Coexist
Monday, January 30, 2017
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Open Letter to My Family & Friends
Dear Family & Friends,
Negative
issues and thoughts can be difficult to cope with but the healthy way
to deal with them is to acknowledge them rather than suppress them.
Once you have acknowledged them you can set them aside and focus on
positive changes. It isn't easy but it can be done. Part of the way I
am going to re-train the way I'm thinking is going to be to express
these issues, but also acknowledge the good, or God's grace by my
beliefs, in difficult situations. It will be important as well to
acknowledge people and circumstances that I am grateful even when at
my lowest.
Today
I want to acknowledge that I am grateful for my Grandmother, Jan
Fleetwood. She has been a role model my
whole life. She has been a prime example of how to be respectful and
courteous to others. She is kind and has always been there for others
in time of need. She has been there for me when I had nowhere to turn
more times than I can count, even when I didn’t deserve it. I thank
God for everyday on this earth he gives her because she enriches and
improves the lives of anyone around her. She is a strong,
intelligent, and loving person that treats others with respect. I
have never heard or seen a hateful word from her towards anybody. She
has my love and my respect. She always will.
It
is with a heavy heart that I admit I owe her an apology. I have made
some comments and said some things online regarding politics and
other issues without properly identifying what groups I was speaking
of or being appropriately selective with my audience. My words could
have been very easily construed by those that voted for and support
our President as lumping them in with hate groups. I should not have
done this and I do not believe that she is the type of person that
could be described in the manner I described some of these other
people. I am truly sorry and regardless of who anybody votes for I do
not believe that they are bad or unintelligent people solely because
of the way they choose to vote. I enjoy the debate, but do not want
to do so at the expense of people I truly care for like my
grandmother.
I
will continue to work for what I believe, debate and discuss with
those willing to, and be passionate about my ideals and beliefs. I
wont however do it in a way that is hurtful to those that have loved
and supported me. I will choose my words carefully to be both
accurate and less divisive. I want to find common ground, and I can’t
do that if I drive others away. We are all in this together. I need
to practice what I preach and show tolerance and love for others.
Sincerely,
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
A Vote for Trump is NOT Always a Vote for Hate.
Please consider this. The KKK supported Trump. Some of our friends and family voted for Trump. That does not automatically make them in league with the KKK or supportive of the KKK. There are people of all races and many belief structures that chose to vote for Trump. Yes, a person gaining the support of hate groups and not loudly and very publicly denouncing them makes me uncomfortable, but denigrating other Trump voters over it just widens the divide. I posted some stuff that made somebody I care about very upset because it seemed to them like I was lumping all the Trump voters into these groups. I'm not. Everybody has their own reasons to vote the way the do. I will continue to verbally denounce groups like the KKK and denounce known white-nationalists because their beliefs are contrary to my values, but it isn't a personal insult to Trump voters.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Right has More Success than Left Electing Presidents that Lose the Popular Vote
It is interesting that the right has the most success at winning the presidency despite losing the popular vote. I'm guessing it is coincidence but it still makes me wonder. At any rate, I would like to see the electoral college abolished. Presidents should either be chosen by popular vote or by full vote of the House and the Senate.
- John Quincy Adams lost the popular vote in 1824 and the electoral vote. Federalist and Classical Conservative
- Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular vote in 1876. Republican, but he proclaimed himself to be a conservative Republican
- Benjamin Harrison lost the popular vote in 1888 Republican, He was known as a conservative Republican.
- George W. Bush lost the popular vote in 2000. Republican
- Donald J Trump, lost the popular vote by the largest margin in US history. Republican. Claims to be conservative. Was a registered Democrat for several years.
Sources:
Friday, January 13, 2017
Essential Oil Fad
If you are considering using essential oils for medical reasons please consider a few things first. The only real data thus far shows that they may be useful as a supportive therapy. One example would be aroma therapy for cancer. There isn't real evidence as yet that they can cure things like cancer and should not be considered as a replacement for proven medical treatments like radiation or chemotherapy. Please read the following links for more information:
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Saturday, January 7, 2017
What Did Trump Know? (And When Did He Stop Knowing It?) | The Resistance...
Yes this is biased. Yes it is over the top. The questions Keith Olbermann asks are valid though.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Trump is Clearly Not Truly a Republican.
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I encourage everyone that supports Trump and claims to be Republican to read and digest the full text of their party platform. After doing so you wont be able to call Trump a Republican and you may question your stances or wish you had supported a more moderate candidate in the primaries. I have read it. Have you?
Republican Party 2016 Platform Final Draft
'Bohemian Rhapsody' Played On A 100-Year-Old Fairground Organ | You've Never Heard Anything Like This...
This showed up in my Facebook news feed. It's awesome and I thought it would be good to share. Enjoy!
'Bohemian Rhapsody' Played On A 100-Year-Old Fairground Organ | You've Never Heard Anything Like This...
'Bohemian Rhapsody' Played On A 100-Year-Old Fairground Organ | You've Never Heard Anything Like This...
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Prominent Trump Backers Sign Letter Pushing To End Conflicts Of Interest
Prominent Trump Backers Sign Letter Pushing To End Conflicts Of Interest
I hope more republicans join in bi-partisan efforts to reign in the executive in areas of ethics and abuse of power.
Governance Hijacked by Hate Groups.
The republican party is being led by a president elect that is neither conservative nor truly a republican by virtue of his words and actions thus far. Fringe edge groups with hateful philosophies have hijacked the process and gotten who they want in power. It does not matter if Trump is officially connected with these groups or not as it does not change the reality of the situation. He is appointing people to high level positions that support the erosion of the institutions, agencies, and foundations of our democracy. This is not a conservative approach to politics or leadership. Many republicans that did not support Trump initially for the same reasons the rest of us don't have knuckled under. Some haven't, and we should work with them to protect our shared values and way of life.
19.43% of the USA supported Trump in the general election. These people should subordinate to the good of the republic, but instead they support those that would destroy it by bringing fascism to power. I will the first to laud good decisions in the best interest of all Americans if I see them, but I will not hold my breath and say just give him a chance when he is already doing things that set a terrible precedent for our nation. The reality of a representative democracy is being destroyed while the structure is preserved, at least on face. Are the rest of us going to stand idly by while it happens?
Sources for 19.43% stat:
A liberal concept from the right, doomed to fail.
A wall along the Mexican border would cost between $12 and $25 billion and it would have to cover over 2,000 miles of terrain. Think about it, that is more than the the entire budget of NASA. Real conservatives should see this for what it is. An enormous over reach of the federal government and a huge waste of tax dollars. You could build the hoover damn several times over with that money. With a federal budget deficit is $441 billion how can we stand for nonsense like this? Please contact your representatives in the house along with your senators to let them know this money can be put to better use.
Sources:
- Current US Federal Budget Deficit: Causes, Effects - The Balance
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security. U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Border in Miles. Washington, 2016
- Drew, Kate. "This is what Trump's border wall could cost US." CNBC. NBCUniversal Comcast, 9 Oct. 2015.
- Granath, Bob. "'Reach for New Heights' -- NASA Budget Unveiled for Fiscal Year 2016." NASA.gov. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Feb. 2, 2015.
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