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Daily Archives: July 5th, 2012

Corruption


We usually think of thugs, hoodlums and generally thieves when we hear about corruption. What about other corrupters and corruptees? What about other types of corruption other than money changing hands? What about moral corruption and moral bankruptcy? We have in every level of public  service office holders who through their  ineptitude, lack of vision and often personal biases are as corrupt and morally bankrupt as any crass  individual or corporation covered in the news. What made us  think they were honest and upright people?, we wanted to believe in them and their campaign ads (negative or positive) held up the idea of and possibility of better government.  The ads that made the most impact seem to be the negative ones. I submit that we as voters dwell on the least favorable ideas while the important parts of the message goes  past us and later returns to haunt us. We all need to go back to the time when one had to pay attention to a persons message by way of  listening and not seeing (when we had only radio). The visuals of modern campaigning are overwhelming and often deceptive in that all that looks good now may be just fools gold later. This current presidential campaign is all about Race not the real issues. The ethnicity of the candidate should be of no importance since being an American automatically precludes that issue as we are all a mix of every known race and class of people in the world. The origins of each of us can be traced to somewhere else in the world going back to prehistory but we seem to delight in maintaining a separation based on skin color, religion and known country of birth. This is a form of corruption that is more detrimental than the others and we need to cease promoting it.

Opinion


I read an opinion offered in the 7/05/ issue of the SJ-R and while the primary comment appears to be about “Obamacare” which is really “The Affordable Healthcare Act”, I submit that the real thrust of this opinion is a get out and vote message and it should be aimed at the longtime residents of the Congress. The President can present or offer any bills for action but it is Congress that makes the final decision good or bad. It was more up to the Congress to address any issues with the proposed law to make it work instead these idiots hit the airwaves with mis information and innuendo with the same furor as the mobs who destroyed the Eastside of Springfield in the early1900’s. The message to All Americans should be change the Congress and their terms of office, then monitor their work instead of reading the comics and obituaries.

A Puzzle


The recent coverage on Chicago’s “gun buyback” programs for gift certificates was called a great success, this program removed a number firearms from the streets. This was designed to help reduce violent crimes by firearms. Unfortunately the only firearms turned in were by ordinary citizens not the real perpetrators of crime. I have included a recent  excerpt from a local Chicago newspaper.

“The violence has alarmed city leaders and law-enforcement officials, who say that up to 80 percent of the shootings and homicides are gang-related. To help combat the problem, Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy announced this week that he plans to hire 450 to 500 officers this year to maintain the department’s current strength, according to the Chicago Sun-Times”

I find it difficult to understand how gathering legally owned firearms can reduce crime. My opinion has nothing to do with any national organization but all to do with rational thinking.

What I dislike


Reading several publications on a regular basis has given me a broad view of what we are as people. Many of us have no idea of who they are. They think they are liberal but how liberal? They think they are conservative, but how conservative? They think they are somewhere between but where? This brings up the issue of what we actually believe about the economy and what we know. What we Think we  know about the Affordable Healthcare act and what we know. If we read more about these issue ourselves, we would come to the conclusion that we actually know little. The  dependence on what is aired is often short of real facts. The constant nattering of the party political faithful is often  skewed to garner the most support. Many people will vote in the upcoming Presidential election under a  veil of misinformation and the unspoken (and ignored) issue of Race. For clarity: the economy will get better at some point no matter who is in office as sure as it went south with no help from the government. The Congress we have now is as useless as the proverbial teats on a “Boar hog”. Our salvation will come when we the people control the congress instead of relying on them to do what they were elected to do. We do not need media darlings in Congress , we need serious people to do serious work. The key is term limits and revision of their benefits with pensions that mirrors the voters.