Every 4 years one of the seminal events of politics used to capture the attention and television audience with its glitz and grandeur, suspense and drama. They were shown on all networks and received great ratings because they provided a peak at the democratic process. My parents were glued to their sets as each political party laid before the American people their positions on the issues that confronted them. Men like David Brinkley and Eric Severeid provided commentary on the real and un...

There are many issues that surround the death penalty and the debate goes on now 7,000 years into real human history. Both those for and against can make compelling philosophical arguments why their position is correct. Of course, 99% of those who make such arguments will never be in a position personally where it will be an issue. Perhaps the focus, then, should be on where there might be a middle ground available to both sides, the application of the penalty itself. There are 3 areas ...

Luke 18 1/2: Then Jesus and the apostles came to Selfcentria along the coast of the Dead Sea. Many in the town had heard of the great miracles performed by the Master and had sent the Rabbi to speak with him. The Rabbi spoke with the Master about a great illness that had effected the whole town and how healing them would be a great miracle and serve the purpose of God. The Rabbi then asked Jesus a favor. "The people of the town are very afraid of the Romans. They do not wish...

( footnote: I would like to thank all those people who took the time to read and/or comment on the blog "No Constitutional Amendment against Lefties." Once again, the conversation showed the intelligence and decorum of the JoeUser! ") The 1992 election was winding down and the American people were still undecided about whether they would vote for George Bush or Bill Clinton. Networks were doing audience participation "town hall meetings" and "round table discussions" about whom the voter...

The current political hysteria over the menace of Lefty marriages in the U.S. and the threat it poses to our Righty society has now reached the point where many church and social leaders want to pass a Constitutional Amendment banning Lefties from marrying. The language of the amendment: "We hereby define marriage as a union between two right handed people." fits scriptural reasoning in the old testament because we read in Exodus when God speaks to Moses at the burning bush, "Go and tell Pha...

The debate over how to deal with terorism and more specifically "terrorist entities" (organizations like Al Qaeda, countries like the old Afghanistan and Iraq) centers around 2 central themes. The first approach is that the U.S. and the coalition of the "dragged along" (those who will not oppose us) should decide which places need to have their people subjegated or destroyed. The second approach is that we must learn to deal with cultures different from our own, accept their right to be wha...

Bloggers note: There doesn't seem to be an "schools" category so I choose Home and Family because it seemed closest. Sorry for any inconvenence. The American public school system sprawls out from sea to sea with a design to educate our future citizens in the ways of our society as well as give them skills needed to be self-sufficient in the process. But the system constantly looks to the taxpayer for more and more money and resources to do so. Other possibilities exist, homeschooling...

I reviewed Fahrenheit 9/11 last Friday and you may wish to read that blog before this one. The people of the United States are good, decent human beings who over 225 years ago embarked on a great experiment in government and society untried in human history. It was an experiment based on the premise that every part of government would provide a "check and balance" to every other part so that only laws and regulations that all 3 parts would agree upon could become law and part of soc...

( Note: Minor Spoilers included ) Considering the uproar over Fahrenheit 9/11 I went to the film expecting to see something between a very flawed film with no redemptive social value and the second coming of Cecil B. DeMille (the film did win the jury prize at Cannes). However, the film is neither what the neocons want you to avoid or what the Democrats want you to see. It is a great film for what it is, though, unless you do see it, you will miss the whole point of what Mr. Moore is ...

The new Michael Moore film is being painted two distinct colors, black and white. The 9/11 Committee has been called both wrong and superb. The foes of Mr. Cheney claim he is a vile blasphemer and unworthy of being Vice-President, the friends say his tirade on the Senate floor was long overdue. Why are people taking all of these things so seriously? Have we truly lost our moral compass of respect for the other guy that says the concept of free speech is for both sides of the argument? ...

The Current Accounts shortfall of $144 billion (that for January through March) is a reminder of how the government (pick a devil there) has expanded business by pumping cash into an economy on the verge of overload in terms of being propped up on borrowed time. This occurs when Presidents run for re-election almost every 4 years and a tip in the stock market to the negative would most certainly bring defeat in the fall. But someday the deficit (currently approaching $8 Trillion) is going t...

The American healthcare systems (it would be inappropriate to say there was only one) have begun to reach the point where the costs to the retired (actually, those over 40 probably qualify) that Americans are beginning to see that comprehensive reform of the system(s) is necessary before they become bankrupt. Most Americans are fairly sure it is not on the Republicans priority list to do so and President Bush is the flagbearer for the party. Make no mistake about it, the retired vote and th...

Many people seem to have made up their mind on who they will cast their vote for in November in the Presidential election. This may have to do with a primary season that was over by early April and an incumbent who went unchallenged. However, it seems to me that making up one's mind about voting 5 months early makes for an even more divisive situation in a country that needs, if anything, much more solid information about candidate's abilities and platform for the next four years than we ha...

The current daily loss of life in the "Middle East Experience" (Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, etc.) seems to be weighing less and less heavily upon the psyche of the American mind as, much like a Shakespearean tragedy the body bags and parts add up. American newscasts spend more time talking about the "American Idol" Experience or whether Tiger Woods is in a slump than doing any real in-depth coverage of what is now considered old hat. But below the surface of the matter we see an ev...

One of the oddest things about politics is the concentrated effort we make to bring young people into the voting booth, when most of the people who are making the effort wouldn't agree with the young voters choices when they get there. Concentrated "get out the vote" efforts in the U.S., Canada, England, etc. are designed to ensure the continuation of democracy in a way similar to the church trying to get young folks to attend church. This is not to say that I think young people should ...