Tag: news

A Historic Election

by rhealitycheck

I would say this election is one to remember. Not just because a black man was elected President of the United States of America but also because we now have a Democratic majority in D.C. “We” just swept the House, Senate and the Presidential bid. I know this has happened in the past but with the conservative rule of the last 8 years it seems like it was a lifetime away that America knew what being centrist was about let alone having a Democratic majority in anything. I just hope that the Democrats can do a good enough job to at least not lose the majority significantly in the next 4 years.

I have to say being in Chicago for this momentous occasion was pretty spectacular. Granted I wasn’t in Grant Park (you know Chicago is notorious for its riots for no reason and this time there were many reasons had the results gone either way) but still biking home from my friend’s apartment across town there were victory calls smattered throughout the city for Obama. There were couples on the street rejoicing and people everywhere celebrating. It was an unforgettable experience.

To be here.
Right now.
Is larger than anything that one can imagine.
It is being a part of history.
And this history cannot be rewritten. It is up to the Democrats with Obama at the helm to truly turn this country around and show us why we put our faith in them. I just hope they are up to that task.

I know that Obama wasn’t my ideal candidate but I cannot explain what a relief it is to see him as the nominee. But in the same breath I will also say that I was extremely impressed with McCain’s concession speech. That was one of the most gracious concession speeches I have ever heard and quite frankly if McCain had campaigned like that I don’t think that Obama would have had the landslide victory that he did. I may not agree with McCain but I do respect him. I respect him because as he proved in his speech he is a classy, intelligent, honest (relatively speaking, this is politics) and courageous man. In that speech I saw a glimmer of the McCain that I actually considered to be someone worth looking in to in the 2000 Republican primaries. I still say had he won the 2000 primaries or even been allowed to run in 2004 I would’ve considered him. He had far more gumption back then and as this speech proved he can really be a moving speaker.

I give a hearty “Congratulations” to Obama and I do hope to see what we can accomplish in the next 4 years. As an eternal optimist I am hoping for the best!

side note: I am officially a Rachel Maddow fan girl now… I typically don’t think of myself as a “fan girl” but I don’t mind for her, she’s worth it

Incompetence, Next Stop White House

by rhealitycheck

Now I don’t believe in doing anything party-line. In fact, this year is the first time I have ever voted a straight ticket because I believe that all parties have good candidates to offer and one should spend the time getting to know who is best for the job.

But I really have to say that I have been wary of Governor Sarah Palin from quite early in her nomination as the Vice Presidential hopeful and it has now heightened to being more than a little terrified of what might happen should we allow her into the White House. For one, her camp and the McCain camp are having issues and clearly are not communicating with each other. I mean a McCain aide even said that Palin had gone rogue over the last week or so. Now, that is not a team that works together and if our President and Vice President can’t work together what hope can we have for Congress or the Cabinet?

While that is definitely concerning I think the straw that broke the camel’s back is that Sarah Palin actually believed that the President of France would just randomly call her up at her campaign office. I mean does her office not vet their callers at all? Obviously not since you can actually watch the whole thing on youtube and read all about it in the Canadian Press.

Haven’t we had enough incompetence in the White House? Do we really need yet another misfit in a position of power? I know that being Vice President is not the same as being President but let’s face it McCain is old, if he were Obama’s age I’d say it’s not nearly as frightening – still a concern but not to the same degree. This, this is just outrageous irresponsibility on his part and utter incompetence on hers. What a pair.

Has anyone else taken a look at how Canada’s doing? I hear it’s a nice place to live…

The Importance of California’s Proposition 8

by rhealitycheck

To be honest I hadn’t really been paying too much attention to Proposition 8 in California, I guess I just viewed it as just another one of those votes that irritates me. But after reading this article in the New York Times and as a member of the queer community I feel that it is not just my right but my responsibility to speak out on this matter.

Proposition 8 matters.
It matters because it is an issue about human rights.
Civil liberties.
In fact what it is mostly about is discrimination.

Before you stop reading, hear me out.

This is not about what you believe in as a church. This is not about what your religion dictates. This is about legalities. This proposition is allowing a blending of church and state. It is about denying two people that love each other the right to visit the other one in the hospital should one of them fall ill. It is about not allowing two committed people the right to adopt a child because it would be better to have that child jump through several different dysfunctional foster homes. It is about the legal institution of marriage not the religious one. I don’t care what your religion dictates. Feel free not to have gay marriages at your church, synagogue, mosque, temple or what have you. That is your right in following with your religious beliefs. But a legal marriage license is simply a partnership between two people that affects their taxes, their property, their bank accounts, visitation rights and all other legal matters. What happens outside of the realm of the legal system really is not a concern.

What I find unacceptable is not allowing two committed people who intend to spend the rest of their lives together the right to do so legally. It is perfectly ok to allow Britney Spears to have a 24-hour marriage because she married a man yet gay couples that have spent 10, 20, 30 or any number of years together are denied that right. How is that acceptable to this society? How is it acceptable in a society that touts “liberty and justice for all”? That is not justice.

Also, I find it fascinating that many liberals are suddenly conservative when we talk about gay marriage just because of that one little word marriage. But you know what I’m not willing to budge, when you speak in legalities you apply for a license to get married not to have a civil union. If you want to oppose the term marriage then it must not hold legally for anyone. It is perfectly acceptable if everyone, regardless of whether they are marrying someone of the opposite sex or someone of the same sex, is applying for a license for a civil union. That way it would still be the same rights and the word marriage is no longer in contention. But until that can change the simple fact is that in order to be equal and fair, the equivalent would be to allow gay marriage. Creating new laws to separate the two institutions legally allows for discrimination and therefore is not acceptable, hence the need for gay “marriage”.

In fact this sort of discrimination reeks of the same sort that existed when interracial marriages were not allowed. Is this truly any different?

Again, this is not a matter of religion, it is a matter of legalities. And until we can offer all people equal rights this will be a problem for this country and, in my opinion, for the world.

In the immortal words of Catie Curtis:
Some day we’ll all be free
I can feel it, it’s our destiny
Some day, I believe
Love will make an honest world for me

I hope Californians will choose to keep that refrain true.

I Feel A Liberal Breeze

by rhealitycheck

I don’t know that I believed this would be possible after my personal nightmare actually came true and Bush was elected a second time (and actually validly that time) to the White House. But I feel a wee liberal breeze sweeping through the US. It may not be a gust, it may be a little weak but it is there.

I really think the most significant thing that George W. Bush has managed to accomplish in his time as President is to have broken so many records in so many ways. He has lead us to the greatest deficit this country has ever seen. We are getting ready to rival the Great Depression with his fantastic economic leadership. And for the kicker ladies and gentlemen, he has a 71% disapproval rating, a first since the Gallop polls began. Don’t believe me? Check here.

I don’t know that I believe that this liberal wind may necessary lead us very far or last very long but I am glad it is here for the time being. And I am glad that it appears to be breaking down all sorts of barriers, race and gender alike for qualified individuals.

Why Not a Muslim President?

by rhealitycheck

This has been a sore point for me about the Obama campaign when the rumors first began that he might be a Muslim. And I have no problem with the fact that he isn’t Muslim and has been a Christian all his life, what upsets me is the fact that he vehemently denies being Muslim instead of questioning why we seem to believe that the President of the United States of America needs to be Christian. If I recall correctly one of main reasons for people migrating from Europe to America was fleeing from religious persecution, which is why we have laws in place that separate Church and State. Surely just because our fearless leader seems to believe that everyone should be a “God fearing Christian” does not mean that holds true with the fundamental belief system of our founding fathers and the laws that this country was built on.

I cannot describe how thrilled I was to hear (well really read because I don’t have time for tv so I just read the interviews online) Colin Powell speak out on this topic. I am glad that one very distinguished political figure has finally spoken up for very blatant discrimination. We all know that this country has problems as does the rest of the world and that discrimination of every kind is out there. But to outright assume that any Muslim person in the country would be loyal to terrorists as opposed to the US is just ignorant. It is choosing to be a bigot instead of actually considering the person’s history and merits and deciding from there where their loyalties lie.
I was also pleased to see that one of my favourite columnists Maureen Dowd actually wrote a piece on this today. What I thought was even better was that it was not her typical sarcastic snarky style that I hold so dear but it was actually something rather thoughtful that brings out the humanity of the situation. Colin Powell did not go into those details in his interview but I think it is important to remember that we have Americans that were born and raised here who happen to be of the Islamic faith. They are Muslim, they are American and they should be allowed to be proud to be both. Isn’t that what makes America unique, being able to believe in something different from your neighbor yet still being an American and still being part of a great nation? I fear that if something so small as your religious beliefs can make it impossible for you to dare to dream of being president we are losing an integral part of what makes America great. I would hope that we can do better.

The Ever Present Obsession with Losing Weight in America

by rhealitycheck

Imagine my distress as I am reading this morning in the paper about a new method of stapling your stomach where the surgery does not require cutting. I am quite serious and this appears to be quite real and if you’d like to read the article you should click here. I have always found it distressing when women (or men) want to get surgery in order to lose weight. Perhaps I am wrong but I just feel that the healthy way to do it is through diet and exercise. And I do realize that everyone’s body is different and it can be more difficult for some than it is for others which can be disheartening but I also think that it is our own responsibility to take care of our bodies. You cannot just allow yourself to balloon out and then expect a surgery to fix it.

Now I am no exception to the rule, I have my own set of insecurities about my own weight as do most women that I’ve met in the US. (Quite frankly many women from other parts of the world seem to have a healthier view of their bodies, perhaps not leaps and bounds healthier but it’s not quite as hyped up as it is here in the states, at least when I base this on my friends circle.) And I know that in recent years I have really let go and I really need to kick it up a notch but I am not going to let my hectic schedule talk me into a surgery that could possibly be damaging to my health. I mean how much do we know about “shrinking” your stomach. Somehow that just strikes me as a bad idea that could lead to all sorts of negative side effects and serious complications should you not be able to comply with your dietary restrictions.

It’s funny because I don’t think Americans have *always* been obsessed with being slender. I look back at the time of Marilyn Monroe and in those days having curves was sexy. In fact, that was the typical image of a model, it wasn’t those stick thin coat hangars that we call models these days. My theory (and I could certainly be wrong) is that this all changed when Audrey Hepburn came on the scene. No actress/model/famous woman had ever made it so glamorous or “cool” to be thin as she did. I mean let’s face it Audrey Hepburn is still an icon of class and beauty that is unparalleled. (I may be biased, I am also a little in love with her). But it saddens me to think that my most favourite icon of all time could have been partially responsible for this drastic shift in what is a beautiful body. I mean before her time women were supposed to have hourglass figures, which I will admit can also be a bit unrealistic but I think it gives a little more room for imperfection than the coat hangar look.

Don’t get me wrong I love Audrey Hepburn and I think that thin women without an hourglass shape can be beautiful too I just think it has lead to an obsession with losing weight and being thin. It would be great if we could get rid of the stigma of not being stick thin but also maintain an idea of what healthy is so that this country wouldn’t have such a problem with obesity. I believe there is a happy medium and somehow I think that we should be able to attain it.

A Rift Amongst the Republicans

by rhealitycheck

I was wondering if this would ever happen since I (and some talking heads that I listen to) have noticed that the Republican party has become considerably more “right” than it was in the past. And when I say in the past I don’t even mean that long ago, just 8 years ago the Republican party wasn’t quite as into the Christian right propaganda as it is today. Obviously it has been more on the right side of the political landscape but there are several Republicans in history that have made some marked “left” moves if you look at today’s political landscape. Although at the time they were still staunchly “right”.

I think Colin Powell’s announcement to support Barack Obama is a mark of the times and just how much the Republican agenda has changed and how it is leaving it’s moderate base behind. Some are too politically uneducated to follow along and therefore blindly vote as the party tells them to but those that choose to pay attention and be involved are becoming increasingly dissatisfied. I just wonder what this means for the Republican party as a whole. Personally I would imagine that with such a wide rift there has to be some happy medium for there not to be a break in the party and then we might be headed towards a completely different landscape that will break from our dominant two party system that we have had… well if I remember my US history correctly since the founding of this nation. Now that would be interesting

Why Not Try To Balance The Budget…

by rhealitycheck

instead of making false promises? Like our two candidates currently are. I mean don’t get me wrong, I like some of the things being proposed like putting more money into education but I think that we also have to look at the bigger picture. Our entire economy is struggling. Severely. I simply cannot respect candidates who cannot prioritize which programs may not make it with a modified budget. I mean $700 billion just went to bail out our banks. If that isn’t significantly increasing our deficit I don’t know what is. Not to mention the pointless wars that we’ve been funding for the vanity of an under-educated over-funded egotistical maniac who cannot admit when he is wrong. Unfortunately for us he is also happens to be President of the United States and therefore we are not allowed to question him (now whatever happened to that wonderful first amendment giving us the right to free speech? Silly me, I forgot the Patriot Act, drawn up by his “servants”, severely limits those rights). But I digress, this is supposed to about the two men who are trying to replace the current misplaced ninny.

What really gets me is that neither one of them can let go of all the promises they are making. Typical politicians we would rather lie and stretch the budget into something unbearable rather than admit that some things are simply not possible and that we need to prioritize.

If it were me, and I were in Obama’s shoes, I would say, I’m sorry everyone, I think education is extremely important it *is* our future but if our children cannot be healthy, they cannot think. If their parents cannot afford to give them nourishment, their brains will suffer. If our country goes into a recession and children drop out to help their families pay the bills, pouring all the money in the world into our education system is not going to fix that. We need to start with basics. We cannot cut social security and I am not sure we can add to it, which would be the ideal but let’s just leave it as is for now until we get a better idea of budget. We can pull in the purse strings around the war and we will. We will be bringing our troops home and start focusing on more internal problems. And yes, I will raises taxes on the upper class because our middle class is struggling not to mention the lower class that I’m not even sure is barely making it. We need to start taking responsibility for ourselves at home, right here, right now. This is the time to act, this is the time to make a change for the better. This economic crisis is just the wake up call that should tell Americans that greed is not the answer, that we must work for the benefit of the whole in order to stand up as a successful society. Now is not the time to let the wealthy just waltz off into the sunset with their offshore accounts and avoiding taxes. Taxes are what afford us the first-world lifestyle we are accustomed to and it is not solely the responsibility of the middle and lower-classes to have to pay it because the upper classes have the benefit of loop holes.

If I were McCain, I would say, I’m sorry my friends, I know that I call all you corporations my base but unfortunately we are in an economic crisis and I cannot give you tax cuts. Do you want to know why? I’ll tell you why, those taxes just bailed your irresponsible, greedy selves out of poverty. So you will have to live with taxes for a few more years, if for nothing else than to give back what we have given to save you.

Well ok, so the pseudo McCain compromises are pretty easy for me because I don’t believe in tax cuts for the rich. But the pseudo Obama compromises are actually quite difficult for me to think of because I was a teacher and I hugely value education. And I believe that we should have nationalized health care. There are a lot of things that I think are important that should have more funding, such as medicare and the aforementioned education and health care but I also think that in hard times you have to make hard decisions. And so I leave you with the thought, if you were the candidates what promises would you make compromises on?

Is It Really “No” Child Left Behind?

by rhealitycheck

Because really, I think it seems more and more like every child has been left behind as we keep letting this ineffective measure remain in place.

This morning as I was riding the train to work I was expecting the financial markets to still be all over the headlines of my paper and sure enough they were but hidden away at the bottom right of the front page there was something else that caught my attention. There was a piece titled Under ‘No Child’ Law, Even Solid Schools Falter. Now having been a public school teacher, education still holds a special place in my heart (I just don’t have the patience to be able to deal with public school administration to continue in the system).

So the title of this act is just phenomenal propaganda but it doesn’t actually address any of this issues plaguing our public schools such as the budgets continually being cut. (Unless of course you are fortunate and live in a wealthy neighborhood where parents will rally and raise money for the local schools themselves out of their own pockets). But really the only thing this act has done is require more testing in the schools. Personally I don’t think that standardized tests are always a great measure of what people know. I happen to test well and yes they do reflect that on some level I am smart but I have friends who are just as smart as I am and who generally perform better in class than I do who test horribly. In fact when these standardized tests are so heavily weighted because of funding there is a lot of pressure to teach to the test from the administration (and no I’m not making this up, I actually worked in a school and was told to teach to the test). When you teach to the test you miss a lot of material that is just as important but because it’s not on the test teachers will just skip it. Especially new teachers who are being pressured. I mean these could be very innovative inspirational teachers yet they are being given instructions to expect the worst from their students and often times given nearly impossible goals. Not to mention students lose from these measures too. It is much more important to instill some joy in learning, what joy is there when you are constantly under pressure to pass a test. These days they even have exams in grade school, which I know did not exist when I was growing up (thankfully). I think it is absolutely ludicrous to think that some exam will miraculously mean that suddenly American public schools will perform better. Also how on earth do you call it no child left behind when every single state has a different standard. You cannot make unreasonable federal regulations when you choose not to help out the states. That is irresponsible and unjust. I dearly hope that whoever wins this next election will reconsider the state of the nations educational systems and try to create a system that may be a little less dysfunctional instead of continuing to make demands of the school system without giving them any support.

On a bright note I am supremely proud of Chicago for approving a gay friendly school for teens that are at risk of dropping out due to harassment.

Alan Greenspan & the Credit Crisis

by rhealitycheck

So I was just reading this article yesterday on the way to work and I was really surprised by what I was reading. Granted for the better half Greenspan’s term as head of the Fed I was still a kid and had a shady understanding of politics let alone how the economy was run. Now, that I’ve grown up I do like to try to understand economics a little bit but I’ll certainly admit that my understanding is still rather foggy.

What troubles me about this article and the way the economy has been going is that it seems that we have completely forgotten about why there were so many regulations on banks in the first place. I know that we have new financial instruments and that in theory the market will regulate itself and so we do not need to have regulations in place. But it seems to me that this follows the same path as much of Marxist philosophy.

Should we believe the best in people then communism/socialism would work beautifully because everyone would be living equally and all contributing to society. Now in real life, that is not the case. For one, many people believe that they deserve a bigger piece of the proverbial pie than everyone else, which is why capitalism exists. For two, there are people who are leeches on society who choose not to work (yes, they actually choose not to work… trust me I didn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes). So while I am a big proponent of socialism, I just do not think it is possible implement well in a pure sense. Therefore we have to work around human nature.

In the same sense the financial markets should regulate themselves and should those people working in the financial markets never take higher than necessary risks or advertise falsely then we’d be great. Essentially if we could eliminate greed then it’d be perfect. But let’s face it, why do most people work on Wall St, I assure you it is not because they are do-gooders and think economics is fascinating, I would hazard a guess that even the most philanthropic Wall Streeters have at least a small greedy streak. If you truly loved the theory of economics I doubt you’d be on Wall St, you’d much more likely be a professor teaching and researching the theories.

That being said, I find it flabbergasting that Greenspan can still support essentially complete deregulation of the financial markets. Especially with financial instruments such as derivatives now being seen as rather controversial as far as deregulation goes. I mean just looking back at history regulations were put in place so that we could avoid the financial catastrophe that is occurring now. I mean just look at what the after effects have done to Iceland.

Another thing I would like to mention is that Greenspan fought for deregulation not for a small period of time but for the entire time he was in office. Granted, I would like to blame this whole thing on the Republicans (being the good little liberal that I am) but it’s not entirely their fault. I will say that they hold a large share of the blame but I don’t see any Democrats that were crying “wolf” when they should have been. We, as a country, were far too greedy for far too long and these are simply the consequences – depressing as they may be. I surely hope that we can finally learn from our mistakes and that the economy will smooth out sooner rather than later.