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Interview with Senator Feingold (D-Wisconsin)
06.06.06 (9:08 am)   [edit]
Senator Feingold is quickly becoming one of my favorite elected officials. I'm sure with more research, I'll find things I don't appreciate about him. For now, I'm pleased.

Yesterday, The WaPo published an interview with Feingold:

[WaPo:] You said some time ago that you weren't sure that you could do the job [as President]. Are you feeling any more confident about that now?

[Feingold:] Well, you know, I think anybody that is sure they can do the job has probably got a little bit too big of an opinion of themselves. I think I am more prepared than I was in the past.

The combination of my work on the Foreign Relations Committee and now my new appointment on the Intelligence Committee, which has been very intensive, I think has given me much more confidence that I could work with the military people, the intelligence people that I would be working with if I ended up ever in that office.



Read more . . .

Related:

Specter to Feingold: 'Good Riddance' -- Democratic Senator Leaves Meeting

Feingold Announces Support For Gay Marriage

FEINGOLD OPPOSES DISCRIMINATORY AMENDMENT; SUPPORTS MARRIAGE EQUALITY

| # | Politics | , , , . Word of the Day bravura
 
You Have the Right to be a Free-Loading American
06.05.06 (6:01 pm)   [edit]
A few weeks ago, I had a rather heated discussion with an associate about immigration. Before this discussion, I wasn't paying much attention to the immigration issue. My associate said something about the issue that sparked a fire in me. Because I'd always felt this person was a selfless, compassionate soul, I was quite surprised by what I perceived as very selfish reasons for wanting to see illegals booted from the USA. Some of her reasons, and I paraphrase:

1. This country is hers; her ancestors made it hers.

2. Illegals are destroying the healthcare system.

3. Illegals are taking things from her and other Americans that rightfully belong to Americans.

I guess reason #2 isn't really a selfish reason; however, it is a reason that has been developed from misinformation. Americans have always complained about the healthcare system in this country, citing welfare mothers (and welfare fathers), the rising cost of healthcare for senior citizens, and a misappropriation of funds (thanks to our American politicians in Congress). Think about all the tax dollars that could fund the healthcare system if illegals in this country were allowed to become taxpaying American citizens. Think about the millions of unemployed American citizens who are receiving free healthcare; I heard not one complaint about them. Why? Because Americans are allowed to be lazy, unemployed, free-loaders; illegals are not. Now I know that not every unemployed American who receives free healthcare is a lazy free-loader, but you get my point.

As for reason #1: I don't think there are too many Americans who can't trace their family tree back to a foreign nation or two. In other words, we are all descendants of immigrants. This country is what it is because of immigration (and slavery, but we won't get into that too much right now). There are too many native-born Americans who have forgotten that -- or choose to ignore it. When I hear people cite reason #1 as their main reason for wanting to boot illegal immigrants from the USA, I think of two 5 year olds fighting over something that doesn't belong to either one of them.

Reason #3: This country rightfully belongs to the "Native" Americans. The anti-immigration fools really oughta check-in to somebody's mental health clinic -- and make sure they prescribe you the good shit before you leave.

During the course of my discussion with my associate, I touched on the slavery issue. I told her that I found it pretty ironic that white Americans -- of all people -- are bitching about people coming to America illegally. I mean, after all, it was their ancestors who forced Africans to come to this country so they could make slaves of them. But see, the difference is: slaves were controlled property and did what they were told; illegal immigrants belong to no one. I also told her that I didn't care in the least if illegals were destroying the system that slave-owning white Americans built from the ground up. Karma's a bitch, eh? To that, she said she was very sorry I was so hateful. She then quoted Dr. King "The marvelous new miltancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom." I wanted to ask her how long it took her to look that quote up in Google. By the way, did she call me a militant?

I had another discussion with a friend about immigration. He and I disagreed, but never did we stoop to name-calling or condescending comments. The adult-like conversation allowed us to discuss the issue, hear each other out, and walk away from the discussion with our friendship intact. He feels there are too many illegals in the country draining the healthcare system, ruining local schools, and destroying the local economy. This may be true; however, if illegals were allowed to become citizens then they would pay taxes just like the rest of us. Are the problems my friend cited something we should fault illegals for, or should we tell our elected officials to hand the illegals a social security card, make them Americans, and take their tax dollars? I vote for the latter. I think too many people who lack critical thinking skills are unable to come up with obvious workable solutions to our immigration problems. They jump on the "Be American or Be Gone" bandwagon. Personally, I think the fact that Hispanics are the fastest growing population in the United States just scares the hell outta white folks who are used to having only ONE racial minority group to attempt to control. Now they have to figure out how to control the Blacks and the Hispanics. Ain't that a bitch? Can you imagine what our elected officials will look like in 50 years? Blacks, Hispanics, and women running the show. I'd be scared too if I were a white person who's use to being the majority -- and reaping the rewards of such an honor.

I agree, we need to control the border better. What good does it do us to use strict security at the airports when Bin Laden's friends can simply go to Mexico and crawl under the fence? Keep in mind though, the really dumb people who are complaining about illegal immigrants aren't citing national security as their concern. They're screaming "This country is mine! Go home!"

At the risk of sounding like one of those morons who says, "I don't have a problem with Black people. My best friend in kindergarten was Black," I have to say, I don't have a problem with white people. I don't have a problem with Americans. I'm not out to annihilate white people. I just really dislike ignorant people -- be they white, Black, Hispanic, Asian, or whatever. The loudest, most ignorant voices in the immigration discussion just happen to belong to white people. Don't believe me? Take a seat in front of your TV during the news hour, flip through your channels, and see for yourself. When the media finds a minority who wants to give illegals the boot, that person becomes the poster child of the hour. It's like they're saying, "See, even the niggahs hate illegals!"

This was not the post I planned to make today, but it was a good way to get back into blogging here regularly. I will return to my rants on other social issues immediately.

| # | General | , , , . Word of the Day contumely