Let’s talk about ideology

Here is my generalization of the difference between progressives and conservatives: While the conservative says, “You need to do what I believe is right, period.” the progressive says, “I’m going to do what I believe is right, you do what you believe is right, and we’ll both respect the others’ decision.” In other words, conservatives believe that one standard should be used for everyone, regardless of their needs, beliefs, or circumstances. Progressives, on the other hand, believe that everyone should have the right to live their lives as they wish. While these are, again, generalizations, I believe the record (and rhetoric) prove my theory. Let’s take perhaps the most divisive issue between the two, abortion. Conservatives believe, to varying degrees, that all women should be prevented from having abortions. Progressives believe that if you’re against abortion, fine, then don’t have one, but at the same time, don't infringe on my right to do so. The Utah legislature is another shining example. Its archaic alcohol laws, and its attempts to ban gay marriage, gay clubs in high schools, and violent video games are all decisions that limit personal choice. The fact is, time marches on and attitudes change accordingly based on scientific discovery, technological advances, and what I call the maturation of acceptance. Progressives realize this and attempt to grow and modify social mores to incorporate these transformations. Conservatives, on the other hand, would prefer to drag society back to a time that, quite simply, no longer exists. And to that time of blatant and systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia - I say good riddance.

Do You Like These Odds?

This AP story appeared today on the Huffington Post. Whether you're a mathmatician or gambler those are pretty scary odds given who will be the commander-in-chief if he croaks. Please, I'm begging everyone, get out there and VOTE!

Create Your Own Protest Slogan!

Here is a list of signs seen at the recent protest against Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin when she spoke in Anchorage, Alaska. Submit your ideas for anti-Palin protest slogans and we'll add them to the list!

Bush In A Skirt
Palin: She Be Failin'
Jesus Was a Community Organizer
Palin: Thanks But No Thanks
Smearing Alaska's Good Name One Scandal @ a Time
Candidate To Nowhere
Rape Kits Should Be Free
Voted For Her Once: Never Again!
Community Organizers are the Real Patriots
Barbies for War
I Shall Not Be Pandered To
Give Palin Your Vote AND Your Draft Age Child
Sarah Palin: So Far Right She's Wrong
Coat Hangers for McCain
Sarah Palin, Undoing 150 Years of American Feminism
I Don’t Vote For Liars
Fess Up About Troopergate
Keep Your Vows Off My Body
Sarah, Please Don’t Put Me On Your Enemies List
McCain + Palin = McPain
Alaska Women for Choice
I’m Bailin’ on Palin
Pro-Woman, Anti-Palin
Polar Bear Moms Say No to Palin
Iraq War is a Fraud, Palin is a Puppet

And my personal favorite:
(Wearing a clothes hangar) This is Not a Surgical Instrument. Keep Abortion Safe and Legal.

Films to See Before You Vote...

The City Weekly is running an ad from KUED this week entitled Films to See Before You Vote. Seemingly, an impressive array of films on social issues. I'm going to try to dog practice a few nights and check some of these films out. You should do the same....

The Press Corpse

"Excuse me, can I ask you a question? Who would you rather see in the position of vice-president, literally a heartbeat away from the presidency?

A lawyer who became a senator in 1973 at the Constitutional minimum age of 30, who has been a member of the Foreign Relations Committee for 11 years and serves as current chairman, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1987 until 1995, and who has served on the following subcommittees: Antitrust Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, Human Rights and the Law, and Technology Terrorism and Homeland Security, and who spearheaded many government policies including the Violence Against Women Act, which contains a broad array of measures to combat domestic violence and provides billions of dollars in federal funds to address gender-based crimes.

-OR-

A person who served for two terms on the city council of a town of just over 9,000 people from 1992 to 1996, became mayor of the same town from 1996 to 2002, and who was then elected governor of the fourth least populated state in the U.S. two years ago."

"How dare you be so blatantly misogynistic? That question just reeks of sexism. You should be ashamed, delving into peoples' personal lives like that. You people in the media, it's all smears with you! Ugly, hateful lies!"

"Oh, you're right, I'm sorry. How could I possibly ask questions about the qualifications of someone who may one day be in charge of the most powerful nation on Earth, being a mere citizen of that nation? It won't happen again. I’m going to go crawl back in my subservient, post 9-11/pre-Iraq War hole for another four years."

On August 25, 2008 federal agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE, raided the Howard Industries transformer plant in Laurel, Mississippi. Almost 600 suspected undocumented workers (read: Latino) were separated from their white and black co-workers, and 475 were taken to a detention center 200 miles away in Jena, Louisiana (I won’t even get into the irony of that choice of destination), while a smaller group was released with electronic monitoring ankle bracelets on “humanitarian” grounds.
Aside from what I believe is a cruel and racist immigration policy, does it strike anyone else as suspicious that this raid would come at the start of the Democratic National Convention? This reeks of a Roveian plot to draw attention away from the Democrats and emphasize Republicans’ tough stance on immigration in an attempt to maintain a divided electorate. My guess is that we’ll see more of these raids before the election, especially since we’ve got detention centers to fill (a $385 million contract was awarded to Halliburton subsidary Kellogg, Brown, and Root on February 3, 2006 to build temporary immigration detention centers). Watch for this to become the gay marriage of the 2008 election, and for the fear-baited lower class (intellectually lower, that is) to fall for it and vote for McCain.

Sarah Palin, really?

Alright, since Hillary won't be president and the only consideration is gender, my vote will be for Sarah Palin. NOT! Who are the Republicans kidding? I believe that they've seriously over estimated the lenghts women will go through to get one of their own in office. I just can't imagine any Hillary supporter thinking that the abortion-opposing, creationism-teaching, political newbie Palin is a viable option. But heaven knows that American voters have shocked me twice before.