Comment on Walk it Out: "Gay Couples Have The Right To Be As Miserable As Everyone Else

I agree with Lauren's comments from her blog, Walk it Out, regarding the editorial, "Gay Couples Have the Right to be as Miserable As Everyone Else". Like Lauren, I don't agree with the concept that government should step in and tell individuals who they can and cannot marry.

If two people are in love, or for that matter, are using the system of marriage to gain citizenship, it is their prerogative. A homosexual man or lesbian woman should be granted to have the same rights marriage as a straight man or straight woman. When the Constitution was written, gay individuals were not segregated to not be granted certain rights as straight individuals.
However, we do have to ask the question-where do we draw the line?

Let's be honest- Americans can take things to the extreme. Just spend a Saturday afternoon people watching in central Austin on the "Drag," you will see just about everything.

The government must consider how far people might take the marriage rights they are given. Should the government allow citizens the right to let them marry their pet goat or even an inanimate object? I am getting married next year and I feel marriage is very sacred and special and should be treated as such. If the laws are changed, to be too vague, and a man decides to marry a tree, I feel that marriage loses value and importance.

Instead of the argument "the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry," change the law to all humans, straight and/or gay, over the age of 18 can marry. However, what then do you do about those who would like to have more than two spouses at one time? The ongoing problem with this, and many federal and state laws, lies within the verbiage used. Maybe that's why marriage is a s segregated as it is.

To see Laurens full editorial, click the following link:
http://lecgov.blogspot.com/2008/04/gay-couples-have-right-to-be-as.html

Original Editorial

With the campaign debates still going strong, is the public fed up and losing interest? I believe so. Even with nearly twenty debates already behind us in this election campaign, many people are speculating that the Democratic debates will go well into the summer. With that said, the American public is getting bored and ready to move onto other things. There is only so much "he said/she said" the public can, and will, listen to. By the time the campaign between the Republican and Democratic candidates roll around, I wonder how much voting population will become involved.

Personally, I don't know how much more I can take. It seems the candidate's fingers that are being pointed at each other are getting more off topic by the day. Just recently, we have witnessed senators bowling and taking shots of liquor in local pubs because one senator said the other was not relatable to the everyday man! Of course they are not like the everyday man! What everyday man do you know who will run for president of the United States, and have the money to support it and all the trappings that go into this process?

With two Democratic candidates seemingly fighting to the bitter end, I wish this party's nominee was already determined so we can focus on the presidential campaign. Then we can start this drawn out process all over again. No wonder we only elect a president every four years. That is all that we can handle.

Immigrant Control- Comment on Capital Politics Since 1776 Blog

I definitely think the politicians and citizens of our country need to reevaluate what our founding fathers based the United States of America on -- "Land of the free, equal rights, and the pursuit of happiness." The citizens of this country are becoming much like a typical high school which allows only the pretty people or the “normal” kids to be a part of the popular or “in” group.

I agree with Eddie's ideas in his original editorial, "Bad Immigrants!" There should be a system allowing illegal immigrants the opportunity to become citizens of our "free country." I also agree that if the immigrants make some poor choices which lead to getting arrested or choose not to follow the immigration rules, they should be deported. Unfortunately, this is probably easier said than done.

If illegal immigrants wish to bypass the immigration process and agree to work illegally, which is already happening, then we are back to the same situation that our country is already experiencing. Maybe immigrants should complete the immigration process before stepping on American soil but that is a difficult situation for many who want to enter the US.

I feel our country is becoming more diverse but I don’t think our citizens are accepting with arms wide open much like when thousands upon thousands entered our country through New York City not so long ago. Many people in this country are so negative about opening the borders that any sort of immigration ideas are completely turned away for fear of change. If the government can create a very detailed and direct process for becoming a citizen, much like Eddie's ideas, it could have the possibility for some lasting effects.

Original Editorial

The country is about to face critical times once again. The last time we witnessed an event this dramatic was the Great Depression in 1929. Today, in 2008, the signs are staring us in the face; collapse in the housing market, increase in gas prices, and sudden decrease in the economy. The unemployment rate is higher than it has been in a long time and most leading economists are saying we are closer to being in another recession than we have seen in many years.

So, did we learn our lesson after the Depression, or for that matter, from any other economic "disasters"? Of course not, and that is why industries, corporations, small businesses, and the general public are in a panic. Maybe the government should do some brainstorming before it gets too bad and we cannot get out of the hard times.

One key factor leading to this economic crisis is the high price of oil. The country is very dependent on oil. With so many innovative and creative inventions developed by leading scientists, why haven't we discovered an efficient alternative way of transportation, heating costs, and other needs for this high-priced commodity? Tue, the government has decided to spend more money to drill in other less know areas of the world such as the Arctic. But that doesn't solve the problem that we need to depend less on oil. The increase in oil has had a trickle effect on the economy. Many are spending more of their earnings on gasoline and cutting back in other areas such as basic living necessities which now have had a dramatic effect on the country's overall economy.

It makes me wonder why we don't come up with back up plans or a plan B when we see our country walking down these troubled and familiar paths? I think there would be file after file of fool-proof plans. Unfortunately, we continue the same mistakes time after time.

Substantial Commentary #2

It is amazing to look at the amount of money each candidate has raised for their respective campaigns in the primary elections. It is even more amazing to categorize where the funds are being allocated, such as general campaign operation expenses, television and radio commercials, billboards, etc. But what about the other needs such as hotel accommodations, food, and travel? It would be comforting to think that they live like the rest of us, however, they are staying in the finest hotels and eating at the finest restaurants, and something tells me that these candidates are not flying coach with the rest of us. I guess you could say it could be helping the economy in some odd way, that this spending on luxurious hotels and dinners is ultimately helping the troubled economy.

An editorial published in the New York Times, on February 25th, titled, Money and the People's Choices, addresses these same concerns. For example, the editorial mentions that a portion of Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign fund, totaling close to $100,000 was spent on hotel accommodation for pre-Iowa-caucus party platters. It makes me think that if she is this willing to spend this amount of money on food platters for the primary elections, what is to come if she wins the democratic primary or even if she is the next president? Will she bring our nation out of the economic scare? Or now that McCain is the front runner for the Republican nominee and his funds are beginning to fall back into his favor, will we see more spending from him?

I do believe with all this money being spent on commercials, ads, and rallies, that it has brought awareness to those of us who are not usually involved in the political world. The politically unsophisticated individuals, typically the younger generation, are becoming more aware of troubling issues and now want to get involved. Many of us have a short political attention span, so once the primary elections are over and the presidential elections start, will the population be as involved or will more money need to be spent to focus us back in the political scope? We shall see.

To see the full article that was published in the New York Times on February 25, 2008; click on the title of the article listed above.

Substantial Commentary

I believe presidential candidates are selling themselves while campaigning for both primary and presidential elections. This happens time and time again. Not only do they try to sell themselves and their ideas, but more importantly, their image. In the opinion article titled Beyond Red, White and Blue, Steven Heller explains the significance in using art in posters, banners, and messages as an attempt relate to a younger mass public.

Recently a poster was created for Barack Obama, by a Los Angeles graphic designer and street artist, Shepard Fairey. The poster is already sold out and has been getting a huge buzz on how unique it truly is. This form of campaigning is nothing new in the political world of campaigns. Presidential candidates have been doing this for years. Heller explains, the Andy Warhol impressionistic image of Richard Nixon got younger generations interested in politics again. Obama has a huge following from the younger generation and his campaign strategists are taking the proper steps to win over the young public. I believe the reason why many different generations are pro- Obama is due, in part, to his strategic campaign tactics. He knows how to reach individuals on many different levels. However, some of his approaches are not all that new and they have been used by candidates before this presidential campaign.

To see the full article from the New York Times published on February 15, 2008; click on the title of the article above. To see the artistic poster of Barack Obama; click on the artist name, Shepard Fairey.

Article Introduction

Everywhere we turn, Republican and Democratic candidates are campaigning for the United States presidency. Debates are publicized on the Internet, shown on television, and played on radio stations. It wouldn't be so torturous if they stuck to political thoughts and ideas but now they have gone over to the dark side and are playing dirty. The candidates are acting like high school girls by throwing low blows at each other.

The January 28th issue of the New York Times posted an article, written by Michael Luo, titled "Romney Campaign Criticizes Calls", about another controversy in the Florida primaries. Residents of Naples, FL have been reported receiving as many as eight automated phone calls a day accusing Romney of wanting to re-open relations with Cuba. Romney wasn't sure who orchestrated the "dirty" phone calls. Romney admitted, however, to placing automated phone calls to inform voters on McCain's vote against the Medicare Prescription drug benefit but nothing so damaging, especially since the Naples community was so traumatized by the United States-Cuba relationship. The McCain campaign denied being behind the outlandish phone calls.

I feel it is another case of he-said-she-said. When will they focus on the real issues like health care, the environment, and rebuilding the economy? Unfortunately it is the nature of this political game!

The full article and samples of some of the automated phone calls can be found by clicking on the title of the article that was posted in the Monday 1/28/2008 edition of the New York Times. I posted the following link from You Tube that shows last minute efforts to get voters to consider Mitt Romney by using these automated phone call efforts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj2EoTTgVhI