Zogby polls out today show a change in the tides for the Clinton campaign. According to the polls, Clinton looses by at least 4 points to every major Republican candidate.
This comes on the heels of Clinton's rapidly declining poll numbers in Iowa, as Obama is gaining on her heels.
We're only five weeks until the crucial caucus, and things are not looking good for Clinton.
Another Iowa surprise, Mike Huckabee is quickly catching up to Mitt Romney. Romney, who had spent large amounts of money on early campaign ads in the state, seemed to have the caucus locked up. Not so, it seems.
When everything seemed all but certain, the rug was pulled out from under the 2008 horse race. Clinton seemed to be a sure-bet for the Democratic nomination. However, since her disastrous debate performances on CNN and MSNBC, and the question-placing scandal, she has been steadily slipping in the polls, allowing Barack Obama to gain momentum. Mitt Romeny seemed virtually untouchable in Iowa, with all other candidates seemingly giving up hope of winning Iowa, and looking toward other primaries.
It seems the largest underestimation made by pundits was the voting pool of the Iowa caucus. These are not your Hollywood Liberal or your East-Coast conservatives. These are middle americans. They have traditional values. Clinton is a bit too radical for the midwest. John Edwards is the most traditional, it seems, of the democratic candidates. Recently, he has been gaining in Iowa, but he needs a bigger surge to have any hope of getting the nomination.
Romney, while a fiscal conservative, has flip-flopped on abortion. His religious views may not sit well in the heartland as well. However, Huckabee is the embodiment of traditional values. He has had consistent debate preformances, and gets better with each one. He is personable, funny, and immensely likable. It is entirely possible for Huckabee to pull off an upset in iowa, which would spell bad new for Romney, and good news for Rudy Giuliani.
We're five weeks away, and anything could happen. Let the games begin!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Bob Woodward at Indiana University
An eclectic crowd filled the IU Auditorium Monday night to witness a presentation by legendary journalist Bob Woodward.
Woodward’s presentation centered on his soon-to-be, 4-book “Bush at War” series, exploring the Bush administrations military decisions form the war in Afghanistan until now.
Best known for his reporting with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal for the Washington Post, Woodward spoke objectively about his two-day, three and a half hour interview sessions with President Bush, and about what he learned by using his investigative skills.
Woodward spoke candidly, revealing his shock when learning that President Bush did not consult his father, George Herbert Walker Bush, when deciding to go to war, and revealing Bush’s religious convictions, and how they impact his decision making.
“He told me, ‘I consulted a higher father,’” Woodward said, to laughter from the audience.
Woodward’s humor carried through the night, starting with a joke about President Bush’s literacy, to President Bill Clinton’s loquaciousness.
For the most part, however, Woodward was serious. He talked at length about the war in Iraq. He revealed that he had learned that the war was not planned well, and that estimations about its difficulty were vastly underestimated.
He was most engaging when speaking about the personality of President Bush. During his interview with the president, he was taken aback by Bush’s statement that we (the United States), “have a duty to free and liberate people” and a “zeal to free.” Woodward said such expressions show the most about the belief system of a leader, and warned to be on the look out for such phrases this election cycle.
He also spoke about the president’s determination, joking about the president’s self-coined title, “the decider.” Woodward spoke about how the president’s self-confidence keeps him in a “state of denial,” the title of Woodward’s newest book. Woodward said that when a very damaging intelligence report about a rise in terrorist attack came out, the president kept it silent, and made a speech the same day speaking about the new turn the US had made in Iraq.
The evening ended with a question and answer session. When asked what questions journalists are not asking, Woodward responded that they were all being asked, just not answered well. He expressed his support for unnamed sources (something he made famous) by saying that you sometimes can only get the truth by enforcing the security of those who have it, and believes unnamed sources are being underused in journalism today.
He was also asked about what lessons he has learned from his work on the Watergate scandal. He felt his most important lesson was to, “work at night.” Saying, “the truth comes out” when sources are made comfortable, usually over dinner or at one’s house. He also said he learned to go slowly, confirming everything, and making sure one has their facts straight.
He expressed his dislike for the “tell is now” journalism of the internet and cable news, saying it allowed for more mistakes, but said he likes blogs. He said that bloggers held people accountable in a way journalists did not.
He ended his answers by talking about the “demon of pomposity.” Woodward said that journalists should not feel they know everything, that they should become less egotistical, and that journalists need to keep asking questions (and that they should work at night).
Woodward’s presentation centered on his soon-to-be, 4-book “Bush at War” series, exploring the Bush administrations military decisions form the war in Afghanistan until now.
Best known for his reporting with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal for the Washington Post, Woodward spoke objectively about his two-day, three and a half hour interview sessions with President Bush, and about what he learned by using his investigative skills.
Woodward spoke candidly, revealing his shock when learning that President Bush did not consult his father, George Herbert Walker Bush, when deciding to go to war, and revealing Bush’s religious convictions, and how they impact his decision making.
“He told me, ‘I consulted a higher father,’” Woodward said, to laughter from the audience.
Woodward’s humor carried through the night, starting with a joke about President Bush’s literacy, to President Bill Clinton’s loquaciousness.
For the most part, however, Woodward was serious. He talked at length about the war in Iraq. He revealed that he had learned that the war was not planned well, and that estimations about its difficulty were vastly underestimated.
He was most engaging when speaking about the personality of President Bush. During his interview with the president, he was taken aback by Bush’s statement that we (the United States), “have a duty to free and liberate people” and a “zeal to free.” Woodward said such expressions show the most about the belief system of a leader, and warned to be on the look out for such phrases this election cycle.
He also spoke about the president’s determination, joking about the president’s self-coined title, “the decider.” Woodward spoke about how the president’s self-confidence keeps him in a “state of denial,” the title of Woodward’s newest book. Woodward said that when a very damaging intelligence report about a rise in terrorist attack came out, the president kept it silent, and made a speech the same day speaking about the new turn the US had made in Iraq.
The evening ended with a question and answer session. When asked what questions journalists are not asking, Woodward responded that they were all being asked, just not answered well. He expressed his support for unnamed sources (something he made famous) by saying that you sometimes can only get the truth by enforcing the security of those who have it, and believes unnamed sources are being underused in journalism today.
He was also asked about what lessons he has learned from his work on the Watergate scandal. He felt his most important lesson was to, “work at night.” Saying, “the truth comes out” when sources are made comfortable, usually over dinner or at one’s house. He also said he learned to go slowly, confirming everything, and making sure one has their facts straight.
He expressed his dislike for the “tell is now” journalism of the internet and cable news, saying it allowed for more mistakes, but said he likes blogs. He said that bloggers held people accountable in a way journalists did not.
He ended his answers by talking about the “demon of pomposity.” Woodward said that journalists should not feel they know everything, that they should become less egotistical, and that journalists need to keep asking questions (and that they should work at night).
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Not Forgetting...
Some might find this tiresome, yet another column about September 11, 2001?
I find it neither tiresome nor cliche.
I find it obligatory.
Six years later, and it seems people have stopped caring. While it is impossible to forget the events of that day, the public at large seems to have pushed it to the back of their minds.
A new poll came out this week saying most Americans think about the attacks at least once a week, and many once a day. I would be a member of the later group. Whenever there is a bomb in Iraq, a suspicious package in a park, a new al Queda threat, or when someone goes to the airport, the effects of 9-11 are felt.
I remember everything about that day. I remember things I said to people, I remember the temperature of the room I was in when my teacher told me what had happened, I remember telling the kids in the lunchroom to be quiet so I could listen to the Defense briefing. I remember asking Mr. Boyle why we were outside for recess when there were airplanes crashing into buildings. I remember sitting in a darkened classroom while my science teacher informed us about the VX nerve gas in Indiana. I remember running from the bus stop to the waiting van and screaming at my parents about my cousin in NYC, and asking if he was all right, then waiting two-hours in line to get gas. I remember the family huddled on the couch, listening to the President speak to the nation, and wondering if we would go to school tomorrow.I remember that MTV was down, and that I turned it off at bedtime, and when I turned it on in the morning, the video playing the night before was on in the exact place where it had been when I turned it off. And I remember every day afterwards, constantly watching the news.
Which is one of the good things to come out of that tragic day. After 9-11, my personal world, along with that of the entire planet, changed forever. I woke up, and realized that MTV was not important. Make-up, CDs, boys- all seemed to have lost their importance. I started to watch the news, devour politics. And I think I'm the better for it.
However, there is one thing that I must address on this commemoration. Last night here, on the IUB campus, was a (-11 conspiracy group. These people, perhaps more than bin Laden himself, really get my blood flowing. How, in the face of mountains of science, can these people still believe that 9-11 was an "inside job?" It has been proven time and time again that cell phones work up to an altitude of 50,000 ft., and planes fly at 30,000 ft. You don't need to melt steel to compromise a building's structural integrity, just weaken it, and those "secondary explosions" are nothing more than air being forced out of the building as floor after floor falls on top of each other in an accordion-like fashion. And I support the President completely, but I do not believe that he could keep a secret as monumental as that.
America vowed never to forget the events of that day, but they seem to have started to. Each year, the remembrances get smaller and smaller. Less and less airtime is devoted to the attacks and the memorials of them. However, I will continue, every year, to write my remembrances. I cannot, and will not, forget that day, and America should not either. Every year, this day should serve as a reminder of the evil that is still out there, still determined to strike at America in any way possible. it should remind us that we should treasure our freedom every day, and never take for granted that we live in the greatest nation on Earth: the United States of America, and it should serve as a reminder of how united we all were after that day, and possible help us to get there again. The fate of our nation depends on it.
I find it neither tiresome nor cliche.
I find it obligatory.
Six years later, and it seems people have stopped caring. While it is impossible to forget the events of that day, the public at large seems to have pushed it to the back of their minds.
A new poll came out this week saying most Americans think about the attacks at least once a week, and many once a day. I would be a member of the later group. Whenever there is a bomb in Iraq, a suspicious package in a park, a new al Queda threat, or when someone goes to the airport, the effects of 9-11 are felt.
I remember everything about that day. I remember things I said to people, I remember the temperature of the room I was in when my teacher told me what had happened, I remember telling the kids in the lunchroom to be quiet so I could listen to the Defense briefing. I remember asking Mr. Boyle why we were outside for recess when there were airplanes crashing into buildings. I remember sitting in a darkened classroom while my science teacher informed us about the VX nerve gas in Indiana. I remember running from the bus stop to the waiting van and screaming at my parents about my cousin in NYC, and asking if he was all right, then waiting two-hours in line to get gas. I remember the family huddled on the couch, listening to the President speak to the nation, and wondering if we would go to school tomorrow.I remember that MTV was down, and that I turned it off at bedtime, and when I turned it on in the morning, the video playing the night before was on in the exact place where it had been when I turned it off. And I remember every day afterwards, constantly watching the news.
Which is one of the good things to come out of that tragic day. After 9-11, my personal world, along with that of the entire planet, changed forever. I woke up, and realized that MTV was not important. Make-up, CDs, boys- all seemed to have lost their importance. I started to watch the news, devour politics. And I think I'm the better for it.
However, there is one thing that I must address on this commemoration. Last night here, on the IUB campus, was a (-11 conspiracy group. These people, perhaps more than bin Laden himself, really get my blood flowing. How, in the face of mountains of science, can these people still believe that 9-11 was an "inside job?" It has been proven time and time again that cell phones work up to an altitude of 50,000 ft., and planes fly at 30,000 ft. You don't need to melt steel to compromise a building's structural integrity, just weaken it, and those "secondary explosions" are nothing more than air being forced out of the building as floor after floor falls on top of each other in an accordion-like fashion. And I support the President completely, but I do not believe that he could keep a secret as monumental as that.
America vowed never to forget the events of that day, but they seem to have started to. Each year, the remembrances get smaller and smaller. Less and less airtime is devoted to the attacks and the memorials of them. However, I will continue, every year, to write my remembrances. I cannot, and will not, forget that day, and America should not either. Every year, this day should serve as a reminder of the evil that is still out there, still determined to strike at America in any way possible. it should remind us that we should treasure our freedom every day, and never take for granted that we live in the greatest nation on Earth: the United States of America, and it should serve as a reminder of how united we all were after that day, and possible help us to get there again. The fate of our nation depends on it.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Guess Who's Back?
Well, Osama bin Laden is back, and with a new video tape. It has been three years since we have seen him, and nearly a year since we have heard from him.
However, this is not the bin Laden of 2004. In this new video there are no overt threats, no "death to America"s, nothing. The message is more of a moral appeal to the American people. bin Laden attempts to persuade Americans to convert to Islam, for it will enhance their lives and, as bin Laden wisely points out, you do not pay taxes in Islam! Why wouldn't Americans be for that, eh?
most of the 25-minutes tape seems to be rambling. He blames the US for global warming, talks about the housing crisis in the US, and about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is where bin Laden becomes the most focused. He speaks about how America ellected the Democrats into the congress to stop the war, and yet they have done nothing.
He then, however, goes on a lengthy rant about the Vietnam war and the Kennedy assasination.
Calling his message, "The Solution," bin Laden offers only two solutions: either al Queda becomes more agressive in their attacks, or the US pulls all of it's forces from the region.
The video is fairly recent, as bin Laden name drops newly-ellected French President Sarkozy, British Prime Minister Brown, and author Michael Schuer. This is troubling, as it shows that neither age, living conditions, or the US military have succeeded in killing bin Laden. Although, this latest message, I believe, shows one thing: al-Queda is loosing some of its donimance. The US government somehow gained access to the tape before even the extremist websites, causing al-Queda to shut them down to find the leak. Let us hope there actually is a mole in al-Queda, for it might bring us closer to victory.
However, this is not the bin Laden of 2004. In this new video there are no overt threats, no "death to America"s, nothing. The message is more of a moral appeal to the American people. bin Laden attempts to persuade Americans to convert to Islam, for it will enhance their lives and, as bin Laden wisely points out, you do not pay taxes in Islam! Why wouldn't Americans be for that, eh?
most of the 25-minutes tape seems to be rambling. He blames the US for global warming, talks about the housing crisis in the US, and about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is where bin Laden becomes the most focused. He speaks about how America ellected the Democrats into the congress to stop the war, and yet they have done nothing.
He then, however, goes on a lengthy rant about the Vietnam war and the Kennedy assasination.
Calling his message, "The Solution," bin Laden offers only two solutions: either al Queda becomes more agressive in their attacks, or the US pulls all of it's forces from the region.
The video is fairly recent, as bin Laden name drops newly-ellected French President Sarkozy, British Prime Minister Brown, and author Michael Schuer. This is troubling, as it shows that neither age, living conditions, or the US military have succeeded in killing bin Laden. Although, this latest message, I believe, shows one thing: al-Queda is loosing some of its donimance. The US government somehow gained access to the tape before even the extremist websites, causing al-Queda to shut them down to find the leak. Let us hope there actually is a mole in al-Queda, for it might bring us closer to victory.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Two Years Later...
I have to agree with Anderson Cooper: I hate when the media covers anniversaries.
It's one more thing that the media can corrupt and ruin.
However, today marks the two-year anniversary of the devistation from Hurricaine Katrina.
Towns are still leveled.
People are still homeless.
Debris still clutters the street.
However, in parts of New Orleans and Mississippi, live goes on. The Fench Quarter is all but rebuilt. People are visiting, eating, living.
However, I feel like I should have done something. Somehow altered my routine to remember this tragedy. I read from Cooper's book, in which he eloquently writes about the devistation which he whitnessed first hand. I watched his show, where he showed that, while life is returning to New Orleans, many, too many parts of the state remain in ruin.
I hope to visit New Orleans for Spring Break. To somehow find some something in the devistation. Find some story yet to be told. Or maybe a story that has been told numerous times, but from a new vantage point.
While the media tends to ruin and spin, at least it remembered, for one day, those who are still suffereing. While tomorrow all the media vans will leave, too many will remain with no one to tell their story.
This is one anniversary that needs to be remembered.
It's one more thing that the media can corrupt and ruin.
However, today marks the two-year anniversary of the devistation from Hurricaine Katrina.
Towns are still leveled.
People are still homeless.
Debris still clutters the street.
However, in parts of New Orleans and Mississippi, live goes on. The Fench Quarter is all but rebuilt. People are visiting, eating, living.
However, I feel like I should have done something. Somehow altered my routine to remember this tragedy. I read from Cooper's book, in which he eloquently writes about the devistation which he whitnessed first hand. I watched his show, where he showed that, while life is returning to New Orleans, many, too many parts of the state remain in ruin.
I hope to visit New Orleans for Spring Break. To somehow find some something in the devistation. Find some story yet to be told. Or maybe a story that has been told numerous times, but from a new vantage point.
While the media tends to ruin and spin, at least it remembered, for one day, those who are still suffereing. While tomorrow all the media vans will leave, too many will remain with no one to tell their story.
This is one anniversary that needs to be remembered.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Who to Blame?
It seems that America is dissatisfied about everything. While the president's approval ratings have risen in the past weeks, Congress is still around a dismal 15%...Remember how much America hated the old, Republican-controlled Congress? How America wanted new faces and Democrats that would change the course of the country?
Nice job America!
As I like to believe, you made the choice, you have no right to complain.
Hopefully this bodes well for the GOP in '08.
Nice job America!
As I like to believe, you made the choice, you have no right to complain.
Hopefully this bodes well for the GOP in '08.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words...
and yells, and bombs, and deaths...
(courtesy of Yahoo! news)
When asked about the photo in his press conference today. President Bush said he had not seen the photo or read about the meeting , so he would not comment on it.
I don't know about you, but I'm not okay with the Prime Minister of Iraq meeting with "I'm A Crazy" Ahmadinejad. The man is responsible for the killing of Maliki's people...and they're holding hands and waving?
(courtesy of Yahoo! news)
When asked about the photo in his press conference today. President Bush said he had not seen the photo or read about the meeting , so he would not comment on it.
I don't know about you, but I'm not okay with the Prime Minister of Iraq meeting with "I'm A Crazy" Ahmadinejad. The man is responsible for the killing of Maliki's people...and they're holding hands and waving?
Parties, Parties, Everywhere!
I wasn't always a Republican.
In fact, the first vote I ever cast was for Al Gore in 2000 for my middle school's mock-election. My reason for that vote? Gore had colored hair.
I have now seen the error of my ways. The question remains, however, why? 9-11
made me aware of the outside world, but wy did I choose the values of the Conservative party?
Unlike my friend Mat, I didn't have the influence of my father. Hell, I didn't even know my father followed politics, let alone was a Republican.
I had no influence from the media either, as I didn't know enough to tell if there was a bias or not.
And if I had listened to everything my teachers told me, I'd be a raging liberal.
I seem to be an anomaly, with neither nature nor nurture shaping my political belief system.
The only explanation I have come up with is this: it just makes sense.
I can't fathom he idea of pulling out of Iraq. I don't understand how some people don't think Reaganomics works. How is the Fairness Doctorine fair? Why can't same-sex couples get married?
Yes, the last one doesn't line up with the Grand Old party, but I'm not one to be told what to thnk.
It's not blindness, it's logic.
I love The Daily Show, I think Bob Dylan is brilliany, and I support the president 100%.
How it happens, I do not know. I just thank my parents for raising my with the ability to think for myself.
In fact, the first vote I ever cast was for Al Gore in 2000 for my middle school's mock-election. My reason for that vote? Gore had colored hair.
I have now seen the error of my ways. The question remains, however, why? 9-11
made me aware of the outside world, but wy did I choose the values of the Conservative party?
Unlike my friend Mat, I didn't have the influence of my father. Hell, I didn't even know my father followed politics, let alone was a Republican.
I had no influence from the media either, as I didn't know enough to tell if there was a bias or not.
And if I had listened to everything my teachers told me, I'd be a raging liberal.
I seem to be an anomaly, with neither nature nor nurture shaping my political belief system.
The only explanation I have come up with is this: it just makes sense.
I can't fathom he idea of pulling out of Iraq. I don't understand how some people don't think Reaganomics works. How is the Fairness Doctorine fair? Why can't same-sex couples get married?
Yes, the last one doesn't line up with the Grand Old party, but I'm not one to be told what to thnk.
It's not blindness, it's logic.
I love The Daily Show, I think Bob Dylan is brilliany, and I support the president 100%.
How it happens, I do not know. I just thank my parents for raising my with the ability to think for myself.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Communism, Anyone?
Thanks to Drudge, everyone now knows the truth, Hilary is a fan of communism.
How stupid can you be? Announcing to the world you're belief in a "shared prosperity."
If she thinks she can change the free market economy of the United States, I think she needs a lobotomy.
Let's hope someone else picks this story up.
How stupid can you be? Announcing to the world you're belief in a "shared prosperity."
If she thinks she can change the free market economy of the United States, I think she needs a lobotomy.
Let's hope someone else picks this story up.
Minimun Wage Increase: Unemployment Increase
Long time no blog, but Congress's most recent act has inspired me to come out of laziness.
Congress approved a minium wage increase, making the minimum wage for gtom $5.15 to $7.25.
Now, when I was hired at my current job, I made $6.25. I now, after two years of work, make $8.10. People working for minimum wage are, for the most part, not trying to support a family. They have little education, and are usually young.
Increasing the minimum wage will go more harm than good. Businesses cannot afford to pay all of their employees more. Therefore, people will be let go. Now, I'd rather have a job making next to nothing, than no job at all.
Well, that's all I've got. Until next time...
Congress approved a minium wage increase, making the minimum wage for gtom $5.15 to $7.25.
Now, when I was hired at my current job, I made $6.25. I now, after two years of work, make $8.10. People working for minimum wage are, for the most part, not trying to support a family. They have little education, and are usually young.
Increasing the minimum wage will go more harm than good. Businesses cannot afford to pay all of their employees more. Therefore, people will be let go. Now, I'd rather have a job making next to nothing, than no job at all.
Well, that's all I've got. Until next time...
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Are Your Ready for Some Politics?
Well, the preseason has begun- the first GOP debate of the 2008 election. Personally, I don't feel that these 10-person debates are very effective. I honestly only knew who 3 of the men were, and couldn't keep up with the rest.
I was very disappointed with Giuliani. He knew he had to appeal to the radical right, yet many of his views on social issues are moderate, thereby throwing him off on those questions. Although his answer on the different kinds of Iraqi's was very impressive.
I thought McCain was panicing a bit. He answered all of the questions well, but I felt he was trying too hard.
I really know nothing about Mitt Romney. I don't really like him still, but I live the veracity with which he loathes the Clintons, lol.
Overall, I really wish they would debate in smaller groups. You can't really delcair a winner in these circumstances, which is a shame. Next stop- CNN on June 4
I was very disappointed with Giuliani. He knew he had to appeal to the radical right, yet many of his views on social issues are moderate, thereby throwing him off on those questions. Although his answer on the different kinds of Iraqi's was very impressive.
I thought McCain was panicing a bit. He answered all of the questions well, but I felt he was trying too hard.
I really know nothing about Mitt Romney. I don't really like him still, but I live the veracity with which he loathes the Clintons, lol.
Overall, I really wish they would debate in smaller groups. You can't really delcair a winner in these circumstances, which is a shame. Next stop- CNN on June 4
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Hasn't This Gone Far Enough?
My father is not letting my sisters go to school tomorrow.
And I'm only going because I have a field trip that leaves right when school starts.
Apparently, a "hit list" was found at Jeff High School. Frankly, I don't find this news, this kind of thing happens frequently from what I hear. However, due to the VT tragedy, the entire town is in an uproar.
I understand that all threats should be taken seriously, but taking your kids out of school due to fear, that is a bit over the top.
From what I hear, Jeff is a scary place. Gangs run rampant and police are a noticeable presence. At my school, it is quite the contrary. We have a nice school with nearly invisible police presence and I would never think of my school when I think about school violence.
Shouldn't parents feel safe enough with the security at their schools to send their kids there? I personally would still go to school, because if I don't, they win. These people are nothing more than terrorists, end of story.
While there isn't a clear thesis to this blog, the point is that kids need to have the courage to speak up when they see something happening, and responses need to be quick. And we need to stop treating evil with kiddie gloves, unless we want to anti-up with 32 lives.
And I'm only going because I have a field trip that leaves right when school starts.
Apparently, a "hit list" was found at Jeff High School. Frankly, I don't find this news, this kind of thing happens frequently from what I hear. However, due to the VT tragedy, the entire town is in an uproar.
I understand that all threats should be taken seriously, but taking your kids out of school due to fear, that is a bit over the top.
From what I hear, Jeff is a scary place. Gangs run rampant and police are a noticeable presence. At my school, it is quite the contrary. We have a nice school with nearly invisible police presence and I would never think of my school when I think about school violence.
Shouldn't parents feel safe enough with the security at their schools to send their kids there? I personally would still go to school, because if I don't, they win. These people are nothing more than terrorists, end of story.
While there isn't a clear thesis to this blog, the point is that kids need to have the courage to speak up when they see something happening, and responses need to be quick. And we need to stop treating evil with kiddie gloves, unless we want to anti-up with 32 lives.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Welcome!
I should tell you this right from the get go-
I’m a Republican.
I am a republican, I support the war in Iraq, I think global warming is completely fictitious, and I support the President completely. I know, writing this is the city of Lafayette is like willingly throwing myself into a pit of lions, but it’s the truth.
And that is the point. Nowadays, people are attacked for their political beliefs more than ever. I remember a time, back when gas had just crossed $1 a gallon, and when our nation was unified in a fight against those who viciously murdered over 3,000 of our citizens. Back when liberals and conservatives joined together to pass legislation to make that fight easier, and back when we all agreed that Saddam Hussein was a threat that needed to be taken out
Those were the good old days.
The political divide today is greater than ever before. Democrats who were so eager to go after bin Laden and Hussein six year ago are now saying they were misled, that they had no idea what they were voting for.
Misled? What is so misleading about bin Laden sending his followers to hijack airplanes and kill thousands of Americans? Or how about Hussein killing hundreds of thousands of his people? Our intelligence about weapons of mass destruction may have been wrong, but so was Britain’s intelligence and Russia’s, and Russian doesn’t like us enough to fake intelligence reports to our benefit.
But the real question is, do elected officials ever know what they’re voting for? Most politicians never read the entire write-up of a bill before voting for it or sit for all of the hearings about the bill. So, you could say that every politician is misled and has no idea what they are voting for.
Another problem with the American political system is that people refuse to acknowledge any views of facts from the other side. Democrats refuse to see the link between Iran and the violence in Iraq, and Republicans refuse to see that there are any detrimental effects to the environment. It may sound completely bizarre, but what happens in a small African country can, in fact, have huge ramifications here.
Here is an example. Last month, Iran captured 15 British sailors and took them hostage. Iran is already in hot waters with the world community. As soon as they took these people hostage, oil prices skyrocketed. Oil prices have a direct relationship with gas prices. And what do you need in your car to take your girl/boyfriend on a date? That’s right, gas! And if Iran keeps interfering with world events, I have a feeling you’ll be less and less likely to drive all over town on your dates.
Now, more than ever, we need a revision to the American political process. I know that the 2004 election was hyped as the most important we will ever see, but this is not so. In 2004 we had an incumbent president whose ideals we all knew and understood. In 2008, the field is wide open. The pool of possible presidential hopefuls, grows by the day. All of them have ideas as to how American needs to proceed, and at least one of them is still hopeful enough to think that real change can come.
Over spring break I received a piece of mail from Rudy Giuliani’s Presidential Exploratory Committee. In the letter that came with it, Giuliani (or his professional letter writer) wrote about how America is in need of a new sense of optimism. I believe this is true. Americans need to stop watching Survivor and start watching Studio B. They need to believe that they do have a say in the government, no matter what politicians may imply. Then, and only then, will American start to change.
And maybe, if we’re lucky, become unified once again.
That is probably the best introduction I can give to me. It is my latest editorial for my high school paper. While I am only 18, I am very involved in politics, and hope to pursue a career in journalism. This blog will be my place for ramblings, praise, punishment, and calling out those who I think are spining the truth faster than a top. Enjoy! It's going to be a bumpy ride...
I’m a Republican.
I am a republican, I support the war in Iraq, I think global warming is completely fictitious, and I support the President completely. I know, writing this is the city of Lafayette is like willingly throwing myself into a pit of lions, but it’s the truth.
And that is the point. Nowadays, people are attacked for their political beliefs more than ever. I remember a time, back when gas had just crossed $1 a gallon, and when our nation was unified in a fight against those who viciously murdered over 3,000 of our citizens. Back when liberals and conservatives joined together to pass legislation to make that fight easier, and back when we all agreed that Saddam Hussein was a threat that needed to be taken out
Those were the good old days.
The political divide today is greater than ever before. Democrats who were so eager to go after bin Laden and Hussein six year ago are now saying they were misled, that they had no idea what they were voting for.
Misled? What is so misleading about bin Laden sending his followers to hijack airplanes and kill thousands of Americans? Or how about Hussein killing hundreds of thousands of his people? Our intelligence about weapons of mass destruction may have been wrong, but so was Britain’s intelligence and Russia’s, and Russian doesn’t like us enough to fake intelligence reports to our benefit.
But the real question is, do elected officials ever know what they’re voting for? Most politicians never read the entire write-up of a bill before voting for it or sit for all of the hearings about the bill. So, you could say that every politician is misled and has no idea what they are voting for.
Another problem with the American political system is that people refuse to acknowledge any views of facts from the other side. Democrats refuse to see the link between Iran and the violence in Iraq, and Republicans refuse to see that there are any detrimental effects to the environment. It may sound completely bizarre, but what happens in a small African country can, in fact, have huge ramifications here.
Here is an example. Last month, Iran captured 15 British sailors and took them hostage. Iran is already in hot waters with the world community. As soon as they took these people hostage, oil prices skyrocketed. Oil prices have a direct relationship with gas prices. And what do you need in your car to take your girl/boyfriend on a date? That’s right, gas! And if Iran keeps interfering with world events, I have a feeling you’ll be less and less likely to drive all over town on your dates.
Now, more than ever, we need a revision to the American political process. I know that the 2004 election was hyped as the most important we will ever see, but this is not so. In 2004 we had an incumbent president whose ideals we all knew and understood. In 2008, the field is wide open. The pool of possible presidential hopefuls, grows by the day. All of them have ideas as to how American needs to proceed, and at least one of them is still hopeful enough to think that real change can come.
Over spring break I received a piece of mail from Rudy Giuliani’s Presidential Exploratory Committee. In the letter that came with it, Giuliani (or his professional letter writer) wrote about how America is in need of a new sense of optimism. I believe this is true. Americans need to stop watching Survivor and start watching Studio B. They need to believe that they do have a say in the government, no matter what politicians may imply. Then, and only then, will American start to change.
And maybe, if we’re lucky, become unified once again.
That is probably the best introduction I can give to me. It is my latest editorial for my high school paper. While I am only 18, I am very involved in politics, and hope to pursue a career in journalism. This blog will be my place for ramblings, praise, punishment, and calling out those who I think are spining the truth faster than a top. Enjoy! It's going to be a bumpy ride...
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