Who exactly are you afraid of?

The past two mornings I've woken to the morning articles of the tragic Connecticut shooting that happened Friday morning. Every article was, and still is (Sunday, December 16) related to the shooter and the victims.

I personally tried to refrain from this story, not that I didn't care for the story. It's a terrible thing to have any child killed; and a mass killing at that. It's just the fact that as a apprentice of the maker of the news cycle, you already know what happens as talking points, what will be done.

You already know that the news will cover this story for the next 10 days (as they should for a story like this). You know that you will have to deal with seeing the gut-wrench victims family morn their children and tell their most memorable memories of them to reporters. You know that the topic of gun control will come up, and even though we have shootings damn-near everyday (including the shooting at a mall in Portland,OR, earlier this week) there're still people will defend the open market of fire arm purchases. You know that with all the talking of something to be done with gun control, no action will actually be taken place. You also would know that the public officials puppet strings hang tight to the NRA, an organization that prides its self on protecting you but always manages to scare the hell out of their own (armed) members when any type of control of the purchase of guns are mentioned.

Its not fair as a member of the media to do this to our viewers, its not not just a job of informing but also protecting them. We owe them more than just a 10 day talking point. We all know what needs to be done. The argument of the "people kill people" defense has become a straw one. A angered man walks into a school armed or unarmed is the only difference of the possible outcome that morning. Whats the matter with making sure nut jobs don't get guns in their hands? Is the interest of the NRA really that important to uphold over 20 children's lives? This isn't radical thinking, its common sense (which seems to grow less common). I just wonder how long until we're having this conversation again. Just to see if the talking points will ever actually grow into something productive.

The Party of Person Responsibility

Two days after the election reports of Romney and his campaign reaction to the results were published. CBS reported “that the campaign was unprepared for this in part because it had ignored polling that showed the races favoring Obama. Instead, it turned to its own internal ‘unskewed’ polls, which it believed more accurately reflected the situation on the ground. They didn't”.  One advisor said that Romney was “shell-shocked” at the results. Romney and his campaign were subconscious to polling that only favored himself rather than the more respective data. Just like donors for American Crossroad, they were lied to and personally escorted to a mental bliss through the campaign season. It’s a paradox of the campaign this year. Much of the attack advertising released by the Romney campaign was highly criticized by journalist and fact-checkers, which they would not provide a response to when mentioned. It would sidetrack a more elevated debate of the real issues because the campaign was stuck in the news cycle of the past 48 hours, neutralizing their own potential momentum.

 

            The post election stories have centered “blame” for the landslide defeat following the results of Florida that named President Obama the winner of their state. The results make the official electoral count of   332 to 206, and 50.6% to 47.9% for the president. Analysis from political reports suggest whether the base of the conservative party was too extreme for the voters, the candidate was too out of touch with the country, or his reoccurring pivoting on positions due to how far his party forced him in the primaries. Another source of blame also went to Karl Rove for the lack of results with so much money to their advantage. Karen Tumulty of the Huffington Post would say in her piece that it was a “$300 million dollar learning experience”

Election recollection (Election written)

Election Day has finally come! The 2 year process of primaries to the general election is about to come to an end. The punditry of who is right, who is wrong, who will take America back, and who will take America backwards comes to an end. All the predicting polling data will show which was more accurate all along. It is a true political junky’s Christmas morning, waking up to election coverage, eating a quick breakfast, and going to vote to your polling center, casting your ballot in hopes that your guy will win. My experience maybe a bit more exaggerated, but it’s what makes this day very different from others.

 

            Both, Republicans and Democrats feel very confident that they will get the victory. Something that has been different about this political season is the information how their positioning in the polls and news. For the past two weeks the Romney campaign has firmly believed that their private polling was the basis of how they would campaign would be ran. They have decided to neglect the bi partisan polling data and studies. When the Romney campaign released an attacking ad against the president stating that President Obama had cut the work requirement for welfare programs, many of the media journalist and press had criticized them for not telling the truth about the matter. The fact is that the president had reformed the program for states to handle the issue, something a conservative argument would fancy. When asked on why they would have a factual lacking ad on the air, Romney pollster, Neil Newhouse said “We will not have our campaign dictated by fact-checkers”. That’s right, the pollster said this. As a man who is hired to make his candidate as accurately informed, this is kind of a big deal. As reported here on The Huffigton Post by Sam Stein  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/23/mitt-romney-_n_1836139.html

Hip Hop In Time Out

If Jim Jones's mom feels compelled enough that anyone in the hip hop industry would actually listen to her, then what does that say about the state of the game. I mean, even soulja boy somehow became a hit so who knows. But really, this is what it's come to? Even 10 years ago we couldn't shake the repetitive style of how much richer and tougher I am than you. Its been a stew simmering for awhile.

Was tribe called quest and the pharcyde area that long ago? A lot of times I ask myself and others, if rap didn't pay so well what do you think they'd rap about?Seriously, think if it paid as much as it did a teacher in a public school. That would eliminate 55% of today's hip hop.

Unfortunately, that other 45% is an obsession of sex, like its never happened the prior 3,000 years. It also feeds to the social problems obtained my its listeners, teen pregnancy. But just like the father in the situation, the artist wouldn't want to claim responsibility for it.

 Or maybe its another social phobia, the fear of admitting vulnerability. The pharcyde would sound like self loathers compared to this generation's music. Hip hop used to be like that, a form of updated blues. Rappers who didn't mind to explain their pain resentments, and fears.Now, a complete 180. This fear that your not as much of the "shit" you think you are. Disguising any fear, emotions, worries, or admitting you were ever wrong. Its the essentials of humanity. You can't ignore that, its how you grow, and get better. Instead you get stuck in a blissful ignorance where no one can tell you anything simply because you don't want to believe it

Maybe Im asking for too much from people, who knows? But Hip hop really needs to do some soul searching. Its a shame when talent isn't even marketable, and repetitiveness is rewarded.

The Fantasy of Government Dependency

After a bad week for Mitt Romney,which seems now to be a cliche to say these days, a lot of discussion about the "moochers" government aide has surfaced. Mitt Romney says he can not reach a certain 47% of the electorate because President Obama has solidify that portion through government aide, so they will never vote for him

I wish that were true only for the fact that if it was, the president would be up by 30 points, and Mitt would have to kiss the south goodbye as Dylan Matthews points out in the Washington post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/09/18/mitt-romney-will-probably-get-95-electoral-votes-from-moocher-states-obama-will-probably-get-5/

This idea of government systematically making people dependent of them for political gain is simply not true. Majority of the Republican base receives some type of government aide, but completely opposed to the idea of government doing anything for anybody.

Generalizing people who receive aide as people who just want to settle with dependency is simply not true. Case in point to my general readers, mostly college students. Financial aide and tuition helps those who usually wouldn't have the opportunity to gain higher learning. It simply stand as a helping hand to society doing better for its self.

Yes, there are people who milk the system. But there's nothing that some type of reform can't solve.Completely erasing the system would only make things worst. Demonizing who ever have is simply turning your back on half the country.   

Political Junk Yard Part 2

A conservative politician's point of view is that progression & progressives are wrong. How as a nation do we turn our back on our own infrastructural?How can we be so hell bent on nation building other countries and deny our own.Feed the poorest of 3rd world countries, but deny helping our poorest citizens. Not that I know exactly what the fore fathers wanted for this country, but I would thing they would think we kinda misinterpret them. Invoking the fore fathers my have its own double edge sword in a argument trying to prove a point. All sides the political spectrum can the agree that the fore fathers idea of The United States being a grand nation.But when it comes to present day dilemmas, we can't face it by sitting back and say "the US is perfect".Our modern day issues are from years,even decades of neglect & ethnocentric belief. Lets face it,some countries do better than us at stuff. Competition to do well for our citizens is something we should take in stride, not politicized for fear.

Political Yard SALE!!!

Spring is usually the time to do your major cleaning ,but in the political season the best time would now (mid-summer).With majority of people on vacation & the last of their worries are some billionaire's taxes, the news's voice to meager ears.So why not take advantage?I decided to do a little cleaning of my own for media pundits,campaign spokesmen, congress, & anyone within the political spectrum. Removing all the cliches & talking points that sound good for the situation.Not like they're going to listen to me,but I figured I'd take a crack at it.

Big Government!!!!!

It's comical to me just hearing the words "big government". Automatically I think of a giant robot in a low budget Godzilla flick.How the giant robot (obviously a man in a robot costume) stomping on the toy version of the city. The actors playing civilians,looking up in fear, and portraying that there really is a giant robot stomping on their town. Then I snap out of that daydream and see the usual monger.Republicans usually base the "big government" fear to the public when they're preferred office is occupied by another party.Just like the actors,fearing something fictional.Its been that way for the past 30 years now."Don't vote for this guy, he promotes big government!".The bad thing about this argument (although a catchy to some) is that it can really only work for someone taking their fist crack at public office. That is if you're into that whole "character" thing.With the track record at what it is Republicans never seem to abide by the criticism articulate. The most intrusive legislative Patriot Act, was Republican devised. Even reached  a GOP debate this pass season, Mitt Romney & Rick Santorum jockeying for who was smaller in government; both being former politicians.Imagine that,two men battling over who is smaller.In the end we all know that government is eventually need for some things whether you like it not, and some pretty good stuff at that.A place to learn,a place that give us mail, a road to get us one place to another.I can go on but you understand.Its best we put the "big government"  bumper stick on car you drive the least.

Capitalism problems

The United States is very unique. The economy grows in two parts,Business capital & The Fed (gov).To know this country, you must you its history(as would any other).Back to 1920's, when a familiar stock  market crash to the one of most recent (2008).Having the government forced to give loads of money to repair the market forcing the nation into a recession, as it were to both situations.We are a smart enough country in the sense that we know when someone is trying to cheat,you keep your eye on them,right?. So, you would slap on regulations to make sure the wall street guys do it again,right?So why so defensive on regulations?Understandably cutting the ones that don't meet today's criteria, but you complain bout the new ones sure don't make it sound like you learned your lesson.The fact that this narrative can pick up to the blue collar and working force (under $250,000/yr) confuses me.Its a prime example supporting against your own interest. This shouldn't really offend the rich for ,1.its true, and 2.YOU'RE RICH!!!!!