Bigots, Idiots, and Realists...

This is to the Conservatives and Liberals alike:

Some people think I am an idiot for not wanting to leave our borders open to everyone. Others think I'm an idiot for not wanting to slam them shut to everyone.

Right here I want to say something...

I am Neither liberal or conservative. Nor do I wish to be associated with either side of that hysteria. I'm an American.

What that means to you may NOT be what it means to me. I come from a military family and was for several years a military wife. I also for many years worked to oppose the war in Vietnam. Americans are people not afraid to speak their minds.

I don't try to make people who disagree with my opinions appear foolish, yet I have found that many liberals MOCK people who disagree with them, as do many conservatives.

The name-calling and this closed-mindedness is exactly WHY I reject that kind of thinking. It is WHY I refuse to buy into that bullshit. It's un-American to berate someone else's opinion. It's saying "You are not allowed to think that way!"

The thought police are alive and well in both Conservative and Liberal America!

It's American to try to persuade people to think otherwise without resorting to cheap shots like calling them bigots or idiots (the present Presidential Administration is an exception - they are idiots and totally bigoted against the poor and underpriviledged of THIS country).

If I say I agree with ANY side on ANY issue, someone is bound to call me a bigot or jerk for thinking so.

Tough shit! Calling people who disagree with you stupid or idiots only reflects on your own limitations.

I welcome all opinions. Do you? I have no real prejudice, but those who scream the loudest that I do seem to have a personal stake in this issue - so I forgive them for their closed-mindeness... to a point. At some point that thinking BECOMES the problem. It solves nothing.

What I am politically is a realist. I am not a bleeding heart. Nor am I a religious righty.

This is what I see is wrong with this entire picture - wrong with this arguement:

Too many people deny their own wrong doing. They are NEVER wrong on political issues, NOR do they take the time to dissect the other side's reasoning. They are, in a word, Close-minded.

Sorry, but for me to grant ANYONE absolution, whatever their color, religion, sexual persuasion, country of origin - or whatever - I have to believe that they took the time to seriously consider the REALITY of what is going on RIGHT NOW, not in the past, when the world - and this country - were in a different space. They have to have taken the time to consider the other side, not just deny it.

The truth is only out there if you seek it with an open mind.

Understand this, dissenters of my opinions:

We are ALL in this together, and for me to see things YOUR way you must first take the time and effort to understand what it is you are objecting to in what I believe... and WHY I believe it, because it is not, despite what you would like to believe (because that's too damn convienent) prejudice or bigotry or greed or anything other than a sense of realistic self-preservation as I SEE IT.

I refuse to give the right to others like YOU to stomp me and my beliefs into the ground. I only grant you the right to disagree and to tell me why.

Listen up! This is who I am: I am a survivor of childhood abuse, adult physical and mental abuse, cancer, poverty, divorce, sexism, and a life lived far out there on the edge - much of it spent defending women, non-whites, alternative lifestyles and the like against the very thinking that I am objecting to right now!

It's what got me to write this blog in the first place!

You liberals who judge me as a bigot, and you conservatives who "pity" me for my thinking and think that I am misguided, the same goes out to both sides... tough shit!!!

HOW can two completely opposite sides look at the same thing and see it as wrong?

Could it be that they have a hatred of balance? Do they both despise the middle?

Well, guess what? I'm a LIBRA and I strive for balance. I strive to see both sides and to bring them together in the middle.

I am also a realist who remembers the past that I do not have any intention of repeating if it is within MY power!

Here is another thing I have learned:

Permissiveness AND strictness BOTH lead to ABUSE.

Give someone an inch they want a yard. It's human nature. It's capitalist thinking. It's what the illegal immigrants want - more and more and more. Can we blame them? No!

But damn, they should do what WE do when something is wrong with our country (or what we whimps SHOULD do, rather to say...) - change it at home, not go running off to some other country looking for pity! If "they" (illegals, as opposed to legals) don't stay home and change things from within (has courage died?) then someday they can expect the good ol' USA to be tryin' do it for them, as in Iraq and Afghanastan, fucking it all up because the locals were too chickenshit to do for themselves.

If something is wrong you have to be willing to put your body on the line and offer resistance. Illegals do not enlist in the military. Yet our citizens and LEGAL alien soldiers are expected to die to protect their right to be here illegally??? That's fucked up!

Why should WE get the no-win role of Righter-Of-Wrongs (which the world seems to think of as "Bully of the World") when these countries of turmoil and poverty have perfectly good citizens who can lay their own lives on the line for what they believe in? How many ILLEGAL aliens do you know who physically protested the way things were in their home countries? Remember - being granted political asylum is different than being an illegal alien.

Face it, people - we cannot cure the world's ills, we are tired of putting our own young men and women in the line of fire for countries who later turn on us, and most of all, we cannot continue to accept millions and millions of illegal aliens year after year without it causing our own country to fall into chaos! As much as we would like to fantasize about being able to do that, it simply ain't the way the world works!!

At some point EVERYONE has to say NO, so why not let's do it now before we fall into that dreaded chaos!

Either that or maybe we should annex each and every country that sends their illegals here to suck off the declining wealth of this country.

Hell, we own Puerto Rico; why not Haiti and Mexico? Why not make them part of the USA, too? Makes as much sense to me as allowing them to annex US, and in an offhand way, ain't that exactly what's going down right now???

Canada's been sending their people here for decades to work , then they go home to spend their savings in retirement in their homeland, where they have socialized medicine. Not a bad scheme, right? Earn it here, take it there. At least they buy shit while they're living here, though. And by God, most Canadian immigrants are LEGALLY here!

What do you think illegals from Mexico are doing? They earn money here, spend very little to live, send the money they earn back to Mexico. Several Mexican illegals have personally told me this in the past year, laughing as they talked.

Them working here ain't helping this economy AT ALL, so don't you conservatives try to hand me that shit! Their income here supports their family at home until they can save enough money to come here illegally to be with their illegal immigrant families who are already here. Then the cycle repeats. Extended families. Friends of families. Friends of friends. We will soon have as many illegals who are Mexican citizens here as we do Americans. What then, oh big thinkers?

Not to mention all the other people sneaking through the porous borders. The ones I mentioned are merely those closest to our borders.

The "liberals" (just a label, not a lifestyle?) who condemn centrist thinking say people should look from the outside in. The "poor" illegals are only trying to make a living.

So why cant they get jobs at all the Outsourced factories we Americans let move to Mexico? I know plenty of people who would cut lawns in the USA if given the same grants that are awarded to non-citizens to start lawn businesses. Etc.

The global economy is upon us.

Hey Liberals, I thought you objected to the concept of a global economy and global-think corporations? Am I wrong? Yet, you are feeding it with your lax thinking. You are being manipulated by the corporations who know that you will allow cheap labor to infiltrate EVERYWHERE. They depend on you to succeed.

The "conservatives" (just a label, not a lifestyle?) say people should look at the larger picture. Yet, they miss the point. There are some of us who have no intention of allowing this world to become one big beehive with workers and drones and Queens/Kings (you get the picture? They think only the wealthy and/or powerful can lead because the power barons have proven themselves worthy of leadership as evidenced by their wealth). They are counting on the laxity of the liberals to succeed.

Here's what I say: I am ONE person. I am the center of my own circle. I can only look outward from where I stand, and I understand that everyone else is doing the same thing despite their proclamations of being able to do the opposite. You can no more walk inside MY skin than I can within yours. We can only look outside from within.

I have spent a lifetime observing and a lifetime on the front lines of the battle. I've earned the right to my own opinion. NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL ME I AM WRONG unless they have tried to understand WHERE I'm coming from.

I suggest you rid yourselves of your own prejudices before calling someone else a bigot.

What, you say?

That's right. You who call people bigots for wanting to limit immigration are prejudiced against people with opposing opinions! I oppose ILLEGAL immigration, you oppose me. What is the difference here?

I'm as poor as the next guy. I live on less than $11,000 a year for TWO people! This family includes a disabled person and a nearly disabled woman in a place where actual unemployment (as opposed to statistacal unemployment) is over 10%. I am the WORKING poor. How dare you say I should not have the opinion I have?

Because I want to limit immigration does NOT mean I am against any race or nationality. I am of mixed blood and proud of it. My friends are of all races, both sexes, all kinds of religions, and sexual proclivities. I've lived firmly on BOTH sides of the law and have considered ALL sides of all issues before I form an opinion but I am always open to being convinced otherwise.

Not so those of you who condemn others' opinions as outright wrong and call them idiots if they disagree with YOUR opinions. Clean your own house first!

I'm a free thinker. I am NOT a bleeding heart liberal or a staunch conservative. I don't have to BE you to understand you racially, religiously, or sexually.

I simply do not agree with open borders. Or the war in Iraq.

NOR do I agree with religious meddling into politics- it would seem that on the immigration front the Religious Right and the Bleeding Heart Left are one in the same. It's possible that you will both be the death of this country, and sometimes in my paranoia I think that maybe that is the goal of both sides.

Myself, I'm not so radical. I believe in the middle. I have MANY ideas, some of which I will now tell you about. They're things to consider, not necessarily to approve of or denegrate. Just ideas. From me, a woman with an opinion who is not afraid to express it. I, too, am a minority.

MY THINKING:

1. regardless of how we feel about Homeland Security, we should NOT be in Iraq, and should get the hell out as soon as we can. Unless WE are attacked, we should stay the hell home. We have enough bombs and missles to take out offenders, and that should be understood, but the trouble is, no one thinks we will use them so we have to meddle to avoid having to use them in order not to look like the bad boys "they" still think we are regardless of what we do. We should immediately rethink ALL foreign policy.

2. We are a nation of INVADERS, not just Immigrants. Lest we forget it, we are NOT the original inhabitants of this country. At some point it is only fair that we STOP this invasion so that the original inhabitants can continue to exist, and maybe - just maybe - retain some small amount of control over their destinies.

Let the native people decide if they want unchecked immigration, not all these newly self-important immigrants who only think of the needs of their own kinds. The only way to stop this insanity is to admit we do not belong here, and give rights over immigration back to the native inhabitants. A coalition of Native American Nations to control future Immigration. Now, there's a concept!!!

3. If the Laws governing LEGAL immigration are not working, it's because we are not enforcing them. We must enforce them or open our borders wide to all and anyone who wants to come here for any reason at anytime. Get a grip. See #2, above.

4. HERE is what I suggest in lieu of the Native American Coalition: We lock our borders to anyone without a LEGAL pass. We up the amount of legal passes given out to double what they are now, but ONLY with good solid reason for someone to come here, either as a tourist, student, or previously-hired worker (Note: I once considered immigrating to Canada - they have rules, too - every country does. READ about 'em!).

Anyone who overstays their visa goes home immediately if they do not take proper steps to legally extend the visa. Can't find em? Hunt them down and deport them if they are not willing to comply with the law.

5. I suggest that we cease to assist the global downtrodden for a period of 5 years. Instead we take that money and assist our own downtrodden, and do that by flowing money back into social programs, job creation here, etc. Outlaw further outsourcing. After 5 years we begin to help the rest of the world again, but only on an as-needed basis, not as a wholesale foreign policy.

6. We need to make laws limiting government official's travel to and from other countries. If other countries want our help they can come here. Instead of sending senators, congressmen and their staffs - at taxpayer's expense - we get our diplomatic staff who are already there to do some work for a change and get out to mingle with the locals with a video camera in order to assess what exactly is needed, and hold the diplomats responsible for false numbers. The diplomatic staff should also be forced to exist within a realistic budget. No more lavish parties!

7. We set a limit for resident aliens - and then divide it evenly amongst all the countries of the world. There will be no going over quota. If after 5 years certain countries fall below that quota for their country, the difference will be put into an "underrun pool" and divided amongst those who meet quota.

IN RETURN we should demand that an equal number of "resident alien" permits be given to us by those countries who are sending people here to live. That way people who do not like the way things are going here can go live in other countries until it gets better here... if they so wish. Or we can send the CIA or whomever. Just like they do.

One option here is that if a country underruns their quota, they may be able to SELL their numbers to countries who need more.

ALL immigrants must pass through a background screening to weed out common criminals and felons. All immigrants who commit a felony here should be sent back to their country of origin to serve their time, with a lifetime ban against re-entry.

8. Any president who cannot balance a budget and begin to cut deficits in the first 4 years should not be allowed to run for another 4, nor should his vice president. As well, certain domestic programs must not be allowed to suffer as a result of military budgets. For instance, Food Stamps, Energy Assistance, etc.

9. The government should set income limits for who can collect social security. If someone makes over $100,000 per year gross after retirement they should NOT be allowed to collect benefits. Married people can make $175,000. (Make a budget and live within it. Sell the mansion to someone still in the workforce. Retire to a nice cheap place in Arkansas or somewhere else - live like the rest of us do).

Medicare is something only people in need should receive. Instead of cutting funding, reform the damn medical community, starting at the source, limit lawsuits and lawsuit amounts and cap how much doctors can charge. Not quite socialized medicine, but almost. And force Insurance companies to cut profits.

10. Make non-profits non-profit! Limit their reach and their investments. Right now many people are not aware that a non-profit can MAKE tons of money - and keep it to pay those who run it liberal salaries - if they can afford to hire expensive grant-writers and public relations firms. Look at the Catholic Church. Or the Red Cross. Or any of the HUGE non-profit agencies out there.

I know. I've been on the Board of Directors of several small non-profits and have found out stuff that the larger non-profit CORPORATIONS don't want the public to know! Also, LIMIT severance packages for ALL corporate CEOs, including for-profit and not-for-profit.

Force all boards of directors of non-profits to include 20% of their voting members with family incomes under $25,000. Too many are out of touch with reality otherwise.

11. Cut the perks for retired gov't. officials. Not eliminate, but limit to a reasonable amount - let them pay for their own health insurance, too. Maybe they'll see what we're talking about.

12. Line item veto. Let them write better laws and stop sneaking shit past us.

13. Decriminalize marijuana. Use the money saved to buy the police kevlar vests.

14. Congress should set a budget for the presidency. It should be realistic. Every 12 years they may revise it. Presidential Administrations who overrun should have the amounts deducted from their own pockets. Make them personally responsible for the money spent. There should not be carte blanche for ANY branch of government.

15. The government should NOT be allowed to embark upon "fishing expeditions" into people's private lives. If you already have reason to expect wrongdoing, get a warrent, do the wiretap. To do blanket "netcasting" should be totally illegal and specifically written into the constitution so there can be no misinterpritations.

16. Bush and Cheney should BOTH be impeached for their disregard for and disrespect of 1)The law 2) The people 3) Dissent


Just so no one gets me wrong....

THE MBCBS DICTATOR