Get The Facts

So, my new favorite website is called Politifact.com.  It is a service that operates in a few select states that tests the claims made by political candidates.  They use a scale that starts at "True" and ends at "Pants on Fire!" (As in liar, liar pants on fire...)  My favorite is the pants on fire rating.  In my mind, if a candidate gets rated pants on fire, they will never get my vote.  As I've said before, why don't you, as a political candidate, tell me what you can do, not lie about what a terrible person your opponent is.  For instance Governor Strickland recently put out a video about John Kasich where his team edited and cut a video apart to make it sound like Kasich was saying something ridiculous.  If you have to stoop to that level Mr. Governor, then you truly do not deserve to run my state.  You will not be getting my vote.

Anyways, I truly encourage everyone to check out the site and see for yourself what interesting things pop up.

We Are All People

While I am not myself gay, I have no problem with gay people.  In the same manner while I am not Muslim, I have no problem with Islamic people.  I can make this statement about any characteristic by which people are judged.  Why can't everyone share this point of view?  Why do people need to be judged because they are different?  Yea, I know, this topic is constantly just beaten to death, but I'd like to put a different spin on it.  Mostly because of the unnecessary amount of young gay people that are committing suicide because of moronic, ignorant fellow human beings.  For instance, I live in a city which, historically, has been an area where gay people in the area live (even though I don't know/notice anymore gay people here than I would normally notice in any other city).  Sometimes, when my girlfriend or I tell someone where we live, we get this sideways look as if this particular person is pondering why a straight person would live there.  And every time I want to smack the person upside the head, for a number of reasons.  1) Gay people are still PEOPLE.  2) Gay people do not have a disease, so it is acceptable to go near them.  3) I'm willing to bet the ratio of gay people to straight people in this city is maybe 1 gay person for every 30 straight people, so I am sure I am a welcome member of the community.  4) GET OVER IT!

So, here comes the different spin I referred to earlier.  If I were to say that a particular person is inferior to me because I am an engineer and they are just a sales person, or waiter, or a doctor, or a line man, would that be acceptable?  NO!  And quite far from the truth none-the-less.  So here is the deal, because someone is attracted to their same sex, they are not inferior to you!

It is Political Season

I know it has been some time since my last post, life has gotten a little busy, but it is still good.  Anyways...

It is political season again, and if you didn't know this, you must not be listening to the radio, watching TV or reading the newspaper.  Who can ignore the modern political advertisements that do nothing but bash the candidate's opponents?  I can honestly say that I cannot recall the last political advertisement that did not involve a candidate's opponent.  I need to know why I should pick YOU!  Not why I shouldn't pick the other guy or girl.  The sad thing is that I cannot blame the politicians, they are just being smart.  Who can I blame, the American people of course.  American people respond to negativity.  So why not bash the opponent.  If only we, as a society, had the attention span to read about a candidate and decide we wanted to vote for that person.  Instead we wait to hear about how the other guy/girl voted to raise taxes, then, it is all over for that candidate.  

I did, however, hear a bright spot the other day.  I was listening to an interview of a candidate on the radio.  That Candidate was Tom Ganley, who is running for Congress here in Ohio.  He said it is time to cut the budget back, a noble statement.  He said it was time to stop spending millions of dollars on out dated, or currently unneeded programs, in order to help reduce the over spending.  It gets better though, when asked what programs he would cut, he actually named a specific program!  Amazing! Politicians don't mention specifics ever!  Well he is not a politician, he is a business man.  And businessmen are what need in our political system.  Do you want to know the program he mentioned?  The National Endowment for the Arts.  I like two things about his choice.  1) While I may not want to get rid of the National Endowment for the arts, I happen to like art; I think given the current economic situation and the rising national debt, this is an example of a program that can be cut for now.  2) HE ACTUALLY HAD A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF A PROGRAM WE COULD CUT! 

We need more politicians like Tom Ganley.  Now I don't know if I would vote for him yet, I have yet to do all my homework regarding him, but I do like his style.

What do you think?  Would cutting that program be a good idea or a bad idea?  Better yet, do you also like his style?