Daniel Dessinger

Category: Politics

  • Why You Shouldn’t Be a Partisan Voter

    Everyone I knew growing up was a partisan voter, and they ALL fell into the category of the GOP. Democrats became taboo – these wild eyed, ex-hippies who’d rather smoke a blunt than go to church (actually, they probably do both). My Republicans never belonged to the NRA-lovers, but they did believe in the right to bear arms as a principle. Of course, I also learned to look at smokers as bad people, so you can imagine how my development went.

    I remember when George Bush Sr. ran against the huge head of Michael Dukakis. I knew nothing about politics, except that Dukakis was the “bad man”. What are we teaching our children? Seriously. I demand of myself that I teach my children how to think critically and how to make these decisions on their own.

    You’ll likely think that I’ve gone over to the Dark Side. Not true. I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I am also not an Independent (which I classify as one who persistently votes for the Independent candidate). I am not a party or an organization. I am one man who votes his conscience. That means there will be times when I do not cast my vote. I argued for years against voting for the lesser of two evils. The reasoning is that in so doing you are admittedly voting for evil.

    The time has come where I recognize that my views have shifted yet again. Rather than refuse to participate because all candidates disappoint me, I tend to be more forgiving of flaws and differing points of view. It’s safe to say that as I’ve aged, I’ve realized that there are often complicated reasons motivating the beliefs and decisions we make. Everything may be simple in objective truth, but we are people, and people are not objective.

    Let’s look at the Republicans for a moment. While I have been taught to respect them for their anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, and anti-welfare state stances, there are faults to consider as well.

    • There is without a doubt a lack of Republican Presidential candidates who can speak clearly and comfortably and defend their views without sounding ridiculous.
    • While Democrats waste billions on lazy people, Republicans waste trillions on killing people
    • The Republicans core economic value is War… to start a war is to increase federal spending on defense, which is to create more jobs in the defense/technology sector which thus benefits the economy.
    • Republicans are not concerned enough with the overwhelming problem of pollution and depletion of natural resources. Republicans lack the vision to realize that if they don’t severely regulate pollution and dumping, they will have no world to rule.
    • Republicans take advantage of the Church to earn votes.

    These are only a few criticisms which I can think of immediately. And although I have “seen the light” and refuse to vote Republican for the sake of voting Republican doesn’t mean that I have performed the equally stupid reaction of voting only Democrat.

    No, to earn my vote, each candidate must take a stand on the major issues and clearly define what that stance will be. They must convince me that they are more than just hot air. They must do more than look good and offer the expected yet ridiculous motivational speeches that each candidate feels compelled to give.

  • If Search Popularity Elected Presidents…

    Barack Obama

    Then Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama would be neck and neck, with John Edwards trailing with only 25% of the popularity of either one of the others. I have a bet going with Mystery SEO (no links again!) on who will win. We’re not betting for anything except the privilege of being “right.” Our selections were made based on our expectation of national popularity, not personal preference. Mystery SEO thinks John Edwards is a shoe-in. I think Hillary is more likely, though I’d rather see Obama in the White House if I had my choice.

    As usual, no candidates really impress me, but I’ve got a good feeling about Obama. Unfortunately, I think America is still too racist for a black President.

  • Texas Gubernatorial Election 2006

    It’s a sad day in Texas. Someone running for governor has to be elected. For the first time in history, there are four candidates running neck and neck for the prize. How can there be four? Simple. No one is qualified. One of the largest states in the Union, and we can’t come up with a better list of potentials than Chris Bell (Democrat), Rick Perry (Republican), Kinky Friedman (Independent), and Carole Keeton Strayhorne (Independent).

    Let’s start off with the worst. Carol Keeton Strayhorne’s campaign slogan has been “One Tough Grandma.” Hmm. That’s great. I don’t want a tough grandma running the second largest state in the country. During the gubernatorial debate pictured above, she couldn’t even answer the question, “Who is the current President of Mexico?” If a Texas governor doesn’t know that, then who are they going to speak with when we have immigration issues? It’s way too late in the game for that kind of ignorance.

    Then there’s Kinky Friedman. Sure, his name sounds kinda cool. Whoopee. He wants to legalize gambling and marijuana, and he’s depending on 18-28 year olds to vote him in. Any time your primary constituents fall into that age range, it means you’re not focusing on the real issues.

    What about incumbent governor Rick Perry? Are you kidding? They don’t come looking much more fake and underhanded than Mr. Perry. I will show respect to whoever is elected, but during the election process, we must determine who is qualified and deserving. Unfortunately, Mr. Perry has screwed up the funding for public schools. He is responsible for practically seizing land for highway building and then awarding the building contracts to foreign companies. There’s nothing about him that says, “I am a respectable man.” Both George W. Bush and Anne Richards were better governors than Mr. Perry.

    Finally, we have Chris Bell, who, by default, may be the best choice in this year’s election. Bell is hardly the moral standard. He adamantly supports gay rights and embryonic stem cell research. These are non-optional in my book, which eliminates Chris Bell immediately.

    Who, then, should run the state of Texas? Luckily, the Texas Railroad Commissioner and Comptroller have more power than the actual governor has. Hopefully, we will survive the next term without major damage despite the results of this Fall’s election.

  • Conflicting Views of Israel

    It seems that Israel cannot be mentioned without some comment about conflict or war. To many poorly educated people, this fact seems proof of Israel’s fault. After all, one country with so many enemies cannot be in the right, can it? I am not Jewish, but I respect and honor the Jewish people. And no, the conflict does not prove Zionism or any other far-fetched scheme. It boils down to religious differences that stem from a family feud. Arabs tend to hate Jews and Jews tend to look down on Arabs. This is where Biblical history plays an important role.

    There are no Arab manuscripts that date as old or older than Judaic manuscripts. The Muslim faith came into being centuries after Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead. Muslim revisionist history came into play afterward to combat the claims of one branch of the Middle Eastern family. Thousands of years before Christ, Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was firstborn to Abraham, but Isaac was the firstborn through Abraham’s actual wife, Sarah. That Ishmael was born at all was the result of a lack of faith and trust in God’s word by Abraham and Sarah. They tried to help God out by having Abraham sleep with a maid. God had promised to give Abraham a land. God promised to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the sands of seashor and the stars in the night sky. Sarah was barren, and they saw no way for God’s promises to come true. And although Ishmael was born out of wedlock, I believe God has a special love for Ishmael and his descendants (Arabs).

    Sadly, Ishmael and his mother were cast out of the family, left to survive in the desert. God spared their lives and made them prosper, but the family wounds never healed. Brother against brother, for thousands of years. One received the promised inheritance – a beautiful land now encompassing both Israel and Palestine. The other was left to fend for himself. One possesses the holy city of Jerusalem. The other will stop at nothing to take it away. There is nothing more dangerous than sibling rivalry. Both clamor to convince the world of their right to the holy land (the land of their forefather Abraham’s inheritance). But all historical evidence points to Israel’s sovereign right to the land. I do not say that spitefully. I regret that Ishmael was cast away.

    But in that part of the world and in that time, the father was king of the family. His word was law. It was the Romans who drove the Jewish people out of Israel in the first century A.D. It has been called the Diaspora (dispersion). Nearly 1900 years later, Israel officially reclaimed its land and became recognized as a sovereign nation. In the meantime, all the surrounding Arab nations have thousands of years of wounds, malice, and vengeance left unhealed. Little bitty Israel has stood firm despite the hatred of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and more. True, Israel has had the support of the United States of America, but not much else. One little country in the middle of a hornets’ nest of violence. Yet they have a supernatural protection.

    A nation of their size in their situation should have been wiped off the map within a couple years. Yet they stand. Before you follow the liberal bandwagon and criticize Israel, take the initiative to do an independent study of the events leading up to today’s war and find out for yourself why everyone but America seems to hate Israel. Sometimes, the majority is proof of logic and sound reasoning. Other times, it is the majority that has weak character and follows the crowd of popular opinion. It is in those moments you must take your responsibility seriously to know who you listen to and what you believe. Israel occupies such a small sliver of the Middle East, yet militant Muslims will fight to the death to take it back.

    Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia each contain so much more land that you could fit dozens of Israels inside them, if not more. So why do they argue and go to war? Is the land itself holy? Do they really hate Jews? Who does the land belong to? These are the right questions.

  • Support Amnesty International in Darfur

    Join actor Don Cheadle and Amnesty International and demand justice for these crimes against humanity. According to http://noise.amnesty.org,

    Since 2003, thousands of women and girls have been raped or subjected to other forms of sexual violence in Darfur Two million civilians have been forced to flee their homes and over 200,000 remain in refugee camps in Chad The International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating crimes in Darfur. It now recognizes serious crimes of violence against women as crimes against humanity Yet authorities in Sudan have publicly refused to cooperate with the ICC or bring those responsible to justice before national courts

    Visit amnesty.org and send the following message to the Sudanese Minister:

    Dear Minister Muhammad Ali al-Maradhi, I am writing to you to express my concern at the widespread commission of rape and other sexual violence committed against women and girls in Darfur. Despite commitments to combat violence against women and girls in Darfur, the government of Sudan is overwhelmingly failing to investigate and prosecute these horrific crimes. It is essential that all cases are investigated and those responsible brought to justice. All victims should be provided with full and effective reparations. Sudan has signed but not ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. As the Court is currently investigating crimes committed in Darfur, it is important that Sudan ratifies the Rome Statue without delay. At the same time, I urge you to pledge and ensure Sudan’s fullest cooperation with International Criminal Court. Yours sincerely, XXXXXXXXXX

    As aficionados of culture and the Arts, we must not forget to be always acting on behalf of cultures everywhere. Those beautiful people around the world creating music, paintings, sculptures, foods, tapestries, apparel, and decor that you so love are frequently suffering under vile oppression in the midst of creating such beauty. A true lover of people does not sit idly by while these beloved suffer needlessly. Rape is a crime against all of humanity.

    Taking by force that which is the greatest sacred act of beauty and passion between man and woman is evil beyond words. These women – these treasures of God – will be avenged by their Creator. As brothers and sisters, we are indeed also held responsible to not look the other way, but instead pray for freedom, deliverance, healing, restoration, and comfort. Take action wherever you can. Send an email to an ambassador or prime minister.

    Donate some of your fun money to feed, clothe, and care for the starving. And above all, never miss the opportunity to make a difference with people in need all around you.

  • What to Do About Illegal Immigration

    Texans are hot over immigration. Demonstration after demonstration from both sides of the issue prove that this is not a topic that can be ignored. Strange, how a topic can go largely undiscussed for decades and then explode onto the scene as a major political and communal issue. Where did this all begin? Who knows. All I know is one day I am wondering why President Bush hasn’t done more to stop illegal immigration and the next I am watching thousands of Hispanic students demonstrating in downtown Fort Worth and Dallas. Why are they demonstrating? I didn’t have the opportunity to ask. Probably a bill on the floor of the state or national legislature. As Cinco de Mayo drew near, Texans against illegal immigration marched down Interstate 30 in Arlington. Apparently, they didn’t want to be outdone by a bunch of high school kids. The television news stations were, of course, delighted to cover a “newsworthy” event. But after hearing both sides, I was bored and changed the channel. The topic of immigration has become too personal in Texas. That’s what happens when a significant percentage of your population is the same nationality as the illegals. The problem is, people are looking at illegal immigrants with a compassion only overstuffed Americans could manage. Law is law. Illegal immigration is illegal. Don’t feel sorry for people who violate our laws. Feel sorry for people in need. Do what you can to help them. But don’t ask our government to condone and financially support those who spit on our nation’s laws.

    If people in Mexico have such poor working conditions, someone needs to get the ball rolling and start a national revolution for change. Mexico is a grand country with beautiful people. They deserve more than to abandon ship because their own country refuses to change. Here are some ideas that I think would make a difference: 1. The U.S. government applies serious pressure to Mexico to make the political and economic changes necessary for improved working and living conditions for its people. 2. Encourage American Hispanics to get relevant educations and then return to Mexico to lead this economic revolution. 3. Decide what our policies are once and for all concerning illegal immigration and stick to them regardless of how many thousands of people try to violate the law. Law is not undone because of the number of people who oppose it.

    Law is undone when Law is changed by the lawmakers, or when the lawmakers refuse to enforce it. You see, the burden has been put upon our country because the other country has neglected its responsibility. Mexico is behaving like the man who gets the woman pregnant and then refuses to accept any responsibility for his actions. If millions of people want to leave your country, FIX YOUR PROBLEMS!!!! It is solely because Mexico has such a poor national system that so many of its people come here. Fix the system, and the people will stay and contribute. The contributions will further strengthen the country and eventually Mexico will not be sending its children away to find food.