Is This REALLY How Government is Supposed to Work???

Freak, unlike your analogies, you don't have to have any special skills to vote. All you have to do is be able to take 20 minutes out of your day and make it to your polling location. Nothing else is required of you.

And yes, I do believe you're more conservative than I am based on what you've written on this board. Should I think differently? Is "The Freak" simply a persona that masks your true sensitive-guy liberal feelings? I have the same beliefs on this BBS that I do in real life, I guess I just assumed everyone else did as well.

 

<b>Major and Mrs. JB</b>: You guys are just too cute ( ) for your own good. In case you haven't noticed, our government through the Second Amendment allows/approves/encourages (you pick) individual gun-ownership.

A group of citizens is trying to get the government to change the law.... I bet you knew that!

If you want to compare our US government led by the diverse likes of (in my lifetime) Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Regan, Bush, Clinton and GWB with the list of despots below and thier brutal regimes, go ahead:

Mao Tse-Tung in China
Lenin in Russia
Idi Amin in Uganda
PolPot in Cambodia
Adolph Hitler in Germany

What makes our government trustworthy is the form of government it assumes and the integrity it has demonstrated through the travails of history.

 

Um, actually she did say that -- "If you don't like any of the candidates why don't you run?" -- implies that I either have to vote for someone I don't like, or run for office (i.e. become a politician). If I don't do either of those things, I can't complain. That means I do have to be a politician, or support someone I don't like, to have an opinion.

What are you doing RM95 to combat the poor officiating in the NBA? I noticed you complaining about it the other day....hopefully you're not just b****ing without doing something to combat the lack of respectable NBA referees out there.

Well first of all, saying someone "leans more conservatively than Mrs. JB does" really isn't saying much, but how is anything "pretty clear" from what I post on here? I know for a fact that I haven't stated my position on every single issure there is on this site. Moreover, you don't know whether I would value policy over principle when choosing whom to support, or what....you don't know what my voting criteria would be, nor do you know my stance on all the issues.

 

I think it's obvious you misimplied her statements.

There are elections for NBA referees? You mean to tell me that basketball fans get to vote on who referees what games? I had no idea!!

Of course you haven't posted all your beliefs on this board. However, I think it's fair to say by what you have posted in regards to policy or principle (not many stray too far away from their principles while making policy, normally it's done by way of compromise to get things done), and your general stereotypical disgust for Hillary and Chelsea would lead some to believe that you do lean to the right a little. Unless of course, you're unlike the majority of us who actually post what we believe.

 

The reality of 9-11 is an attempt was made to decapitate our democracy and behead the United States government. Our economy and defense was attacked in such an unspeakable manner that I myself would not have even dare concoct. It is apparent that the leadership in Washington was a target. A very real threat was made to our elected officials. And with all the new information coming out another attempt is most probable. When you read and hear about people(I like parasites myself) trying to benefit in such a manner from our great liberties only to try and destroy them any reasonable person would agree that action must be taken to halt this ****. The secret agency's aren't anything new to the American person. There has always been underground speculation that there is/was a "Shadow Government" operating within the gloom of the US government. Although no one ever admitted it. So then people pay it no mind. But soon months after the September 11 it is confirmed. But now everyone wants to doubt that the people's interest is really the objective? Make no mistake the people's interest is the objective here. The shadow government, or you can enter here what you like to refer to it as for that matter, is working in the benefit of our country. All the conspiracy theories and bureaucratic jargon is counterproductive in the status quo. The function of the shadow government is basically to sustain some kind of sanity and stability if the unthinkable happens once again(God forbid) and the decapitation of the American government is successful. Im sure only at first certain unselected officials would have to be given sensitive positions within our democracy but this secrecy is meant to protect not offend the people.

PS- I know this isn't exactly the Department of Homeland Security Im in reference to but it all coincides and I feel that some people are becoming too cynical in their judgment of the government and our Chief Executive--I myself am from a poor family and have been brought up as a liberal. With that said he isn't the perfect president because I am rather disappointed with the negligence in his environmental policy. Its disturbing that our own president won't think about the future that we will leave to our children. I would like to thank all the lobbyists and special interests who work tooth and nail in the name of greed rather than to protect our earth. What would we do without you? This is my non-partisan take.

 

I don't see how having to have special skills is relevant....

You're saying I either have to vote for someone I don't like, or run for office, or I can't talk about politics. That is insane. Sure, it's not hard to vote -- but I know the candidates and their policies, and I don't want to vote for either of them. As far as state and local elections -- it's either the same situation (don't like any candidates), or I'm not informed enough about each candidate to be able to make a decision. Would you rather I just go down and punch the ballot for whomever has the coolest name? Should I vote a straight ticket? I mean come on. I have to really believe in something to vote for it (like the arena if I were in Houston) -- I'm not going to cast a vote half-heartedly or not being fully aware of all the details. That's actually a responsible position in my opinion. Yet I can't discuss politics?

Here's the deal: I usually only post when there's something I think needs to be said or hasn't been said. Like currently in the Rockets forum....what could I possibly add? Every possible situation has been discussed to death -- there's nothing more to add, no new angle to take, all scenarios exhausted. Most of the people I grew up with are on the conservative side, therefore a lot of times when I talk to them I'll take a more liberal position. On this board, however, it's just the opposite -- everyone has a liberal point of view. Which is great, really, but a lot of times there's another side that doesn't seem to ever see the light of day on most topics. The truth is there's probably 1, maybe 2 issues that I'm way to the right on, but the rest I could probably go either way.

Do I always post what I believe? Geez, I don't know....on most topics I guess. It's just not often that I come up with a real sincere-type post. I think of this as more shooting the breeze I guess.

 

Um, don't think so.

Who said you have to vote? You could have written a letter to David Stern expressing your displeasure....did you do that? Just do SOMETHING, or you're not allowed to b****, right?

That's not what I meant by policy vs. principle. I meant, do I value someone who really stands for something (principle), or someone who may take a position I agree with, but doesn't really believe it. Like I may vote for a Ralph Nader, even though I don't agree with the same things he does, because I like the way he stands up for what he believes in. You don't know which type of candidate I would prefer going by my posts here, that was my point.

As far as the Clintons, you're right, I don't like them. But it's not because they're Democrats -- for example, I don't dislike Al Gore. I like Bill Press (and miss him dearly). So there.

 

Um, I do. She gave you an example of what you could do instead of b****ing without voting. I'd bet everything I own that she doesn't think that was the only action one could take when "protesting" the lack of good candidates in our political system.

This is an entirely different case. For one thing, the NBA is a private organization. It's not up to me to decide who they hire and how they hire them. I can disagree with them, but I'm not going to tell them how to run their company.

Do I think the refs suck? Yes. Do I b****? Yes. In fact, I've even done something about it...I haven't watched nearly as much as I used to, and I'll continue to pick other sports to watch more often instead until I feel that there isn't a bias . That's the easiest thing for me to do. Now, if I paid tons of money on season tickets and the refereeing was as bad as it has been, you bet your ass I would b****. However, for the amount of time and money I have invested in the NBA, which really isn't a lot, it's not worth it.

It's different with politics. These people are elected to make decisions that will affect our lives personally. I think it's our duty to make sure that the right man for the job gets in, whether you think that right man is the lesser of two evils or not. In my opinion, you don't lose the right to b**** when you don't participate in the process, you just lose any respect I may have given your opinion.

 

Freak -- It's cool, no one says you HAVE to vote. That's the beauty of democracy. In my experience the people that don't vote are almost always the people who just don't care about politics. Since you seem to have very definite political views and opinions I just assumed, incorrectly it seems, that you would want your voice to be heard on election day. No big deal.

 

You're right, of course. There are lots of things from writing letters to congressmen all the way up to running for office. I just chose the most dramatic example for my post. Probably not a good idea anyway -- I'm not sure America is ready for a Senator Freak.

 

Thanks Hangout Girl.

There are other actions that could be taken, but I still disagree that I can't discuss politics without taking those actions. I consider politics to be entertainment. Politicians are nothing but actors anyway, and I sometimes like to talk about them just like I sometimes like to talk about other famous people. It's interesting to me in that sort of way, kinda like a soap opera.

You can definitely tell them how to run their company. The NBA wouldn't exist without its fans. They're in business to serve you, just like politicians are. You don't vote, a politician doesn't have a job. You don't go to games, the NBA is out of business. The NBA is working to get you as a fan, like a politician is working to get your vote.

I guess that's why they call you "Hangout Boy".

This could be where we differ the most -- I'd be willing to bet that the way the Houston Rockets run their organization affects your daily life more than who gets elected president. You obviously feel that politicians affect change, I don't. Change is not initiated by politicians, it's initiated by the people. Save Our Rockets man, THAT'S change. The idea that going into a booth and choosing between two guys that have basically no differences and are just going to do what's popular is going to cause major change is just something I can't agree with. The notion that your opinion somehow carries more weight because you decided to "vote for the right man to affect your life personally", and I didn't like the choices and made a choice not to choose one, is preposterous in my opinion. In a way I'm taking it more seriously by not wanting to be careless with my vote.

 

You're right. My desire to watch the NBA in the last few years has waned drastically. While I still probably watched 80% of the Rocket games, I can probably count on one hand the number of non-Rocket games I've watched this year. A lot of that is due to the fact that everytime I seem to watch a game, the refereeing is absolutely horrible. Of course, another portion of my disinterest is obviously because my team ain't doin' so hot either.

Points well made on the other stuff.

 

I knew I shouldn't have let it slip that I didn't vote.....bad, bad move. I just know I'm going to get that thrown in my face in the future.