Ok so the federal marriage amendment is yet another attack on the gay community. If marriage really is a religious issue then it should be left up to the religions to decide who they grant marriages to, but the goverment knows if they do this, then certain churches will start granting the marriages to gays and lesbians, which goes against the fundamentalist beliefs of president bush. I'm not saying that all christians are bad people, or even that bush is a bad person, however, i do feel that bush's fundamentalist views on many topics (such as gay marriage) are doing nothing more than hurting our country and dividing the people at a time when we should be being brought together. The vote on the FMA was held today, and (thankfully) it was defeated. The thing that should scare anyone who is gay, lesbian, or supports glbt people is that 227 reps voted FOR the amendment while only 186 voted against it (but it was still not the 2/3 needed to pass). This amendment is offensive to gays. It is telling us that we're not good enough to enjoy the benfits of marriage, that we don't deserve any tax breaks. Its saying the love a gay couple has is not equal to the love in a heterosexual couple. This amendment is simply a distraction from the real issues plauging our nation, such as the war in iraq, or the growing deficit. If marriage truely is a religious issue, we shouldn't need an amendment defining it, we should leave it to the churches to define it, and leave the government to handing out 'Civil unions', and the government should write hate into it's policy of handing out tax breaks.
BUSH RESUME
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> George W. Bush
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> The White House, USA
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> Please consider my qualifications for reelection (well, actually, election for the first time) next year.
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> EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE - LAW ENFORCEMENT:
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> I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been lost" and is not available.
>
>
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> MILITARY:
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> I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam.
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> COLLEGE:
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> I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a Cheerleader.
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> PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:
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> I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career in the oil business in Midland, Texas, in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas... The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock. I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money. With the help of my father and our right-wing friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas.
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> ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS:
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> I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America. I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
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> I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.
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> With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court,I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes.
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> ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:
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> I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
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> I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.
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> I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.
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> I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.
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> I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
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> I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
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> I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. Stock Market. In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.
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> I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history.
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> I set the record for most campaign fundraising trips by a U.S. President.
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> I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.
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> My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History, Enron.
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> My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.
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> I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution.
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> More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history.
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> I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.
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> I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.
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> I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
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> I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history.
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> I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government.
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> I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.
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> I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.
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> I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.
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> I refused to allow inspectors access to U.S. "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.
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> I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election).
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> After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.
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> I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.
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> I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protest against any person in the history of mankind.
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> I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, preemptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.
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> I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families -- in wartime.
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> In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq, then blamed the lies on our British friends.
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> I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.
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> I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD.
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> I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice...
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> RECORDS AND REFERENCES:
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> All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.
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> All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
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> All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.
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> CONSIDER WHEN VOTING IN 2004.
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> All these things I accomplished in less than one term
Everybody is watching the presidential debates right now. But i was surprised when i heard that the debate rules have been changed this year. The debates used to be moderated by the League of Women Voters. Now the Republican and Democratic parties have made a 32- page agreement on new debate rules.
Some of the rules:
Specific temperature in the room (so that Kerry will be prone to sweat)
Specific TV Camera angles (to make them look good)
Candidates cannot move from the podium
No props
Candidates have to be 10ft. apart
Candidate has 2 min. to answer the question, then the opponent has 90 sec. to respond.
all of the questions are pre- approved and reviewed.
even when there is the "town hall" style debate where citizens ask the candidates questions- the citizens have to ask the pre- approved questions. if they divert from the question, bush/ kerry cannot answer it. and the citizens cannot ask follow- up questions.
This makes me upset because now the presidential debates have turned into little mini- speeches that are memorized and pre-thought out. i know that this is a high-stakes election, but i think the presidential parties have gone too far. i want to know how bush/kerry thinks on their feet- these debates can have a huge effect on the outcome of the election- just look at lincoln vs. douglas!
I think that this shows the lack of confidence the presidential parties have in their candidates. If they were confident- they would rely on them to answer the questions on the spot.
What is YOUR opinion? Do you think that we should have these rules? or are they unecessary?
There are 32 PAGES of these rules. i have been trying to find a copy online- but to no avail- if someone does, please post it.
Okay, recently I was walking to class and I was approached by not one but two different people asking me if I wanted to send Bush back to Texas? It’s fine if they want to have their opinion but please don't try and preach to me about why Bush is a bad leader. I'm a republican and proud of, but I don't push my views upon democrats. When these radical people are trying to persuade me to vote Kerry or whatever, all I can think about is how much more I like Bush.
Don't ask, Don't tell is an extremely archaic policy that needs to be removed. At a time when our nation fighting a pretty big war that just seems to keep getting more and more complicated, our government is turning down people who would like to do their part in the war. Why? Because they are gay. You'd think the government would take anyone that is willing and able to fight for their cause, but no, they turn down people simply because they happen to love people of the same gender. There is no real reason for the ban on gays in the military, except perhaps that it might make the straight men uncomfortable. But then, shouldn't killing another human being make them uncomfortable, so shouldn't that be banned too? Banning gays is no different than banning women, its still a ban on something a person because of something they have absolutely no control over. The government could never get away with banning women, blacks, jews, or any other minority without major backlash from society, but it is able to get away with it when it comes to gays. It's just another example of government sanctioned homophobia helping to perpetuate the stereotypes that plague the gay community, and yet another slap in the face telling us we're not as good as the rest of the world.
I just read an article on our countries unbalenced Oil intake. Today, September 27th oil prices breached 50 dollars a barrel. With an accompanied graph The article explains and shows how any unrest in international economies affects our oil prices. This in return causes our gas prices to increase with little hope of price drop.
I feel that this is a current important issue because of where our counrty sits in the current oil market. We cannot supply our own comsumption in oil by any means and this makes us insecure in my mind. If we cannot balence our countries intake I feel that we are doomed to face these problems as long as we depend on importing the vast majority of our counrties oil.
My view on a abortion
abortion is one of the most argued topic in america today. But I dont understand why. It says in our constitution that we have the freedom of speech. And by that it means that you should have the right to choose. Our whole country is based on this freedom and i dont understand why they wish to destroy it. No person should be told that they have to have a baby. Anotther big reason is that i fell this way is because; abortions are always going to take place no mater if they are legal or not. So do what them to be safe or unsafe.
I just spent the last hour listening to the two craziest guys I’ve ever seen. Basically they stated that if you so anything but devote your entire life to God your going to go to hell. Some of there other claims are that if you were homosexual, if you drink, smoke, or do drugs you were screwed and were going to hell. They also claimed that John Lennon was the devil and rock music your brain was going to rot. One of the stupidest claims that they said was that George Bush is all holy and John Kerry was evil so we should vote for Bush.
One of the worst thing I thought was that he had his kids the oldest I figured to be about 12 handing out anti Kerry pamphlets entitled Committing Hairy Kerry in Election Year 2004 "10 Reasons NOT to Vote for John (Forbes) Kerry in 2004. Then on back is "DON'T BE NAIVE...DON'T VOTE FOR KERRY!" This pamphlet was basically blasted John Kerry with absurd comments that were only partially true. They took some facts and twisted them all around to make Kerry look bad. This called John Kerry "John Forbes Kerry" and claims that he can't relate with the middle class because he has all this money. Though technically his personal worth is least then 1 million dollar his wife Teresa who’s related to the Forbes has the rest of the money and owns most of there assets so it they got divorced he would be left with a modest personal wealth. There are several other absurd claims in this pamphlet that I’m not going to go into.
I have an announcement to make: I am in Group 3 for the portfolio presentation thing, my name is Joel Gardner, my email is gard0228@umn.edu. Others in group 3 comment on this with your emails and tell me what the heck I'm supposed to be doing.
And just so this post isn't total spam, I'll also make a claim that may or may not be controversial. I believe America to be in a state of internal decay. On the outside, we are strong and healthy, with the world's strongest military and extensive global influence. But on the inside, hidden from view, we are growing soft and moldy. People are generally more uncaring, lazy, arrogant, and devoid of moral sense today than they were 40 years ago. More and more things that would have been repulsive and not even considered in America's "Golden Age" are now being tolerated and close to being legal. Some might say this is a good thing, as it grants more freedom and is more tolerant. Some laws that some people don't like, however, are put in place for our own good. When these laws are removed, we will only hurt ourselves, as when a teenager disobeys his parents and stays out late drinking, then is killed in a drunk driving crash.
Our case is not new, many other kingdoms of old that seemed invincible at first later collapsed from the inside. Ancient Israel and Rome are two examples. And we don't want to end up like them, now do we? Decay from the inside cannot be stopped by strengthening the outside, it can only be stopped by changing the inside.
Hey everyone, I felt like talking about something other than my thoughts on Bush or Kerry so I figured maybe writing my thoughts about the legalization of marijuana might spark some interesting blogging, ha. I’m not a big marijuana smoker, in fact I rarely smoke, but I have been raised in a family where many of my family members smoke marijuana from time to time. I just feel that there is no need for marijuana to be illegal. Prohibition failed in the 1920's and 30's with alcohol and prohibition is still a failure today. I find it ironic that America's crime rate has been dropping every year since 1992, yet America's prison population has increased every year in the last decade. It seems to me that the war on crime is working well but the war on drugs is just the opposite. A high percentage of the people in jail are people that have been arrested on marijuana charges. Right now we are paying taxes for many of these prisoners who are taking up a large portion of American prisons, but are incarcerated for such petty crimes. Some states have made some progress by legalizing marijuana for medical problems. If marijuana is alright for medicinal purposes and would save us money on taxes then why is it still illegal?
I found this article regarding Ralph Nader at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6058887/
I just don’t understand why Nader wants to be on the ballot. Because his position is close to that of the democratic party, he is just going to “siphon votes from Kerry” (Ralph Nader’s on-and-off Monday, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6058887/)
I agree that we should have more choices in presidential candidates, but Nader doesn’t have a chance. It is undeniable that the Democratic and Republican parties will dominate the election, receiving the majority of the votes. Nader is nothing more than a “spoiler”.
Danny Liu
September 21, 2004
liux0529
Ralph Nader’s on-and-off Monday
The Associated Press
Updated: 10:17 p.m. ET Sept. 20, 2004
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Judges in New Mexico and Arkansas on Monday denied Ralph Nader access to the Nov. 2. ballot in those states, but the independent presidential hopeful won a spot on the ballot in Maryland.
In New Mexico, State District Judge Theresa Baca found that Nader does not qualify as an independent under state law because he is running in other states as the nominee for minor parties.
Baca’s decision came hours after another judge — who had issued a similar ruling last Friday — recused herself from the case after complaints about her $1,000 donation to Democrat John Kerry’s campaign.
The state Democratic Party had challenged Nader’s candidacy, as Democrats have done in other states. New Mexico election law defines an independent as someone not affiliated with a political party.
Nader’s campaign said it would appeal to New Mexico’s Supreme Court.
An appeal also was planned in Arkansas, where Pulaski County Circuit Judge Timothy Fox ruled that more than 1,200 people who signed Nader’s petitions failed to declare him as their candidate, and ordered his name removed from the ballot. Fox said no specific party was listed as canvassers went about collecting signatures.
“We think this is a mistaken decision and we’ll appeal it to ensure that voters of Arkansas have more choices and not less,” said Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese.
State Democrats challenged the petitions, saying more than 360 signatures could not be matched in a state database.
In Maryland, Nader qualified for the ballot Monday after the state’s highest court ordered elections officials to accept 542 previously rejected petition signatures.
Democrats nationwide have challenged Nader’s ballot petitions, fearing his candidacy will siphon votes from Kerry, especially in battleground states like New Mexico. Many Democrats blame Nader’s presidential candidacy in 2000 for Democrat Al Gore’s loss.
Nader is on the ballot in 37 states and in litigation in seven of those. The campaign also is suing for ballot access in seven other states.
did anyone catch his speech the other day? the one where he just happened to refer to osama bin laden as saddam hussein more than once. in a rant-like nature "we will find him and make saddam hussein pay for 9/11" and "hussein cannot remain hidden forever". i mean, everyone makes mistakes, just look a Bush :(, but when your the secretary of defense for the most powerful nation, and your addressing the nation, to make such a convenient, blatant, and appalling error in speech, you can't help but wonder why he mentioned saddam at all. his hatred is not only stupifying, its down right scary.
I think Oprah is the coolest person alive. She is famous and still has time to care about people and help them if they have problems. It seems to me that she is always giving away something to people in hard times. I think it is totally awesome how generous she is for giving out all those cars to her studio audience. There are a lot of people living in poverty but there would be many more if it wasn’t for Oprah and her kindness.
I feel that vegetarians should not persuade others to adopt their ways. I hate how they are always trying to make me stop eating meat. I’m perfectly fine with them doing whatever they want. If they think it’s better for the world to not eat animals so be it, but don’t force me to change.
Take deer for example if we didn’t hunt and eat them they would over-populate the earth. There would not be enough room for everyone. The deer would need to eat, as would the humans, therefore we would all be competing for the same vegetation. Shortly leaving nothing for anyone.
Ladies and Gentlemen...it is time for a change. It is time for the United States to be treated fairly and equally represented in the government. It is time for John Kerry! I would like to hear your thoughts on John Kerry, what issues you like supported by Kerry and which ones you think he can improve on. I will try and post comments to your responses once people start speaking their mind. Thanks for your help guys.
Hello friends, well I just wanted to throw my spin off the Presidential Election. I am in favor of Bush. I feel he has done a great job during his 4 years. In the upcoming election, I am going to vote for George W. Bush as opposed to the majority of the Kerry supporters here. The reason I favor Bush is because of Kerry's platform in terms of Medicare would harm us financially. The reason being my family is comprised of mainly Doctors and it would be even harder to make a living considdering how hard it is with Medicare already. I admit that George W. has messed up here and there but I look at it as a perspective that he is more like a normal human being and not a machine. Im not going to bash Kerry even though I could, but I am a Bush fan so even though we are the minority, I still support HIM IN FULL.
Hey everybody, I’m sorry but I’m not like most of you, I don’t have extreme hate for one of the candidates. I’m right down the middle on most of the issues both candidates cover. I think Bush has done a good job running our country with all that has happened over the past four years. I think Kerry would be ok too. I still haven’t chosen who I’m going to vote for. Somebody please help me out, who should I pick?
I know that electing our next President is a BIG DEAL, but some people blow it way out of proportion! It's one thing to judge the presidential candidates based on what they stand for, but it's another thing to start judging each other based on who each of thinks should be voted in as President. It's almost as if we are choosing the people we make friends with based on their political views. OMG! What is our world comming to?!?!?! There's a lot more to a person than who they think should be President!! A lot of people talk badly about Bush and the way he handled the War on Terrorism, but you have to take a step back and look at the situation from other points of view. I have respect for anyone who would even attempt to handle a situation like that!! And you also have to keep in mind that he's not making all the decisions he makes alone. There are other people helping him ya know!! It seems to me as if the President always has to take the blame whether it was really their doing or not. Who knows, maybe he himself is against a lot of this war stuff, but the other people helping with this stuff are all for it. Where does that put him? He's not going to walk into a press conference and say, "I'm against all this war stuff,... but the people who tell me what to do are all for it,... so I guess I'll say I'm for it, too!"
As for who should be voted in as President,... We see all kinds of commercials on TV in which Bush and Kerry basicaly bash each other. I'm not sure if I want someone running the nation who is just going to bash other people to get what they want.
The Bush administration is once again pushing for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Sure, this spot of land is one of the most remote areas of earth, but it is also one of the increasingly few pristine wildernesses. Nothing in the name "wildlife refuge" implies that it is being set aside to be used as oil. Dick Cheney was quoted as saying '"we are at the mercy of international oil prices" because "we've taken large chunks of this country and put it off-limits to any kind of exploration or development"' (newsweek sept 20th 2004). To me, it seems like there is a REASON these places are off limits to drilling. You wouldn't think of drilling in yellowstone, home of one of the last great herds of American Bison. The arctic refuge is like yellowstone, its home to one of the last large herds of caribou in the world. The swamps and coastal plains are used as breeding grounds. The proposed oil plant would be placed right in the middle of this, much like a Prudhoe Bay, another former wildlife haven. The ANWR has been compared to the serengheti plains in africa in its abundance of wildlife. It is home to bears, wolves, and many other animals. Our president wants to throw all this away, risking the destruction of one of america's last undisturbed wildernesses, all so that we can have cheap gas. Perhaps all this money would be better put to use finding alternative sources of energy, instead of killing off herds of animals to power everyone's cars.
I'm ignorant and uninformed when it comes to politics. (But you know what they say, 'Ignorance Is Bliss!') I don't even know what GOP and DFL stand for. But I need to post something, so here's my opinion about the upcoming election.
I want Bush to win the election, I think it would be best for the country, but I think Kerry is going to win. Virtue and morality just aren't respected these days anymore. I'm not saying Kerry is immoral or that Bush is morally perfect, Kerry just supports several immoral or dangerous things (I think). Like abortion, same-sex marriage, right to carry guns anywhere, legalizing marijuana, etc. If Kerry doesn't support all of those then at least liberals in general do. Freedom and choice are good things, but not when they clash with ethics and common sense! A certain degree of government control and regulation is required. America is not an anarchy. But if such things as these are allowed to flourish, and trends continue, it may someday be.
How could anyone vote for such a disgusting political figure? Yes...he did do a good job with the "attacks" on our nation, but as far as other issues like "the War" have been handled very poorly. How can someone lie about "weapons" and at the same time feel no guilt and just slaughter people of this nation that we really had no reason to deal with in the first place. How do you vote for someone who wants to limit women's rights, restrict GLBT rights, and turn America in to a billion carbon copies of a Texas rased George W? This man needs to be stopped before he takes us for fools agian. We are Americans, intelligent Americans, that cannot be taken for fools ever again.
Someone needs to explain to me WHAT is good about Bush?!?!? I don't agree with anything i have heard he agrees with. I honestly don't understand why anyone would vote for him. I am pro-choice and i understand why people who arent would vote for him, but other than that what does he have going for him? His other policies make no sense! Kerry all the way baby -marie b.
In response to bush being simple, just like us, and having the will to invade Iraq, you have to question his motives like you would any other president. Al Qaida was based in Afghanistan. Period. Sure Saddam was evil, but does Iraq seem any safer or more friendly towards america just because we're there? no. in fact its more dangerous than ever. it doesnt take any great person to commit to war, just an ignorant one. Have you noticed how bush never really talks about many things except ina broad sense. its all freedom this and evildoers that, he even said "im a war president, i go to the office with war on my mind" and, "this guy tried to kill my dad" (referring to saddam). it sure is easy to support a war thats thousands and thousands of miles from even affecting the u.s. at all. but think of all the people still dieing in order to "secure" the country. would you give your life for such a trivial cause? the war on terror wasnt even aimed at the terrorists who attacked us directly. and saddam was "probably planning" to develop a program in oreder to develop weapons. i dont hate the man, i just hate the fact that hes probably the most powerful man in the world.
When it comes to Bush, I feel that he is an idiot (for the most part). But I agree with most of his moral beliefs, I believe in the war that we are fighting, and I feel that it would be better to let Bush finish what he started then to cut him off and elect Kerry president. I am not very educated in where Nader stands. I have tried to do research on Nader, but I have yet to find a site that simply says where he stands and what he believes in. All I can find is biased information (so biased that I can't even sort through what may have truth behind it). If anyone can give me a site or another source to find information on Nader, or Bush and Kerry for that matter, I would really appreciate it. True, I am a conservative, but that doesn't mean I will back up the republican party no matter what happens. I am always willing to learn new things and hear others oppinions. Please feel free to respond to this!
Jessica C.
I know the the UofM is a highly liberal campus, but that does'nt change my veiw. I like Bush, I think he is a good president. I dont like the fact that things had to be solved in the middle east with war, but some thing had to me done. I mean look at there history, all that country has ever known is violence and hatered. I am glad the US tryed to do some thing to improve the way of life in the middle east, god knowns no other country had the will to get involved. Another thing that I really like about Bush is the fact that he is a simple man. Yea he is'nt the best public speaker but, i like the fact that he has flaws it shows that he is human and that he is just and ordinary person who makes mistakes, just like we all do.
I know I am going to get many coments on this, but i am ready to defend Bush tell the end
Wow! I've never seen all of the things that Bush has done against women all put together into one posting like that. The message seemed to be right on the money with how even members of the Republican Party(73% of them) don't agree with him on eliminating a woman's right to choose whether or not to have an abortion or not.
Mike Ayers
Below is a mass email I received. Ms. Steinem makes some valid points on the current political scene so asking for feedback on this blog seems appropriate. Comments anyone?
Lynda Koemm
Graduate Instructor
Assistant Course Coordinator Rhet1101
Department of Rhetoric
University of Minnesota
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 21:26:46 -0500
My friend,
As I sat in front of my television and watched George W. Bush's
convention last week -- perhaps the most expensive display of false
advertising in history -- the sense of urgency we face this November
struck me with full force.
"We must make a place for the unborn," Bush said earnestly.
But if they're born female, their place is far less secure. The
Republican Party, under Bush's guidance, has never been clearer about
its intentions to strip away women's basic rights.
The Republican Party ratified its platform last week in New York,
calling for a constitutional ban on abortion, and going even further
than in the past by pledging to support only anti-choice judges[1] --
and that includes nominations to the Supreme Court. This is a slap in
the face to the 73 percent of Republicans who believe, as a new poll
reveals, that the right to choose should be a woman's decision, not the
government's. It's one more proof that Bush's views on choice aren't in
line with the majority of the country; in fact, they're not even in line
with majority of his own party.
Bush can't confuse us with such slogans as "`W' Stands for Women." "W"
stands for what The New York Times reported as "Bush's War Against
Women."[2] A few examples:
** Bush signed a law banning abortion procedures without any exception
for the woman's health. That's in addition to blocking abortion rights
for young women, poor women, women who work for the U.S. government --
and even women in the military.
Bush pledges in his second term to pass a Human Life Amendment that
would confer personhood on the fertilized egg, thus nationalizing
women's bodies during all of our childbearing years.
** Bush opposes sex education and lavishes tax dollars on the
"abstinence-only" programs of religious extremists -- even in his global
AIDS package.[3] This is a cruel joke for women, who are now more likely
to die of AIDS than men. When SIECUS and Advocates for Youth campaigned
against federal funding for abstinence-only programs, they were
subjected to three federal audits each.[4]
In Bush's budget for 2005, he pledged $273 million more to
abstinence-only programs -- in addition to opposing emergency
contraception (against the advice of his own panel of experts) and
enforcing the Patriot Act, which requires that the U.S. government have
access to all our health records, and it's against the law for health
professionals to even inform us of a government request.
** Bush eliminated funding for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund
-- funds that could have prevented 800,000 induced abortions, 4,700
maternal deaths, and 77,000 infant and child deaths annually -- even
though a Republican-led Congress had approved them.
Bush imposed and will extend the global gag rule -- already responsible
for the injury and death of millions of women from illegal abortions --
by executive order, no democracy necessary.
** Bush has nominated more judges than any of the past six presidents,
eliminated the American Bar Association as an arbiter of competence, and
supported extremists like judicial nominee Leon Holmes who wrote, "the
wife is to subordinate herself to her husband."
In a second term, Bush will likely appoint at least one U.S. Supreme
Court justice.
You may have noticed a theme here: Bush uses the Republican label and
the few remaining Republican centrists in prime time at the convention
but he and his administration are far from the party of Eisenhower or
Goldwater (he was firmly pro-choice).
John Kerry and John Edwards are the exact opposite on all of the above
positions. They will restore respect for the United States, including
its policies toward the female half of the world.
Because politicians like Bush obfuscate their actual positions,
political campaigns have lost credibility with many Americans.
That's why Planned Parenthood, an organization that is trusted and
known -- especially by women who hold the key to this election -- has
endorsed a Presidential candidate for the first time in its history.
With less than 60 days left before the election, the Planned Parenthood
Action Fund is on the ground and on the air in battleground states --
and this is just the beginning.
Because the Action Fund does not accept labor or corporate
contributions, we're one of only several organizations that are
qualified to be on the air right up until November 2.
This opportunity is rare -- and we have a responsibility to get the
facts out.
That's why I hope you will become a member of the Action Fund today.
There is so much at stake right now, we simply cannot allow ourselves to
fail -- together we must rise to the challenge and educate the public
about the candidates' positions, organize our grassroots supporters, and
mobilize pro-choice voters each and every day until Election Day!
To make a secure online donation, go to:
http://member.plannedparenthood.org/site/R?i=3i20Wxyo5yzfzSepf6ovkg..
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Gloria Steinem
P.S. A low-point of the convention was using Laura Bush to present her
husband as a champion of Afghan and Iraqi women. In fact, he supported
the Taliban until September 10, 2001, gender apartheid and all. In other
words, he uses faraway women to whitewash policies that actually place
them in more jeopardy than before, plus policies that damage women here.
Please forward this e-mail to your friends, family, and colleagues and
ask them to stand up for reproductive freedom -- and the female half of
the world -- this November!
For my democratic friends...
>>
>>Things you have to believe to be a Republican today:
>>
>>1. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless
>>you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need
>>our prayers for your recovery.
>>
>>2. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our
>>highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against
>>Iraq.
>>
>>3. Government should relax regulation of Big Business and Big Money
>>but crack down on individuals who use marijuana to relieve the pain
>>of illness.
>>
>>4. "Standing Tall for America" means firing your workers and moving
>>their jobs to India.
>>
>>5. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but
>>multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all
>>mankind without regulation.
>>
>>6. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and
>>Hillary Clinton.
>>
>>7. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops
>>in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.
>>
>>8. Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins unless you someday
>>run for governor of California as a Republican.
>>
>>9. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.
>>
>>10. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime
>>allies, then demand their cooperation and money.
>>
>>11. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the
>>public at heart.
>>
>>12. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing
>>health care to all Americans is socialism.
>>
>>13. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science,
>>but creationism should be taught in schools.
>>
>>14. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when
>>Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business
>>with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden"
>>diversion.
>>
>>15. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an
>>impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war
>>in which thousands die is solid defense policy.
>>
>>16. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the
>>Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the
>>Internet.
>>
>>17. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades,
>>but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.
>>
>>18. You support states' rights, which means Attorney General John
>>Ashcroft can tell states what local voter initiatives they have the
>>right to adopt.
>>
>>19. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national
>>interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.
>>
>>20. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but
>>trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international
>>harmony.
>>
>>If you don't send this to at least 10 people, we're likely to be
>>stuck with Bush for 4 more years. Friends don't let friends vote
>>Republican.
>>
>
>
>Kathleen A. Gallo
>Associate Professor
>Departments of Physiology & Biochemistry
>Michigan State University
>4180 BPS
>East Lansing, MI 48824
>gallok@msu.edu
>517-355-6475 x1159