must be a "wall of seperation between Church and State".  This phrase has been quoted and upheld by the Supreme Court multiple times throughout our nation's history.

I completely agree with Sarah Hrncir's blog on State vs. Religion, even more so if that is possible.  This country was founded on religious tolerance and religious diversity, and the fact that elected leaders like Rick Perry are still involving Church with the State is appalling.  Even though at that time people were mainly seeking Christian diversity specifically, our country has since evolved.  We are now home to hundreds of different religions, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus.  All these religions make up our communities and workplaces, and play valuable roles in our society.  

By incorporating Church with State, our nation takes a significant step back.  That is the ultimate example of the majority(Christians) attempting to impose their will on the minority(non-Christians).  Majority control is one of the major issues the Constitution seeks to avoid, and we as a country must make sure people like Rick Perry are unable to do so.

Get Your Priorities Straight Washington

On August 2nd, we are all going feel the sting of our great nation defaulting on our debts for the first time in history.  That is, if the politicians we elect to keep our best interests in mind fail to raise the debt ceiling.  Democrats and Republicans currently in office are there for one reason- because their constituents felt they were best suited to represent them in Congress.  As of July 18th, 2011, 15 days away from the debt ceiling deadline, budget talks still "stir pessimism" across the country.

Economists agree that a default would be extremely detrimental to our economy  and some even believe it could cause the second coming of the Great Depression.  Worldwide, not only will we be publicize our internal strife but our currency, the American dollar, will drop to levels unheard of.  So why is it that we are still yet to raise our debt ceiling?  The only answer that makes sense is that politicians have been letting their own personal agendas get in the way of the public good.  On the top of every politician's priority list is reelection.  For this reason, they tend to push agendas they feel will help them get reelected rather than focus on the issues that affect all of us.

Democrats and Republicans alike have been guilty of self-promotion instead of the selflessness this country needs right now.  Democrats are unwilling to cut programs such as Medicare and Medicaid while Republicans are unwilling to repeal tax breaks for wealthy Americans.  They feel that wavering on their platforms will compromise their beliefs and more importantly, their votes.  Please Washington, for once put your petty differences behind you and instead pick up the plight of the American people.

Price for Conservatives

As we all know, the most pressing issue of today's politicians is the closing deadline for national default.  Many Americans have been talking and blogging about the issue, such as The Opportunity Agenda on My Direct Democracy who discuss "Why Conservatives Can't Afford Government Default".  If Democrats and Republicans cannot come up with an agreement before August 2nd, our great nation will default for the first time in history, with "catastrophic results".  Democrats and Republicans are still deadlocked on the issue, with Democrats unwilling to make "deep cuts" to Social Security and Medicare and Republicans unwilling to end tax breaks for wealthy Americans.

This article is aimed at Democrats and Republicans alike.  Its message is that "Economists agree that national default would be devastating, with consequences ranging from collapsing financial markets to plummeting pension funds and 401(k) savings to the disappearance of loans Americans need to get a mortgage, buy a car, start or expand a business".  The author suggests that these predictions by economists are widely agreed upon, and these predictions are inevitabilities.  He uses these professional statistics to increase his credibility on the issue. That being said, Republicans have even more to lose if this prediction should hold true.  This prediction undermines the limited government approach Republicans have been preaching for years.   It shows Democrats how stubborn the Republicans are being, as well as demonstrates that they are the not the only party who has something to lose.

I agree with the article to an extent.  I think Republicans are facing a lose-lose situation on this issue.  Either they will be forced to admit that government intervention is necessary or they will be forced to accept it after August 2nd.  Let's hope for all our sakes that it is the former.

A One-Sided Affair

In a recent Washington Post Editorial, Eugene Robinson discusses the debate that is currently raging between Democrats and Republicans over the debt ceiling.  He suggests that although Democrats tend to grumble about compromising on issues like this, their Republican counterparts simply refuse to budge.  On an issue as pressing and important as the current debt ceiling problem, it is imperative for both sides to at least be willing to come to an agreement.  Robinson suggests that the Republicans are "blackmail[ing]" the Democrats on the issue in order to promote their own agenda.  The author uses facts about the current Obama-Boehner proposal to illustrate that although the current plan is not perfect, it is better than the alternative.

I found it interesting that Eugene makes his point against the Republican Party while still admitting his Democratic Party's faults.  He feels the Democratic Party here is the lesser of two evils.  He is attempting to increase his credibility on the issue by demonstrating that he is somewhat unbiased on the issue.  His intended audience is fellow Democrats, as he knows that Republicans would most likely be disinterested in what he has to say.  He wants to educate Democrats and potentially independents on which party is to blame in the delay over this debate.

I agree with the writer because in my opinion this is typical of the Republican party and specifically the Tea Party.  The Tea Party has a history of being hardheaded and pushing their own agenda ahead of one for the common good.  It is unfortunately the priority of many politicians to show their constituents that they are sticking to their issues rather than helping the common good.  I believe politicians as a whole need to be less interested in their own self image, and more interested in the United States of America.

Reducing the debt no easy task

With such differing opinions on national spending, Democrats and Republicans are having a hard time coming together on the issue of the current national debt.  In a recent New York Times article, the Treasury Department says that the government will soon reach a "debt ceiling that will make further borrowing impossible".   Both Deocrats and Republicans have been working tirelessly to come together on this very important issue.  Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner has been open to the possibility of "$1 trillion or more in new revenue that would be generated by addressing tax issues already raised in the talks, like killing breaks for the oil and gas industry, eliminating ethanol subsidies and ending preferential treatment for corporate jets".  Democrats remain wary of the Republican agenda, and expect Republicans to target programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in order to reduce the budget.  


This is a pressing current issue that affects all of us as Americans. Our Government programs affecting schools, taxes, and/or public health services face inevitable cuts in the near future in order to reduce our massive Government spending.  I found it interesting that Democrats and Republicans, who rarely agree on anything, are coming together so urgently on this issue.  Unfortunately, they still have a long way to go.