Sugar farmers prefer HFCS?

So…I recently worked with state and local governments as well as schools and colleges. I proposed wireless/wired network designs, answered technological questions, etc… However, in order to make sure that there are no improprieties, I am not allowed to pay for lunch, bring in snacks or drinks, etc…I probably would get in trouble if I left my pen behind. All so that nothing is seen as trying to sway the opinion of an employee of a government entity with gifts.

Fine, I have no issue with this…but if this is the big worry of our government, why then can lobbyists spend $2.6 billion dollars a year on gifts and donations to elected officials? Are they not trying to sway the opinions of the government official? The reason you can’t get bulk prescriptions on Medicare-D? Pharmaceutical lobby. Can’t buy a Tesla directly from Tesla? Auto dealers lobby. Why most of your food is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup? The sugar lobby.

Sounds backwards, but short version. Sugar farmers get loans from government. If sugar prices are too low, farmer can pay back govt. with sugar…which becomes a mass sugar purchase driving prices up. Also a long list of tariffs and taxes to keep foreign sugar out. It can get confusing, but it cost the US taxpayers $1.7 billion last year. Oh..and if these programs were removed, consumers save about $3 billion and about 18000 new jobs emerge. To prevent this, the sugar lobby spent $2.7 million over 2 years donating to 221 senators and local officials in the sugar growing areas…

A 5 dollar bag of bagels to share with the school IT staff is bad, $2.7 million for senators is acceptable. The more you know…

.02%…is that true?

So, a friend on Facebook had a post of a headline/article many of you have probably seen. It says that only .02% of all applicants for welfare in Tennessee tested positive for drugs in the drug testing program. The article went on to call it a ridiculous waste of money. Other headlines read things about catching no one, little success, or coming up empty.

I posted a response because I wanted to point out how easily a headline/article can become truth without giving the whole story.

The whole story is much different. Tennessee can only test welfare applicants who answer yes to any of three narcotics usage questions on the application. So…out of the approximately 39K applicants, only 468 were stupid enough to answer one of those questions with a yes and therefore had to be tested. Of those 468 tested, 65 of them failed. Also 116 refused the testing…pretty decent guess what their tests would have shown.

So, while .02% of all applicants failed a drug test, that is because only 1.2% were ever tested. So, the maximum positive results of all applicants could only be 1.2%. This was skewed from the start. Of the applicants that were actually tested, 11.7% failed. So, the headline could just have easily read, “12% of all Tennessee welfare applicants that were tested came back with positive results”. That is equally true…and equally misleading. My whole point exactly…spin/statistics can make any story compelling for either side.

The actual costs of the program are hard to pin down as some sources say it is $23K and others lower. This probably has to do with timing of the release of data. Just as some articles show 55 failed tests with an additional 10 later. Now…if the family loses all of its benefits, the state saved approximately $1.2 million. If the family only loses the FFT portion, then the savings are a little lower and around $130K. Hard to determine from the information available which it is, though recent documents seem to show that they lose it all for 6 months.

The 11.7% that failed is a higher rate than the 9.8% of the population that is suspected of illicit drug use. The article points out that .02% is way under the national average of drug users. Of course it is because they didn’t test 39,000 people, they tested 468. Also left out of the news is that applicants with failed tests are mandated to go to drug treatment. So it isn’t just a policy of, “fail the test, get no funds”. It is a policy to get treatment for those who fail and then when they successfully complete that program, they get their funds…Of course, this is left out when people are arguing to stop the program altogether.

All I really wanted to do was point out that people can’t just take headlines for granted. People are up in arms that this testing program is a waste…because all they saw was .02% and the article didn’t present all of the information. If the article had included that only 468 were actually tested, 116 refused the test, and 11.7% of those tested failed, then people could have a more informed opinion.

You can’t just read news sources that align with your views. You have to take in all sources and then determine that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. If they tested all 39,000 would 12% fail? Probably not…but would only .02% fail? I don’t think so, your true answer is somewhere in the middle. People these days are too quick to take the soundbite or the headline as gospel…read, study, learn…our country is in the position it is in because as a society we won’t dig out the truth…we accept what we read and the media/corporations/government all know that and count on it.

As for my opinion on this story now knowing more of the facts. I get it…there are people who need help keeping their families fed and clothed. I just don’t think they should be buying drugs, lottery tickets, or non-essentials when they can’t afford the essentials. If an employer can drug test the people it pays, why can’t the state drug test the people it pays? Plus, when a private employee fails a drug test, they are often fired and given no assistance, the welfare applicant who fails is given treatment and then has their funds reinstated…

Personal Responsibility

I see these posts saying that instead of voting for one of the two major party choices, people would rather not vote. That isn’t the answer. So you are tired of the binary presidential race…What to do? If only there was something in the middle, something that looked out for the common good rather than the “what’s in it for me”. Candidates that believe that whatever you do that doesn’t cause harm to anyone else is ok. Where your liberty and your freedoms to live your life as you see fit, exist. On the flip side, whatever you do to yourself is your fault. We shouldn’t be legislating everything. Why do we need laws to protect you from yourself? Just know that when your lifestyle causes you problems, it is your fault and society shouldn’t have to step in and pay to fix it.

There are numerous parties…Green, Independent, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom, you name it…I won’t try to convince you to go to the party I chose, but I will try to convince to you to see what these other parties have to say. It is better than not voting, it actually sends a statement.

Whatever happens, something needs to change, our society is eating itself and it could be so easily fixed if we just modify the behavior and culture just a bit…

Want to ride your motorcycle on the highway with no helmet? Fine…why is the government involved in that kind of decision? No helmet, you wreck…the repercussions are yours to deal with. Don’t expect anyone else to pay to fix you up. What happened to personal responsibility?

Why do I need to be forced into Social Security? I save or I don’t. If I live in a cardboard box behind the Flying J out on Hwy 10 when I am 70, that’s on me. Let me be responsible to manage my savings and use my money how I choose.

Can we stop with the extra taxes to pay for all the laws to protect people from themselves. Let the people protect themselves. If you are too stupid to know that a 20,000 calorie daily diet of Pop-tarts, fried foods, and soda is not good for you, then that is on you.

Ahhh…wait…I say something like that and now people jump to the conclusion that I am anti fat people. Nope…not in the least. I don’t care if you are fat, I only care that I have to watch the government waste time and money creating laws to try to stop fat people from being fat. Be fat…be obese…be whatever you want to be. I don’t judge, just don’t ask the rest of us to pay for your life choices. I don’t see how that is unfair or discriminatory.

If I choose to use chewing tobacco and I develop lip cancer, who should I blame? The tobacco company for making the product, the government for not legislating it away, or…should I have the sac to stand up and point the finger at myself for that choice? In this day, far too many people think that they are owed something for their bad choices.

We need to go back to personal responsibility and willingness to study the issues for ourselves…to realize that this is a republic (not a democracy, there is a big difference) and that we the people make the rules. For too long we have let special interests, unions, corporations, and purchased politicians patronize us and tell us that we don’t know what is good for us, that we don’t know what we need.

It is time to stand up and declare that we do know what is best for us and that we do know what we need. We need law and order. We need people to respect the law and those that serve it. We need children to respect the authority of parents, teachers, etc…We need people to realize that what your neighbors do in their bedroom is none of your concern. We need families to get back in the business of raising kids and let the schools get back to educating them. We need to stop treating mediocrity as success. We need to build true self-esteem and give our kids the desire to be the best people they can be. We need to stop with the entitlement culture. We need to stop being so ultra-sensitive to words. We need someone with the fortitude to stand up and call us out on what we have become.

People have to stop trying to fit their viewpoint into every little thing they hear or read so they can feign offense. Someone says that they wish it was like the good old days in the 50’s. The response doesn’t have to be, “Oh, when men worked, came home, had a martini, and smacked their subservient wives around?” Couldn’t they just be longing for the days when society was a little less legislated, less litigious, less “always available”?

Please stop pushing your religion as the cure all to everything that is wrong. You are absolutely entitled to your religion and your beliefs, but realize that someone who disagrees with you isn’t always your enemy…they just see things differently. In fact, no matter your religious choice, the majority of the world disagrees with you. Your religion has no place in the government of this country. It may affect your vote, it may affect your choice of representative, but it can’t, nor should it be, used in making our laws. And atheists, can we stop with the feigned, self-righteous indignation when you see a cross or the word “God” in a government building. You are just as bad as the people who want those things put in. Here’s a compromise. If it already exists, leave it be…if it doesn’t, you can’t add it. Both sides win…just like little league these days.

Can we please go back to that time when other people mattered…when it wasn’t about “what’s in it for me?” We’ve seemingly lost the ability to understand that the rules are for everyone. If the sign says “Keep off the grass”, it isn’t a suggestion that you can ignore because it is just one picture and it won’t hurt if just one person does it…it will hurt, because a million of the “just one person” kills the grass. When you drive past 20 people on the left and then stop all the traffic to force your way into the line on the right at the last minute…you are a jackwagon, and you are contributing to the very same traffic you are trying to bypass. Just wait your turn, we will all get there. Oh, and turn signals don’t charge you per use, so feel free to apply them liberally whilst driving. (Please, no one say that they do cost because when they burn out you have to replace them…you know what I mean).

The people of America have begun to treat the government as a parent. We love it, but we just do whatever it tells us…and that is absolutely backwards. The people are the parent. The government (and the people within) are supposed to do as we say. It is imperative that we slay the binary political beast and stop with the Super PAC’s, debates that focus on hand size and goofy faces, the “lesser of two evils” choices…Why can’t we have the candidates we want? We must take back our voice or the individual rights and protections as we know them will cease to exist…and we will become the oligarchy that we are rapidly headed towards…and neither side will enjoy that outcome. The only wasted vote is the vote that isn’t cast.

Binary

Seems like we have two sides in this country. Liberal side: Tax the crap out of the “wealthy”…we already do that. But they should give more…it isn’t fair to lower income (sorry, I am sure there is some ridiculous new term that I am supposed to use, I just didn’t get my list this week) people that others earn more. When did anyone in this world get promised fair? Just having a job (or being on welfare) in America puts you in the top 10% of the world’s income earners…make more than 45K? Top 1% of the world. Is that fair? Should we all be forced to give 90% of what we earn and share it with the world?

Also…you should probably know that if your household earns $145K per year, you are in the top 10% of American households…so, your income taxed at 90% means you would bring home 14.5K a year to spend…or a little more than $1200 a month. Yes…a yearly household income of $145K puts you in the top ten percent… not tens of millions, not millions, $145K…just hard working people looking to keep their families housed and fed.

This average family that earns $145K, they bring home around $96K annually. $8K per month…average housing, transportation, and food costs (these are all things the government isn’t giving you in this utopian society, by the way) alone account for about $5200 of that… not including emergencies or unforeseen expenditures. That leaves $2800 for clothes, utilities, miscellaneous expenses, and hopefully savings (things also not included in this version of the “government provides free things” society) so they can retire. Wow! Seems like that isn’t as super wealthy as it sounds…so let’s say it isn’t going to be 90% but an equally upsetting 70%…then they would bring home about $43K a year or about $3500 a month. Oops…guess you can’t keep your house if you want to eat. But this is great for society…remember a few years back when all those houses were walked out on? Wasn’t that a grand time?

Oh…that isn’t it at all…they want an equal distribution…they don’t want to take away from that guy…just the ultra-wealthy…what if we only went after the top 1%. Want to guess what it takes to be a 1 percenter? 1 million, 5 million…maybe 15? What if I told you it was only $369K. Yes…a household with $369K yearly income is a 1 percenter. So…your average anesthesiologist alone is just about there. Hmm…yep, he certainly doesn’t deserve to have that much. Why should he have more than the entry level, unskilled (I am sure someone will nail me for using that term as well) worker?

Again…who decides how much is enough? Sure…when you don’t earn $10 million a year, it sounds great to take 100% of everything over a million. Certainly a million dollars is enough for anyone to live on, right? But what gives any of us the right to decide that? What if we said 100K or 50K was enough for any family to live on?

No one is entitled to anything in this country except life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Nothing says you are entitled to have the same houses, cars, or lifestyles as anyone else. This country is still the land of opportunity…not entitlement. Watch Chopped sometime and see the stories of the people who come here with $100 and a suitcase. They take whatever job they can find and they work hard and save their money (key part of the story…save money)…and now they own restaurants. No one gave them anything except an opportunity…and they worked hard and made the most of it. Just being in this country is the opportunity. What you do with it is on you…stop waiting for someone else to give you things.

When did we become the “Society for punishing the successful”? You know what 70, 80, or even 90% tax rate (or the 100% of everything over a million) will do? It will drive the businesses and the high value worker out of the country, taking the tax base with them, and leave all those who want everything given to them standing around with no one to pay for it all. Hope you enjoy the World Football League because no team is staying here with that plan in place.

Should we spend more on education than on the prison system? Absolutely…prison should suck…Why should a prisoner have things that the hard working families can’t afford? They shouldn’t. So fix the system…but stop throwing good money after bad.  Demand that your local governments spend $30K per student and $10K per prisoner yearly…because it is the opposite right now. You want better access to healthcare? Fix the system…vote out all the people who caused the problem, vote out the representatives that the healthcare lobby owns and vote in the ones who want to fix it. Welfare isn’t a huge problem for the country (it isn’t great, but it is far from crippling us).

A huge problem is healthcare/disability fraud which costs us billions a year. People trying to buck the system because they feel entitled to something. Over refunding tax credits to those who paid in less than the credit they get costs us $88 billion dollars annually. Let’s fight that and put those billions of existing dollars and put them back into helping those that truly require help.

Look at how our government has handled the money they have taken from us so far. Do you think they are capable of properly spending no matter how much we give them? Does anyone think that all this tax money they intend to raise is going to be handed out to those who don’t have as much? Ha…good luck with that.

I bet if you read the fine print on all of these high tax proposals, it will have an exclusion list that includes politicians, just like the affordable care act does…if it is good enough for all of us, why not them? Hillary commands $650K per speaking engagement (yet she complains about CEO wages), do you think she wants to part with more of that? If she did, why not lower the fees and let the people keep more of their money? By the way…these same senators and such average about $174K per year and complain that it isn’t enough…so how can $145K be too much for you and me? These are the same people that if they serve long enough (six years), will receive pensions in perpetuity…wonder where all that money is going to come from…

Bernie Sanders wants to use Denmark as a guideline. OK….

This isn’t true socialism they will tell you…it is a plan for a Socialist Democracy….should I have to explain that we don’t actually live in a democracy? We live in a republic. While we have a democratic election process, there is a massive difference.

Democracy: Majority rules always. Republic: Majority rules, but a system of checks and balances exists to protect the rights of the individual. The fact that people don’t know that, yet vote in our elections, scares the crap out of me.

But, I guess calling it a Socialist republic would be scary…since that is the same as the last two letters in USSR…

But let’s leave the semantics of what we call the plan aside. Denmark…here are some facts that may make you think twice.

Personal income tax rate in Denmark? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 60%. But this isn’t just for the wealthy….anyone earning more than $6200 US pays at least 37.48% on the amount over that. Everyone over $50120 US…59% of everything over that… plus property taxes, municipal taxes, and the 25% sales tax.

Those of you who already complain that the lower income brackets can’t afford to pay any taxes, get ready to be hammered. if you make $20K yearly now, you probably don’t pay anything in taxes…in Denmark’s system, you would pay approximately $5000. Enjoy that.

The Danes exist this way because they always have, they don’t fear the government and they live within their means…that last point is key…Oh, they also used to take pride in working and contributing…now, times are a changin’.

It isn’t that utopia you are hoping for…the jobless rate in Denmark is increasing as more people find no reason to work…since they make more on the guaranteed state income than they do working a menial job and paying the taxes…They have only 3 of 98 counties with more than 50% of the people working, down from 59 counties not that long ago…the economy is falling and the government is going to have to cut back on what it can provide.

But…we have socialist programs already…everyone pays into the education system, isn’t that socialism? I get it…we have many social programs that the population has voted to create and maintain. Police, schools, roads, etc…these are all necessary and a must-have for our society to not dissolve. But let’s dive deeper into them. Our infrastructure is falling apart, schools are failing, Medicare is a joke, and most of the money we all paid into Social Security has been borrowed for use in other programs. So…if we fund all of these programs, and they are poorly managed and always short on money…then why do we think adding a litany of other programs (and massive taxes to fund it all) will be any better? You know what happens to a fund manager who takes his clients’ investments and “borrows” the money for something else? Prison. Yet our government does it every day…

So…you want free healthcare, free education…what comes next? If everyone is entitled to free education, what about free housing? Free transportation? Those are also important to living…You want to know something? The misleading term in all of this is free. It isn’t free…that “free” you want everyone to have is coming out of someone’s pocket and based on my tax bill this year, my pocket.

I will tell you this, if I were a successful adult that worked my way out of a crappy neighborhood, with crappy schools, and did it on my own by working, saving, and doing whatever I had to do to make a better life for me and my family, I would be pissed at all these whiny snots who say they can’t get anywhere because of their circumstances. Screw you!  He studied and cared which certainly wasn’t cool. He worked two, maybe three jobs to get through college. He graduated and started at the bottom and through effort and determination, got himself to somewhere he considers successful. But you want everything given to you without putting forth effort? BS!

So how do we fix the imbalance? We don’t…well, not through legislation and taxation anyway. You do it through your wallet and your vote. Don’t like a certain company’s CEO pay, don’t buy their products. Think your bank is too powerful, pull your accounts and go local. Don’t like Walmart, don’t shop there. Think Beyonce makes too much money? Don’t buy her stuff…don’t read the articles…don’t feed the monster. People complain that the Kardashians exist in every facet of our lives. Don’t watch, don’t follow, and don’t support. Stop buying the books…don’t click the clickbait…You have the power.  Don’t vote for the politician who takes lobbyist money. Let them know you are fed up, you are the answer.

Then we have the other side…

Conservative – We need to control the individual rights of the population. Dictate what you can and can’t do on a daily basis. Morality should be law. Don’t give money to the poor, give it to corporations.

What does it matter if a man marries a man? How does that affect your life? If you don’t like it, don’t do it. Same gender marriage does not invalidate the sanctity of marriage. Really? It does? Then what does divorce do to that same sanctity? Why don’t we ban divorce? What was that? Oh you mean the part in your bible that states, “…And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery” (Matthew 19:9) Oh yeah, don’t forget Malachi 2:16 when God says, “I hate divorce!” Hmmm…On one hand he says that a man who lay with a man is an abomination and so same-sex marriage is evil…but when he says bluntly that he hates divorce…ehhh…that’s ok. You can’t have it both ways. If you ban same sex marriage because your religion says so, then ban divorce because your religion says so…or…leave your morality out of the government. I prefer that one…

Why is it that those that seem to push hardest for anti-anything laws are then found to be committing those same acts they wish to condemn? What’s the saying about protesting something a bit too much? Stuff done between consenting adults in their own private space. What right do any of us have to tell people what they can do at home? Who the hell do these people think they are? If I want to wear swim goggles, arm floaties, and spray paint my legs blue while my wife smacks my feet with ping pong paddles and yodels the Swiss national anthem, what do you care? How in any way does that affect your ability to live your life? It doesn’t! Stay out of it…

I am all for not taxing companies out of business, and any state or local governments that want to reduce taxes to entice businesses to set up shop and bring jobs to their communities are fine with me. But the corporate subsidies have to stop. Call it grants, tax credits, whatever…why does a company like Intel, which cleared net income of around 15 billion last year, need 6 billion in tax credits? Nike, 2 billion in corporate subsidies? How about giving those credits to the little guy trying to stay afloat? Why are some of the most successful companies receiving tax dollars?

Schools are failing to educate our children. No Child Left Behind, anyone? But if we put prayer in school, everything will magically get better. Sure it will….Instead, how about we leave the religion to the parents and get back to teaching kids how to think. Remove all of the mid-level bureaucracy, the power of the unions that leave schools without the ability to fire a bad teacher, standardized testing, and the constant changes to teaching methods and let’s let the teachers teach. Put the money in the pockets of good teachers and spend for the proper supplies to create a learning environment. Stop teaching to mediocrity and rewarding students for achieving middle of the road. “Oh! My poor snowflake would be devastated if he wasn’t congratulated for being a C student”. Rewarding mediocrity is why we have those who think they are entitled to things without putting forth effort.

As a parent who understands mathematics (enjoys is probably a better term), I shouldn’t have to learn a new system of explaining math each year. I shouldn’t need to jump the rabbit over the fence to steal the carrot and run around the barnyard to explain anything (except perhaps how to tie a shoe…). Forget standardized tests that supposedly determine your child’s abilities. Push them…challenge them…young minds want that. Ask them things like, 8+5=10. Agree or Disagree? Explain. A standardized test says “disagree” and that is the only possible answer. Real world thinking says otherwise. 8+5=10 is a legitimate answer…if you think in base13. So why are we holding back children who can come up with that? Neither answer is wrong…it just takes some different thinking and room for teachers to have the flexibility (and ability) to encourage this.

What is the answer? Go third party…Show the rank and file that we are done being enslaved by the two party system. Let’s vote out every existing politician and get some new faces. Let’s lower the politician’s wages to the same scale as teachers. If the Senator for California got paid the entry level teacher’s salary, that might shake some things up a bit.

The fix for all of our problems is out there, we just need to rip the bandage off and take back control of our government and our country.

Who’s evil?

You should run to your safe space if opposing opinions are offensive to you…sigh…can’t we all just realize that discussion shouldn’t be scary…that hearing opposing thoughts and viewpoints is good for you? When you hear a different opinion, it should help you to either confirm your own opinion or at least get you thinking about the other side and find new facts bolstering your own arguments. People who are unable to debate without name calling usually don’t know what they are arguing for, or are scared that they are wrong. Also…I know that trying to change someone’s mind on the internet is like trying to change the outcome of a movie by yelling at the screen, it doesn’t work…but I must tilt at the windmills…

For the record…I am not a Muslim, but when I see a group of people being unjustly lumped in with people to which they have absolutely no actual ties, someone has to bring some sanity to the conversation. Oh…I am also not a liberal. This goes beyond political views and into humanity as a whole. While I understand that in most cases today, terrorist=Muslim, I also know that, same as in all those tests they made us take as wee little children, it also doesn’t mean that Muslim=terrorist. This just in…Christian nutjob Robert XXXX (not giving him any extra notoriety) kills people to save the babies. Is he a terrorist? Yes…is he Muslim? No…Should I fear all Christians? No. Hmmmm…..

This is about hate and why we as people, regardless of political leaning or religious affiliation, shouldn’t stand for unwarranted fear and misdirected hate. You hate Hitler, hate Stalin, hate Timothy McVeigh, hate ISIS…but fearing and hating all Muslims for something a very small splinter group is doing…that is pretty short sighted.  So, while the words behind the message are for anyone, when I call “you” out, I am talking specifically to those who would perpetuate hate among Americans. I don’t assume that everyone is as ignorant as those people are.

Whatever your opinions, I absolutely respect your right to have them. It is awesome (in the real sense of the word awesome…not that surfer speak awesome) that I live in a country where we can have differing viewpoints. This country’s greatness is built on the fact that people have fought and died to give you the right to have an opinion or belief that differs from theirs. However, I also think that people should be armed with facts and not base their opinions on so much rhetoric from the talking heads on television or whatever other people in their party espouse.

What do you really know about Islam? Less than you probably should if you are going to have such a strong opinion. Like a child who hates Brussels sprouts but has never tried them…how can you be so sure? Can you explain a caliphate? Do you know the various sects and their differences? Do you know the five pillars of Islam…hint: three of them are probably close to the same as whatever religion you choose to follow. Those would be faith, prayer, and charity…the other two are fasting and a pilgrimage….nothing violent or crazy there.

Most Muslims (of which, the Sunni make up the massive majority) follow the same basic idea as most Christians. Namely, try not to sin…if you do, make it right and go back to trying not to sin. Much like Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, or most major religions, a sect can focus on what they think is most important.  Hey, could you name the various sects of *your* religion and what they believe most strongly? What does being an Episcopalian mean? What are the differences in the various Lutheran synods? Why can’t I just lump all Christians in one category? Why do I know more about your own religion than you do?

So…how did you choose your religion if you weren’t fully informed about all the options? You probably didn’t buy your vehicle or select your home without at least looking into some others that were available….why wouldn’t you give at least the same amount of effort to something so important as choosing your religion? Most likely because you were taught by your parents…who were taught by their parents, and so on and on. Why should a child raised in a Muslim household be any less expected to follow what has been taught them by their parents and stay in that religion? Does that mean we should blindly judge them for following the exact same steps that you did?

Still not convinced? OK…take a look at the following passages:

“The taking of one innocent life is like taking all of Mankind… and the saving of one life is like saving all of Mankind”. Holy Qur’an, 5:33

or…

“’Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.’ So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.” Ezekiel 9:6

Out of context? Of course they are…as are almost all passages of either book when one side uses them to back their behaviors (good or bad) or denigrate a different religion. You can find Bible verses that promote both peace and war…same as in the Qur’an. It boils down to which words you choose to see as literal, which are unacceptable in today’s society, and which ones are merely a parable to be learned from. I don’t know many Christians today who follow Leviticus 25 where it states: “You may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance.” So, should I judge all Christians by the words I choose to find in their holy book? Of course not, why then would you have me do that with Muslims?

You would have us believe that Muslims hate our way of life. You are so wrong about that. No? Try telling that to Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan….who is that? Just one of at least 212 Muslim US Soldiers killed in Iraq while fighting the very same terrorist organizations to which you would assume they belong. They were fighting and dying for our way of life…including your right to dislike his people. You want to talk about selfless, patriotic Americans…would you give your life to protect people who dislike you without even knowing you? If you are one of those posting the hate, then the answer is no…no, you wouldn’t.

Let’s get some other facts out into the mix. I want to pose a question…Do you think you could name the three countries that have the greatest number of Muslim citizens? Without checking Google…off the top of your head?

What if I give you a hint…two of them start with the letter “I”. Think you have it now? Did you guess Iran and Iraq? Excellent! Because you would be wrong…

What you probably don’t know is that Indonesia has almost 205 million Muslim citizens. Nearly three times that of Iran…or that India is next with over 177 million…or that third place belongs to Bangladesh. In fact, India and Indonesia together have more Muslim citizens than the entire middle east and Africa combined. Some more interesting facts…China has more Muslims than Syria does…Ethiopia and Afghanistan are about equal in number. France and Germany each have over 4 million Muslim citizens…even before the refugees started coming in and Russia has over 16 million living there.

What does that have to do with anything? Well…it serves to show that you have no idea what a Muslim looks like…or where in the world they may be coming from when they come to the US. It also shows that you have no idea who you are blindly hating. They aren’t all “brown people in hijabs”…they are white, they are Asian, they are black, they are anyone…

ISIS has between 20-30 thousand followers…though some estimates say 200,000…even using that number and doing some quick math…200k/1.6B (number of Muslims in the world)=.0125 of a percent support ISIS…I don’t see how that is a statistically significant number. To put that into perspective, it is almost the same percentage as the number of Christians in the US that are members of the KKK. (.0116 of a percent). Klan members have an explicitly Christian terrorist ideology. The goals of the KKK include an intent to “re-establish Protestant Christian values in America by any means possible”, and they believe that “Jesus was the first Klansman.” So, should we tag and track all Christians and demand unconstitutional searches of their churches because some small fringe group of lunatics bastardized something from a holy book and made it their mantra? Should I assume that you are a sympathizer because you share a base religion?

Your blind hate and fear serve no purpose other than to rip apart the fabric of this country. You pull some esoteric words from an ancient Islamic tome and say, “See, this is why they are bad”. But when someone pulls words from your equally antiquated Christian book to point out your bad stuff…then your answer is, “Oh, that was written in a different time, we have a newer version now and that is much more peaceful.” Really, when did man get the OK to decide which of their god’s words they had to follow and believe and which ones they didn’t? You should look in the mirror and ask yourself what part of Jesus’ teachings include hating others.

You may not like this…and that is fine…you have that right. You are also free to hate people for no reason and to have your opinion…no matter how much any of us dislike it. However, I am equally free to call you out for promoting hate….and I am also free to attempt to have a polite discourse and show you why I believe that you are wrong.

So much spin

So, I was flipping channels the other night, looking to catch up on the news, and channel after channel were showing the same talking head sock puppets behind some podium repeating their slogans and telling their tales about why they should be president. None of them 3^rd party candidates, by the way…Then I found a reporter talking about something different…so I stopped.

She was talking about Trump’s choice of campaign stops on Long Island. She was outraged that he would choose to campaign in a town/county with a history of anti-immigrant crime, including a brutal beating murder of a random immigrant by some white teens. She was lambasting him for choosing to come to this county where all this anti-immigrant sentiment still flows freely.

I am not a Trump supporter, nor am I even a Republican, but my spin detector went nuts. I jumped from my couch, grabbed my laptop, and searched for Hillary Clinton campaign stops in New York…and what did I find? She is parked in a building less than 4 miles from Trump. She is in the very same county, talking to the very same people…yet this is not a problem? If it is wrong for Trump, why isn’t it wrong for Hillary? Oh, because Trump has an anti-immigrant stance and he is just pandering to the people who agree…and no one should agree with his opinion. Just because I may not agree with everything, doesn’t mean he and his followers are not entitled to their opinions.

So why then, was it acceptable for Hillary to campaign in the Ferguson area, where she no doubt pandered to those who agree with her and the people there committed many crimes during their riots? Does she support the rioting? Shouldn’t the media call her out on that?

Just saying, that it goes both ways and our media machine is geared to try to drive voters in a direction, instead of openly just report on the news. Be careful what you believe and maybe look a bit deeper into a story before you determine how you feel about it.

Morals v. Law

So…state after state is trying to push their morality… I mean laws, I get those confused sometimes…on the populace by protecting the “deeply held religious beliefs” of the business owners and workers of these states. All so that a few people don’t have to bear the unspeakable burden of purveying their goods to those sinful homosexuals. Why? Because they live lives of sin and therefore are to be shunned and cast out…

Really? Well, I read their book that contains these guidelines and I am pretty sure that it clearly states that all mankind are sinners if by no other reason than by virtue of original sin. Am I getting that correct? Yes…in the story, only Jesus is without sin…so shouldn’t these people stay housebound lest they cross paths with other sinners? Oh…homosexuality is specifically called out and against their beliefs so that is why only that group is called out in these laws. Hmmm… I think section 2 of the Mississippi bill should have some addenda:

What about discriminating against atheists? Shouldn’t they be kept from these stores or not allowed to marry?

Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.”

Pretty sure I know an atheist or two who have pulled off some pretty awesome deeds, but that is another rant…

I would suggest that these people also refuse service to eaters of shellfish, or people with tattoos as these are called out as specific no-no’s in their book.

Leviticus 11:10 “And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you.”

Leviticus 19:28 “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.”

Also, don’t serve anyone who carries a grudge….wait a minute, a grudge is another word for animosity or to shoulder ill-will towards someone…isn’t that EXACTLY what these people are doing themselves? Shouldn’t they serve them and not bear a grudge? Shouldn’t they welcome them and try to show them the love that Jesus requires them to show?

Leviticus 19:18 “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people.”

They shouldn’t serve, or sign marriage certificates for, divorced people because not only is called out in the vows:

Matthew 19:6 “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

It is also spelled out pretty plainly in Malachi 2:16, where he specifically states, “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” Oh yeah…and has the famous, “I hate divorce!” part as well…Which leads me to wonder how many of these “deeply religious” people are divorced or have knowingly served their divorced clients.

No braided hair, fancy clothes, or jewelry allowed in the stores because in Timothy 2:9 “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments.” How many of these deeply religious people get dressed in fancy clothes and jewelry when they head to church?

I bet that every one of those businesses would serve Donald Trump (and vote for him), even though his belief structure clearly goes against their deeply held beliefs. Leviticus 19:33-19:34 “the foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born”

Also, I hope none of them have ever lied or served a client who has ever lied: Leviticus 19:11 “Do not deceive or cheat one another.”

They probably shouldn’t read the newspaper or serve anyone who reads a newspaper since it clearly goes against the word by including your horoscope (interprets omens): “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft (Deuteronomy 18:10).

So, if these super reverent business owners have a problem with one sin, shouldn’t they have a problem with all sin? You can’t pick and choose what parts of the religion you choose to “deeply believe” and which ones don’t work well for you…right?

How about these hypocritical, pontificating, sanctimonious, holier-than-thou, ass clowns just be honest with everyone and admit that they only pick on the gay people because they need someone to bully, someone to judge, someone to attempt to place themselves above and racism isn’t acceptable any more. Their own book tells them what it thinks of this behavior:

Romans 2:1 “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.”

So they should be offended by themselves, by their own behavior, and by their actions that conclusively prove that they are no better than anyone else. The very same book of morals they quote to condemn and discriminate is the standard against which they themselves can now be judged and they fall miserably short.

Let me leave those “deeply religious” folk who would turn away another for being of a different belief by using their own book against them. Here are some verses that they must have skipped over while they were busy looking up the one that they needed to condemn the homosexual community.

Luke 6:42
“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Matthew 6:14-15
“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

Luke 6:25-37

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.”