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Welcome to 2005

Do you feel that you’ve wiped the slate year and are ready to start fresh, or are you still reeling from the fates that have befell us through out 2004? I sit here at my iBook pondering the possibilities for 2005 and know that there are many good things that are yet to come.

I think that it is healthy to be a little cynical. After all, without that dose of cynicism, how else could we objectively look at all the possibilities. And how could we become easily talked out of taking the risks in life with the help of a Cynic?

It’ll never work. Pessimism, the life blood of many a good cynic, but not the only attribute that a cynic needs.

So should I look forward or should I look backwards? Looking back, I see that 2004 was the year of Disasters. What will 2005 be? Maybe this will be the year of the Constitution, and a return to the values of Freedom and Liberty at home.

My hope for 2005 is:

• That we learn that Liberty and Security are two separate and exclusive things.
• That we work towards reduction of this nation’s debt.
• That we work as hard on humanitarian efforts the world over, as strong as we do on our war on terrorism.
• The pendulum swings back towards the middle.

Peace for 2005

You know, I’m driving around town lately, and suddenly I find myself behind some SUV that is bigger than anything driving around Iraq, to only see that it is a billboard for every ribbon that there is a cause for. I guess, when you see something like a person who as one of those special blue star flags, or gold star flags, you really know that has special meaning. (A blue star means that a son or daughter is in the war zone, and a Gold one means that they died in war.)

But we are faced with that sort of strange patriotism that is pervasive in this era of American culture. It seems that more and more we are banded together by war and fear rather than love of country and honor. Supposedly recruiting in the Army is down, and the Navy is drawing down its numbers, and they tell us that we need to be ready to fight the terrorists where ever they are hidding.

But getting back to the magnets. I think that there is a point when these things lose there meaning, and become just an eye sore. First it’s yellow ribbons, then it’s US Flag ribbons, then Black POW ribbons, then Pink breast cancer ones. I know what you’re saying, it raises awareness and money. But when they sell them at Wal-Mart or 7-11, I just don’t know if you can directly say that the cash is making to the troops, or their families.

I don’t think that the little bracelet phenom is much different. First Lance Armstrong comes out with his yellow cancer awareness bands, then everyone else seems to jump on the band wagon.

What it seems to me, is that many people are just wanting to be part of the “Cool Factor.” Look at me, i’m wearing a band or I’ve got a sticker on my car. This is supposed to put you on the “in” crowd. I teased some Republican folks because John Kerry was wearing a yellow band during his candidacy, and I told them they were wearing John Kerry 4 President arm bands.

I guess, in the end, I’m for solidarity, and I’m for patriotism, but I believe if you’re doing it for the “Cool Factor” then YOUR WRONG.

We are the music-makers,

And we are the dreamers of dreams,

Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

And sitting by desolate streams.

World-losers and world-forsakers,

Upon whom the pale moon gleams;

Yet we are the movers and shakers,

Of the world forever, it seems.

With wonderful deathless ditties

We build up the world’s great cities,

And out of a fabulous story

We fashion an empire’s glory:

One man with a dream, at pleasure,

Shall go forth and conquer a crown;

And three with a new song’s measure

Can trample an empire down.

We, in the ages lying

In the buried past of the earth,

Built Nineveh with our sighing,

And Babel itself with our mirth;

And o’erthrew them with prophesying

To the old of the new world’s worth;

For each age is a dream that is dying,

Or one that is coming to birth.

Arthur William Edgar O’Shaughnessy

I would say that I am an advocate of Civil Rights. That is to say that I support the Bill of Rights, and those principles that make up our American way of life. I suppose that the big question is how we deal with people who are not American Citizens. Be it that we won’t know the citizenship of the average joe walking down the street, it would make sense to treat everyone the same, according to our Laws and Customs. But can we differentiate between citizendry and foreign nationals? I’m not sure that we have a caveat that says, these laws only apply to those who are US Citizens. I would tend to believe that it isn’t our way… at least it hasn’t been our way for over 200 years. Even in the face of countries that we have been at war with, we have not relinquished our hold of civil rights for both ourselves and those from far away lands.

Once again, I say that we need to protect ourselves from those who would do us harm. The enemy is not within, and the more we look inward, the less chance we have of protecting ourself from the enemies out there.

It is from the a line in this “non” rythming poem…

Everyday!

30 Jan 1998

There is a funny thing that happens everyday,

It’s the thing I know, and it happens everyway.

I look around and look at my life,

I know that things can’t go on.

Things that are going on need to change,

I want to be who I am,

the person who I need to be.

I’m ready to figure out who I need to be.

Put in the effort,

Put forth the energy,

Walk that straight line to infinity!

Just to recap a few posts ago…

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

If you have had the pleasure to travel by air over the Thanksgiving weekend, then I applaud you on your willingness to undergo the most difficult adventure of the modern era… Domestic Air Travel. Recently people have been subjected to the most intrusive searches of their persons that has ever been done in the history of air travel.

While I’m not one to argue that air travel must be safe. I say look at the 4th Amendment… unreasonable search and seizures… What part does our government not understand.

I believe that the 9/11 attacks that this government wants to remind us of daily was purpitrated by mostly Saudi Arabian Citizens… aka foreign nationals… or non-US Citizens. It would be REASONABLE to search people who match the same M.O. (Modus Operandi), and it would be fair.

If we are catching Drug Smugglers and other criminals through this highly tighten net of security, maybe we have done so at a real cost, and that is the weakening of our Constitution. Using Anti-Terrorism dollars to support other law enforcement efforts would be good, if that was the purpose of the airport screening process. But we know that it isn’t the case. They are there for one singular purpose, and that is to make sure another 9/11 never happens again.

Searching my 59 year old mother will not make airplanes more safer.

Skipping the other 19 Middle Eastern Men that boarded the plane because we’ve exceeded our quota of inspections won’t make our planes safer either.

I’m confused where my rights under the 4th Amendment as a US Citizen ceased, when non US Citizens seem to be able to take advantage of our laws, when they don’t even pay (or believe) into the system that protects them.

Maybe it is profiling, but I can’t imagine needing to pat down a 55 year old woman who clearly can be observed not carrying anything, especially after they’ve emptied their pockets and been through the metal detector.

If we keep spending our time searching the common folk, we will miss the real terrorists.

If you aren’t upset on this Thanksgiving after traveling through our nation’s airports, then maybe you should be. How can we “Americans” honestly be asked to believe that they are really looking for terrorist. While we allow the real potential terrorists to pass through security, we will be patting down grandma, and your son or daughter, because for some reason everyone in America is a suspect when it comes to terrorism.

For those of you who haven’t got it, this war on Terrorism is the world against Al Qaida. But we’re not concentrating on the individuals who are members of these organizations. Rather we have made things more difficult for American’s while ignoring the fact that if you want to stop terrorist, you have to profile.

Justice may have to be blind, but that doesn’t mean that the police need to be. I’m confused what law states that visitors to the US are supposed to be afforded the same rights as citizens. Maybe we should have a separate code for visitors to the US. Obviously there are countries that should have a more “favored” status, such as the UK. But we must protect our country from enemies both foreign and domestic.

There has to be a happy medium between what the ACLU says helps to maintain the Bill of Rights, while being able to protect America.

Honestly, we need to target the same type people who did the 9/11 attacks.

This is a war between Western Civilization vs Muslim Extremists. Until we acknowledge this, we can’t win. Let’s face it, what other culture in the world is using suicide and marytdom as a positive aspect of their society.

If Senator John McCain wins the Republican nomination in 2008, what chance does a Democratic Nominee have of defeating him that year. He’s well respected, moderate, and one of a few elder statesmen known for bipartisan work. It is interesting that many in his own party tend to vilify him for some unknown reason, but maybe the problem is extremes in both parties just hate compromise.

I can’t imagine McCain running against someone like Kerry. Knowing that Kerry is unlikely to run in 2008 anyway, who are the Democrats starting to look at towards 2008 as a front runner? While we hear Hillary Clinton, I’m not so sure that she is looking at running in 2008. Is America ready to elect a woman as President?

McCain has both the advantage and disadvantage that his doesn’t have to define who he is, and what he stands for. Any up and coming Democrat has a lot of ground work to do, and that individual really needs to start now, if they are honestly considering a run in four years from now.

I guess McCain’s only real Democratic Competition is Governor Schwarzenegger.

If you are wondering, where do the Democrats go from here to define the party, I think you have to go back to basics. The link above is for the documents that founded this country. If Democrats want to redefine themselves as a Party, then the only way to do it is as the protectorates of these sacred documents.

That means that some of the “Anti-Gun” lobby, are going to have to bite the bullet so to speak, and acknowledge that we have a right to bear arms, and that it won’t be the Democrats that are looking to take those guns away.

Remind people of the actual wording of the Bill of Rights.

Here they are (An American Top Ten):

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

After we remember what was agree upon some 200+ years ago, maybe we should look at the preamble to the constitution, which IMHO should be the pledge that we say rather than some salute to a flag. And it reads:

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

And before all of this came about, Thomas Jefferson and Company wrote the rationale for our need to be a free and independent nation:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The rest of the Declaration of Independence makes for some outstanding re-reading see: Declaration of Independence

At the end of the day, the vision is clear. It is the same vision that America has been on for over 200 Years… it’s just time to focus.

In America, one of the oldest democracies of its kind, we have the unique distinction of being able to conduct elections in the manner that we just have done, and at the end of the day, get back to the business of living our lives. I heard it said that no matter what happens tomorrow, the sun will still rise, and imagine that, it did.

So what will happen now with the real issues, Iraq, and the Economy? I would imagine that we will stay the course, and pull much of our troops after the January (I hope). But if not, it can only go in the reverse, a major troop build up.

Will we have the chance to rebuild relationships with our “European Allies”? The isolation of America hasn’t been all that good for America, since we live in a global world economy. Fuel prices are a key indicator of that. We are not self sustaining, although at a great cost, we could be.

I just don’t get the Florida voter. I’m not even talking about the Presidential ticket. Take a look at how Floridians voted on the Amendments. I find myself surprised that election year after election year, the voters vote for Republican candidates, but overwhelmingly approve Democratic initiatives such as minimum wage.

You can see that issues such as Abortion for minors was an emotional vote for many. Since it doesn’t have much in the way of teeth, people left the voting booth feeling good about that.

In Florida, the lawyers and Doctors both said that the initiatives aimed at their professions would significantly curtail their business, and maybe cause some of their practices to move out of state. Voters didn’t care, and we’ll see how that goes.

In my Local area, which is about 65% Republican base, we overwhelmingly approved land preservation purchases and tax cuts to bring in business to the county.

I don’t think that political parties are a homogeneous as people believe. I think when it comes to electing people, we elect based on hot button issues, single issues. But when it comes to the issues themselves, many people find themselves far from the parties they belong to.

It’s a new day. We’ll see how things go.