Economic Problems: Who To Blame?

The recent economic problems in the United States and throughout the world are devastating. However, they did not arrive without some warning. One must not blame the politicians, the banks, the auto-industry, etc. The finger of blame should be pointed at the sullen face in the mirror. Yes, that's right...YOU!

Most Americans tend to live their life without a care in the world. They buy what they want, as much as they want, and could care less about how their decisions tend to affect other people. People have forgotten how to take care of themselves and now require assistance from the government in order to live day-to-day. The government only exists because we are too lazy and greedy. Do you get along with your neighbor? Do you break into each other's house and take things that aren't yours? Do you get along with your ex-wife/ex-husband? Do you work together in order to raise your kid? Okay. I rest my case. So, why the need for government?

Human beings used to be able to grow their own food, build their own homes, provide their own transportation, trade with others for goods that they did not have, etc. We still do that today, however, we have other people do it for us. The business industry exists because people provide services that we refuse to do and would rather pay other people to do. Although it has made life easier for people, it has inevitably made us lazy and unable to fend for ourselves. People see a way to make a quick dollar and they exploit it until the bubble bursts ruining it for everyone (look at baseball cards and homes). We used to be able to be able to provide all of our own necessities and work out difficulties diplomatically. Because of our laziness, we have created ways to improve our lives and, at the same time, make us more vulnerable than we have ever been.

Why do car mechanics exist? Because people are too lazy to learn the functions of their own car and learn how to take care of it and keep it running efficiently. Now, we have auto mechanics who take advantage of uneducated (in terms of cars) people in order to make a profit. Not all auto mechanics are like this, but it does help them gain a financial edge on other competing businesses.

Why do restaurants exist? Fast-food is terrible for us, however, we consume more of that garbage now than we ever have in our history. Why? Because we're too lazy to do it ourselves.

"But I don't have enough time to shop, cook, and clean." Well, you're working at a job that has created that stress in your life. You have no one else to blame for your current financial and occupational situation.

"But I had kids". Well, nobody told you to have kids. You had plenty of opportunities to get a great education and better yourself, but you didn't do it.

"But my parents didn't raise me properly". Well, what makes you think that you're making things better for your kids by acting in the same manner that your parents did? You see, we all have excuses and we're all lazy. Yet, when faced with financial hardships such as the current one, we scream "foul!" and immediately find someone else to blame for our current situation. This is wrong and does not go to the root of the problem.

I argue that cars are a luxury and not a necessity. If you were able to separate your mind from your current situation and view the world from mine, you'd understand what I mean. When you really think about it, we really don't need to work at a job. The only reason we work is to pay for things that we don't need. We don't need to buy homes because we can build our own homes if we just learned how to do it on our own. We could feed ourselves if we learned how to properly farm our land. We could communicate with each other if we didn't expect instant gratification and responses. You see? All of our problems are created based upon OUR OWN laziness. We have nobody to blame but ourselves.

People who love their iPods, cars, computers, etc. all love something that was once a part of the Earth. Everything that we can touch comes from the Earth. What we consider to be wonderful and fun are usually things that are not necessary for the sake of living. We don't need televisions, we don't need chemical plants, we don't need computers, and certainly don't need people telling us what we need and what we don't need.

Human beings only need food, water, compassion (friends and family), shelter, and an education to fully take care of themselves and have the ability to teach their children what they know. There is nothing more than that. What you may consider a necessity, is simply not. The reason that you may think that certain things are a necessity are because of your personal choices and your laziness.

Sure, the internet has allowed for us to research topics, have an abundance of information at our fingertips, find love in another state or country, etc. However, those are all things that exist without the internet. You can fall in love without the internet and you can keep in touch with him/her without emails and/or webcams. You can find information without the internet, you just have to read more books or go to the library. Technology only makes us more lazy and more dependent on it. We have forgotten how to be human. We have forgotten how to exist as we once did. Life was hard back then, but one person's problem didn't tend to affect the lives of others. If someone couldn't build a home, they were left to not have a home. If they couldn't fish, tend cattle, or grow fruits and vegetables they starved. By embracing technology we are, in fact, regressing as a society.

Granted, technology has made life easier and allowed us to see and experience things that we probably never see or experience if that technology didn't exist. However, I believe that technological advances have taken away from many things. The beauty of a sunset on the beach is now available to anyone with a camera phone and/or a computer. Rare occurrences are now less impressive because of cameras and video cams. Love is now taken for granted because meeting someone else is so easy that it can be done by turning on a computer and paying for a bride from a foreign country. The experience of a game-winning homerun is now something that can be documented. When Babe Ruth called his shot in the World Series only the people at the game were able to see whether he did or not. Nowadays, everything is documented and the power of kid's bedtime stories are reduced into nothing. The experience of a Led Zeppelin, TOOL, or Pink Floyd concert is no longer limited to those to pay for the tickets to the show. Now, we have DVDs, camera phones, and video clips that we can watch to experience "somewhat" what an attendee experienced. Technology has decreased the value of things that were once held to be sacred and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

We refuse to cook for ourselves, fix our own means of transportation, educate ourselves and/or our children, and dispose of our own waste. Everything that we can do for ourselves is contracted out to someone else. We now, at least in our own confused little heads, can blame other people for not adequately performing a duty that we are very capable of doing but are too lazy to do. What happened to self-perseverance and the ability to take care of ourselves? We are now weak, pathetic excuses for human beings. We deserve this financial crisis and we only have ourselves to blame for it.

Proposition 8: My Thoughts

I understand and respect both sides of the Proposition 8 issue. However, if marriage was traditionally a Christian practice then why are we rewarding that practice with tax breaks, benefits, etc. for married couples? If couples really loved each other and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, they should be able to do it and not expect financial benefits. I believe that two people, regardless of their sex or sexual orientation, are capable of loving each other. Heterosexual couples marry each other for many reasons other than love. We see television shows about marrying a millionaire, a gorgeous bachelor/bachelorette, and couples marrying because of an unplanned pregnancy, etc. Who is to say that marriage itself is a "sacred" institution that should only be between a man and a woman? Why would any logical person be eager and willing to have the government get involved in their private affairs?

The problem at hand is this: many aspects of our current legal and tax system were created based upon this Christian practice known as marriage. I have no problem welcoming gay marriage and various other gay rights. However, there will need to be massive changes done to our current legal and tax laws. Who will be responsible for paying for that massive change?

I know how we can fund these changes. Since these laws exist based upon the historical Christian practice known as marriage, we should revoke every religion's 501(c)(3). A 501(c)(3) is a federal tax exemption for mostly charities, research organizations and various other organizations that are of some benefit to society. However, how many charitable organizations have the same massive buildings that religious organizations have? Do we see scientists with Armani suits, lavish homes, and flashy automobiles? No. We only see this within religious organizations.

Despite it being a Christian practice, all religious (heterosexual) marriages can enjoy the financial benefits of being married. With that being said, the 501(c)(3) tax exemption for all religions should be revoked. The funds that are created from the taxing of religious institutions should go towards fixing our legal system and tax codes so that people who truly want to get married should be able to do so and do it for the reason that it was originally intended: love.

Want "Change"? Come Get It!

Despite the excitement that surrounded this year's Democratic and Republican primaries, I believe that presidential primaries are detrimental to the American electoral process. Now, you might be wondering as to why I would say such a thing. If you're thinking that, I'm glad and I would be more than happy to explain my reasoning for feeling this way.

The excitement surrounding both the Democratic and Republican primaries swells and comes to a head right before the Iowa caucuses. There are a number of things that I notice around this time; 1) the excitement each candidate carries with them especially among their supporters, 2) how exciting and interesting the debates tend to be, 3) the vast number of different opinions on each debatable topic, 4) how open people are to discussing topics with other interested people regardless of political affiliation, and 5) the lack of political "mudslinging" between the candidates, their campaign staff, the media, and their supporters.

I think that it's an exciting time to see the United States elect the first African American president despite not having voted for him. To be honest, I don't feel that the Democratic or the Republican party represent the "change" that they both constantly remind us about whenever they get a microphone in their face. How can real change come from two political parties that are more stubborn than they are visionary? The truth is, it can't. Wait! Why is this so?

After the primaries are over both of the major party candidates need only to worry about the other candidate. They only need to dodge the attack that comes at them from one general direction. This forces each candidate to merely deny the other parties allegations and repeat over and over again what they have been saying for the last few months or so. The American public has been deprived from real change and the opportunity to experience a truly political revolution. The Democrats and the Republicans are both to blame for the current wretched state of politics in the United States.

People in the United States were excited to see Barack Obama elected President. They wanted change and they feel that change is possible with him as Commander in Chief. However, it's funny how similar Obama's current cabinet appears to be to that of Bill Clinton's from 1992-2000. I want what is best for my country and I feel that the American people have been duped into believing that they have only two choices each and every presidential election.

Let's say, hypothetically, that the United States got rid of its Democratic and Republican primaries. Let's evaluate the positives that this could bring to the American people: 1) choice (so many candidates to choose from), 2) variety of ideas (you'll hear so many different ideas that you'd be forced to listen), 3) lack of negative politics (each of the candidates will have to focus on their political platform and avoid looking unintelligent besides slinging mud at the other candidates), 4) more focus on the issues (forget the candidates religion, habits, etc.), 5) more excitement for a vast number of candidates (people will support their candidate; not the candidate that the party that they most likely vote for supports or nominates), 6) reduce the need for millions and billions of campaign financing that could go towards helping the American people (health insurance, intelligence, schools, etc.), 7) opens the door for anyone to run, regardless of socioeconomic status (if you're smart and understand the political process...there is no reason that you shouldn't run and challenge others to debate the issues with you), 8) forces candidates to argue their position against a number of different potential views on a number of topics (don't like either candidates position? Listen to the other candidates!), 9) allows more important domestic/international news to make the headlines besides those like "Does Race Matter?" and "Mitt Romney and Faith: What is Mormonism?" (the media LOVES gossip and garbage...let them start doing their job by investigative reporting, etc. NO MEDIA ENDORSEMENTS! Hold them to the same tax exemption status as religious figures...let the people decide for themselves), 10) allows the American people to make a decision that isn't affected or driven by useless and numerous polls, annoying/nagging phone calls, and allows them not be over-saturated in political non-sense. Sounds great, doesn't it? However, this will never happen as long as the American people continue to allow themselves to be forced to vote for a candidate that they didn't support at first.

How many people do you know who supported a candidate that didn't get nominated for their party? How exciting is it to vote for someone who you didn't initially support? Why do we continually allow our country and our elected officials to merely see things in black and white? What happens when you mix black and white together? You get grey. You really can't get much else mixing those two colors. What happens when you mix black, white, and any other color? You get something different. You get something brighter. You get change. Real change.

The United States is my home. I love my country and I'm willing to die for it. It aches me to see people swallow their pride in order to vote for a candidate that they didn't initially support and expect to see their country change for the better. Why do we accept that? How have we become so complacent?

Before the Iowa caucus, people can be seen discussing the political platform of their candidate and listening to two other people discuss their candidates positions and possibly, just possibly, hearing a position or view that they never really considered. This different opinion or position intrigues them. What is this? This, my friends, is how change comes about.

"How come my candidate does/doesn't support this?" or, "Why does my candidate feel so strongly about this, but neglects to consider this"? This is what political discussions are supposed to be like. It's supposed to challenge you, to challenge others, to make you think, to make others think, and to allow ourselves and others to hear a variety of different opinions. We used to be able to discuss politics in schools, at church, at the dinner table, and at work. However, because we have allowed ourselves to be pushed into a corner...we have now deprived ourselves of this luxury. A luxury that allows a nation and a people to be progressive and open to new ideas. We have robbed ourselves of these experiences, but there may still be hope for the next generation.

Conclusion: The American presidential primary is detrimental. It forces voters to support candidates that they didn't initially support, allows candidates to just appear electable and not really have a political platform to stand on, and tires the American people out before the actual election. Also, take this into account: a winning candidate receives roughly 49-55% of the total vote, which means that roughly 45-51% of the voters don't like and/or didn't vote for the winner. Primaries also have a history of upsetting people to the point of voting for the other candidate or simply not voting again. This alienates people and creates a huge pool of people who simply "don't care". As the most efficient and functional democracy on the planet, we sure don't have enough of our people voting. A large number of people choose to not vote because they could care less about either of the names on the ballot. People enjoy variety and choices. The American presidential primaries deprive us of this luxury.

My Plan: Get rid of the primaries. Limit campaign funding to only what they can raise from door to door campaigning, online fund raising, etc. We must limit the amount of money that major corporations donate to each candidate. Campaigns should be funded BY THE PEOPLE. If I donate $50 to a candidate and the owner of a major corporation donates thousands upon millions of dollars to that same candidate...who do you think that candidate will listen to more? Exactly my point. Money and financing should still serve somewhat of a purpose, but should not be the guiding force behind a campaign or provide a candidate an upper hand over another simply because they have more money.

What My Plan Will Accomplish: My plan will introduce a new breed of politics to the American people. Politics of change, politics of progress, and politics motivated by the will of the people and not by the amount of money in the candidates campaign account. People will hear new ideas, they will debate with people, they will get their children involved, and they will vote for who they want...not who they think will win. America's problems will not be solved with black and white ideas. Solutions and different visions come from the introduction of other colors (ideas).

"Voting for the lesser of two evils means that you're still voting for evil."

Brenden Foster

I saw a news story about an 11 year old boy named Brenden Foster. This extraordinary kid was and is facing death in the face. Brenden has leukemia and it has overtaken his body. However, it hasn't overtaken his heart and his ability to influence other people. His dying wish was to compel others to help feed the homeless. Because his weakened frame had prevented him to participate physically, his strengthened heart motivated other people to act on his behalf. People from all over the area decided to come together and make hundreds of sandwiches for the homeless. They did this because they wanted to help make this young man's dying wish come true. Brenden, at the current time, is still alive and smiling. He lives in Lynwood. His story touched my soul and made me realize that certain situations bring out the best in certain people and that it sometimes compels us to act in a selfless manner. Because of his wish to help those less fortunate than us, I want to write something for him so that his life and his message of compassion for others shall live on. Brenden, this is for you.

You may not know me, but I know you,
Your story touched me in ways that I cannot explain,
Many years separate the two of us, but your maturity surpasses mine,
Your last wish was to help those less fortunate,
A completely selfless act of compassion, you touched my soul,
You seem older than your age,
Because of your maturity and ability to put others first,
You urged others not to cry for you,
It was hard, but I managed not to cry,
You didn't want leukemia to cause another tear,
Such a brave young man,
You also wished to become an angel to watch over those you love,
I hope that your dream comes true,
Because you deserve it,
You deserve so much more,
Many of us complain about numerous things,
Your problem was much greater than ours,
And yet, you found it in your heart to help others,
When we complain, we're only thinking about ourselves,
You were faced with leukemia,
All you could think about was to help those less fortunate,
It makes me think,
It makes me wonder where you find your strength,
You are much braver than I,
You are stronger than I will ever be,
Thank you for your message,
Thank you for your courage,
Thank you for being who you are and always were,
A young man with a huge heart,
A heart capable of loving without biases,
A heart unable to withhold love for anyone, regardless of who they were,
A heart that grew stronger as your body grew weaker,
When you go, I want you to know,
That your family loves you dearly,
Know that everyday that you were on this Earth...that you were loved,
And I want you to also know,
That although you may not know who I am,
I love you.

A Night At the Falls

Driving on a dark highway,
I am alone,
However, not for long,
Going to meet someone,
Haven't done anything like this in a long time,
Very nervous, don't know what to expect,
I pull up front, she gets in and the first thing that hits me...
She smells amazing,
She's gorgeous, trying very hard not to look,
Focus on the road, you'll see her soon enough,
Small talk; wow, her voice sounds so innocent...so sweet,
Park the car, start walking towards Snoqualmie Falls,
She nudges me, begin to feel better,
Finally reach the look-out point, I finally get a good look at her,
Absolutely speechless, she's amazing, sweet, beautiful, and adorable,
Slowly get closer, her smell still potent, still effective,
She teases me by getting really close,
Is this a kiss? No, she's playing a little game,
God, I want to taste her lips, come try that again,
She gives in, our lips meet, describe the situation?
Heart racing, goosebumps, butterflies gone, overly-stimulated,
Amazing kiss, that was the first and definitely won't be the last,
Pulling back, her beauty leaves me absolutely speechless,
"What?" she says as my eyes feast upon her beauty and her eyes,
Her eyes...so blue, her smile...so warm, her kiss...so fulfilling,
Her touch...so satisfying, her skin...so soft, her face...so beautiful,
Is this really happening? She's amazing,
Mind is completely blank...she is all that I see, feel, taste, touch, and hear,
Never met anyone like her before, she's so sweet,
Her skin satisfies every part of my palate,
Her kiss quenches my thirst and my longing for perfection,
Her eye's gaze pulls me in and makes me feel helpless,
The sound of the waterfall is barely audible,
Everything about her has consumed me,
We remain close the entire evening, I cannot get enough of her,
Every kiss is as great as the first,
The entire night: 3 1/2 total hours,
The best 3 1/2 hours of my entire life,
As she walks back to her door, I finally breathe,
On the drive home, everything about that night is so very vivid,
Every noise, every taste, every kiss, every touch, every glance,
She is the epitome of everything that I've ever wanted but could never have,
She brought back feelings that I haven't felt in years,
I felt so alive that night, everything was so...well...perfect,
She was absolutely perfect,
If I never experience another night like that for the rest of my life...
I'll die a happy man,
To just be that close to something that perfect...
Is enough for me,
That night was amazing in every sense of the word,
She awoke something inside of me that has been dormant for so long,
She made all of these feelings possible,
As I lay in bed, I smile; so this is what it feels like...
This is what it feels like to be absolutely happy,
So fulfilled, so satisfied, so giddy, and so excited,
All of this possible because of her,
The most amazing woman that I have ever met.