Social Media Tantrum

Mr. Rick Santorum: “I don’t want to give Black people somebody else’s money, I want them to go out and earn their own money”.

This is the kind of discussion I have been seeing on my news feed. To quote a believed friend, "Guess I should go to work today, so you can pay for that iPhone." There is a baseless, fact-less belief among Republican supporters where welfare recipient voters and their sympathizers are a reason why democrats get elected. Yes today I am talking about entitlement programs. 

Mention “welfare” and immediately people have an opinion, but it is based on their one experience or on media-driven stereotypes. Furthermore Social Security - an entitlement program, and let's face it people use "entitlement" like it's the scarlet letter - is one of the largest entitlement programs. So I wanted to look at some of the demographics of states. What I found was quite interesting.

Mississippi's total population that was black in 2010 was 38%. Mississippi led the nation in this category followed by Louisiana (33 percent), Georgia (32 percent), Maryland (31 percent), South Carolina (29 percent) and Alabama (27 percent). Census.gov

Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama are all states that have been firmly in the Republicans' electoral college for over 30 years. For example, one time in 30 years has Georgia's 16 electoral votes been counted for a Democratic presidential nominee; that was in 1992 for Clinton's first term.

In 2010, Georgia had 590,000 households, 1.4 million people on food stamps. Fourteen percent of its population on food stamps; even assuming that all 14% is black - which is ridiculous and racist - mean over half of the black population, is not on food stamps. 

Stop assuming that black people are on entitlement programs, it's not true. Stop believing that democrats want to give black people your money, it's not true. Stop throwing a tantrum. It's the only way we are going to achieve progress on welfare reform( which you apparently desperately seek), continue to build on the success of the past year of economic recovery, and re-evolve into a country that once again leads by example, helps our neighbor, and seeks to eradicate injustice wherever it appears.

Americans have spoken, we believe in the path we are on and the time for tantrums and partisan bickering has passed. You are now honored with the task to unite this nation and create moderate policies that serve the interests of all.    

The Environment is not a Punchline

Every day there is new study - I'm talking a real sample of data collected over years- which enforces that the planet's climate is changing. Whether we caused it or not isn't the issue. Whether we are going to establish policies and preventative measures to ensure the safety of our cities, natural resources, water supplies, and air is what we need to discuss now.

It is perhaps more real now with the northeastern Unites States trying to collect itself after days of heavy rain caused devastating floods. Imagine that same storm but with a sea level almost a foot higher as its normal. That is what faces the east cost according to the article cited below.

How are we going to protect the industries that thrive and operate in this region? I can tell you that joking about slowing the rise of the oceans is not something a potential commander in chief should be taking about.

Mitt Romney and his republican colleagues still are sticking to their guns (no pun intended, it is just a saying); still saying that climate change is a scientific fabrication of the environmentally minded democrats. The climate is changing. Are humans to blame? I am unsure. Do we have an obligation to protect our infrastructure and the future of the planet from rising sea levels and gross pollution of our planet? Ask a New York resident. I think that after a week without power or heat and seeing their home being destroyed by flood waters, they'd say yes we need to make a solid stand to address environmental issues.


http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/341723/description/East_Coast_faces_faster_sea_level_rise

Language that your mother wouldn't have approved of

Is it me or is Democrat the longest 4 letter word?

I can say that I do not think this is a biased opinion; I with certainty say I do not have a passionate disdain for Republicans. Yet I know so many who really, I mean really, loathe Democrats.

What alarms me most is their campaign literature is so segregating. Since my house mate is listed as independent, we've received a variety of Republican Party literature. I am not talking specific candidates, but rather mailers that say "We can stop the Democrats".

It makes me feel as though the inefficiency that they preach about is a direct response to their inability to work with Democrats.

They want voters to stop the Democrats...? Well I think they have done a fine job themselves thus far. What the American population really wants is for you all to work together so that there is a balanced approach to governing.

Most Americans are moderates, sampling ideas from both parties. Maybe it is time stop calling me a D E M O C R A T ( spelling so the children in the room don't hear the forbidden word) and start understanding that disagreeing about an issue doesn't mean we can't find middle ground.