People losing jobs and homes and then this.
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I can't write that I completely support investing that much money in that part of the world.
I can't write that I'm not disappointed we've invested the level of resources we have in the effort in Iraq.
I can't write that the bible has answers, though from my former religious indoctrination I recall there's something in there about turning the other cheek and being kind to one's enemies...which seems all too often to get lost on those invoking God's name in order to rally support for their actions.
I can write that no matter how tough the recession is, how poor most of us think we are, or how bad the suffering is here in the U.S., we're clueless about life outside our myopic viewpoint.
There are a very large number of people in Gaza (and a very large part of the rest of the world) who have suffered far greater than any of us, as a result of a vocal, fanatical minority. Take my home, my car, my other car, my other other car, my motorcycle, my job, my investment portfolio, tonight's dinner from the table. I still will not have suffered what these people have...and I'll still have a brighter future.
If having any degree of thankfulness for where I am today, and compassion for others who are not so fortunate through no fault of their own makes me a liberal, then so be it. I'd prefer that to the "I've got mine, screw the rest of you." message some advocate.
I understand that labels make it easier for our simple minds to pigeonhole others into a category that is easier to interpret in a juvenile, fourteen year old child way of looking at life. It's always easier to criticize someone once they're identified only with a label. AM radio talk show hosts make a very good living doing this. The truth is, life requires a little higher level of intellect. Some of us just never really graduated high school.
Travel replaces an empty mind with an open one.
75% of Americans don't have a passport.
Draw your own conclusions.
I can't write that I'm not disappointed we've invested the level of resources we have in the effort in Iraq.
I can't write that the bible has answers, though from my former religious indoctrination I recall there's something in there about turning the other cheek and being kind to one's enemies...which seems all too often to get lost on those invoking God's name in order to rally support for their actions.
I can write that no matter how tough the recession is, how poor most of us think we are, or how bad the suffering is here in the U.S., we're clueless about life outside our myopic viewpoint.
There are a very large number of people in Gaza (and a very large part of the rest of the world) who have suffered far greater than any of us, as a result of a vocal, fanatical minority. Take my home, my car, my other car, my other other car, my motorcycle, my job, my investment portfolio, tonight's dinner from the table. I still will not have suffered what these people have...and I'll still have a brighter future.
If having any degree of thankfulness for where I am today, and compassion for others who are not so fortunate through no fault of their own makes me a liberal, then so be it. I'd prefer that to the "I've got mine, screw the rest of you." message some advocate.
I understand that labels make it easier for our simple minds to pigeonhole others into a category that is easier to interpret in a juvenile, fourteen year old child way of looking at life. It's always easier to criticize someone once they're identified only with a label. AM radio talk show hosts make a very good living doing this. The truth is, life requires a little higher level of intellect. Some of us just never really graduated high school.
Travel replaces an empty mind with an open one.
75% of Americans don't have a passport.
Draw your own conclusions.
cipher5791
Registered
How is everything the liberals fault when with the exception of two years, the conservatives were the majority for the last eight?
I get so sick of this name and blame game. We have gone from racism of color to political racism. Hence black/white, right/left, conservatives/liberal, democrats/republicans. We are all Americans who are affected by these type of policies. We need to put an end to all this bickering about who is at fault here and come together.
I for one am peed off about this. We need to focus on taking care of home before we go on helping others.
They control their own destinies.... If they dont like war then they should stop fighting.... You can't have it all ya know. I have no sorrow for the folks there that say look at my house, my community destroyed and then go off to fight. This has been going on for hundreds of years. It's all they know... Until someone breakes the chains they continue to live the way they do.
As for the passport... Why leave the US?
I agree, take care of the U.S. first. Lock our borders down and get rid of the 12-15 million Illegal's. They are quite a drain on our social system. Then we will be in a better position to "help" other countries. Maybe quit giving money and demand either repayment or goods for repayment.
The dems and liberals want the goverment to control our whole life. They are thinking about GPS tracking to tax us on miles driven---they will also know where we go and how often. I wonder what they would use that info for??????
The local paper " The Ellis County Press" reports on a new attempt at GUN CONTROL.
QUOTE"
The liberals are at it again. In a new bill introduced the first day of the present session of Congress, and with zero coverage from the MSM, H.R. 45 (Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009) targets all gun owners in the U.S.A. While the media the world and everyone else is focused on the "phony plan" to spend tax dollars legislation is sneeking through the House and Senate for more gun control.
This nefarious bill seeks to strip us all of our Constitutional Rights to possess and bear firearms of any distinction. It requires, within the first two years, that all new guns be registered. The bill goes retroactive after two years. Meaning that two years after the passage of the bill, ALL FIREARMS in a citizen's possession must be registered, not just those purchased after the bill passes, and this apparently applies to antique firearms as well.
An unarmed population is much easier to control.
Washington DC has had a gun ban for years, is it the safest city, not hardly.
The next 4 years are going to be a hell of a ride, not sure if I am going to enjoy it.
The dems and liberals want the goverment to control our whole life. They are thinking about GPS tracking to tax us on miles driven---they will also know where we go and how often. I wonder what they would use that info for??????
The local paper " The Ellis County Press" reports on a new attempt at GUN CONTROL.
QUOTE"
The liberals are at it again. In a new bill introduced the first day of the present session of Congress, and with zero coverage from the MSM, H.R. 45 (Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009) targets all gun owners in the U.S.A. While the media the world and everyone else is focused on the "phony plan" to spend tax dollars legislation is sneeking through the House and Senate for more gun control.
This nefarious bill seeks to strip us all of our Constitutional Rights to possess and bear firearms of any distinction. It requires, within the first two years, that all new guns be registered. The bill goes retroactive after two years. Meaning that two years after the passage of the bill, ALL FIREARMS in a citizen's possession must be registered, not just those purchased after the bill passes, and this apparently applies to antique firearms as well.
An unarmed population is much easier to control.
Washington DC has had a gun ban for years, is it the safest city, not hardly.
The next 4 years are going to be a hell of a ride, not sure if I am going to enjoy it.
cipher5791
Registered
More political racism
Respectfully, no matter how much any of us like or dislike war and conflict, how much control do we as individuals have over what our leadership, or lack thereof, does? How many of us here today like that we're on track to spend over a trillion dollars in Iraq? That doesn't mean we can stop spending that money and fighting that battle, nor is it justification for ending the effort altogether.
The simple fact that the Palestinian people cannot control their destiny is why they fight. We did it ourselves a little over 200 years ago, against a tyranny that was far less onerous than what the Palestinian people find themselves facing today.
Don't misinterpret my post as a blanket approval for all the events and tactics a minority in Gaza have chosen to employ in an effort to improve their lives. I'm just attempting to provide a little more depth to the problem than what the writers of the story wanted us to consider.
The Palestinian/Israeli conflict actually is not that old...really just forty years or so. It's a drop in the bucket, historically speaking.
Why leave the U.S.?
By traveling outside the U.S. we:
Might actually gain a true appreciation for how good we have it, vs. just stating it's the best place in the world because our parents or teachers, who also never travelled anywhere, told us it was.
Might feel a little more humble after learning our way of life is not the only way, or even the best way in all circumstances.
Might gain some perspective about how immature (from a chronological and cultural...not mental) our society is here.
Might develop some respect for generations who have preceeded us and accomplished some phenomenal architectural and engineering feats...One cannot help but be amazed when gazing at the Taj Majal, Chichen Itza, or Appian Way in person when one thinks about the societies that produced these.
Might gain a little empathy for those who don't enjoy the vast natural resources we are fortunate to have in this country.
Might gain a little more respect for the environment we live in.
Might discontinue being the most wasteful citizens on the planet.
Might realize that God, if one chooses to believe, is not a resident solely of the U.S.
Might realize that God, if one chooses to believe, does not only bless America.
Might realize that the name of God, in whatever form a culture gives him/her, is used by those in power the world over to promote their agendas...for better or worse.
Might understand a little better how our modern day religions developed and grew out of one another. Though admittedly that might lead us to question those who've been telling us all these years "This is the way it is."
Might make us question what we once considered reality.
Might enrich our lives by providing different perspectives.
Might help us understand and be more accepting of people whose views/cultures/religious practices are different that ours when we realize one universal thing all humans share is for their children to have a better life than they have.
On a more shallow level:
Might actually make us an interesting guest to have at a party.
No matter how great the almighty television is, it will never come close to the experience one gets visiting Lake Como. It will never come close to actually kneeling down and touching stones on the Appian Way. It will never come close to sticking your finger three inches into the intricate carvings on the Taj Majal.
The world outside the U.S. is beautiful and full of opportunities to learn and grow as a person. The U.S. is beautiful also...but in a different way.
We're taught from a very early age that there are bad things "out there". There is "evil" in the world "out to get us". There's a reason parents teach children that. Part of the problem is we don't put these lessons into perspective by thinking about what those reasons were. As a result, many of us grow up still believing the world outside our home town, county, state, or country is a wild and threatening place. In fact it is to many of us. As is your belief, so shall be your reality.
As always, these are my thoughts alone. Feel free to disagree.
Unfortunately they have very little control over their own destinies. They line in Gaza controlled by Hamas as stated above. The only control they have is to take cover. F=MA is not talking about the Hamas fighters, he is talking about the innocent civilians caught in the middle. They are not the ones fighting. It actually has not been going on for hundreds of years. Only since 1947 have we seen this type of violence in the region prior to that is was relatively peaceful with all religions represented. This violence is solely due to the creation of Israel and the displacement of thousands of Palestinians by the Israelis and their continued discrimination of the Palestinian people.
Think about it. If a civil war occurred in your state and your side lost and you were displaced and restricted from work and travel and subjected to live as a lower class citizen and unable to travel into the place you called home; would you not rebel? Would you not fight back?
How can you possibly blame the Palestinians for doing the same thing?
It's kind of like watching a child grow up. When they are little and come from an abused home you see the bruises, the lack of self esteem, the "acting out". As they get older that child will start acting like the ones who abused them. It's all they know. A vicious cycle. They don't realize they can stop it. They can take a different path, if they choose. Our country is on a dangerous path, this World is on a dangerous path. Everyday we have the opportunity to stop the nonsense. It has nothing to do with political affiliations or race or sex or a specific religion. Pointing fingers and "he said/she said" has to stop if this country and world are going to change.
If Palestine "chooses" to have hamas run their government, then they can "choose" to live in their bombed out houses and poor living conditions. Otherwise come together and get hamas out and truly make a genuine attempt for peace. I don't think anyone would have a problem helping them out.
I am very grateful for all that I do have and GRATEFUL for those who have served and continue to serve this country so that we all may have a nicer place to live. Believe me, I do not take it for granted.
If Palestine "chooses" to have hamas run their government, then they can "choose" to live in their bombed out houses and poor living conditions. Otherwise come together and get hamas out and truly make a genuine attempt for peace. I don't think anyone would have a problem helping them out.
I am very grateful for all that I do have and GRATEFUL for those who have served and continue to serve this country so that we all may have a nicer place to live. Believe me, I do not take it for granted.
Excellent points and well written. There is, as has been said many times, a "whole world out there". That is why one might want to leave the U.S. from time to time.
Projekt
Registered
Projekt
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??? Come on man... Didn't you get the memo?
afterhours
Registered
i doubt those that need to read this will......but here goes.
1. most people on welfare are not illegal aliens, they did not cross a border, and they cannot be deported. they are good old american citizens. please get some facts before spouting your racism. 40% of those on welfare are white....
2. the fianancial problems we have now started because the liberals decided that all people should own homes, even those that could not afford one. they forced wall street write bad loans....and now are surprised when these loans are now "toxic".
3. people really need to get out of this country, and see the world. see what real poverty looks like. there are parts of the world that do not have food to eat. there are parts of the world were 12 year old boys are drafted by local warlords and handed rifles. were whole villages are wiped out and teen girls are sold into slavery...
12 year old american kids are spoiled, walking around the mall with cell phones and IPODS while thier parents are running up bills they cannot pay.
we did this to ourselves, we allowed ourselves and our children to believ they were entitled to things they could not afford and now we have to pay the piper. this will end, the recession will be over one day, and people will have hopefully changed thier ways...
for all you bible thumpers...perhaps this is gods way of thinning the heard...lol.
1. most people on welfare are not illegal aliens, they did not cross a border, and they cannot be deported. they are good old american citizens. please get some facts before spouting your racism. 40% of those on welfare are white....
2. the fianancial problems we have now started because the liberals decided that all people should own homes, even those that could not afford one. they forced wall street write bad loans....and now are surprised when these loans are now "toxic".
3. people really need to get out of this country, and see the world. see what real poverty looks like. there are parts of the world that do not have food to eat. there are parts of the world were 12 year old boys are drafted by local warlords and handed rifles. were whole villages are wiped out and teen girls are sold into slavery...
12 year old american kids are spoiled, walking around the mall with cell phones and IPODS while thier parents are running up bills they cannot pay.
we did this to ourselves, we allowed ourselves and our children to believ they were entitled to things they could not afford and now we have to pay the piper. this will end, the recession will be over one day, and people will have hopefully changed thier ways...
for all you bible thumpers...perhaps this is gods way of thinning the heard...lol.
I hope you don't mind, I made a small change to help your message not get clouded. Your message is worth reading, but your last sentence will help ensure it is not given proper reflection among many here.
afterhours
Registered
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