Tea Party Idiocy

I was once in the military and I have always had opinionated family. That's a lot of political views shoved down your throat and for a long time I never questioned. The Internet era came along, and information became readily available for anyone who wanted to use it. I slowly started to lose all of my anger and hate as I read more and more about our country, and I began to wonder why there were still so many hateful and angry people in the world, despite all the information they had at their fingertips. I discovered later that they were being fed propaganda by sources like Fox news, or they had viral multimedia passed among them that was flat false and perpetuating the lies. I cannot tell you how many e-mails I had to delete from racist hatemongers over the last few years, until I finally just blocked certain people. It's hard for me to keep my mouth shut and not counter an idiotic opinion when I see one, but I am trying hard to be less confrontational. Instead, I will write about it in my blog and get it off my chest.
I will start with illegal immigrants. This is a hot button for many people. First, let me start off by saying, we were all immigrants once, unless you are an American Indian, every last one of us came over and made this country ours. Next, is this: Our founding fathers founded this country on all men having equal rights and having this country to come to to find these rights. (Nothing to do with religion or god, save for freedom FROM religious persecution). People complain 'they are taking our jobs'. First, they take the lowest of the low jobs that no Americans will step up and take because they don't pay enough. Second, if you want to complain about people taking our jobs, look to the huge corporations and rich assholes like Romney who ship jobs overseas to be outsources so they can save money. For every 'illegal immigrant' taking a job here in the states, there are 6 being shipped overseas. Yet I hear very few people voicing complaints over that, in fact the same people crying about illegal immigrants taking jobs have Romney signs in their yards. Nothing wrong with that picture. : / Next is the complaint 'They don't bother to learn our language! This is America, I don't have to press one to hear English!' There once was a time when your ancestors had to learn a new language, learn a new way of life, and America is about EQUAL rights. I am losing my hearing more and more as I age, at some point, when I go to a hospital or a government facility, I may need someone to translate sign for me. Will people sit in the waiting room and bitch that their tax dollars are being wasted on someone who clearly can't speak their English language? It's called understanding and compassion for your fellow man. Not your fellow American. Every person deserves rights, and a chance to make it in this world, especially if they aren't really hurting you. (I have never heard of anyone falling over dead because they heard someone speaking a foreign language at their wal-mart)
My next rant: People on welfare or food stamps. Ok. I understand that there are people in this world who take advantage of situations, but for every one that does, there are 5 that aren't. Did you know that our own military doesn't pay well enough to sustain a family, that many low ranking military families have to have help to make it? People who work for huge corporations like wal-mart or any minimum wage job cannot meet the cost of living demands, yet the minimum wage has not been raised in years despite this. Most people cannot say they have gone their whole lives without help from somewhere. I know starting out and even here recently, I could not have made it if not for my family, my mom and dad have been a lifesaver more than once for me and my kids. If the kid in front of me in line at the grocery store with the new baby is paying with WIC, I don't look in her cart and judge her, I am glad she is getting a little help with what she and that baby need. If I see a family with more in their cart than I have in mine paying with food stamps, it's ok. If help allows them to get something extra for their kids, and their kids don't have to do without, I do not begrudge them that, I am glad we live in a world where those kids don't have to live on mac and cheese and ramen alone. I have been there, my kids have been there and that sucks. You say your tax dollars are paying for their grand lifestyle, but how do you know their tax dollars aren't doing the same thing? How do you justify judging them without knowing their whole story? Next time you see a family like that, consider extra things, like what if one of the parents is sick? What if they can only find minimum wage jobs? Have you ever paid for daycare on a minimum wage salary and had enough leftover to pay bills too? If they have something in their cart you can't afford, consider that it is a one time splurge, a birthday or graduation or something special like that. You think because they are getting help that they should never be able to have anything extra? That is a very selfish viewpoint in my opinion. I know there are people who do take advantage of the system, I have met them, but I don't think everyone out there is taking advantage, and I don't think that every person who is getting assistance should be judged by people who have no idea about their life. Instead, be glad that our country is set up with a way to provide assistance for those in need, and be happy that you aren't one of the people who have to stand in line and be judged by others.
Taxes. I know a big deal for this 'party' is taxes, and cutting them. First, let's take a look at what taxes do and compare the US with a couple other countries. Taxes raise money for everything in our governments infrastructure. Roads, bridges, hospitals, fire stations, police, military the list goes on and on. I realize, that some of these taxes get earmarked into things that they shouldn't, and that these things need to be weeded out, but for the most part, taxes do positive things for our country. Specific taxes, like an extra tax on tobacco products. This is a two way positive. It raises money for our education system among other things, and it helps people decide to quit smoking and be a little healthier and keep people around them a little healthier too. I know that for people who smoke, they want to piss and moan about it, but Missouri has one of the LOWEST tobacco taxes in the US. If they raised it just a little, think of the extra our kids could have in school. People complain, 'but it doesn't make people stop smoking, it just puts a bigger burden on the lower classes'. Smoking is a choice, an addiction and bad habit that can be quit, they are making a choice they make, and they can choose to stop. If they don't, then paying extra into the education system will only help better our worlds future. Same with gas taxes. Foreign countries have MUCH higher gas taxes. Do you know what that gets them? A better transit system that gets used, a healthier and less obese population and less pollution, less use of limited fossil fuels as well as extra money towards infrastructure. I know our culture is spoiled, they like to get in their cars and go on a whim, but a higher tax will start training all of us to use our resources better and take less for granted, as well as making us healthier. By the time our kids are our age, biking to school or walking three blocks to the store won't be a big deal. I understand there are pitfalls to this, especially in agricultural communities, there would have to be an agriculture deferment or refund, but my point is, in the long run, think about what taxes are really doing. It is not just the government taking more of your money, it goes somewhere. We may not like where it goes, but that's why we vote. Personally, I think our military budget is out of control and no one is trying to stop that massive gushing leak. We need to invest more in our children, education, green energy, taking care of our homeless and elderly, worry about being a better nation and not the biggest kid on the schoolyard. It's not a handout or someone taking something from you for our nation to stand as one and help each other. It just takes a little less hate and a little more human understanding. <3

Atheism

I have had a few people curious about why I am an atheist. Some are nice about it, some snarky. Either way, most reasons people THINK I became an atheist are wrong. Nothing bad happened that made me lose my faith, I am not angry or rebelling. I am not following a trend. My reasons are simple. First, sound reasoning. The bible is contradictory. It was written by dozens of different men in many different languages over many different decades. No one agrees on translation and most professionals believe that most of it is allegory. Second, look further back into other religions. Almost all of the Christian religion is based on another religion when it does not copy it outright. It adapts itself into pagan rituals that already exist and then tries to claim them for it's own. (IE christmas) Religion is region based and every religion swears theirs is right. Being born into a region predetermines what religion you are going to be. Next, religion is harmful. Religion is the number one cause of death in the WORLD. For those who say it is peaceful and based on good, all I can think of are acts of terrorism in 'gods' name. And no, I do not mean the muslim religion, I mean all religions. Christianity had the crusades, burning witches and the inquisitions among a hundred other things, not to mention modern day hate and terrorism based on a few bible verses. Rights are with-held because 'the bible' says so. Next, I reason out why a religion was created in the first place. Religion not only controls people, it is a racket. Give us part of all of your wages because god wants it. Who is really dense enough to buy into that? Do people think 10% of their life income will buy their way into heaven?? Religion is tax exempt and making money hand over fist. Oh, but they help the poor! Sure, right after they build their super churches and pay for a few hookers or buy off the families of the boys the priests are molesting. Then comes the charge 'but how do you have any morals if you don't have god as a moral compass?' Hello. Is god the only thing keeping you from going on a killing spree and eating baby brains for lunch? My moral compass comes from wanting to be a good person. I don't have the threat of hell or the promise of heaven, I am good without god. If those things are the only thing keeping you in check, are you really a good person? The answer is a resounding NO. 'But what do you have to live for if you don't have god?' I have plenty to live for personally. Life is what you make it, and I wake up with a smile and a positive attitude and genuine hope to fill my kids, friends and families life with happiness. you can look at life and see everything that is wrong, and your life will suck, or you can wake up and think of every good thing you have around you and you can be happy. It's not about material things, or a pretend deity, it's about YOU. Prayer is my next gripe. 'I will pray for you'.  No thanks. Two hands put into action do more than 100 hands folded in prayer. Prayer does nothing. God did not heal that sick person, the DOCTOR did. Science did. God did not make that athlete score a touchdown, practice and genetics did that. You don't see an average Joe who has never held a football in his life walk onto a field and become a pro because he received a gift from god. You see athletes who have practiced and played and kept themselves in ideal shape. People don't magically heal from terminal disease because of divine intervention, science did that, a part of their chemical make-up. Bad things happen because 'god has his reasons'. Screw that. According to the bible, 'god' has always been sadistic and prideful and egotistical. 'I will create you with free will, but I already know how you will behave, so I will punish you forever for it'. Who creates a race that they know beforehand they are going to torture forever? Who creates a race and then kills almost every man woman and child on it? Who demands to be worshipped constantly under penalty of death and torture and then calls them self 'loving and forgiving'. And another thing. 'jesus died for your sins'. What? What does that even mean? That makes zero sense. All that serves is to give man an eternal sense of guilt and feeling like he owes 'jesus' something. So lets get this straight. this 'god' impregnated a woman while she was sleeping (RAPE), inserted himself into her, called himself 'jesus' while also existing as god. Died for mans sins and resurrected himself in a few days to head off to heaven. There's a sacrifice. Is it really a sacrifice if you die and re-spawn? I mean, it's not like you had to stay dead or anything. That's like dying for a friend in a video game. But not really. Because he 'died for our sins', which doesn't really mean anything. I mean, that wouldn't work anywhere else would it? I go into the car dealership, 'No, see, I don't have to pay off my loan because look, my brother here cut off his fingers, see? He cut them off for my car loan, so yeah, we're good, right?' What? In what world does that make sense? Yet millions of christians spout that off like a talisman, a rote answer they were brainwashed into giving (right after they drop a paycheck into the collection plate)
So you ask why I am an atheist. Common sense. Thinking for myself. Not being a complete brain-dead sheep.