Preserving Liberty

Pros and Cons for President 2008

Sam — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:19:00 -0700

I read an article today that talked about swing voters. The people in the middle of both McCain and Obama that don't know which person to vote for. I for one am one of those people. I must say with less than a month to do before the election, I am a bit worried and coming down to the wire. My GF is pretty much for Obama and I am a republican but lean more in the middle than anything else. I only choose republican so I actually have a voice during the primaries instead of sitting out and not doing anything about my country.

Since I am in the middle and it is a current toss up on who to vote for, I must say that I am going to make a pros and cons list of what I think are each candidates good and bad qualities about them. This will hopefully quell my thoughts on who to vote for and a list to look back on when I get ready to vote.

I am doing my best to not be biased. If you find anything I say to be biased, please speak up. I also ask that you please give me more pros and cons to make up the decision of a middle ground person.

Obama

Pros -

Healthcare - This is a big topic for me. Health insurance companies today now value a persons life around $100,000. I honestly think when it came down to it and your life was in jeopardy, you would be more than willing to pay more than $100,000 for your life. I would too. I personally cannot be a hypocrite on this topic and only allow my self to be able to afford an operation that is more than $200,000. Health care MUST provide for everyone and NOT allow for a value to be placed on a persons life. This is unfair and unjust. "All Men are created equal, not just the rich." I personally have great health care. I love my health care, but I also believe that if you do not have health care, it should be provided for you. Just like the ability to have an attorney provided for you in a court of law that will help decide if you live or die, you should also have a health care provider without a price of worth.
Obama has spoken freely on this topic that everyone in the world should be provided FREE health care. That's why I agree with him.
No Smear about financial problems - Currently, John McCain and camp have not brought anything against Barack Obama about his doings in the financial crisis which leads me to believe that Obama did not partake.
Has not been corrupted - He is young and admirable. Young people are usually most often the least corrupt in politics. I can see that since he is so young, the hounds and dogs of politics have not had the chance yet to corrupt this man - Pure opinion.

Cons -

Rev. Jeremiah Wright - Obama has been a member of this church for more than 20 years. He has sat in many of Rev. Sermons and listened to many of the preachers talk. If you view this video or this video of the Rev., you can see that he bashes America and the white people. Martin Luther King Jr. chose to use the words, I will judge the person by "the content of his character, and not by the color of his skin". If this is true, then you cannot compare the Rev. to King. Also, one last brief note. If this wasn't a bad church and it was a good church and spoke true to American values, then why did Obama quit his church?

McCain

Pros -

Pro-Life - Senator McCain is for life. "Why should a life be taken out of convenience?" It doesn't matter when the soul enters the body. When I was in sex education, we were always told that the sperm takes less then 5 hours to enter the egg. Upon entering is when a new life starts. It doesn't matter about theology, what matters is the fact that life should NOT be taken out of convenience. Lets say I am in a traffic jam and if I see someone kill another person just because they were too slow, that is a taken life out of convenience.
Some will argue that the mother loses all abilities to better her self. Well honestly PROGRAMs should be in place that when young women become pregnant, they still have the ability to continue on with their life without sacrificing the life of a new born.
Some also argue that the president cannot do anything about this topic. I beg to differ, because the president has the ability to pick the new and upcoming Justices of the Supreme Court which allows them to overturn Roe v.s. Wade.
Education - Education has been a hot topic for decades. People always think throwing money at the system will help it change and over the years, we have hoped for this change. Obama thinks this way about Education. McCain is not. McCain thinks parents should have a choice on where their kid goes to school and also think the money should follow the kid. This allows for schools to either reform or be pushed into garbage. This will then allow for a School system to be shut down and rebooted. Higher new teachers with better equipped ability to teach better. This is a radical move when it comes to education, but when throwing money at a system that doesn't seem to get better doesn't work. I say lets try it a different way.
Trust - John McCain is a man I can trust. I honestly think I can trust him. He has shown me that I can trust him through his service as a veteran and POW. If you must know what I am talking about, read this and then you decide if you can trust him. Please be advised, this article was put out before he decided to run for President. - The article is fact, but my trust is opinion.

Cons -

Keating Economics - John McCain is undoubtedly involved in the Keating Economics which was involved in the saving and loan crisis in the 90's. The video is here. Keating was looting the savings and loans, and McCain does not deny it. After looking through the facts, of the five senators who worked with Keating on non-regulation of savings and loans. John McCain and John Glenn are the only two senators to 're-enlist' in the Senate. Keating tried to de-regulate the economy as with what John McCain says to do now. McCain speaks here that deregulation contributes to the growth of economy, but does it also allow for less oversight which allows for the ability to corrupt? So is deregulation a good thing? Honestly, no. It is not a good thing and hers why. If we had deregulation then there would be no checks and balances in our government which then allows for more corruption. Our fore fathers wanted checks and balances so no ONE MAN would have absolute power. That holds true today for deregulation.

Please feel free to make comments on this post, because it will be something I will also take into account.

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Religion in politics.

sam — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:01:45 -0700

Religion in someone's stand point is what makes up their values and beliefs. It is not involved in politics, but sometimes not as people would believe. I also disagree with Religion should be involved in politics. If you look at the time of old compared to now, you can truly and honesty say, religion in not involved.

Religion of the past does not run our government. It does not decide who lives or dies. It does not make rules for the people. Especially not like in the past when religion was the authority to the government.

It does though govern the moral and ethical decisions people make. Do I rip this guy off for a few hundred dollars, do I lie cheat or steal, do I live a life where abortion is accepted or not, do I live where people think there is a soul in everyone?

Religion does not govern the government. Religion governs those who wish it, because that is how some of you might define your values. Please don't say that religion is a deciding factor in this election or any other. It is religion that is a deciding factor in our lives and it is what defines some of us as a person. So what defines us as a person decides these elections not religion.

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Control tower to the Internet, Google is a hypocrite!

Sam — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:41:00 -0700

May 19^th, Joseph Lieberman which is a US Senator from Connecticut asked Google to remove internet videos produced by terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda from its YouTube site.

"Islamist terrorist organizations use YouTube to disseminate their propaganda, enlist followers, and provide weapons training," - Senator Lieberman.

"YouTube also, unwittingly, permits Islamist terrorist groups to maintain an active, pervasive, and amplified voice, despite military setbacks or successful operations by the law enforcement and intelligence communities."

Google responded with:

"(W)e examined and ended up removing a number of videos from the site, primarily because they depicted gratuitous violence, advocated violence, or used hate speech. Most of the videos, which did not contain violent or hate speech content, were not removed because they do not violate our Community Guidelines."

On this note, Google continues to allow organizations that are deemed Foreign Terrorist Organizations to post videos that are viewed by citizens in the United States.

Update: Google currently still allows videos to be viewed by United States citizens.

On this topic, The Thailand monarchy asked Google to remove a clip that insulted its monarchy of 80 years. Google removed the video at the request of the monarchy.

Everyone that has the internet knows about China’s great Firewall and knows the Google edits their search index to remove sites that China does not allow.

“One mans Terrorist is another mans Freedom Fighter” – Anonymous.

To understand Google, you need to understand their mission. “Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Google by their own Mission Statement should not be aiding China in removing links, it should not be removing video’s from YouTube for Thailand and it should not be removing video’s via request from a senator.

Here is where Google is a Hypocrite. Google has removed links and videos for both China and Thailand at their request, but has not removed video’s and links at the United States request. In this act, they support U.S. deemed terrorists within the United States.

They can argue that “One mans Terrorist is another mans Freedom Fighter”, but if they are willing to do it for another country, why not the U.S.? If they don’t do it at the request of the U.S., then why should they do it at the request of China or Thailand.

Do you see the Hypocrisy? I ask you to blog about it and let your voices be heard.
BTW, I am not slamming Google, I just ask them to stop falling short of their true Mission!

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How long will Russia last?

sam — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:50:32 -0700

Before Russia fell, it was a powerful and amazing communist country, but lets get one thing straight. Russia was not able to support it self without Serfs. Serfs worked as the entire lower class and were released in the 90's because Russia was not able to sustain it self and wanted democratic reform. The reform has come and gone says some analysts. Russian Ex-President rolled back democratic reforms into the old age Russia. People are fleeing the country for a better life and they are finding it in Ukraine. Ukraine is still highly Democratic and moving more so than before.

Russia itself is losing civilians because of many reasons, but the top two include a Birth Rate lower than the current population. Russians are not replacing them selves. That has been seen for many years now and Russians are trying to fix this problem by declaring a national holiday to go home and make babies. Russian towns are giving prizes to couples that have kids on certain days or the amount of kids one couple has. Things are getting worse than that over there. Now IHT just did an article about how Russians are fleeing the motherland for a more democratic one. They are leaving for Ukraine in an attempt to make a better life for them selves that they can't see under the current Russian rule. This is an example of why the mexicans are leaving mexico for a better country and better way of life. They leave for the United States and leave mexico without the labor force that is needed to sustain a country economically anymore. The exact same thing will happen in the Ukraine. Russia will lose to Ukraines democratic reforms and its willingness for Free Speech. Because, what does Russia do to artist that talk bad about the government? It puts them into jail. So the artists request Ukraine work visa's and Ukraine accepts them indefinitely. Ukraine will profit from this and Russia will again lose more of its population.

So the question begs, how long will Russia last? If the Government keeps pushing back Democratic reforms and keeps allowing its population stop replacing them selves, they will lose faster over time. The country will fall inevitably if it doesn't change its current course of action.

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Why is Free Speech So Important?

sam — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:27:26 -0700

I found something over at a Geocities web site. I wanted to share it on my blog, because who knows how long it would have lasted over there and this quote was far to good to read once and not remember. I hope you enjoy.

Why speak up about things that don't seem to affect you? Perhaps Pastor Martin Neimoller's view in one version of his quote will answer that question. He supported the Nazis until he realized, too late, what they were really about and was sent to Dachau concentration camp. He was one of the fortunate to be freed and live until 1984.

First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Social Democrats, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Social Democrat.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.

This version thanks to information researched at Liverpool Community College (which page has since been taken down) and by University of California Santa Barbara Professor Harold Marcuse who continues to update his pages with further research results. This version is similar to the one I remember seeing when I was in middle school and it never left me. I hope it never will.

Thank the good people in this world for we have Freedom.

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Students Rallied saying "Freedom is our legitimate right!" in Iran

Sam — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 02:59:00 -0700

On March 19th students rallied for their rights to freedom. They rallied all across the country of Iran crying "Death to Ahmadinejad." This movement is amazing to view, it shows that the young people of Iran and many other countries including China, Venezuela and North Korea are crying for freedom. I have always had a theory that it is the rule of thirds. In America, when a family moves here from another country; it is not the first, second but the third generation that actually assimilate them selves into the American Society. Its an awesome thing to see and I think other countries are finally getting wind by a young movement that is sweeping the countries due to things like the Internet. The Internet allows for mass crowds to get involved, it allows for better freedom of speech and it just allows information to flow. It is a sight to see when people stand up against their country. I only hope that the Internet moves the right kinds of people to stand up against communism and corruption. I hope it shows people what freedom really is and what things it can do for a person. On a side note: if information gets out to these countries faster and without delay over the next couple of years, I think countries that have restrictions on their people will inevitably fall. It only takes time. I hope sooner than later and with less death than there has been in the past.

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Getting Fired in America because you don't speak Spanish!

sam — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:39:43 -0700

I was surfing the Internet the other day and found a Video about how Firefighters who are getting fired because they don't speak Spanish. Crew captains are required in some states if not all states to be able to speak their firefighters languages. Is this a definition of freedom. Can any one person be allowed to speak a different language on freedom of rights. I think so. I think this is allowed to happen because it is his right to be free and therefore his right to speak what ever language he wishes. As for should he speak English in America? Well due to the fact that America has no National Language, yes he does have the right to speak Spanish in America. Should others get fired because he decides to speak Spanish and not English? No, that is discrimination and against the law. It is against the Law to discriminated against because once again every man is free in our country. Could it be taken to the Supreme Court? Yes, it can and should be taken to the courts for their judgement. It could even in fact start a national movement or law for the requirement of an English Language.

The basics of this country is that EVERY man is FREE. Not just Americans. We are built on these basic principals. Someone might argue that they came to our country, they need to learn English. If they learn English, then we will be forcing a person against his freedoms this country provides him to learn something he doesn't want to. The only forcing that should be done is to force a person who has committed a crime. If a person harms another person in anyway, they have just given up their rights to be free. This now allows for a person in this country to be forced to do something, but until that happens their freedoms should not be taken from them.

My personal opinion? When a cop decides to pull over a person who is not fluent in English, but has a legal drivers license for the state he was driving in because the DMV deems in necessary to put Spanish up on the screens for driving tests instead of English. This I think is a safety issue and should require either the driver to be fluent in English or Americans in general to be fluent in both languages. I guess we will see what happens in the next couple of years. I for one hope that English will be nationalized, but it is not the right of a free man to be forced to learn a new language.

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Preserving our right to Free speech with Bushes Veto Power

sam — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:28:37 -0700

Bush just defended your right to free speech over the air ways. President Bush assured members of the National Religous Broadcasters (NRB) that he would NOT let congress take away freedoms over the airways. Democrats have threatened the rights of Free Speech by wishing to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine.

The Fairness Doctrine - Limits the breadth of Free Speech and public debate by forcing airwaves to present both sides of an argument.

By doing this, they are taking away your rights as a citizen, as a FREE person and as a human being. The Founders of this country where so ingenious to allow the right for every person to be free. I ask that you look over this.

You have been informed.

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Our troops do it again, they stomp out corruption where it sits.

Sam — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:03:00 -0700

Ghalib Ali Hamid, a top Iraqi official at the Bayji refinery, is suspected of skimming profits and having ties to insurgents. (Eros Hoagland for The New York Times)

Everywhere around us, there is corruption, death and destruction of the human race. I started this blog to have an idea of why people would want to stop a thing as great as liberty. Why would people want to snuff out freedoms. Why would people want to kill others. Can't everyone live in peace. I know peace is a long shot and would require something out of Star Trek - First Contact where aliens come to Earth and Unite the entire human race. But, today is not a day like any other day. Today and most likely for a while now the troops have known about Profits from stolen oil that helps sustain the insurgency (bad guys) in Iraq. The profits are skimmed about 1/3 off the top and given to the insurgents. This is upsetting in many ways. Why? Well let me tell you, some people say that we entered the war in Iraq for Oil and now it shows that oil is working against us to kill soldiers and innocent civilians of Iraq. This is extremely sad and disheartening. I don't wish death upon anyone, but for someone who kills for the ability to rule with an iron fist, I say the hell with them. I feel that we went to war in Iraq, not just because of the WMD that were supposed to be there, but because of the atrocities that were happening at this day and age.

1980-88: Iran-Iraq war left 150,000 to 340,000 Iraqis and 450,000 to 730,000 Iranians dead.

1983-1988: Documented chemical attacks by Iraqi regime caused some 30,000 Iraqi and Iranian deaths.

1988: Chemical attack on Kurdish village of Halabja killed approximately 5,000 people.

1987-1988: Iraqi regime used chemical agents in attacks against at least 40 Kurdish villages.

1990-91: 1,000 Kuwaitis were killed in Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

1991: Bloody suppression of Kurdish and Shi'a uprisings in northern and southern Iraq killed at least 30,000 to 60,000. At least 2,000 Kurdish villages were destroyed during the campaign of terror.

2001: Amnesty International report: "Victims of torture in Iraq are subjected to a wide range of forms of torture, including the gouging out of eyes, severe beatings and electric shocks... some victims have died as a result and many have been left with permanent physical and psychological damage."

Human Rights Watch: Saddam's 1987-1988 campaign of terror against the Kurds killed at least 50,000 and possibly as many as 100,000 Kurds.

Refugees International: "Oppressive government policies have led to the internal displacement of 900,000 Iraqis."

Iraq's 13 million Shiite Muslims, the majority of Iraq's population of approximately 22 million, faced severe restrictions on their religious practice.

FBI: Iraqi government was involved in a plot to assassinate former President George Bush during his April 14-16, 1993, visit to Kuwait.

The Iraqi regime has repeatedly refused visits by human rights monitors.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are other bad things going on in this world like Darfur, Myanmar, China and Burma. The problem that we had with Iraq is that they were able to move it to a global scale if necessary. The other countries are only in the certain regions. They do not threaten the world population as of yet. Iraq did and its neighbors still do. I truly wish that when we were done with Iraq, we would push the spread of democracy and Freedom. I wish that we would support financially other countries and groups of protesters that wanted democracy. I imagine we do and it is not publicized, but I could only wish that the US government is pushing for democracy and liberties all around the world.

I thought of a quote that would fit right along with this. "Every person has the right to be free, no one person deserves to be a slave." I believe that down to my bones. I hope you do too.

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Anti-Terrorism, Free Speech and California State University

sam — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:33:00 -0700

Anti-Terrorism, Free Speech and California State University. What do all these things have in common? Free speech was restricted at California State up until people took a stand and said NO! 417,000 Students no longer face disciplinary action because they spoke out against California State universities free speech rules. An article posted yesterday described the situation. Students at a anti-terrorism rally Stomped on flags that prescribed Allah on them. This of course is an anti Hezbollah and Hamas Campaign. The students who were disciplined filed suit and they finally won the suit. The school was required to pay $100.00 to each student of the campaign and legal fees. I for one am glad to see this. But what's the limit and how far will people be allowed to go with first amendment rights? I question this because of all the new problems in London these days. People are protesting for Islam. Why? Well certain cartoons could have started it. Who knows where it will end.

This reminds me of all the protests in downtown London. The protests of anti UK have struck a spark deep in me. The current protests that go on there are very real and very scary. I wonder if people could really call this free speech? Is this the First Amendment? I am going to have to say that it is. It is very much the first amendment. This same act is what protected the students in California. Will Americans sit idly by and allow this to happen? Will Americans start Protest rallies towards Islam rallies? Could there be riots like the 1964 Race Riots when Muslims stood up against the police? I would only hope not.

I for one believe in free speech down to my bones. I would imagine these people in the pictures do to. But I believe that if these kinds of people had their way, free speech could be abolished. Liberties as we know it could be abolished. We would be without our freedoms. That is frightening. I for one will not allow my self to live like that. I hope that everyone reading this blog recognizes that this is going to happen more often down the road. I ask, what will you do about it? Will you sit idly by and just read what I say, will you do what the California kids did, will it cause hatred in you, or will you look at this from a peaceful stance and say "they are just exercising their freedom of speech rights"?

I am going to have to sit on this topic and think about it. Do I hate or do I love? People that want these kinds of atrocities to happen in the world do not deserve my vote. I will never support someone that says Exterminate another race. I will support the California kids though, not for their hatred of Islam, but for their fight for freedom of speech.

Both Free Speech rallies can cause hatred, both can cause riots, both can cause extremists. But both are protected by Freedom of Speech.

Voltaire once said "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

I for one believe Voltaire.

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