old man 76
old man 76's JournalCompassion
This morning I was reading an editorial in the Sun Journal on line. This editorial had to do with Mike Michaud running for governor. There were over thirty comments made with many of them being of a derogatory nature from the right wing. One comment in particular caught my attention. This good Republican gentlemen said "If you hear the word compassion, hide your wallet because it will cost you money." To my friends on the left, I would offer this advice: If you are laying in the ditch dying and a good Republican comes by, do not ask for help because they will only grab their wallet and run. If you see a good Republican lying in the ditch dying, it would be futile to stop and offer help because that would be something they would not understand.
Old Man's view on Stand Your Ground
I told myself to stay away from commenting on the Zimmerman trial but I just got done reading the comments by people on MSN. Most people felt Mr. Zimmerman was a good person and only trying to do his civic duty to protect the community. I lived in Florida before the stand your ground law. The stand your ground law, in essence, says if you feel your life might be in danger you can use deadly force and you are not required to seek any avenue of escape. I imagine a lot of people will agree with this law. Here is my problem with armed people taking on the role of protecting the public at large as an extension of law enforcement. Maybe it starts with blacks, Hispanics, sex offenders and other people judged to be of less than good character. When you let people who feel righteous and empowered to arm themselves and dispense justice in the name of standing their ground the pool of people they will target will only grow. The use of deadly force, except in rare situations, should be in the hands of law enforcement and judgment should be administered by the courts.
Tides of Change
These rainy days have given me time to do a lot of reading newspapers, articles on the internet and such. There are articles on gay marriage, abortion, immigration and the Affordable Care Act plus many other changes. Change is not something new. Increase in population, less resources, technology and automation and a global economy demand change. The conservative answer is to stay with the old and resist change at all costs. A Civil War was fought to prevent change. There was a range war to prevent homesteaders from the westward expansion. Women battled for the right to vote and workers fought for the right to unionize. These battles to prevent change continue now. A lady in Texas spent eleven hours to protect women’s right. Governor Perry is going to try to push through an assault on women’s rights again. I don’t believe Perry really cares about babies as much as he feels that when a man plants the seed, a woman should dam well produce the crop and know her place. Here in Maine, we remember the governor’s words when he was running for office. You know the one way ticket to Massachusetts for welfare recipients. When he vetoed the Medicaid expansion, one Republican legislator said it was a good thing because it would force people to try harder. The fact is, as time passes, change always occurs no matter how the conservatives try to use religion, the constitution or any other tactics, the tide of the times cannot be stopped. The sad part is the amount of suffering and even blood shed the conservatives cause trying to prevent it.
An old man's message for the young
It is spring and young people are graduating from high school and college. I have grandchildren who have reached this point in their lives. They all have hopes and expectation as well as views on what the world they live in should be like. When asked what I think, this is my response. I was born before computers, internet, cell phones and even television where I lived. My world was very different then the world we have now. Statistically I have only a few years left and you have a life time. The next generation will shape this country not old people like me. The only advice I have is remember your physics, every action has a reaction and an ancient philosopher said for every decision there is a consequence. Your actions and decisions will make the world you must live in. Look past what will benefit you today or what is trendy now and weigh the reaction and consequences be they socially, economically or environmentally because you are shaping the world you spend your life in. That all this old man can offer. Good luck.
The repubs are at it again.
The republicans are scared to death that Hillary Clinton will run in twenty sixteen. The only thing they have is the Benghazi incident and they will waste time and money trying to discredit her. To bad they didn't feel the same when president Bush, daddy Cheney and uncle Rumsfeld started a war for fun and profit.
Conservative Time Machine
A few days ago, I caught a little commentary by Bill O’Reilly on some television program. Bill made a comment on how things were different back in the fifties when the majority of Americans were white. He didn’t sound raciest but he felt people were more of the same mind set, more agreeable and respectful of each other. I must say it was not one of his rants but sounded more nostalgic. The more thought I gave to what he said, the more it explained the comments that came out of the right during the last election. Comments that were on women’s rights, immigration, taxes, education, gay people and a host of other topics all had one common connection. The conservatives want to go back to a time when they didn’t have to deal with a new world. However, the genie is out of the bottle and there is no going back. We now live in a world with new technology, larger population, less resources and a global market to name a few of the new challenges. Like it or not we will be forced to take a different approach to life and make the changes necessary to survive as a country and people. This requires tolerance, understanding and working for the common good of all. The conservatives will only be wasting time searching for a time machine.
A question but no answer.
At the present there are fifty eight million people receiving social security, around forty million people receiving SNAP or better known as food stamps and somewhere around fifty million people receiving Medicare. I don't have a close guess on Medicaid but I would imagine it is around forty to fifty million. This only takes in the major entitlements and welfare programs. If you put it all together my guess is over seventy million people. The republicans want to eliminate or drastically reduce these programs. I have asked some right-wing politicians what do you propose to do with these people. Most often they try to steer the topic in another direction. I would respect them more if they said they can starve or get sick and die, its not my problem. The conservative voter either feels the same or can't connect with the Paul Ryan plan, they only worry about their guns, abortion, and taxes. The end result is people on the right have no answer as to what will happen to the elderly, young, and people below the poverty line. For every action there is a reaction and for every decision there is a consequence. Until the republicans have a reasonable answer they are the biggest danger this country has.
Crossing the desert
The cuts took effect last night with no compromised reached. What does the GOP really want? Simple answer cut Social Security and Medicare. How do the Democrats and Republicans differ? Think of retirement for most older Americans as crossing a desert. They can no longer get work or are unable to work. They are at least going to need a warm secure shelter, food and medical care. Back to the desert the left understands they will need at least an adequate amount of water along the way to survive. The right will claim they want to preserve the water for when the elderly really need it so they will take all the water to the other side of the desert. They know every one will be really thirsty when they get across. Now I am sure Speaker Boehner will have tears running down his cheeks because he has so much compassion for the elderly. At the same time he will be trying to hide a smirk because he is hoping two thirds of them will die before the make it to the water.
National park in northern Maine
Last night I lessoned to a commentary with Roxanne Quimby's son on a proposal for a national park in northern Maine. I have had the opportunity to visit a number of national parks across the country and found it enjoyable. I how ever can not say with any authority if it would be right for Maine. I would very much like to hear other peoples opinion on a national park in northern Maine. If you have a few minuets let me know what you think. Thank you.
Fight or flight
I recently had a discussion with three men about gun control and the right to own guns. Only one of the three I knew and this was just a chance encounter in a store. All felt they musted be armed to protect their homes and families. I have no problem with this as I own guns myself. I made the statement if some one was trying to break into my home I would grab my gun but there were a number of exits so I would take my wife and run. The men showed sign of distaste for this notion and the one man I knew asked me as we left why would you run I know your a pretty good shot. There are three reasons. First I would not know the number of people breaking in and if they were well armed. Even if no one wants to think about it there is alway the chance you will be shot or a family member hit by a stray bullet. If I go down that leaves my wife unprotected. Second not knowing who is breaking in you might kill an unarmed person with a mental problem, intoxicated and had the wrong house or a child to name a few scenarios. You might just end up arrested and facing prosecution. You might win but it could cost ten thousand or much more in legal fees plus the possibility of a civil suit. Third every one has some body they are special to no matter how bad they may seem. One of those some bodies might just decide to even the score by killing you or worse a member of your family. Outside chance I know but is still still a possibility. Being macho sounds great but sometimes common sense is better.
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