I'm through begging you all to vote for Kinky. I've got to leave it to the hand of the Texan voters. I want to direct my position a bit to address ALL of my friends in the United States.
(yea yea, most of my "friends" on myspace will not even read this-bands, comedians, or people who just don't care what little ole me has to say...but this effort to get the information out to the people who may not know is not a task to be ignored.)
There are so many other issues involving the house and senate that everyone needs to be aware of before you vote tomorrow. (If you haven't already.)
There is an equation-democracy used to pride on it. When the president and his cabinet represent one party-the congress will have majority of the opposing party....thus creating a fair democracy representing both parties and the majority of our people's views. The government can't please all- but, neutrality should be a key objective. When exactly did all of this get washed down the drain? When I look at the current roster of officials in congress....it's a long, long list of republicans carrying out bush's agenda. I call this, "the Tao of absurdity."
Put the war aside for a bit, and there are still a handful of problems we face that are being ignored. I can't quite understand how we have managed to elect officials that are somehow turning back our evolutionary advancement.
Two issues I feel strongly about: women's' rights and environmental protection.
Women's' rights. What is happening here? Yes, sure we finally got the plan B pill approved, but there are already gobs of republican officials working their little brains to death trying to overturn it. Instead, these "geniuses" actually think that abstinence is the only key method in keeping our little ones from becoming tramps and pimps. Abstinence? What a joke. I was a good little girl-but I can't speak for all of my friends growing up. At the tender ages of adolescence, kids can't keep their minds off of the discovery of sex and sex-related matter. Spin the bottle, anyone? We all did. Show me yours and I'll show you mine? Yep-that too. It's a natural progression to a healthy sex life when you reach adulthood, I think. And we can all still blame that marvelous little box for sending sex related messages to the kids. It's ok-you can love your TV and blame it at the same time. You can also feel better about all the junk you watch so long as you squeeze in an educational program once in awhile.
So, back to women's' rights. are we, the women, to blame and be shunned as hussies for getting knocked up when state governments are pushing their distorted views onto the school programs that absolutely educated us in proper sex management? How can we learn that sex is better left for the mature if the sex education is removed from our lessons growing up? And if we, the women, are to blame, then that is ultimately why our rights to choose are dwindling, right? If we refuse sex at a young age by forgetting it exists, then we are responsible for what happens in adulthood and must pay for our mistakes? That seems a bit unwarranted. And even more so unjust is that the unwanted children eventually pay for those mistakes. Those mistakes that could have been prevented with proper sex education. That doesn't mean that if you teach every kid in America to put a condom on a banana, that there will never be an unwanted pregnancy. But.....wouldn't it help?
"freakanomics." go read it. It's genius. I learned that economics has a lot to teach us. One chapter illustrates the cause and effects on the legalization of abortion. The common thought is that crime is and has been increasing constantly since, say the depression age. What you don't know, thanks to media and its increasing desire to bring you the harsh, dark facts is that crime has been decreasing steadily for the last 15 or so years. Why?
There is a correlation: the legalization of abortion. When roe vs. wade was established, millions of women had the right to choose. Prior to, many of the rich and white women were able to find a discreet doctor and the lot of money to perform the "procedure," but what about the poor and minorities? The prostitutes? What happened with their unwanted pregnancies? Unwanted children. What happens to unwanted children with families on the streets or in poor neighborhoods? They turn to crime. Statistically, this is been proved true. Not that growing up in poverty turns one to a life of crime, but that a child growing up in poverty with no love in a family does not know the meaning of love and consideration. These are emotions valuable to the development of one's healthy mental state. Bottom line- the legalization of abortion absolutely led to a decrease in future criminals. no one can possible agree that abortion is a positive form of birth control, but many factors can be determined to prove that abortion should be readily available to those in need.
Hopefully, with that being said, I have broadened the minds of some who actively fight the laws of abortion. Human life is precious-yes. So why give the unwanted children a life in which can ultimately harm their well-being and their pursuit of happiness?
Environmentalism. With war the most prominent issue on the mind of the world, our environment has been put on the backburner. It's hard for me to believe that most of the officials in power right now have an immediate plan for the future of our natural world.
I invite you to take a look at a list of issues that have been brought to congress and have been dismissed for one reason or another.
Conservation Report Card:
http://actionfund.defenders.org/site/VoteCenter?page=voteList&s_Affiliate=c406_
If you did not check that out, I can sum up a few things for you.
The drilling in the artic: it was a close vote. rather than put investment into seeking other forms of energy-our congress has chosen to deplete every ounce of oil in the soils of our land, at the cost of the many forms of wildlife-many in danger of extinction. Now, they did however pass an amendment to protect against construction in one valuable forest, the Tongass. Not much when you waive the environmental laws that protect the wildlife in many other areas of our national forests. So, what is the answer? I don't have it, but I know that ignorance is not bliss at all times. I know there is funding for other sources of energy-but not as much as we need to revolutionanize our ideas on conserving the environment.
Offshore drilling:
"The House voted to lift the 25 year bi-partisan moratorium on offshore natural gas drilling and replace it with weak protections that are unlikely to protect our coasts, marine wildlife and oceans from the routine pollution associated with oil and gas drilling."
What did the politicians in the past know that our politicians do not today? And no one can tell me scientists and environmentalists did not know of the depletion of our natural resources. You can not convince me that this information was not relayed to the proper individuals. I remember it clearly in seventh grade science class: a list of our natural resources and their life expectancy clearly drawn out for a 12 year old to understand. And I understood undeniably-that plenty of these resources would time out in my lifetime.
My point of all this rambling: there is information out there to educate you, me...all of us that we need to be aware of. Forget your blasé view on politics and your carefree attitude to leave politics to the politicians. They can't do it without us- trust me.
Take an hour or two today or tonight...and try to understand what's going on out there. Try and make a difference in our congress. Educate yourself on your stands. Talk and share your knowledge. Recognize both sides and make well-informed opinions. Tomorrow is so important to America-this is THE TIME for the opportunity to attempt to make congress balanced again.