Waxing Politically

I haven't blogged for months and am starting to feel myself get more anxious again about things on my mind. I hesitate to even write again as I know that it is really putting myself out there for people to criticize me, but if I can get even one person to look at another side of the story, then I feel like I should do it. I want to write all the time, but having a family and another job and everything else makes it hard for me to find the time. I'm going to try to find the time from now on though. Some weeks at least!  I know we're all way more excited about our TV shows, or books we're reading, but this is so important. Why don't we talk about real things anymore? Why is it taboo to discuss ideas? And why can't people have differing opinions without being ostracized for it? What in the world is going on? I'm feeling more and more like a fish out of water and I've been really struggling with it. My brain must just think very differently than anyo

I haven't posted for awhile because I've been struggling with coming up with topics that are relevant and still interesting (tariffs are so boring).  I finally settled on my next topic and I hope it's enlightening to all of you! I have been hearing some troubling news out of South Africa and wanted to share what I know. The South African Parliament voted recently to take farmland away from white farmers without any compensation.  The measure passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 241-83.  The leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters party in South Africa, Julius Melema told his followers in 2016 that he was "not calling for the slaughter of white people-at least for now" Daily Mail  which, while I'm glad to hear it's not time yet, that statement is very concerning. The unrest in this country is coming to a head, and the new decision to seize land without compensation is only making things worse.   We haven't seen much about this in the news but we defin

I have pretty strong opinions about gun control so I needed to write this post for myself as much as for anyone else. I believe that I can only stick to my beliefs if I have looked at both sides and am informed about the views of the other side as well. I needed to do some research and challenge my thoughts on the issue so that I was sure that I could be confident in what I write and say to other people. This is such a volatile topic (especially in the wake of the last horrific shooting) and I really want to do it justice by being as objective and sensitive as possible. As a warning, I do not agree that appealing to emotions is a good way to create or enforce policy. So I want to present facts and logical arguments rather than emotional ones.  The first thing I want to do is define some terms-which I realize sounds like a college textbook, but it's important. If we don't have a common ground to start from, then we can never agree on anything and this whole discussion wi

I love the Olympics! My whole family looks forward to it every time it rolls around and all the bedtime rules go out the window for a couple of weeks while we watch it.  I really enjoy the feeling of brotherhood that encompasses it, knowing that most of the world is watching excitedly just like us.  It is an event that, for the most part (take note Ryan Lochte), models great life lessons to my kids; how to win or lose graciously, teamwork, discipline, and courage. That being said...we need to talk about North Korea.  Kim Jong-un, the dictator of The People's Republic of Korea, sent his sister Kim Yo Jong, and a huge cheerleader squad to attend the Opening Ceremonies and some events.  I'll talk about the sister in a minute, but the cheerleader squad is making a big splash for all the wrong reasons.  There are about 230 of them and they are clad in matching red and white uniforms (Handmaid's Tale, anyone?).  According to a North Korean defector who was chosen as a cheerlead

I was originally going to write next about the Shutdown, but so much has happened so I'm skipping over that. Suffice it to say, the shutdown didn't fix anything, and another one will most likely be happening here shortly. Maybe I'll get to write about the next one! The next topic I want to tackle is the Trump/Mueller/FISA/Russia/everyone freaking out situation. I know, I know, very professional title...but it's such a mess, that's really what it should be called. So, here's the rundown in case you're super confused like I was. FISA stands for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (I know, it should be FISC) and is a tribunal that decides "whether to approve wiretaps, data collection and government requests to monitor suspected terrorists and spies." CNN.com This article from 2016 is interesting because it explains a little more detail about FISA as well as details the fact that in 2015, FISA did not turn down any government requests

Immigration is definitely a big deal right now.  There are several pieces of information that you have to look at to get a good grasp of what's really going on.  I think most people know that the recent government shutdown was basically caused by immigration reform, and that the "Dreamers" are in the middle.  Let's look at all the sides so that you can decide where you fall on the issue of immigration.  I will put my two cents in as well, because I want you to know my rationale for my thinking. First though, here's a quick rundown of terms that are thrown around in the discussion:   "Dreamers" -A group of young adults who were brought into America illegally as children.  They have been here for 10+ years and came forward to say that they were illegal but wanted to stay. According to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals plan (DACA), they are allowed a 2 year deferment for deportation hearings and become eligible for a work permit.  Since 2012,