The Obama Abortion Irony

Our new president is a supporter of abortion rights. The conservative Catholic group, Catholicvote.org, had a new ad to coincide with his inauguration yesterday. The gist of the ad was as follows.....

"This child's future is a broken home
he will be abandoned by his father
his single mother will struggle to raise him
despite the hardships he will endure
this child
will become
The 1st African American President
Life
Imagine the Potential"

What are the odds that our now-president might have become just another abortion statistic?

While I agree that abortion should be up to an individual, the individual should not just automatically decide to abort a fetus just because it looks like it might be a tough road ahead. People actually can overcome and rise above bad situations.

So Sayeth The Shack

Wow! What An Election

Whether or not the person I voted for won, this was the most amazing election I have ever seen. Never before have I waited in line to vote. Yesterday it was a good hour wait. It was great to finally see so many people that care about the future getting out and having their say. I always vote at about the same time of the day. Usually I am voter number 100 or less. Yesterday I was voter number 780!! Wow!!! It would be nice to see this kind of turnout at every election.

So Sayeth The Shack

What A Choice!

So tomorrow is election day and I am sitting here still wondering who to vote for.

Do I vote for an exuberent yet inexperienced young man who seems to have some great ideas, but who supposedly lacks knowledge of and respect for the constitution?(This according to Heather Higgins and others). He wants to "redistribute" wealth in a more fair and equitable fashion by the use to taxes and such things. This would be beneficial to me at the present time but at the same time I'm not sure it is fair to punish wealthier people because they have more money. His own lack of experience is supplemented by the experience of his running mate however.

Or do I vote for a much older man of much greater experience including military service but with a running mate with even less experience than the other candidate? A man in somehat questionable health and with a notorious temper. A man who allegedly failed his comrades-in-arms during a previous war. (Again, who do you trust for this information?) A man who did more than his share of negative campaigning...taking some of his opponent's words and phrases out of context and twisting them into something else (not that his opponent didn't do the same thing).

So many tough decisions. I think when I get into the voting booth tomorrow I'll just play eeny-meeny-miny-mo.

So Sayeth The Shack

Don't Be a One-Issue Voter

Recently, in a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, someone indicated that they would vote for McCain based on Obama's and Biden's stand on abortion rights. They gave no reasons other than this.

There are many such "one-issue voters" out there. They vote based on the candidate's stand on one issue only. For some, the issue is abortion rights. For others it may be gay rights, or gun control, or some other thing.

This is not the way to pick our political leaders. We must figure out which candidate will do the best job overall leading our nation. We may not agree with their view on every issue, but sometimes sacrifices must be made. We must try to pick the person who has the best vision for our nation's future and will do the best job turning things around and getting us back on track as a world leader.

As far as abortion rights are concerned, I believe that this is a personal issue. I personally believe that abortion is wrong, but I believe that each woman must be given the freedom to decide this issue for herself.

As far as gay rights are concerned, I believe that we must treat all human beings equally regardless of their sexual orientation or other characteristcs. If being gay is a "sin" then God can deal with it at the appropriate time.

As far as gun laws are concerned, this would have been a much better world if guns had not been invented in the first place. Can we go back in time and undo that one? But seriously I believe that everyone has the right to own a gun to defend themselves, their family and their property, and to hunt if they so desire. The exception would be convicted criminals and those who are mentally unstable and have displayed suicidal or homicidal tendencies.

So Sayeth The Shack

Still A Tough Choice

A while ago in Vote For The Veep I advised picking the new president based a great deal on who they picked for running mate.

So the choices for vice president have been made by both parties and it is still a tough choice. I believe the Obama/Biden ticket is well balanced, combining youthful exuberance and ambition with wisdom and experience. Of course the same might be said for the McCain/Palin ticket in reverse. And of course you can find a scandal against just about anyone. Even me. I kicked a nun once when I was in grade school. That's my scandal. It would be a big deal if I were nominated for office.

One of my biggest problems with McCain is that he has how many houses? 7? Who the frick need seven houses!??!! I'll bet they're all mansions too...not one of them like anything I'd be able to afford. Is that how he will run this country...spending taxpayer money on extravagances? So for now I lean toward Obama/Biden.

So Sayeth The Shack

Vote For The Veep

Given the state of affairs in this country and around the world, the upcoming presidential election will likey be one of the most important in a long while. But there are two big problems. First of all, is either candidate qualified to lead in these times of trouble and turmoil? More importantly, will either candidate, if elected, live out the term of office? One risks getting assassinated, for various reasons. The other is so old that he might die in office. This makes the vice-presidential candidate perhaps more important than the presidential candidate. I am not happy with either candidate, but will most like choose based on who they pick for running mate more than anything else.

George W. Bush Presidential Library

The following is from internet discussion boards, not my original work....

The George W. Bush Presidential Library is now in the planning stages.

The Library will include:

The Hurricane Katrina Room, which is still under construction.

The Alberto Gonzales Room, where you won't be able to remember anything.

The Texas Air National Guard Room, where you don't even have to show up.

The Walter Reed Hospital Room, where they don't let you in.

The Guantanamo Bay Room, where they don't let you out.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room, which no one has been able to find.

The National Debt room which is huge and has no ceiling.

The 'Tax Cut' Room with entry only to the wealthy.

The 'Economy Room' which is in the toilet.

The Iraq War Room. After you complete your first tour, they make you to go back for a second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth tour.

The Dick Cheney Room, in the famous undisclosed location, complete with shotgun gallery.

The Environmental Conservation Room, still empty.

The Supreme Court's Gift Shop, where you can buy an election.

The Airport Men's Room, where you can meet some of your favorite Republican Senators.

The 'Decider Room' complete with dart board, magic 8-ball, Ouija board, dice, coins, and straws.

The museum will also have an electron microscope to help you locate the President's accomplishments.

Congressmen and Senators get in free. After all, they've had a free ride for the past 8 years!

So Sayeth The Shack

Post-Election Taxes

The following was received via e-mail. Thought I would pass it on.

DATA ON TAXES

Proposed changes in taxes after the 2008 General election:

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN

0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose

any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA

28% on profit from ALL home sales

How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you

will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and

would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28%

of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will

adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their

homes as part of their retirement income.

DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN 15% (no change)

OBAMA 39.6%

How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market,

IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or

anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly

40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts

predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash

the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.'

INCOME TAX

MCCAIN (no changes)

Single making 30K - tax $4,500

Single making 50K - tax $12,500

Single making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 60K- tax $9,000

Married making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)

Single making 30K - tax $8,400

Single making 50K - tax $14,000

Single making 75K - tax $23,250

Married making 60K - tax $16,800

Married making 75K - tax $21,000

Married making 125K - tax $38,750

Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!

INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax

Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have

been in their families for generations because they could not afford the

inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose

them to these taxes.

NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA

New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet.

New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already)

New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)

New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....

New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level

of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

You can verify the above at the following web sites:

http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html

http://elections.foxnews.com/?s=proposed+taxes

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/

More Worried About Animals Than People?

The circus came to town this past week. Interestingly, it arrived on the day of the primary elections. A little ironic, don't you think?

Whenever the circus comes to town, there are people who write letters to the editor of our newspaper protesting the way the animals are treated. Animals that are supposed to be running wild in Africa, Asia or wherever are instead captured, trained and made to perform for our entertainment. I do not totally disagree with the writers of these letters. However, human beings have been subjugating animals just about as long as there have been human beings on this planet. We have captured them, tamed and domesticated them, put them to work for us, made pets out of them, and made food out of them. The circus animals are probably treated relatively well compared to some of these others. But more importantly, I wonder if these same letter-writers are just as horrified by the way we treat other human beings. I am not specifying any "we" in particular, but human beings in general are not know for their wonderful treatment of other humans. Slavery, genocide, torture and war are just some of the examples. And you don't have to go to some far-flung country. Right here at home, in the news on a regular basis, are examples. In fact the majority of us are now being forced into poverty by Big Oil, Big Business and Big Government. So before we worry about how the circus animals are treated (I'm sure they are well fed, at the very least), we should worry about how we treat others, starting with our family and neighbors and going outward from there.

So Sayeth The Shack

Political Circus

Yesterdday was primary election day here. It was also the day the circus came to town. Anyone besides my see the irony?

So Sayeth The Shack

Some Pennsylvanians Unable To Vote

It has come to our atttention that a large number of rural Pennsylvanians will be unable to vote in tomorrow's primary.

The reason?

They can't afford the gas to drive to their polling place!!!!


So Sayeth The Shack

Why Be President?

I really don't understand why anyone wants to be president of this country. It's like volunteering to be captain of a sinking ship.

So Sayeth The Shack

Hillary Healthcare; Another Unfunded Mandate?

One of Hillary Clinton's big campaign items is the idea of universal health insurance. When I first heard of this I was thinking of the sort of universal health care they have in Canada. But a closer listen reveals that she is talking about universal heath insurance. Basically everyone will be required to have insurance. OK now who is going to pay for that? The main reason people don't have health insurance is that they can't afford it. Now they're going to be required to have it? And even for some people who do have it...it's pretty much worthless anyway. Just look at mine. I paid thousands of dollars in premiums last year and still have thousands of dollars in medical bills, so basically I didn't get jack shit for the money I paid in. The same thing is happening this year. I really feel that I would be better off without it, and probably some of these other people would too. If I had saved all the money I had paid in premiums I might actually be able to afford my medical bills.

So Sayeth The Shack

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