I was asked not that long ago why do I hate Donald Trump. I want to make it clear that I do not hate Donald Trump. As a matter of fact I do not hate anybody. In my personal life I make a commitment to love everybody, even those I disagree with. I will send a letter to President Obama every year. I did not vote for the man, but I respect the office. I have had people stalk me, call my work place and spread lies about me, yet I do not hate them. Often times when one is filled with hate, they tend to do awful things. Hate tends to take over a person. Often times that will lead to intolerance. Once one falls into hate, they become more close-minded. I believe that is why Donald Trump is winning now. He has tapped into the hatred of American politics. Washington DC is broken. Everybody knows it! Donald sees that and reaches people from all over the political spectrum. Donald represents an angry group of people. People who have finally had enough. It will probably be the reason Donald wins the presidency. What I am doing is trying to stay as rational as possible. I do not believe Donald is the best thing for this country. This country has been full of anger for a while, and people want a change. So they are now turning to someone who sees that and is tapping into that anger. An angry president does not make a good president. A billionaire does not make a good president. Someone with character makes a good president. Someone who is a man (or woman) of principle makes a good president. Do I have to agree with them 100% on the issues? No, but I do not think I agree with anybody on this earth 100%. I just do not see Donald as a man of character or principle. That is why I cannot vote for the guy. If he wins, then America will have spoken, and I will give him the same treatment I have given every President I have had since becoming an adult. I will pray for him. I will ask that he is given wisdom. For he will be my president.
My thoughts for the reader: Do not give into hatred. We are better than that. Love one another. We cannot continue to divide ourselves. We are polarized today because of hatred. We will not even sit down at the table together to come up with solutions. That must change! You may have wanted a leader of hope and change! You may want America to be great again! You may want a leader who can fix all our problems! Honestly, that will only happen if you start from within. You need to be filled with hope! You need to be the one to go and do something great! You need to be the one to start working on the problems. When you do that, maybe someone will take notice. Just remember it starts with you , and it starts with love.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Monday, February 22, 2016
Why Trump is a Mistake
I hear the Rickets family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $'s against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2016
I wonder if President Obama would have attended the funeral of Justice Scalia if it were held in a Mosque? Very sad that he did not go!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2016
Jeb Bush just got contact lenses and got rid of the glasses. He wants to look cool, but it's far too late. 1% in Nevada!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2016
Why does @megynkelly devote so much time on her shows to me, almost always negative? Without me her ratings would tank. Get a life Megyn!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2016
Wow, Jeb Bush, whose campaign is a total disaster, had to bring in mommy to take a slap at me. Not nice!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2016
Really dumb @CheriJacobus. Begged my people for a job. Turned her down twice and she went hostile. Major loser, zero credibility!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2016
Is this what you want out of a President? Is this someone you want as Commander-in-Chief? I will give him props for feeding into the anger of the American people. The political system is broken, and people are tired of the gridlock in DC. Understandable. But if this is the best we can do as Americans I fear we are doomed. This man acts like a spoiled rich kid. Someone gives him a negative review, and he calls them a loser or tells them to get a life. Someone with a lot of money spends money against him, and the threatens them. That is not a man who I want to run my country. He WILL NOT make America great again! He is only feeding into the anger that many people have right now. But how many people who are angry make rational decisions? I do not know many. I believe Trump has a good chance of winning on emotion. But emotion is not always rational. If Trump wins the election many who voted for him may later regret it. As for me, I will vote on principle and reason. People may tell me it is a wasted vote. That I will vote for someone that has no chance of winning. That may be, but I refuse to vote for somebody who acts childish on Social Media. I refuse to vote for somebody just because they had a reality TV show and billions of dollars. I refuse to vote for someone who threatens people just because they do not support him. That is not a man of principle! That is a man who is looking to win no matter who he burns in the process. That includes the American people.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
True Tolerance
I want you all to read the statement of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg when talking about the passing of Justice Scalia. These two were on two very opposite sides of the political spectrum:
Toward the end of the opera Scalia/Ginsburg, tenor Scalia and soprano Ginsburg sing a duet: "We are different, we are one," different in our interpretation of written texts, one in our reverence for the Constitution and the institution we serve. From our years together at the D.C. Circuit, we were best buddies. We disagreed now and then, but when I wrote for the Court and received a Scalia dissent, the opinion ultimately released was notably better than my initial circulation. Justice Scalia nailed all the weak spots-the "applesauce" and "argle bargle"-and gave me just what I needed to strengthen the majority opinion. He was a jurist of captivating brilliance and wit, with a rare talent to make even the most sober judge laugh. The press referred to his "energetic fervor," "astringent intellect," "peppery prose," "acumen," and "affability," all apt descriptions. He was eminently quotable, his pungent opinions so clearly stated that his words never slipped from the reader's grasp.
Justice Scalia once described as the peak of his days on the bench an evening at the Opera Ball when he joined two Washington National Opera tenors at the piano for a medley of songs. He called it the famous Three Tenors performance. He was, indeed, a magnificent performer. It was my great good fortune to have known him as working colleague and treasured friend.
To me this defines tolerance. We have become so polarized that we have lost the ability to love one another. Yet, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg gives a reminder of what true tolerance can be.
Toward the end of the opera Scalia/Ginsburg, tenor Scalia and soprano Ginsburg sing a duet: "We are different, we are one," different in our interpretation of written texts, one in our reverence for the Constitution and the institution we serve. From our years together at the D.C. Circuit, we were best buddies. We disagreed now and then, but when I wrote for the Court and received a Scalia dissent, the opinion ultimately released was notably better than my initial circulation. Justice Scalia nailed all the weak spots-the "applesauce" and "argle bargle"-and gave me just what I needed to strengthen the majority opinion. He was a jurist of captivating brilliance and wit, with a rare talent to make even the most sober judge laugh. The press referred to his "energetic fervor," "astringent intellect," "peppery prose," "acumen," and "affability," all apt descriptions. He was eminently quotable, his pungent opinions so clearly stated that his words never slipped from the reader's grasp.
Justice Scalia once described as the peak of his days on the bench an evening at the Opera Ball when he joined two Washington National Opera tenors at the piano for a medley of songs. He called it the famous Three Tenors performance. He was, indeed, a magnificent performer. It was my great good fortune to have known him as working colleague and treasured friend.
To me this defines tolerance. We have become so polarized that we have lost the ability to love one another. Yet, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg gives a reminder of what true tolerance can be.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
My Platform
Back in 2010 I had ambitions. One of them was to run for political office. Because of that, I had my platform ready to go. My problem is that I do not have the financial backing to run for office. So here is how I would run my campaign as a candidate.
Abortion
I do not believe in abortion, however, I do believe the Supreme Court has ruled on the issue, and unless some miracle happens the Congress cannot ban abortion, so I would not run on a platform that banned all abortions. Though I would ask that you as a person would try to meet in the middle with me. Could be make sure there was a federal ban on late-term abortions? I know there are some out there that say as a man I do not have the authority to speak on the topic, but as someone that was born at 28 weeks I disagree. If you have reached the third trimester and you have finally decided you do not want that child, please consider the option of adoption. I was born three months early. I know these babies can survive outside the womb. Now, when it comes to medical emergencies, I am not a subject matter expert, and if you had to choose between your life and the life of an unborn child I could not judge you.
Homosexual Marriage
This has changed slightly over the past year as the Supreme Court has ruled on it. Again, I believe in traditional marriage. However, I also believe all people deserve to be treated equally in the eyes of the government. Always have! I believe in equal tax laws. A government should not tax more of an inheritance because you are not legally related, nor should they keep people from visiting loved ones from the hospital because of orientation. But for those that disagree with traditional marriage. Could we agree that people have the right to hold to the traditional view of marriage without being called bigots? As a minister I cannot in good faith perform a ceremony for a couple of the same sex. I believe God has given free will, and if a court looks at you and says you have the rights of a married couple, good for you, but as a minister I still have to live according to my faith. It doesn't mean I love you any less, it just means I am living according to what I believe is right.
Illegal immigration
There is no way we deport 11 million people. Will not happen. However when I hear the word Amnesty I think of a free pass. I do not believe that is right. I do believe there should be a path to citizenship, but that also involves not being able to get social security, and tax credits right away. There has to be some kind of penalty for coming in illegally when there were so many people to go through the system legally that are still waiting. Now, one area I do believe they could quickly earn their citizenship is through military service. Serve in the military two years minimum, and you should be granted citizenship.
The Border
No way do we make the Mexican's build the fence. Now if we were to have a partnership to help build the fence that is another story. Though we do need to secure our borders. We cannot continue to allow people into our country and not know who they are. If Mexico does not want to help then we could re-allocate some of our funding to them in securing the border. Once the border is secure and paid for that money could return.
Gun Control
I believe in the right to bear arms. Though I do believe we could do a little more to enforce the laws that are on the books. I also believe if you are on a no fly list that should equate to a no gun list. Now I believe you have the right to appeal being on a no fly list, but if there is evidence you should be on that list then there is a reason to withhold the right to purchase a firearm. I also believe in a universal background check. The same standard should apply to all 50 states.
Religious Freedom
This probably does not surprise you seeing that I have said I am a pastor, but I believe in the freedom OF religion not the freedom from. I believe that the federal government should not establish a federal religion, but the observance of is not the same as establishing. If we ever get a muslim president, and he chooses to site the Koran, he has that right. I may not agree with it, but it is his right. I will not agree with him, but he can do so if he pleases. One cannot ban religious observances from happening, because that too would be an establishment of secularism which is a faith background. The issue is that we have become so divided on many issues we have decided things must go our way. We cannot have that.
In the Declaration of Independence it say we have the right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is my belief that that happiness is for the community, not the individual. If we all pursued our own desires, someone would ultimately ruin that for us. But as a community we deserve happiness, and that is only accomplished by working together.
Abortion
I do not believe in abortion, however, I do believe the Supreme Court has ruled on the issue, and unless some miracle happens the Congress cannot ban abortion, so I would not run on a platform that banned all abortions. Though I would ask that you as a person would try to meet in the middle with me. Could be make sure there was a federal ban on late-term abortions? I know there are some out there that say as a man I do not have the authority to speak on the topic, but as someone that was born at 28 weeks I disagree. If you have reached the third trimester and you have finally decided you do not want that child, please consider the option of adoption. I was born three months early. I know these babies can survive outside the womb. Now, when it comes to medical emergencies, I am not a subject matter expert, and if you had to choose between your life and the life of an unborn child I could not judge you.
Homosexual Marriage
This has changed slightly over the past year as the Supreme Court has ruled on it. Again, I believe in traditional marriage. However, I also believe all people deserve to be treated equally in the eyes of the government. Always have! I believe in equal tax laws. A government should not tax more of an inheritance because you are not legally related, nor should they keep people from visiting loved ones from the hospital because of orientation. But for those that disagree with traditional marriage. Could we agree that people have the right to hold to the traditional view of marriage without being called bigots? As a minister I cannot in good faith perform a ceremony for a couple of the same sex. I believe God has given free will, and if a court looks at you and says you have the rights of a married couple, good for you, but as a minister I still have to live according to my faith. It doesn't mean I love you any less, it just means I am living according to what I believe is right.
Illegal immigration
There is no way we deport 11 million people. Will not happen. However when I hear the word Amnesty I think of a free pass. I do not believe that is right. I do believe there should be a path to citizenship, but that also involves not being able to get social security, and tax credits right away. There has to be some kind of penalty for coming in illegally when there were so many people to go through the system legally that are still waiting. Now, one area I do believe they could quickly earn their citizenship is through military service. Serve in the military two years minimum, and you should be granted citizenship.
The Border
No way do we make the Mexican's build the fence. Now if we were to have a partnership to help build the fence that is another story. Though we do need to secure our borders. We cannot continue to allow people into our country and not know who they are. If Mexico does not want to help then we could re-allocate some of our funding to them in securing the border. Once the border is secure and paid for that money could return.
Gun Control
I believe in the right to bear arms. Though I do believe we could do a little more to enforce the laws that are on the books. I also believe if you are on a no fly list that should equate to a no gun list. Now I believe you have the right to appeal being on a no fly list, but if there is evidence you should be on that list then there is a reason to withhold the right to purchase a firearm. I also believe in a universal background check. The same standard should apply to all 50 states.
Religious Freedom
This probably does not surprise you seeing that I have said I am a pastor, but I believe in the freedom OF religion not the freedom from. I believe that the federal government should not establish a federal religion, but the observance of is not the same as establishing. If we ever get a muslim president, and he chooses to site the Koran, he has that right. I may not agree with it, but it is his right. I will not agree with him, but he can do so if he pleases. One cannot ban religious observances from happening, because that too would be an establishment of secularism which is a faith background. The issue is that we have become so divided on many issues we have decided things must go our way. We cannot have that.
In the Declaration of Independence it say we have the right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is my belief that that happiness is for the community, not the individual. If we all pursued our own desires, someone would ultimately ruin that for us. But as a community we deserve happiness, and that is only accomplished by working together.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Long Time, No Blog.
It has almost three years since I posted on this blog. While I do not expect to get readers anytime soon, I will pick up blogging. It is a new year, and I feel I have to put my opinion somewhere. I have kept a lot to myself, and while I have learned a lot in my years of growth, I feel like keeping my thoughts to myself would just make me an angry person. This way I can give my opinion, and if people don't like my view they can move on, and I can still put it out there with out confrontation.
What Politicians Really Think of You
In an election cycle we always hear about the party platform. Immigration, religious freedom, women’s rights, gay marriage, gender equality, racial equality. But over the years it remains the same thing. Very little gets done on any of these issues. Why is that? My hypothesis is that it was never about your rights as an American citizen. It is about the vote count. Each political party has chosen who they feel as a victim and in need of saving. For Democrats, they have picked women, homosexuals (only recently), illegal immigrants, African Americans. For Republicans they have picked Christians, unborn babies, people who see a government who is all too powerful. You see it all the time. Just look at the 2008 Democratic platform, and see how much they actually got done while having a majority in both the house and senate. Look again in 2004 when Republicans held both the house and Senate and the White House. Can you honestly see what all got done to better the country as a whole, or even to further their platform? I cannot. Now, I know what you are thinking. What about the supermajority? Couldn’t the lower party still filibuster? Yes, they could. However as seen when the Democrats still had a majority in the Senate, that could have been taken away. The issue was they still wanted someone to blame when they could not get things done. Harry Reid still had the Republican House of Representatives. So why do they have their platform? For the almighty vote. Minorities and Women, Democrats care more about your vote than they do your rights. Christians and men and women who believe the government has way too much power, Republicans care more about your vote than they do about government overreach. To them it is about a paycheck, and nothing more. How would you like a paycheck of $174,000 and not get much done, and have a scapegoat for not getting it done? That is what you get out of your Representatives and Senators.
What can you do about it? Wake up! Christians if you vote in Donald Trump, you are voting for the republican platform and not what is in the best interest of Christians. Women and college kids, if you vote for Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton you are voting for the platform than what is in your best interest.
The Declaration of Independence states that we have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the pursuit of happiness, it is not about individual pursuit, because if that happened nobody would be happy, because your neighbor would make you mad. It is about the happiness of the community. What is better for the whole? What I believe is better for the whole is for Americans to realize the two party system has failed us, and has only caused anger and division between our fellow citizens. Now is the time to step away from the two party system. For Americans to make sacrifices about their beliefs on what is best for them as individuals, and come together and realize what is best for America.
What can you do about it? Wake up! Christians if you vote in Donald Trump, you are voting for the republican platform and not what is in the best interest of Christians. Women and college kids, if you vote for Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton you are voting for the platform than what is in your best interest.
The Declaration of Independence states that we have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the pursuit of happiness, it is not about individual pursuit, because if that happened nobody would be happy, because your neighbor would make you mad. It is about the happiness of the community. What is better for the whole? What I believe is better for the whole is for Americans to realize the two party system has failed us, and has only caused anger and division between our fellow citizens. Now is the time to step away from the two party system. For Americans to make sacrifices about their beliefs on what is best for them as individuals, and come together and realize what is best for America.
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