Monday, January 25, 2010

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN IS SMILING

"The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."
-Benjamin Franklin

Obama and his so called Progressives could sure use a tutorial from Ben Franklin.

The State of the Union will be delivered in a couple of days.  There is no doubt that the Obama speechwriters are in overdrive trying to account for the once ridiculed Tea Baggers who hold true to this principle of Franklin.
The fishermen are simply fed up with the government confiscating and redistributing their catch before getting to market. 

The privileged elite often underestimate the common sense and power of the working class.
Obama is clearly out of touch with the American workers who provide for their families; that is unless they are unionized.
During the campaign, Obama was more concerned with the rising cost of arugula at Whole Foods than he was with the basic needs of the workers in America.  He ridiculed rural America's strong Christian faith and the 2nd Amendment when he labeled those who opposed him as bible and gun clutching weirdos.  Last week in Massachusetts he ridiculed the average "Joe the Plumber" working class yet again when he stated that anyone can buy a pick up truck-what's the big deal? 
Well the big deal, Mr. President, is that the working class understands and appreciates what Franklin and others of his time stood for; they've just been really quiet about it until now. 
Today they are tired of having to work harder and harder so others can choose not to.
They are the Silent Majority that BOTH PARTIES have taken for granted.
They have finally said ENOUGH and are mobilizing in record numbers all over America.

Populist apathy is what the hard core Republican and Democratic big wigs have come to expect.  It is what validates their extreme views.

So instead of merely complaining about how bad our choices of candidates for public office are----get involved.
*Have the conviction and independence to support merit over Party affiliation.
*Encourage good people to run for office.
*Support qualified candidates with more than your tongue or keyboard.
*Vote in the primaries and runoffs; not just the main election.
*Be a responsible voter and educate yourself on the relevant issues. 

A policy of catch and release does not feed your family.
So stand strong, not down; and support people of character, not professional politicians.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who's your pick for CCL#1?

BLACK INK said...

Anon 11:13,
I'm supporting Peyton Peebles.
His knowledge and experience in the practice of criminal law more than qualifies him for the bench.
He also has the best judicial temperament and work ethic of all the candidates in that race.

Anonymous said...

Amen Brother Ink.

Anonymous said...

So, Black Ink, are you going to go through each race like Life at Harris County CJC?

BLACK INK said...

Anon 4:20,
Murray Newman is doing an outstanding job in his judicial evaluations.
If, however, there is something that I feel needs to be emphasized without being too redundant,I will address it.
That being said, I will post my candidate recommendations before the primary for anyone that might find the information helpful.

Anonymous said...

Judge Pat and all the other trolls in Harris County hate you.

point39 said...

Black:

Have you seen this article? Its not necessarily on point with your current topic, but I would be curious to hear your opinion on the issue. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I heard that Ted Olson was arguing the case...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/229957

jigmeister said...

Inevitable. Even I recognize that, and am sorry for all the insensitive comments I made all those years. I now recognize that I had gay friends for years without knowing that. These friends are wonderful (and many very conservative) people that deserve the same benefits of marriage that I have enjoyed for 40years.

BLACK INK said...

Point39,
Ted Olsen is undoubtedly a very talented trial attorney.
However, his reasoning in the video clip was not elucidating.

Would he also argue that it would be discriminatory for the state to preclude me from marrying 2 women? How about 100? How about if your son and daughter wanted to marry?
The discrimination argument is too broad and over reaching to sanction gay marriage. Partnerships, power of attorney agreements and other legal entities are more than sufficient to protect gay interests in this regard.
Every law precluding a particular behavior could be argued to be discriminatory to some degree; so common sense public policy ought to prevail if we are to preserve the sanctity of humanity.

BLACK INK said...

Jimeister,
I agree that being gay in no way goes to one's character as a human being. No one chooses to be gay any more than an unborn child can choose his/her parents.
"But for the grace of God there go I" is a destiny that cannot be prayed away.
Whether one is born a Haitian, autistic, with Down's Syndrome, Bo Derek, Albert Einstein, A Cape Cod Kennedy or Gay is a birth fate that cannot be changed.

Compassion and understanding must be championed to insure that fairness and equity is afforded to all.
Hate and the arbitrary persecution that accompanies it should never be tolerated in a just society.

Chuck Rosenthal's argument to the U.S. Supreme Court denouncing gay rights was as stupid and outdated as he was,is and no doubt continues to be.....you can't fix stupid.
However, a loving gay relationship is not defined by marriage nor is it exclusively protected by it. That's a Red Herring.

point39 said...

Black:

If you agree with the premise that noboby chooses to be gay, then doesn't it follow that a gay person is entitled to equal protection of the laws in the same way that a person of color should be? I thought Olson's best point was posed in his question; what good reason exists to prohibit gay people from having the right to get married? When I pose that question to myself, I come up with no good reason.

BLACK INK said...

poin39,
Being black and being gay are like the proverbial apples and oranges.
Blacks and gays are both humans and apples and oranges are both fruit. So what?
No one chooses to be born blind either; but equal protection would not mandate that blind folks get a driver's license.
All too often theoretical political niceties have adverse consequences in real life eg. Obama's speech last evening was chock full of them.