apple juice

If I have any readers left after the past couple weeks of very few updates, here’s what I’m thinking…

I’m tired.

I’m just worn out from the past month of nonsensical political madness. And I don’t want to get drawn into the stupid bickering about Kerry’s Vietnam Service, who’s more rich, etc.

When we’re talking about that, we’re not talking about real issues. And from where I stand, we have some real issues in this country.

Undeniable issues that both sides should see. They should matter to everyone.

Here’s what matters:

• Fixing Health Care
• Making sure kids are fully educated, and can get to college if they want to
• Making sure we have a clean environment
• Bringing fiscal responsibility to government
• Keeping the economy stable and growing

Here’s what “does not matter”:

• Gay Marriage. True conservatives (in the political sense of the word) would not want more governmental regulation in your personal lives. Marriage itself (the definition) should be defined by those who preside over it, the Churches. A civil union is the legal matter that the state needs to concern itself with.
• Gun control. It is sensible to try to prevent criminals from owning weapons. Hunters, your guns will not be taken away.
• Missile defense. Seriously, who are they kidding? Who is going to attack us with missiles? (I’m talking about the large ICBM types here)

In a broad sense, one can think of every issue in terms of economic value. Healthy people work more productively. Well educated, healthy kids contribute more to society. Striving for a cleaner enviornment is good for the economy.

Issues like Gay Marriage, Gun Control and Missile Defense are for narrow-minded people who have a black and white world view, and aren’t seeing the big picture.

Unfortunately, the “Republicans” who fit this description are the Republicans running the party these days.

Don’t look now, but your party has been hijacked, and no one is strong enough to stand up and take a stand. (John McCain, Colin Powell? Where did you go?)