White Privilege

With our nation's latest round of problems created by racial tensions, let's take a look at what the establishment says is to blame -

White privilege.

Only in America, a nation founded on the sole principles that what one person puts in he will get out, can this sort of rhetoric be sold to a mass of people who just doesn't want to put anything in. Lucky for them the rest of the population has already put something in and is still willing to put something in for them to be able to get something out, right? If not, then what? What if they lived somewhere else where their survival would depend on their own skill? Well, none of that matters because they live here and the reason they don't have isn't because they don't rely on their own skill, it's because "white privilege" has kept them from accomplishing anything.

I'm white and I want to tell you a summed up story of my privilege.

I was born to an 18 year old mother, and a 22 year old father, as an accident. Thank goodness abortion wasn't legal then, or I wouldn't be able to write this story. I guess that is the only privilege I really can speak of - LIFE.

My mother came from a broken home. Irish, Catholic and 7 kids. Her father killer himself when she was 12. And her mother, not taking the task of raising 7 kids on her own lightly, was horribly abusive. My mother left her house at 15 and took to taking care of herself. In my opinion, she never really did a good job of this. She met my father right away, at 15, and I guess they began dating? If that is the right word. My father was the polar opposite of my mother. He came from a somewhat healthy Jewish family. 3 kids, and they were well to do. My father was in college, and all kids were financially taken care of by their parents. I suppose my mother saw this as an opportunity to not have to take care of herself, on the street, so she married my father at 18. My grandparents bought my parents a house where the 3 of us lived for a short time. Until my mother decided the married, mother, suburb, normal life wasn't for her. I was about 2. I think? I don't exactly remember any of this. I just rely on stories I've been told over the decades by my family members, which all seem to match.

That's when my real privilege began. My mother took up with her first boyfriend, I guess? He was a cocaine dealer. I know this, because he eventually went to prison for dealing drugs. For about 20 years. I really don't know where my father went. I saw him sometimes when I was growing up, but not very often according to my memories. My father is schizophrenic. But that's besides the point and just a small part of my privilege.

My mother moved around a lot after the first boyfriend went to prison, and I imagine used a lot of different drugs. This I remember. I remember her passed out a lot. I remember her high a lot. And I remember a lot of different people. Mostly men. I remember driving from one state to the next, and sitting on suitcases in old cars. I remember a lot of motel rooms. I remember her crying a lot, screaming a lot and hitting me, a lot. I remember her stealing food for me from stores a lot, because she didn't have money to buy it. I also remember her stuffing meat down my jacket too, but not to feed me - to sell for $20 to buy a small tin foil packet of heroin. I remember her heating up a teaspoon with a Bic lighter and shooting heroin in her arm with a syringe, a lot. I remember her asking me to hold the belt on her arm, a lot. And I remember being left in motel rooms, a lot.

I also remember telling the police my grandparents phone number, and my grandparents always coming to get me. Sometimes it involved a plane ride from FL back to MA, but they always came through. Sometimes a day or two would pass, and I would spend it with other people, but I always ended up back with my grandparents. They were old at this point, and not really ready to raise a child, but they never turned their back on me. They never turned their back on anyone, including my mother. I remember going back to my mother and I remember her doing the same stuff over and over again, including marrying a guy who would put her in the hospital at least 3 times a year, because he thought she was a punching bag, for as long as they were together. 7 years. I remember my uncle, my mother's younger brother, shooting himself in the head in front of me, and surviving! He later overdosed on drugs.

I remember all of the times my mother overdosed on drugs, and survived! She survived because I was old enough and smart enough to dial 911. I think back about those decisions now, and wonder. I think about all of the times my mother sold our furniture, whatever we had, or the small pieces of jewelry my grandparents would buy me, for a couple hundred dollars to bail her then husband out of jail for beating her up. I remember her husband coming home from jail one time when I was 11 and my half sister was a year and a half, and attacking my mother again, almost immediately. I remember trying to defend her, so he decided to throw me into a wall. My tiny baby half sister got caught in the mess and a dislocated shoulder, too.

I remember all of the times my mother went to jail, too. Never for too long, but long enough for me to always go to my grandparents. I remember my mother collecting welfare all of my childhood. I remember when I was 10 years old waking up at 2 AM to feed my baby half sister when she was a new born, because my mother was too high to hear her crying, and her husband, the child's father, was passed out on the couch.

I don't know how long I can go on telling you about my privilege, but I have had so much white privilege, my head hurts, so I have to sip some tea.

What If?

What if?

As a society, human beings have, by way of our own supposed intellect and civilized nature, outpaced our own ability to conduct ourselves accordingly.

Or have we?

We have adopted many civilized "rules" on how we are supposed to engage with each other. But as the decades and centuries pass, it appears as though only a select few of us humans choose to follow those rules, while other humans choose to ignore those same rules. Despite what language we communicate with, it is clear that evolution affects us all, because despite where you go in this world, all human beings have access to the same things, yet only some people are choosing to take advantage of the advancements of mankind. Other people are choosing a more "barbaric" lifestyle befitting that of the humans of Millenniums ago.

What can explain this cultural disparity, other than a lack of conscience amongst only some of us?

I have an opinion.

As humans have evolved and set up these "rules" for each other to engage in, that also set up a social structure that evolved with the humans. Along the way there were many who refused to evolve with those who readily accepted the social change, but they were quickly "dealt with," by swift punishment. As humans evolve, I also notice so do their egos. Their egos allow them to believe that they can accommodate man and his "whims" by way of "negotiation," rather than swift punishment. This has proven, over the centuries, to be entirely less effective than swift punishment.

What if any and all acts of violence of our social contracts were met with their exact act of punishment? If you murder someone, you are murdered, immediately. If you set something on fire, you are set on fire, immediately. If you shoplift something, your hands are cut off so you cannot lift anything, again, let along shoplift? If you physically assault a child, you are physically assaulted to the same degree? And so on. What if you receive the exact punishment of whatever act of social contract you break?

We all must live together, and if not all of us are following the rules, clearly it makes it difficult for those who are.

Those of you who believe that two wrongs don't make a right? How do you know? We have been handling society the "two wrongs don't make a right" way for at least 100 years, and it isn't working. The United States of America has one of the highest per capita prison populations in the entire world, and not one rehabilitated criminal to speak on behalf of your method. Empirical data suggests that those who are released from prison find their way back to prison, not assimilated back into society, successfully.

What if we tried a different approach to punishment, just for a decade, as a study in the biological response of humans? Just to gather data. What if we achieved far higher rehabilitation rates, with drastically reduced rates of crime?

What would you say, then?

Here is a post I posted as a status update to my Facebook page regarding the 7 plus years I have been on Facebook voicing my political opinions -

Serious post -

I don't write these often, so pay attention. If not, unfriend away.

This post is for every single person who has written me inbox over the last 7 years and told me how much they admire me, or respect me for speaking my mind the way I do, and saying the things I say.
They say to me via these various inbox messages things like "I wish I could say the things that you say, but I can't because of my job, or my this, or my that." They tell me how much respect they have for me for having the courage to "stand up" for what I believe in.

Guess what? They're all right about me, but what they fail to realize is that by not being like me, bad guys win. We live in a Constitutional Republic, where we have many rights and freedoms. Many more than almost any country on earth. Freedoms like freedom of speech. By not exercising that very freedom for fear of persecution for this or that, you are, by way of default, giving up that right. Why?

Why do you so easily want to give away what your ancestors fought so hard to provide for you? Because you are so comfortable with a financial lifestyle that you will forego your own personal beliefs to maintain that lifestyle? Isn't that awfully shallow? And cheap? Everyone has a price, but you should realize you're worth more than to be manipulated by others.

I wish people would stop writing me their thoughts, and start writing the world instead.

‪#‎StandUp‬ ‪#‎BeHeard‬ ‪#‎OneLife‬

Our Selfish Wishes v. Our Two Party System - WHO WINS?

For the last 7 years I have spent a lot of time on Facebook, mostly dedicated to political banter. It's no secret that I lean to the right. I would consider myself very Conservative, but I am not a Christian, so I disagree with a lot of Christians on a lot of topics. I also consider myself Libertarian, due to the fact that I don't even think about most social issues. I believe the Government has no business in our daily lives. It is my opinion that people should make their own choices, whatever they are, and pursue those choices. I also believe they should pay for whatever those choices are, no matter what. If you want to do drugs, do drugs. Don't ask anyone to pay for them, but you. If you want to marry someone of the same sex, as well as 3 people of the opposite sex, go right ahead. Just don't ask anyone for help when you can't support all of your spouses. I am all for individual freedoms, and liberty. I am also pro-life and I certainly do not believe in any type of abortion. This is a bizarre issue for me, because not only does the Democratic platform support abortion, they support the Government paying for it. I cannot grasp any logic or reason behind any of that. Basically, with that one issue alone, women are suggesting they are so irresponsible that they will develop and unwanted pregnancy, without a job. Women under the Democratic platform are suggesting they can't take care of anything, while running around saying they deserve "equal rights" because they are women! Hmmmm...Democrats thoroughly confuse me.

Republicans don't confuse me. They're way more old school. They will flat out say "you shouldn't have an abortion, because you were irresponsible and made a mistake." What is wrong with that? Seems pretty realistic to me. They will also say "not only should you not have an abortion, but the Government isn't going to pay for it, or your pregnancy. However, we found this nice couple who cannot have children, but they are willing to adopt your unwanted child, so they will cover the costs of your pregnancy, plus some extra money for you." In my opinion, that sounds like multiple gifts. The gift of life for an unwanted child. The gift that an irresponsible person will give a family that cannot have children, a child of their own, and the gift of some income, considering that person didn't have a job. But Republicans are always made out to be the "old men in suits who tell women what to do with their bodies." I'm a woman, and more women should be told what to do with their bodies when it comes to unwanted childbearing. And I wish more women would listen. Somehow the Democrats demonize the Republicans for this, and women listen? These women aren't smart. Abortion isn't birth control. And my opinion on birth control doesn't make me a Christian. It makes me a human, who values the lives of unborn children. I am Jewish, and my life was and is valuable. I am thankful my mother didn't have a considered abortion, even though she was too young to have me.

This is one stark example of our two parties - Democrats and Republicans, on one issue, alone.

One issue, that can strike controversy in the hearts and minds of millions of people and stir up heated debate, for hours. Days, even.

This is just one issue, and how easy it is to become divided as a nation based on a Two Party System.

Our two party system is the way it is and we have to deal with it, until such time as we have additional offerings for our additional viewpoints.

For those of you, like me, who don't necessarily align, specifically, with one party or another, you may think that by voting against either of the two parties will begin to make a difference, now?

You're wrong.

Our voting system is rigged. Our voting system is rigged in favor of the winning party, either way. If the Democrats are incumbent, than they will have favor with the Electoral College. If the Republicans are incumbent, they will have the favor. The Electoral College is a flawed system that works in favor with the incumbent party. I am not addressing any potential fraud here, I am only addressing how our Electoral College works, which is horribly flawed.

By believing in a system other than the two party system, you are definitely on the right track, HOWEVER, you are not realistic to believe by voting for any candidate outside of our two party system today will make any advancements towards that system. It is noble to strive towards a more efficient Government, but it is selfish to do so within the confines of your own wishes. I, too, want a more efficient Government, but I am responsible enough to realize I am only able to change the system within its current parameters. I realize the first and most important step is flipping the vote away from the Democrats, within the two party system. They have controlled our Government for two terms. The next step is to encourage any Republican Congressman, by way of contact through telephone, email, snail mail, or in person, to enact term limits. Term limits will possibly be the single biggest way to halt corruption in Washington. 2 Terms, for everyone. No more lifetime, career politicians. Public service only works when the candidate is serving the public.  Not himself/herself. The next step is to vastly overhaul our Electoral College. Even abolish it. We don't need it. We don't need a panel deciding what we can decide ourselves. If the Electoral College were to be abolished, perhaps it would encourage more people to vote? No caps on lobbying. Why should there be? If one party can buy a candidate? Why can't they all? I'd like to see the richest, most successful guy buy his way into the job for 4 years in my town, just so he can start additional businesses, and create thousands of additional jobs for the people in my city. And lastly, we need voter ID requirements. I am a strong proponent of proving who I am, for voting. I have to prove who I am for virtually everything else, so voting should be no different.

These are just some of the first steps that can be taken to improve the system. There are many others. But by declaring, single-handedly, that you are going to vote for a candidate outside of our two party system to "make a point," or to prove that "Americans are on to new ideas," is naive. Or simply by not voting at all, you are only furthering the cause of the party in power.

Rebellion is what the two party system relies on, no matter who is in power.

WE MUST OVERCOME OUR OWN WISHES TO ENACT THE REVISIONS THAT WE BELIEVE ARE NECESSARY FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING OURSELVES.

Zed's Dead Baby, and so is Communism

Personally, I am tired of all of the nonsense. I am tired of all of their ridiculous mockery, and attempted bullying if you don't enthusiastically agree with them. I find each and every person who calls themselves a "liberal," a full blown liar, and unstable to the point where they are certifiably insane. Some of them are so insane, there aren't documented diagnosis for what is actually wrong with them. I am at the point where not only will I debate them with my words, but I will happily shut them down with physical force. I am just so sick of this "culture of stupidity" that we are all supposed to support, and tolerate, while they viscously verbally and physically attack anything that doesn't support them.

Fuck them.

Waiting for God to cull the herd isn't working anymore.

http://townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/2014/11/04/the-lefts-tactics--a-personal-example-n1913776

I am angry.

I am an angry person, because everywhere I go I am surrounded by this stupidity that I am forced to tolerate. And If I question it, I am chastised! How dare you question us! What? I am supposed to tolerate you, but you aren't supposed to tolerate me? I am being serious - when did a movement, of any type, become so forcefully brutal?

Besides Castro?

And Hitler?

And the Khmer Rouge?

And the Spanish Conquistadors?

And the Ottoman Empire?

And many other throughout history who eventually failed because the individual will of people is far greater than any movement will ever understand?

Liberals, your time is numbered.

Zed's dead baby, and so is Communism.

Opine This

Political pundits really irk the heck out of me these days. I'm old enough to remember media coverage of politics from decades ago, and those who offered their opinions, from both sides, never appeared so self-absorbed. This isn't about you. Public policy, today, has turned into just that - a contest of whose thoughts and ideas are better. I win! That's all anyone cares about. Not what is in the best interest of The People they are supposed to serve. And those offering their opinions on the issues of those serving are only interested in offering the best, most interesting opinion!

When did society become so narcissistic? 1000 years ago? 500 years ago? 100 years ago? Clearly society is cyclical, and we are going through a period where all anyone seems to care about is "me, me, me," but if people don't realize that attitude has been the destruction of many civilizations past, it will be the destruction of ours.

People, look outside of yourself more for answers about everything, including politics.

Take for example the fact that these aforementioned political pundits will opine that one Republican candidate may not be right because of "x," when all along the Democrat who has the job for the last x number of years, or terms, has virtually bankrupted a state, or even country. Clearly I am no genius, but if the person who has had the job and is doing a terrible job, doesn't it make sense to pick ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE WILLING TO TAKE THE JOB?

If you own a company and you find out that your General Manager has been stealing from you, would you hire a NEW General Manager, or would you just keep the same General Manager, full well knowing he's going to keep stealing from you? What if you knew all along he was stealing, and you continually discussed his stealing problem with him, but out of kindness allowed him to keep his job hoping one day he would stop stealing? Only to find out he kept stealing while lying to you about it the whole time? Would you let him keep stealing from you, or finally hire someone new? ANYONE?

Is this some really difficult puzzle? Or do people intentionally make things more difficult than they have to be?

Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi

I fully understand the concept that our formative education and our life experiences will lead us to our opinions, which include biases, period. It is a natural occurrence based on our inability to override our ego (which is our own selfish desires) when it comes to making decisions. Very few humans emotionally develop to the point where they develop an observing ego, or "super-ego." The super-ego is our own internal moral parent. Understanding that very few will ever develop this trait, it is easy, then, to understand that very few people grasp the concept of "right versus wrong." It is also to easy to understand why, then, people will interchange the definition of both so quickly.

All things are open to interpretation, right? Not really. You know when something is wrong, but you will justify its act, somehow, in order to satisfy your own wishes.

This leads me to today's post - Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi. He spent 214 days in a Mexican prison, because he made a wrong turn on a California highway and admitted he had 2, registered, legal rifles with him in the trunk of his car. Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi is a 2 tour Iraq War veteran who served our country, with honor, and suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. When Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi was first arrested, the Obama administration knew about his capture, immediately, and chose to do nothing.

Nothing.

The Obama administration chose to do nothing for 214 days. That's 8 months.

8 Months.

Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi sat in a Mexican jail and was chained, beat, starved, threatened, and treated inhumanely, while the Obama administration did nothing to secure his release. Until yesterday. A Mexican judge ordered Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi released, yesterday. Today Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi is home with his family. This all happened in one day.

One day.

There is speculation from various media sources that President Obama finally made the phone call that freed Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi. I find this interesting, as there have been media resorts of other phone calls between President Obama and Mexican President Nieto. And of course, John Kerry's trip to Mexico in May, with no such release of Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi. To think that Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi was allowed to sit in a Mexican jail, and experience such reprehensible treatment for 8 months, to satisfy any agenda of the Obama administration, repulses me to the bane of my existence. To think that any government will traffic in humans, for profit, is morally repugnant. Yet it happens.  Here is proof.

Solid proof.

Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi was forced to spend 8 months of his life suffering, after volunteering years of his life to fight for our freedoms, only to be used as a political pawn by Obama himself. This is wrong.

Very wrong.

In my opinion, this is awful strategy and why this sort of socialist party platform always fails, long term. The players never achieve their long term goals, because they can never see the forest through the trees. They want their gratification, now. Their egos always outweigh their intellect. The same net effect would have been achieved by doing things the right way. If Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi were released right away, or shortly thereafter, the same talking points and win for the Democrats would have been accomplished. But the fact that one Marine Sgt. who fought for America suffered for 8 months means nothing to certain politicians as they strategized how they were going to win an election.

Let that sink in.

What is most concerning about this is this small group of politicians believe that the American people aren't smart enough to realize what they are doing.

Let that sink in, too.

Chill In The Air

As the weather turns cold in Chicago, so does our race for Governor.

The character assasination ads between Governor Quinn and Bruce Rauner are unbearable. Every single time you turn on the television, or the radio, all you hear is useless rhetoric about "he did this," or "he did that." Not one mention of Illinois's issues and how either one plan to address them. Which is especially concerning coming from the guy who's had the job for awhile. Do these grown men actually believe Illinois voters are 12 and we enjoy this grade school type, fabricated mudslinging? I assure you, we don't. Clearly all of the millions Governor Quinn is spending on making Bruce Rauner out to be "Dr. Evil Billionaire" could have been better spent on one of Illinois's extensive list of financial problems? And at what point does Mr. Rauner realize he's wasting his own millions making Pat Quinn look incompetent, when Quinn does that all on his own?

I blame the voters for watching the ads, and sitting around saying "mmm hmm, can you believe he did that?" People, it's all contrived nonsense. Pat Quinn is a failure. Illinois is in financial ruins and he has absolutely no idea, or plan on how to fix any of it. A Gallup poll released in April of this year suggested that Illinois ranked number 1 on a list of all 50 states for resident who would leave, if they could. 50% of residents would leave Illinois if they had the opportunity to. 50%. Montana was last with only 1% of residents saying they would leave.

A high school student who maintains an B- average in math would do a better job than Governor Pat Quinn has done.

Sorry Governor Quinn, but you've had long enough to do a job that clearly you aren't capable of doing. With nearly 200 billion in unfunded liabilities, we need someone who understands math, not just raising taxes.

#SaveIllinois #VoteRauner

At some point, everyone in the Obama administration, currently and previously, will be in prison. In the meantime, it is imperative that all Americans, whether you lean left or right, realize that you DO NOT live in a totalitarian state and the Government is not a single ruling body. The United States of America is a Republic, founded on the principles of The People, for The People, by The People. We rule ourselves and elect representatives who best serve OUR INTERESTS. 

To sit back and allow this "attempt" to become a totalitarian state is OBSCENE and each and every single one of you MUST do everything within your power to stop it. Call your Congressmen. Write your Congressmen. SHOW UP AT YOUR LOCAL CONGRESSMAN'S OFFICE, if you must and demand that they take action against this behavior, because it is ILLEGAL.

I am not only disliked here on Facebook because I am vocal about my opinions, I am disliked in real life because I am vocal there, also. 

Stop laying down and losing everything your great grandparents and grandparents risked their lives and worked their butts off to give you!

‪

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/melissa-mullins/2014/10/27/ex-cbs-reporter-three-letter-government-agency-hacked-my-computer?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=marketing&utm_term=facebook&utm_campaign=attkinson-hacked

I haven't visited here in a while, but I am returning.

I've had it with worthless Facebook.

Come and visit me here, often.

Thank you!  :)