and here's my BIGGEST concern. the BIG ONE that i referenced in my initial post in this thread.... you're seeing all this...and you're hearing people who very strongly identify themselves with Christianity supporting these things. and in your mind you're equating the two. i'm not blaming you...that's natural!! and that's why i hate, hate, hate to see a political party act as if they're cavaliers for my Lord, Jesus Christ. i can't stand it! i dont' want to see either party do it. the equation of the flag and Cross means the Cross gets associated with a lot of things which: 1. have nothing to do with it; and 2. dirty the Cross with things Christianity is NOT about. i'm hoping you'll meet more and more believers who will convince you that Jesus Christ is someone different than the image that's reflected on him by this movement. in all seriousness, my relationship with God is the most important thing to me...it's meant soooo much to me throughout my life. i just hope that you and others will be able to see through this garbage to find who he really is.
Love hurts, love scars, Love wounds, and marks, Any heart, not tough, Or strong, enough To take a lot of pain, Take a lot of pain Love is like a cloud Holds a lot of rain Love hurts, ooh ooh love hurts I’m young, I know, But even so I know a thing, or two I learned, from you I really learned a lot, Really learned a lot Love is like a flame It burns you when it’s hot Love hurts, ooh ooh love hurts Some fools think of happiness Blissfulness, togetherness Some fools fool themselves I guess They’re not foolin’ me I know it isn’t true, I know it isn’t true Love is just a lie, Made to make you blue Love hurts, ooh,ooh love hurts Ooh,ooh love hurts [guitar solo] I know it isn’t true, I know it isn’t true Love is just a lie, Made to make you blue Love hurts, ooh ooh love hurts Ooh ooh love hurts Ooh ooh...
What war(s) did Democrats specifically wage on, while Republican opposed, or participated unwillingly?
Well yes, but it is circular. People are buying into it...Christians...Americans. I have spoke with many people and some close friends that we cannot discuss religion or politics. It isn't the positions that people take that drives me crazy...its the intollerance and ignorance. I don't mind if people come to their own conclusion with thoughtfulness and research. I highly respect that even if their opinion differs from mine. Afterall, that's what makes the world go round, right? What angers me is people who feel vindicated in taking STRONG moral or political positions on issues superficially! If you talk to them, they just regurgitate the same old tired rhetoric...and they feel good about that. That drives me up a wall. I wish Americans would just stop and think a little more. If we had, I don't think we'd be at war right now because nobody would have bought into the horrible justifications we were getting then...and are still getting...from this current administration.
Wasn't it Reagan that waged the war on drugs? Politicians will jump on board of anything at the time that seems popular. The party heads set the agenda. That was Reagan.
Actually, Nixon coined the phrase "War on Drugs." Still Republican, but much earlier. As far as the Democrats go, though, the biggest expansions in the war on drugs in recent history were made by the Clinton administration and Reagan enjoyed the full support of the Democrats who controlled Congress at the time. I have also heard as many or more conservative voices come out against the War on Drugs as liberal ones. Kucinich is the only Presidential candidate (other than the Libertarians) in my lifetime who has supported scrapping this waste of money, but easily as much has been put forth by conservative icons like William F. Buckley. Both parties are equally to blame for the debacle of Prohibition II.
Republicans have successfully divided the voters on race and religion. Democrats should learn that lesson and divide the voters on religion themselves.
Democrats should outline their own Christian carve-up battleplan and get the rhetoric over with. I doubt atheist and non-Christian voters would be alienated so badly that they'll switch Republican. Maybe it'll encourage some Christian groups to become more vocal. I just want control of the Senate back... Politicians score easy points on the family issues while looking tough on law enforcement. It was probably Clinton's simplest compromise to make him appear more centered in politics. The battle of political legalization/decriminalization hinges on making the invisible benefits more tangible to the average voter. If it's a deluge of stats and numbers, the voter will be predisposed to seeing what he wants to see. Bush has reminded everyone that the public sees fear very clearly.
I won't disagree with that. It was a bandwaggon issue that seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe now after 30 years folks are realizing we need another approach other than a "war." But anyway, the war on drugs was still born from Republican ideology...and that's my point. Both parties support each other on popular ideas...but who pushed the agenda? Dems generally introduce positive agendas and Repubs generally introduce negative agendas, on social issues anyway...even back to Social Security itself. The only way Repubs support SS is if they are ripping it apart...negative! Now fiscally is perhaps different...but that isn't even relavant anymore either since the concept of a fiscal conservative seems all but dead. That's actually the reason why Dems are weak currently. Because a lot of the socially revolutionary ideas that Dems have introduced over the years have become less politically relevant. For example, Civil Rights is a mature subject now and not as relevant as it was in the 60s. The Dems need to find the next social project to champion rather than just sitting around bashing the Repubs. I say universal health care but I've yet to hear a plan and special interests I'm sure are doing everything to squash that idea.
The Dems need some sort of handy little weapon like the flag-burning amendment - popular with the majority (I guess?) - but not popular enough to actually ever get ratified (and therefore lose its potency). If I were a Democrat and all I cared about was winning - I would adopt a strict anti-illegal immigration stance. Plenty of Republicans out there who are mad as heck at GW about this. A Southern, Christian Democrat who espouses a secure border may give Karl Rove nightmares. This Democrat could balance out his or her stance with a proposal of easing the immigration process or increasing immigration quotas. That could garner some of the national security vote without (maybe) losing too much of the Hispanic base.
Nice thought but it can't really happen. That totally opposes a basic principal of the democratic ideal...help the little man with fairness and equality. They would never alienate the hispanic vote that way. If the Dems did tackle this, it would have to be a reverse attack. Like you say, allow documented immigrant workers to come/go and simplify immigration laws so average people can fill out the paperwork...but make the standards more strict. So simplied paperwork but more stringent qualifications. To passify Repubs, documented workers can continue to come. Repubs will never do anything definative about this subject either because it would jeapordize too many businesses...ie...their base.
He retracted his remarks? What a wimp. I miss Congressmen like Sam Gibbons and Bob Dornan. And heck, even Jim "Beam my toupee up" Traficant. None of those guys would retract their remarks just because people starting whining about it.
