a flaming liberal's heartfelt stump speech

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namkcuR

ONE love, blood, life
Joined
Sep 7, 2004
Messages
10,770
Location
Kettering, Ohio
I just wrote this 'cause I had to get my feelings off my chest. Also, don't be offended if you're a conservative. I mean no offense. I didn't use many statistics or anything like that here because I feel they politicize human issues. This is more of a philsophical stump speech, and I tried to get to the human heart of the issues.

Ladies and Gentlemen, when our forefathers founded this great nation of ours, they wrote a constitution that gave each and every one us certain inalienable rights. Throughout history these have been added to and amended. But until recently, no one tried to actually take them away from us. But that time has come. Conservatives in power today are willfully trying to strip us of our rights.

It's no secret to anyone that a large chunk of the conservatives in power would like to see Roe vs Wade overturned, and it's no secret that if George Bush would, if it were that easy, appoint a few staunch conservate judges to make that happen in a heartbeat. They want to take away a woman's basic right to choose. And it IS a woman's choice. This is one of the most personal, painful, private decisions a woman can ever make, and it should remain HER decision, not the decision of Washington bueracrats.

The Patroit act is an invasion of our civil rights. Because of this act, the government can look up personal information about each and every one of us if they so choose, and there is absolutely nothing stopping them. If police want to search your house, under our judicial system, they need a warrant, or they cannot by law search your home. So WHY should this be any different, ladies and gentlemen, explain that to me. Why do these people need a warrant to search your home yet they can look up our personal information at their own discretion? It makes no sense people.

Issue one is nothing but a heavily-worded masked robbery of our rights, ladies and gentlemen. The government is using peoples' religious and moral beliefs to further their own financial agenda. The fact that 11 states have put this on the ballots, that has as much to do with morals and ethics and relgious beliefs as Marlyn Manson, ladies and gentlemen. They don't want to pay the money required to give benefits to people in civil unions or gay marriages, and they know that if they play this as a moral issue, flocks of people will come and vote in favor of it, thus saving them the money. And the issue itself is a disconcerting one, because what you have is people wanting to make gay people live lesser lives than others simply because they are in fact gay. Look inside yourselves, folks. Do you really and truly believe that gay people are less than you? I don't. Let's take a page from Mr. Orwell. Ignorance is Strength.

In the same vein of tolerance amongst humans, it is absolutely vital that we recognize what affirmative action really is. There is a common arguement for affirmative action, that you're racist if you are against it. To believe that, folks, is to be oblivous to what affirmative action does. It enables schools and businesses to be racist in the other direction. Allowing people into your organization just because they're black is as bad as not allowing them in just because they're black. The ideal here is that schools and businesses accept those who are the best students or best suited for the job. Unfortunately, affirmative action is the sad proof that we, as a nation, aren't there yet. And so I urge you, be tolerant of your fellow humans, and spread that idea to anyone and everyone you see in your life. Tolerance is more important than you or I can ever comprehend.

Conservatives would like to keep up the limited funding for embryonic stem cell research. They say we don't have sufficient evidence to prove that embryonic stem cells will do more than other stem cells. You know what? We're never gonna know that until we find out by doing the research! This could potentially lead to cures to parkinson's, spinal cord injury, alzheimer's, some forms of cancer, the list goes. It could literally give people their lives back, and we are holding back the funding? And for what? These cells are destined to freeze to uselessness in clinics anyway, so what are we saving by not using them? Explain that to me, people.

Ladies and gentlemen, the only thing worse than having your civil rights attacked is when your freedom is attacked, and that's exactly what happend to us on September 11, 2001. Following 9/11, we were all scared about the state of our saftey, and about whether we might be attacked. And folks, this administration in particular USED our fear and uncertainty to gain support for this war of theirs. I want you all to understand one thing, and that is, that Saddam Heussain never attacked us. He was no part of 9/11. His regime was never a direct threat to OUR security. It may have been a threat to the security of Iraq's own people, or the people of surrounding countries. But that's not the arguement that was given. We were told that Saddam was a direct threat to us. That he had weapons of mass destruction. That he was part of 9/11. False, false, and false. And he still says if he knew then what he knows now, he would have done it again. I don't know what to say to justify that, folks, I really don't. The administration went against the UN, didn't even let weapons inspectors finish their job. It alientated us in the international community, effectively vaporizing the outpouring of support we had after 9/11. And this administration keeps telling us this war is in the best interests of our national security, it's making us safer. Let's take a page from Mr. Orwell. War is peace. As long as they convince us that the war is keeping us safe, it becomes the norm. This is NOT the norm. If you wanna know who IS a threat to us, he's a 6 foot tall Saudi Arabian man with a turban, an overgrown beard, and a big machine attached to him. His name is Osama Bin Laden. He masterminded the attacks of 9/11. We had him cornered and let him go. Let me tell you why. He is a figurehead in the war on terror. We capture him, then in the eyes of the public, the war on terror is over, and the administration couldn't get the support they need to launch their extra-cirricular activities. And George Bush says he'd do it again. To send troops to probable death when it's not absolutely neccessary once is bad enough, to say you'd do it again, is unspeakable, folks.

Former President Bill Clinton often spoke of how he was trying to build a 'bridge to the future'. That bridge is important, because it's what will ultimately allow our nation to develop and move forward in the direction in needs to move in. But conservatives are burning that bridge by alienating us in the international community and allowing large chunks of the populus to remain ignorant, and not only that, they're using that ignorance to fuel their own agenda.

You tell me folks, is it a good sign when phrases from 1984 like 'Freedom is Slavery', 'War is Peace', 'Ignorance Is Strength', and '2+2=5', slogans often associated with repression and big-brother styled governements, are so disconcertingly accurate with regards to the state of the world today? Is it a good sign when they almost fit like a glove? You explain that to me people. You explain to me how we're better off living in a world where those slogans are true. You tell me.

But if I'm elected, guess what? I'm taking those phrases away. I'm giving you your rights and I'm making sure you never have to worry about losing them. I will always strive to make you completely aware of what's going on and I will not leave the most important details hanging in a fog. I will never overtax you only to use that money for unneccessary purposes. I will lift the sanctions of stem cell research. I will lead this nation over that bridge, and into that future, and let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, the future I see is a bright and prosperous one, and I hope you'll join me in getting there. God bless you, and God Bless America!
 
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It is when the people do not think that their rights are at risk that they can be taken, when there are people screaming about Chimpy Bushitler the Worlds Dumbest Nazi I think that we can rest assured that freedom is safe.

The concept of a vast right wing conspiracy that wants to rob women of the right to choose to keep child or have an abortion, to ban gay marriage and then move towards sodomy laws just seems off. What plausible purpose would such actions take - to justify them you need to turn Bush into a full scale bible bashing hatemongering homophobic sexist racist inhuman thug who only desires power for the lord allmighty for whom he is a holy vessel, somehow I do not think that that is the case.

The concept of eliminating Bin Laden and ending the GWOT is flawed and I blame the administration for creating this false impression. Al Qaeda is only a small piece of the wider problem of violent political movements that capitalise on the unstable dictatorships of the Arab world.

And this outpouring of sympathy for the US all gone, gee I guess those Palestinians dancing in the street on the 11th of September 2001 we crying for you on the inside. The US was and is loathed by a lot of the world, September 11 didn't change that one bit the only thing that changed was that you started paying attention to the millions that would love to see you all wiped from the planet. You look at some of those collumns popping up here; people remember LeMonde running "We Are All Americans" but nobody remembers the Sydney Morning Herald doing a piece which blames September 11 on the US for its ongoing support of Israel and lack of even-handedness towards Arab grievances.

It is interesting how some take an isolationist view that the US only has interests at home and that it's security is not entwined to the security of the Middle East and it's vast energy reserves.

Autocracy is their illness, and democracy, not American apologies, is their cure.

I am making the following predictions about the US and they may be quoted.
1: There will be no draft in the next 4 years.
2: Abortions will not be outlawed.
3: There will be no sodomy laws instituted.

There broad sweeping generalisations about conservatives all being bad, wanting to ban abortions and outlaw homosexuality; it is on par to somebody saying that all liberals are America hating terrorist-loving enemies to free people.
 
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Simple Policies for a Happier Australia via Tex @ Whackingday;

1: Slash all tax rates by 40%, except superannuation tax which will be scrapped completely.
2: Stop funding all arts, sport and multicultural programs.
3: Remove cross media laws and local content restrictions for TV channels.
4: Anyone earning more than $25,000 must use private health insurance.
5: Allow homeowners to use deadly force on intruders.
6: Gun ownership will be considered a right, not a priviledge to anyone without a criminal record. Allow the concealed carry of handguns and the wearing of bullet-proof vests. Firearm safety courses shall be offered to all children in school.
7: Decriminalise all drugs.
8: Scrap all defamation, anti-descrimination and anti-vilification laws.
9: Abolish the OFLC.
10: Make proficiency in the English language to be a requirement for residency & citizenship.
11: Reduce immigration from Islamic countries.
12: Privatise Telstra.
13: Raise speed limits on interstate roads from 100kph to 130kph.
14: Stop funding the ABC and SBS.
15: Raise HECS by 50%. Offer a free university degree to anyone who joins the Army Reserve.
16: Defence: offer incentives for the young'uns to become Army reservists. Free university degree & their own automatic weapon at home.
17: Scrap all import tariffs and all industry subsidies.
18: Make a national proclamation that "Soccer is shit".
19: Footpath parking for motorcycles, anywhere in Australia.
20: 'Three strikes' law for violent offenders.
21: Scrap all funding for interstate rail.
22: Abolish all "money for having children" payments.
23: Employers shall be able to sack any worker, at any time, for any reason.
24: Put competent security staff at airports, and encourage them to use racial profiling where necessary.
25: Remove all smoking bans from pubs, clubs and restaurants.
26: All laws regarding abortion to be scrapped.
27: Gay marriage and adoption to be allowed.
28: Anyone who has suffered injury through stupid or criminal acts will not be allowed to sue for damages. Nor will people who have injured themslves by not paying due care & attention to their activities.
29: Judges will enforce laws, not invent their own.
30: Scrap all regulations on gambling & liquor licencing.
31: All competition laws to be scrapped.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it all you Liberals and Conservatives! :lol:
 
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I think that 90% of the worlds problems are caused by the usual government bullshit and the other 10% by general human screwyness. This isn't to say that banning all government would make things better but if we have to have it then it should have as little involvement in the life of the individual as possible.
 
I would agree with that, but I think that the human screwyness is what leads to govt bullsh*t. no matter what government is going to be screwed up, but we've got to do the best with what we have.
 
namkcuR -:applaud:

I think your courage to unapologetically stand up for your heartfelt viewpoints is admirable.

It is not easy to stand up against the fray. People with lesser confidence will fold and go along with the crowd, even if that is not what they believe.

But those who believe in their principles and are willing to hold them up for others to see, even if their ideas are unpopular, are the REAL HEROES of our country. :yes:

Our country was founded to be tolerant and receptive to various ideas and opinions - the concept is called democracy, folks.

But increasingly to be divergent in viewpoints is viewed to be unamerican - and that idea is the most unamerican idea of all!

So, stick to your idea of freedom and democracy, namkcuR. :hug:

And don't let the b#stards grind you.

SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER.... :wink:
 
Whoah, Kos Kapers www.dailykos.com
The biggest silver lining of this election is how the GOP's victory is thus far being claimed, framed and explained. To that I say, "Let us join that chorus." And we should do so now, because there is immediacy in the post-election window of opportunity.

Marching order #1, therefore, is this: No matter whom you talk to outside our circles, begin to perpetuate the (false, exaggerated) notion that George Bush's victory was built not merely on values issues, but gay marriage specifically. If you feel a need to broaden it slightly, try depicting the GOP as a majority party synonymous with gay-haters, warmongers and country-clubbers.
:hmm:
 
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Let's face it, the people in power are the kind of people who chase money and power. People who chase money and power are not the most admirable members of the human species, no matter what their views are. That's why all human governments are not lacking in the screwiness department.
 
If not for the patriot act, the Brooklyn Bridge would now be in little pieces and many lives were saved. But if you would rather trade those lives for your "personal life" go right ahead.
 
There is always balance between personal liberty and security (for example you may be very safe if you live in a dictatorship but your individual freedom is nothing, but you could live in a totally free society but crime rates are obscene) that can be maintained, that is why it is important to have oversight for these actions.
 
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