Archive for December, 2015
Angry Dave
by codemonkey on Dec.03, 2015, under Dave's Rants
I know I’ve been very political lately in my posts. And, I’ve been very angry, in general, at various religious and political happenings.
I think I’ve finally figured out why, when a friend of mine used this term to describe Trump, “Hate Mongering”. The people of the US are currently filled with hate, and are entertained by media and candidates that spew the hatred. Here are some examples.
### Religion
I’m angry that so many people seem to want to put religion into the government. It reminds me of the old joke about prayer in school. Our government is not a religious entity. It is not muslim. It is not jewish. It is not buddhist. It is not hindu. And, to preserve freedom, it is not Christian either. Trying to combine religious beliefs with federal rights is what causes issues like gay marriage having to be “legalized”. And, teaching religion led to the Open Letter to Kansas School Board, which created Pastafarianism as a satirical example of why we can’t combine education and religious education.
It has also led to local governments going against the federal government when it comes to Abortion, Same Sex Marriage, etc. Now, don’t get me wrong: Religions are completely able to not recognize marriages. And, being raised Catholic, I do understand that a Catholic marriage is considered something much more special than a marriage you get at the JP. But, when views of marriage differ, why does it have to have legal consequences? While I do not want to be in a plural marriage, even though I live in Utah, I still don’t think they should be illegal. And, I also don’t see why legal benefits (insurance, estate laws, hippa laws) have to be tied to a religious view of marriage. Separation of church and state is important — and we’ve muddied our current separation.
### Bi-Partisan Hatred
I am not a Democrat. I am not a republican. I am not liberal. I am not conservative. And, that used to be ok. I could vote for whatever candidates I think would do the best job, and best model my ideals. But, now, it seems that if a Democrat poses a bill or suggestion, all of the Republicans are against it. And, if a republican poses a bill, all of the Democrats are against it. What happened to representing your constituents?
I’m not sure why, but the current parties are so polarized that we can’t possibly continue. The conservatives with the religious right have been pushing ultra right-wing Christian views too far. From supporting Kathy Davis for breaking the law, and attempting to defund Planned Parenthood for performing LEGAL procedures, to Democrats trying to raise the minimum wage over $20/hour. Though, I must admit, it was way easier to find conservative examples than liberal ones.
### Conclusion
So, why am I angry? Because I’m afraid. I’m afraid that one of the Crazy politicians will get elected. I’m afraid that I will be forced to be Christian whether I want to or not. (And, no, I don’t think it matters that I’m already Christian — I still want a choice). And, mostly, I’m pretty certain that we are heading down the same trail that caused the pilgrims, our forefathers, to come to America: Freedom. We are quickly heading toward somewhere between King James and Sharia law — and that scares the crap out of me.