How to fix our country in three simple steps:

The US would be a noticeably improved country if we simply taught the 3 Rs (Respect, Responsibility and Residuals) with as much zeal as we teach fear, blaming others and credit card spending.

Respect
How hard a concept is this? Respect other people's right to exist! Give others the same freedom that you feel you are entitled to. Let people make whatever life choices they want, so long as they don't try to take away your right to choice. Be reasonable and tolerate (maybe even accept) those that choose differently than you. Remember, each of us seems weird to someone else. That's what our country is all about - difference of opinion. And if you have a strong difference of opinion with your neighbor? Don't ingore the option of compromise simply out of pride. A perfect society is not one that strives for a single goal or mindset, but one that embraces as many as possible so as to diversify its ability to understand.

Responsibilty
We've totally lost sight of this, but once apon a time there was a place called America where people were actually held accountable for their actions. If you smoked and got cancer it was sad - but it was YOUR fault for being stupid enough to smoke. If you died because you didn't put a seatbelt on - it was YOUR fault for not thinking about the consequences of your actions. We are so sue-happy now that our entire economy is inflated to offset legal fees and insurance. The medical insurance crisis? Due almost entirely to litigation costs. How do we fix it? 1) Start taking responsibility for your actions. Stop looking to blame others when you make a mistake. 2) Start teaching your kids to solve their problems instead of automatically seeking intervention from an authority figure.

Residuals
This is not simply a monetary term. I use it to reference the long term result of any action. In laymen's terms: THINK! What you do today, whether eating fast food, playing basketball, teasing a coworker, or reading a book, will probably have a long-term effect. It may not be obvious at first, but if you think about it you can probably figure out what those consequences are - good and bad. It is not necessary to correctly predict the future, simply acknowledging that there IS a link between present-day actions and future effects will do a huge amount of good in your life. Think beyond today, beyond your immediate wants or needs, and your life will be better. Teach this to your children and they will make better decisions and live better lives as well.

So remember the 3 Rs when you get up tomorrow. Respect others' right to be themselves, take responsibility for your actions and encourage others to do so, and remember that choices create residuals. If the 3 Rs help your life, pass them on. If they get passed around enough, maybe we'll be able to find America again.

Why vote for a 3rd party?

Well, I was going to sit down and carefully list all my reasons, but this guy beat me to it. Since he did such a good job I figure I'd just link to his blog, happy reading: http://lestdarknessfall.blogspot.com/2004/10/2004-presidential-candidates.html

Where are the weapons of logic and reason?

I am tired of hearing the repeated blathering of brainless reporters who quip catchy soundbites instead of saying anything of substance. I'm tired of watching people I KNOW to be smart mislead by subconscious allegience to the assumption that the news relates facts (it should, after all). So I figure I should speak up, rather than bitch quietly to my friends about how screwed up the world is...

So, to all those reporters who continue to tell us "There were no weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq, I say:

1) Yes, there were. That's what Saddam killed thousands of Kurds with. The remainder of his stockpile used against the Kurds was never accounted for.

2) There were mobile manufacturing facilities, as evidenced after the recent US invasion, and proof Saddam tried to purchase WMDs on the black market.

"There is no Saddam Hussein!"
How can I say that? Well, because: Prior to the US invasion of Iraq the US had satelite evidence that he existed. The UN agreed that he existed and said it was ok for the US to remove him from power. The US invaded Iraq but after several months could not find Hussein. Therefore he doesn't exist! Oh, wait, but then the US forces DID find him, hiding in a little hole in the ground. Hmmm, anyone else see a parallel here? Don't tell me that the WMDs don't exist just because they haven't been found yet. That's a grossly illogical conclusion drawn from known, proven facts.

How do we know that he had WMDs prior to the US invasion? Because he used them on the Kurds and no one ever took the rest away! People, especially survival fanatics like Hussein, do not voluntarily get rid of useful tools. WMDs were a useful tool for Hussein. The decade-long UN inspections turned up nothing because it's not hard to hide a few hundred barrels in a country as large as Iraq. Hussein is a very patient, calculating person. That's why he was in power for so long. He knew that eventually the inspectors would go away, and they did - without finding what logic tells us must be there somewhere!

Facts: Saddam has used WMDs against others and he was known to possess WMDs prior to the most recent US invasion. To date, the US ground forces have not found WMDs in Iraq, but they DID find illegal raw materials, mobile manufacturing facilities and weapon systems capable of deliverying them. If I may use a parallel: A man, let's call him Bob (Hussein), shoots a person to death (Kurds). He is convicted of the crime and no longer allowed to own firearms (UN rulings). Later, a neighbor (satalites) thinks he sees Bob at home with a gun (WMDs), so the neighbor calls the cops (US). Bob flees and the cops enter his home, in which they find a gun (weapon system) and reciepts for the purchase of ammo, but no actual bullets (WMDs). Was there no threat? Of course there was. Bob did in fact break the conditions of the court's ruling by having the gun, with or without bullets. Bullets are easy to hide. A lack of bullets in the immediate vicinity of the gun does not diminish the ongoing threat Bob posed to his neighbors by having the gun after demonstrating his willingness to kill the innocent with it.


If you have found any of this perspective useful, please pass it on to your friends. But please respect their privacy by using BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) to input their addresses if you email in bulk.