Politics Archives - Edison Garage

Black Tuesday? Election Day, What now?

Originally written Nov. 10, 2016

Those of you who know me, probably know I am an Election nerd. I began watching the coverage as soon as the first of the East Coast polls closed. Then watched all the way though to Donald Trump’s speech. During a one hour meeting, I monitored the returns during that time as well. Once I got home, I had three webpages open on my computer. And my TV was streaming my favorite show who was covering the election returns. So, I was a little plugged into what happened on Tuesday night. Because of this, I spend way too long laying in bed thinking about how it happened, what is next, who does he pick, what does he need to do.

Election day, plus one

As I got up and started with my Wednesday, my thoughts were, how are people on each side responding. So, when I opened my Facebook, I got my answer. As you would expect, there were those who were happy and cheering for the new direction. There were also others who were angry, upset and even spewing hate. Most of these folks, I have no idea who they are, some are friends, and some are even family. One post I started to reply to was angry and posed the question, why were so many people voting for a bigot and misogynist. So, I began my answer, only to realize my answer needed a longer form, and a larger audience. So, here it is.

This was not about anything Trump did to win this election. This election was about one thing, and I believe only one thing. God and the Supreme Court. ABC said that the Evangelical Christians came out and voted in record numbers. They voted to keep a conservative SCOTUS which meant going against personal beliefs of one individual in order to insure a conservative court. They knew that if HRC were to win, that SCOTUS would turn so liberal that Religious Rights, would end, the Right to Defend yourself would end, and many other freedoms would be attacked for years to come.

Why Hillary?

So, to look at this result and say that we are a lost people because we elected a dirt bag of a man, is just missing the larger picture here. I do not want to get into another political argument, the decision has been made. First, I want to say thank you to all of you for voting. This year only about 1/3 for the people in this country did. Second, I would like to turn the question around back to those who voted for Hillary.

Why did you decided to vote for Hillary, a woman who not only promotes the work of Margret Sanger, but praises her and calls her an inspiration, as well as received the Margret Sanger Award. This is a woman who promoted the extermination of black babies. She also started Planned Parenthood, an organization who’s primary service is the dismemberment of live babies. I understand the argument, that woman should be able to choose what she does with her body, but is that baby really her body, or is it someone else body? That seems rather close to making it legal for me to say what can be done to you. But that’s a whole topic in it’s self.

What difference does it make?

She openly lied about a YouTube video claiming it was the reason for the Benghazi attack, and then never sent help to defend American Service men and women, and then lies to the face of the parents of those who were killed in those attacks. Not to mention all of the other scandals and lost emails while working as an employee of the United States of America, and you. Most all the negative things that can be said about Trump, can also be said about HRC. So, neither one of them are really all that good as individual people.

It’s YOUR choice

Each and everyone of us had to decide, and will again in the future, what are our values, and how do we get the closest results to those values? This is what the people wanted. To insure that the SCOTUS would have the best chance of retaining Religious Freedoms, and other freedoms, that the Progressives have been attacking and chipping away at for the last 100 years. And this time, they won. The way they had to do it, was by sucking it up, holding their noses. Then picking a man that wasn’t the model citizen they would have hoped for, but would give the best chance for a favorable outcome.

I totally agree with the fact that Trump is not the most appealing of candidates. That is why I just could not put my name on his line. I voted my conscience and prayed, and left it in God’s hands and we all now see the results. I now pray for our new leaders that God will continue to guide them, and help them correct the course our great country has been on. And that they will be able to repair decades long issues that have put us here. (this would be Obama, Bush 43, Clinton, and Bush 41)

So your vote didn’t win

If you didn’t like this years results, remember, when your vote was for the winner, others were in your position today. That’s the way politics go, sometimes you win, then later, someone else wins. That is how we balance ourselves. So, we should all agree to be humble winners, and gracious losers, because in our lifetimes, we all will find ourselves on both sides at different times. And if we are always fighting, how on earth will we ever come together and find a middle we both can live with. Despite, how the election came out verses how you voted, we will all keep living tomorrow.

That was Tuesday, so what now? Now we need to come together to be the country we want. And here is why this country IS great. We can discuss, disagree and still love each other and get along with each other. That is also one thing I completely and totally disagree with Trump. America has ALWAYS been great. We may not have always lived up to our greatness, but let’s decided to all come together and live out our greatness once again.

Are you with me?

Is every vote truly a vote for Hillary?

Originally written Oct. 12, 2016

“You give a vote for Hillary, if you don’t vote for Trump.” This is flawed logic. (I’m going to get in hot water with my folks for that comment, but I have to say it anyway.)

With all this talk of unendorsing Donald Trump, and the #NeverTrump crowd actually make a difference? The argument keeps coming up from long-time Republicans,

There are 5 legitimate candidates for President this year, Hillary (D), Trump (R), Johnson (Libertarian), Stein (Green), and McMullin (Write-In). So, when someone says, “Not voting for Trump, is a vote for Hillary,” why her? Why not for Jill Stein, or Gary Johnson, or Evan McMullin?

The break down

So let’s break this down. Clearly, if I vote for Hillary, that is one more vote for her and one more closer to winning, and one less for Trump. If I vote for Trump, it’s one more for Trump, and one less for Hillary. If I vote for Johnson, it’s one less vote for Trump, and one less vote cast for Hillary. But, also a vote for Hillary? What if I vote for Jill Stein? That would be one more for Stein, one less for Hillary, one less for Johnson, one less for McMullin. Would it be a vote for Trump? That is still a vote for Hillary, because it is not a vote for Trump, some say.

Maybe I need to vote for Romney. That would be even for everyone. None of the 5 would get my vote. Each of them would not only have one less vote to overcome. But they would all feel happy because I didn’t offend them by picking someone I liked better than them. And we all know how important it is to not hurt someone else’s feelings.

Where are the votes?

But seriously, this is not about anyone’s emotional feelings. This is about the leadership of our country. We are hiring the best person for the job as President of the United States of America. The person who will make decisions on how to avoid, or go to war, who will set the direction on the economy, who will set and manage (in partnership with Congress) the National Budget, who will be mine and your representative to the world. This is not a popularity contest. If it were we would actually get more votes cast (i. e. in the 2012 season of American Idol 132 Million votes were cast, in the 2012 Presidential election it was only 122 Million votes). But that’s a different story.

There are a lot of factors that go into choosing what candidate to cast a vote for. In this election we know that one of those factors is SCOTUS. And two seats that are known that will need to be filled. The economy, immigration/border security, and health care are also very important issues. All the candidates have their own take on each. So balancing the vast number issues and that no one person will agree with everyone, a set of markers needs to be set for each voter as to how they themselves will make that choice.

How do we choose?

In the past, we have had Presidents who were great public speakers, some were not great at speaking, some were great leaders, some were not, some created more damage than they fixed, others fixed more than they damaged. Some had great resumes, but failed in office. Some had only good resumes, but rose to exceed more than anyone had ever even hoped for them. This election is no different. There is a Governor, a Senator/Secretary of State, a Doctor, a Congressional Aid, and a Businessman, all backgrounds that have made it to being elected as President before. So, how do we choose?

The facts are this, we elect our President, as written in the Constitution, though a system called the Electoral College. How this works is, for the most part (some states break up the vote), each state pledges their total of votes to the candidate that wins the most votes in that state. For example, I live in Oregon which has 7 Electoral College votes. If Hillary takes the most votes in the state of Oregon, then all 7 votes go on the board for her. In the State of Oregon, those not voting for Hillary are not harming her chances of getting elected. So, voting for Johnson or McMullin, doesn’t help or harm Trump, and doesn’t help or harm Hillary.

Why even vote in a Blue State?

Why even vote for a not Hillary candidate in a state like Oregon? I see three reasons. First, to be a part of making the decision as to who leads our country, I feel it is part of our duty as Americans, even in, especially in, a losing effort.

Second, to stand up and be counted, to have your voice be heard, even if it’s just to say (in my case) I do not want a candidate like Trump. And third, to stand proud with who you are as a person, to stand up and write down (or press a software button on a screen, or however your state counts votes now) this is who I believe in, I will stand with this person, this person reflects my values and beliefs and I am proud to call this person my choice as President, even if you are only in a 1–2% group of people standing with that person.

Conclusion

Does not voting for one candidate mean you are voting for another? No. It only means you are choosing to not vote for anyone else except for the one you have actually cast a vote for. As for me, I can not vote for an immoral lier, this stance has put me in a very tough spot. But as a believer in God, I know all things are in His hands and He can make anything happen. I do not have to do mental, ethical, or moral gymnastics to be able to make my decision on who I choose to support. I only need to do what is right in my heart and in the sight of God, and he will make the rest happen.

So, my vote will not be for Hillary, and my not voting for Trump, will also not be a vote for Hillary, but I will vote, and pray. I hope you do too.

Politics Police?: An open letter to Leonardo DiCaprio

Dear Mr. DiCaprio,

First off thank you for being a great entertainer. I was not an early fan of yours, but over the years have become more interested in your work. But I am not writing to you today about your work as an entertainer, but on your comments regarding Climate Change.

I am not a supporter of Mr. Trump, and in fact, think he is an egotistical buffoon. I do agree with you that he should not be the Republican Presidential Nominee, but our reasons are completely different. And you do not have the right to say who should be the GOP’s choice for POTUS. That choice belongs to ONLY members of the Republican Party. But you already know this.

Global Warming, sorry, Climate Change

Then there is the problem of proving Global Warming, or Climate Change as it’s now being called. The “Science” may show the slightest of changes, but what I don’t understand is, “Science” also says that the earth is 4.5 billion years old. There is only 170 years of weather records, how can that truly tell you any kind of pattern? That would be like meeting a man who lived 100 years and taking 1 minute out of his life and saying this is that mans life pattern. One minute out of a 100 year life, is that how “Science” works?

Putting that theory aside for the moment, and for the sake of the argument, that it is in fact disputable truth and fact. Why would this be an automatic disqualification of holding or running for public office? Who is allowed to make this list of automatic disqualifications? Do we need to now have a discussion on what political topics people MUST agree to BEFORE running for office?

Better yet, let’s just make it easy and say that all politicians must agree that Global Warming, sorry Climate Change, is real; guns don’t kill people, people do; all drugs should be legal; the rich must pay their fair share; all stores should have only one bathroom for ALL genders; teach every kid the exact same thing; do away with all points in all games so no one gets hurt feelings when they don’t score as much as the other team; McDonald’s order takers should earn the same as a bridge engineer. That would make our voting so much easier.

Don’t break our system

Mr. DiCaprio, you know how wrong the idea is. You even know that the beauty of our system is that we are forced to debate both sides of every issue, BEFORE we decide. So, why on earth would you say something as dumb as, “…in my humble opinion, [you] should not be allowed to hold public office.” Leo, just because someone disagrees with you, does not prevent them from holding or running for public office. Maybe YOU should only allow people who believe all of what you say, to ever pay for watching one of your movies. How would you feel about a 50% pay cut? Maybe if 50% of people quit going to your movies, the studios would quit signing deals with you.

Just as you can’t exclude movie goers from seeing your movies JUST because you don’t like them, you can’t exclude anyone from holding or running for office, JUST because they have a different belief in a topic than you do. I for one, believe that Secretary Clinton should not eligible to run for President, for the sole reason of her lies about her email, and Benghazi, but those two things don’t seem to bother you. When a Republican would have been forced out of office, a Democrat has been elevated to Presidential Nominee.

I applaud your passion

Mr. DiCaprio I applaud your efforts in doing something you are passionate about, but you really should stick to acting and your causes, because you don’t seem to have respect for freedom of choice. I base that soling on the fact that you want to limit potential political candidates on an arbitrary line, that you yourself has drawn. Share you opinions, but don’t try and limit someone else’s opinion, unless you also want to through out the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And I’m guessing that is a no.

Thank you for you movies. And please don’t start trying to regulate individual thought. And Mr. DiCaprio, if you have an issue with Climate Change, you should probably take the lead in Hollywood and give up the private jets and fly commercial like the rests of us.

CK7 – Brave or Buffoon: The Colin Kaepernick Caper

Colin Kaepernick takes a knee to try and look brave, but might just look like a buffoon.

On a rather routine Friday night, in a suburb town off the Bay, a once great athlete, took to the field for the first time in nine months to begin his journey back to being the leader of his team. He sat on the bench waiting for his moment to step onto the field. The crowd was on it’s feet, his team lined up along the edge of the field, the music filled the stadium, the opposing team 160 feet across the grassy field. Many boys have dreamed of a moment like this. This is a moment straight out of the movies. And so few people ever find themselves the focal point of this kind of moment, but this cool late summer evening, was just that moment.

Several years ago my personal favorite band wrote, recorded, and made a video of a song called “Stuck in a Moment”. Yes, the U2 song. It featured a Football Kicker who missed a winning field goal to lose the game. Now he has to live with that moment for the rest of his life. Well, Colin Kaepernick, just became that kicker. Only he didn’t miss a field goal, he didn’t even lose the game. He made a choice BEFORE the game that has forever changed how people think of him.

Take a Stand

Kaepernick feels he needs to make a stand, by sitting. Sitting during the National Anthem. His personal protest is totally legal, it is even protected by the Constitution of the United States. Just because it is legal and protected, does not make it right, or correct. But that is a matter of opinion as well. The stand he is taking, is he can not respect a flag that stands for a country that oppresses black people, and people of color.

Maybe Mr. Kaepernick hasn’t seen the skin color of the top paid player on his own team (Him, at over $100 Million), maybe he hasn’t been able to see the skin color of the majority of the sports league he plays in because of the uniforms the white owners make the players wear. Maybe he hasn’t seen the skin color of the majority of athletes in the other professional sports in this country. Maybe he has forgotten who is President of these United States. And maybe, Kaepernick is just victim who has fallen for the media bias that sells their papers, magazines, websites, and commercials.

Histories Mistakes

Black man held down by White man; Brown man expelled from US by White man; Red man forced to live on Reservation by White man; Oriental men sent to prison camps by White man.

Does the United States of America have a few black eyes, (or should I not use ‘black’ and say ‘bruised’ instead) of course it does. The fact is not what things were done in the past, rather it is what is being done today. But let’s look at the past a moment, before looking at today.

Black & White

It was a group of White men who sat in a room and wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence that freed this country and opened the possibility of freedoms for all of us, and yes Mr. Kaepernick too. And it is this document that first states, “that all men are created equal.” It was a group of White men who, again, gathered in a room to write the Constitution of the United States, which gives Kaepernick and the rest of us to express ourselves how we feel fit.

It was White men who fought and died to free this country. Next, it was White men who fought and died to end slavery of black/colored people. It was a White man who stood up and gave a speech to free ALL of the slaves, regardless of their skin color. Also, it is the White man who who signed the Civil Rights Bill and gave the Black man a voice. And it was a White man who first hired, and paid, the first Black athlete. All of this happened paving the way for Mr. Kaepernick to one day sign a contract for over $100 Million to play a game that many of us play for free in our backyards.

And today?

But all of that was in the past, what is happening today. White men and Black men own companies together. Black men loan White men money, White men loan Black men money. Black men and White men play professional sports, together. Also, Black men and White men work in Washington D.C. making the laws of the country, side by side, and in every state in the Union. Black men and White men fight and protect our freedoms each and everyday, in our Countries Military. Black men and White men put on the same Blue Uniform everyday and keep our towns and cities safe. And Black men and White men put on suit and ties everyday and fill Mayor, City Council, County Commissioner, State Wide, and Governor posts in every state in the Union. Finally, a Black man holds the highest office in the country.

So I ask Mr. Kaepernick, “who is being oppressed?” Maybe I should change that and ask, Who is oppressing who? Seems to me, the White man has no issue with the Black man. You, Mr. Black man, are demanding $100 Million from the White man. Black Lives Matters is demanding the White man GIVE them their demands. And Black actors are demanding the White man give them Oscars.

Why should you, or they, get their demands? Maybe these things should just be earned. But what do I know? I’ve only had to work for my less than $100 Thousand a year living (that’s less than 1/10 of a percent of Mr. Kaepernick’s earnings). The White men (and women) who fight and die to protect Mr. Kaepernick’s freedom to earn hundreds of millions, earn less than a tenth of a percent of his earnings. Maybe Kaepernick would be open to switching salaries?

Setting the example

As for Kaepernick’s protest, it holds no water. If he truly wants to make a difference in the lives of Black people, he needs to be an example that a Black man can succeed in our country. So many of the young Black kids that are looking up to men like him, are only seeing the bad examples. How can a young man grow up to be a great man, when all he has to show the way, is thugs?

As for me, I want to look for and celebrate young people, and adults who find a way to better themselves. Who work hard to provide for themselves and family, and not rely on free handouts or make excuses. And when a now all but washed up athlete, shows the kind of immature child he truly is, as Kaepernick and Ryan Lockte, I want to find the example of just the opposite, like Russel Wilson and yes, even, Micheal Phelps. Oh wait, did I just include a Black man as a positive role model? See, even this White man promotes Black men. Maybe someday, the Black man will finally be color blind, this White man has been for years.

Colin @Kaepernick7 will you lead the way? I would gladly join you on that.