Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Westboro Baptisi Church/Freedom of Speech

Bag Tax Working

I guess it was right after the new year that the DC government started taxing all plastic bags. I hated the idea because I don't believe plastic bags are the problem in The Anacostia River, I hated it because I don't believe the DC government will use the money for it's intended use, and I hate the idea of the government taxing us more and more and saying it's for our own good. All of these feelings have settled slightly when I read that the number of plastic bags being used dropped from 22million in a month to 3 million. That makes me happy in many ways.
First off the drop in usage indicates that people don't want to give the government any more of their money and they'd rather carry a bunch of things in their hands then shell out 5 cents per bag. At least that's my interpretation. Secondly it makes me happy to help the environment in such a simple way. Just not using a kind of bag. The last way it makes me happy is to know that, soon enough, we will be swimming in The Anacostia and eating fish from it again. Since the government is going to keep it's word, I'm sure, and use the approximately $150,000 a month to start the clean up....right?
Now that we know how many bags were used in a given month we can estimate how much money the DC government is making from this program. That should help us regular citizens decide whether we see enough of a change in the river to warrant this tax being put on us.
So I wonder, when can we expect to see the cleaning up of the river begin?

What is Hate Speech?

Who gets to decide what is hate speech and what isn't? The government? I don't think that works for me. I do not want to give the government any kind of in roads into controlling what we aren't and are allowed to say. Every once in a while we get a group, like Westboro Baptist Church, that pushes things to the limit. I am just not sure what to do about it.
The government is already trying to wiggle it's way into aspects of our lives that are none of their business. And now we want them to regulate free speech because there are people who are saying things we really don't like. Well, in my opinion, that is what free speech is all about. People saying things that others don't like. I say things on a weekly basis that some people think are mean and hateful towards a specific person or a group. Should I be shut down? Hell no! My dad makes jokes sometimes that are funny but insensitive. Should he be muzzled? No way.
People quickly forget that the people that built this country knew what they were doing when they put these rules in place. We do not need government controlling speech. We don't need a Fairness doctrine. We need to remember that part of what makes us a great country is dissenting opinions. Once you start squashing some opinions where does it stop.

*Note* Just for clarity I am in no way defending these nasty human beings. What they say is detestable. I am just not sure who should get to tell them what they can and can't say.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

My Review of A Million Little Pieces

I heard a lot about this book during the Oprah incident. I never really had a desire to read the book until clients that knew I was trying to quit smoking weed recommended it. It is a hard book to read but also one of the most powerful that I have read in my life.
The story, that we now know is not entirely true, is about James Freys trip through recovery in a clinic. He is addicted to everything possible. He has nearly killed himself with drugs, alcohol, etc. The story follows his anger, hatred, resistance, strength, weakness and eventual triumph over addiction. It is a great read but there are some parts that are so graphic I know people that stopped reading because of these sections. The hardest to read are descriptions of his vomit and his teeth being fixed with nothing to numb him. They are very graphic and descriptive. If you are able to get through them you can learn a lot from this book.
He talks about and describes things in this book I have never heard anywhere but in my own head. The rage he feels towards anyone who cares for him I understand. The rage he feels for his family I understand. The rage he turns on himself I understand. They are the kinds of feelings you are ashamed to say out loud. But reading them made me realize saying them out loud is exactly how you get past them. Pull them out into the light.
This book is helping me in my continuing fight against marijuana addiction. It is also helping me to allow myself to understand that we all need people. We all need support. That isn't something I am used to acknowledging to myself.
There are many quotes from this book that moved me that I will share over time in this blog. For today there are two that have helped me have a better understanding of myself. The first is about needing people and how addicts tend to sabotage any healthy relationship. "More then anything, all I have ever wanted is to be close to someone. "More then anything, all I have ever wanted is to feel as if I wasn't alone. I have tried many times, tried to kill my loneliness with a girl or a woman, and it was never right. We would be together and be close to each other but no matter how close we were I still felt alone. When they tried to get closer, I either ran or did something to destroy what we felt for each other. I can run fast when I want to run fast, and I've always been good at destroying things." This is how I have handled most of the people who have tried to be close to me at one point or another. Reading it helped me understand why. It also reminds me of the whole in my life that God fills up.
The second quote is much shorter. It is actually a quote in the book that he is quoting from the Tao. Tao Te Ching that is. It says "Practice not wanting, desiring, judging, doing, fighting, knowing. Practice just being. Everything will fall into place." This is powerful to me because of me trying so hard to control everything.
This is a very powerful book whether it is fiction or non fiction. Its very graphic but with a purpose. Not graphic for shock value sake. I recommend it strongly. Especially anyone who is trying to make major changes that involve bad habits or anyone living with an addict.

Consumption Rises

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about the rise in consumption in the last year as wages are stagnating and savings are dropping again. That's interesting. That would seem to indicate that there are a bunch of dumb ass Americans that have learned nothing from the most recent financial crisis. And that's fine.
You have every right as an American to spend more then you save. I also have a right as an American to say that y'all are a bunch of idiots who no matter how hard you get hit in the head with reality choose to continue to live in a fantasy land. A land that allows you to spend money you don't have with no consequence. I guarantee you a lot of these numbskull's are the same people that whined about wanting bailouts from the government for their mortgages and car payments and student loans. And it's exactly why the government should not bail out anyone anymore. Because people don't learn their lessons from being bailed out. They learn from falling on their face. And that's what should be allowed to happen in a few months or years when we are in yet another crisis.
People and businesses that exist with this mindset deserve every failure and disruption to their lives they get as a result of their irresponsible behavior.
If our country can only prosper when we live above our means and we consume and consume then we deserve to be bankrupt!

Right and Wrong Don't Matter

I don't think there is any such thing as a pro life Democratic politician. Just like all other politicians they have one thing in mind when it comes to their vote on bills and that's keeping their job. I bring this up because of the shock some people felt when the pro life Dems caved in to their party and voted for a health care bill with no protections for the unborn. Instead they settled for an executive order that, even members of their own party acknowledge, can not trump law.
Bart Stupak and his little group showed what is more important to them. They had a choice between protecting the unborn and getting health care for people that are able to vote in the next election. They chose voters over saving babies lives. Anyone truly offended by that should remember when they vote in November.
All politicians are crooked and until we start getting some third party people in the mix we will only have a choice between the two evils we've been forced to choose from for the last couple hundred years. If you don't vote for real change don't complain about the outcome.

Enron and Greed

I just finished watching the documentary Enron: The Smartest Guy in the Room. It chronicled the rise and fall of Enron. I feel sorry for the people that had all their money wrapped up in the company. But I also feel that this is what happens to greedy people.
We are supposed to earn our money. We are supposed to work hard and earn an honest living. I believe most of the employees at Enron were good people who became all wrapped up in the idea that they could just let their money sit and it would double and triple and they could retire early and live a leisurely life. Well I think that's where they got in trouble.
The stock market is a big game to me. It has no basis in reality most of the time. Everything is based on ideas and estimates of value and projected performances of businesses. Nothing real. Nothing tangible. And when you put all your money intro something that isn't real you need to accept the risk involved.
A lot of the people that have now lost everything are furious at Jeff Skilling and Ken Lay and they have the right to be mad. I hope they also look at their own greed in an honest way and take some personal responsibility for the decisions they made.

New Kind of President

I heard a Democratic strategist say that one of President Obamas accomplishments in his first year was turning around Iraq. That made me laugh when I heard it. He votes against the war and against the surge and then takes credit for the possible victory. But in Afghanistan where he has been making decisions for over a year and stuff has gotten worse, that's still George Bush's fault.
I am interested to see if his cronies want to keep bragging after the violence that has occurred over the last week in Iraq. I am sure it will go back to being GWB's war if things get any worse.
President Obama truly is a new generation of president. He is part of the cultural change we have seen in this country over the last few years. Take credit for things you had nothing to do with and blame others for the messes you create. He truly is this generations president! Whiny, self important, arrogant, overly self confident and a strong sense of entitlement.