A couple stories...
Mar. 9th, 2011 12:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fantastic_jackieI'm not one to ever cry at random things, but this story brought tears to my eyes:
Cancer-Stricken 10-yr-old Gets Wish: Joins Army
----------------
Separate from that amazing article, the story contained within this next one can't go without comment:
GOP Targets Student Voting Rights
I would have boo'ed loudly if I was at that Tea Party and hoped my fellow young cons would join in.
Geez, I'm not even supposed to be typing like this, yet.
This story is why my generation will never vote GOP. Sure, political opinions play a part and the GOP is actually pretty retarded in many aspects, but they're also, for the worse, associated with Conservatism. They're the American political party of conservatism; though Libertarians are becoming more common, the party/ideology has some radical sects that turn off mainstream folks. So, for all intents and purposes, GOP = Conservatism.
Which means I think I'm supposed to hate myself for being young. Or at the very least, consider myself all kinds of inferior to older folks.
The GOP is constantly playing itself up as the older, we're-not-racists! country club of voters. My concentration here will be the age factor, however I've taken up the other two mantles, as well. These debates have always been rather savage, because it will be me and 3 or 4 other young people vs multiple older folks...
When I bring this up amongst other GOP'ers, often becoming absolutely incensed, the number one deflector/contention of choice is that young people are too stupid. "I was stupid when I was young," many of them will say as if it's some sort of caveat that gives them carte blanche to spew such arrogance and ignorance.
Because, of course, logic would follow in such a contention that age has given said person wisdom, simply because they're older. And the following generation is always more pathetic, infantile, and generally mentally deficient when compared to the parent generation. Who raised said youth generation. - They always forget that last part.
Let's set one thing straight here: Addressing the issue of voter fraud is paramount, and should be to every American, from left to right and everywhere in between. If we were talking about requiring ID's to vote, I'm there; it astonishes me that you don't need one considering how sacred the right is to us. But it is a States' Rights issue, which is why the article is talking about various states' approaches to the issue: we don't need the Fed issuing such mandates.
Still, the particular rules that are being described here feel all too targeted: unless they're missing some vital piece of information, why shouldn't student ID's be enough to vote? I don't even have to present my DL to vote here; I can just show an image-less voter's card.
If the GOP has a genuine concern regarding voter fraud with Student ID's, then they need to COME OUT and state it clearly. The GOP isn't like the DNC: they can't leave it up to the media to carry the water and explain their reasons. It's never going to be like that for the GOP. GOP: Get your butts in front of the camera, in print, in op-eds, and EXPLAIN YOURSELVES.
Of course, the bolded text above from the article cements for me that any attempts hereafter to do just that is far too little far too late.
I have been making a fuss about this for years: the GOP has NO INTEREST whatsoever in attracting the youth vote. There's a certain animosity inherent that I as a young person in the GOP can't help noticing. They dislike the youth unless we're on "their side." I'm treated with kid gloves: Oh, how cute! Your parents raised you right, didn't they? Haha! Get it? Raised you right!
Obviously, as a young person, I'm not old enough and therefore not intelligent enough to make my own decisions or consider my own political opinions.
How can they NOT see the appeal of liberalism to the young? They're VALUED over there, for who they are. I envy that.
Do I get an I told you so moment now? I think I deserve it at least, even if I can't take it.
Considering how inept the GOP is, I find myself hoping more and more that libertarians will overtake the GOP's place in the future with our generation. - Not the radical ones who are against police or any sort of government education, federal, state, or local. I'm not in for anarchy. - But at least the libertarians' ideology is far more rigid with regards to such petty political issues. Of course, the larger a party gets, the more petty and partisan it becomes, so it's probably inescapable either way.
Cancer-Stricken 10-yr-old Gets Wish: Joins Army
Last month, doctors told his family there was nothing more they could do, and gave Brennan just weeks to live.I'd highly recommend reading the whole article; it's only a few hundred words long, and well, well worth it. :)
...
Becky Prejean, who runs a charity for sick kids called Dreams Come True of Louisiana, heard about Brennan's illness, and got in touch with his mother, Kristy Daigle. Brennan's greatest wish, Daigle told Prejean, was to meet some soldiers in person, before his illness worsened. So the two women contacted the Fort Polk Community Relations Office, which put out a call for a few soldiers to attend Brennan's tenth birthday on Feb. 26.
Forty showed up.
----------------
Separate from that amazing article, the story contained within this next one can't go without comment:
Some GOP lawmakers in New Hampshire have billed the measures as an attempt to crack down on voter fraud in the state--but recent remarks from the newly elected GOP state House speaker have suggested otherwise.Uhm. 'scuse me?
In a recent speech to a tea party group in the state, House Speaker William O'Brien described college voters as "foolish." "Voting as a liberal. That's what kids do," he said, in remarks that were videotaped by a state Democratic Party staffer and posted on YouTube. Students, he said, lack "life experience" and "just vote their feelings."
I would have boo'ed loudly if I was at that Tea Party and hoped my fellow young cons would join in.
Geez, I'm not even supposed to be typing like this, yet.
This story is why my generation will never vote GOP. Sure, political opinions play a part and the GOP is actually pretty retarded in many aspects, but they're also, for the worse, associated with Conservatism. They're the American political party of conservatism; though Libertarians are becoming more common, the party/ideology has some radical sects that turn off mainstream folks. So, for all intents and purposes, GOP = Conservatism.
Which means I think I'm supposed to hate myself for being young. Or at the very least, consider myself all kinds of inferior to older folks.
The GOP is constantly playing itself up as the older, we're-not-racists! country club of voters. My concentration here will be the age factor, however I've taken up the other two mantles, as well. These debates have always been rather savage, because it will be me and 3 or 4 other young people vs multiple older folks...
When I bring this up amongst other GOP'ers, often becoming absolutely incensed, the number one deflector/contention of choice is that young people are too stupid. "I was stupid when I was young," many of them will say as if it's some sort of caveat that gives them carte blanche to spew such arrogance and ignorance.
Because, of course, logic would follow in such a contention that age has given said person wisdom, simply because they're older. And the following generation is always more pathetic, infantile, and generally mentally deficient when compared to the parent generation. Who raised said youth generation. - They always forget that last part.
Let's set one thing straight here: Addressing the issue of voter fraud is paramount, and should be to every American, from left to right and everywhere in between. If we were talking about requiring ID's to vote, I'm there; it astonishes me that you don't need one considering how sacred the right is to us. But it is a States' Rights issue, which is why the article is talking about various states' approaches to the issue: we don't need the Fed issuing such mandates.
Still, the particular rules that are being described here feel all too targeted: unless they're missing some vital piece of information, why shouldn't student ID's be enough to vote? I don't even have to present my DL to vote here; I can just show an image-less voter's card.
If the GOP has a genuine concern regarding voter fraud with Student ID's, then they need to COME OUT and state it clearly. The GOP isn't like the DNC: they can't leave it up to the media to carry the water and explain their reasons. It's never going to be like that for the GOP. GOP: Get your butts in front of the camera, in print, in op-eds, and EXPLAIN YOURSELVES.
Of course, the bolded text above from the article cements for me that any attempts hereafter to do just that is far too little far too late.
I have been making a fuss about this for years: the GOP has NO INTEREST whatsoever in attracting the youth vote. There's a certain animosity inherent that I as a young person in the GOP can't help noticing. They dislike the youth unless we're on "their side." I'm treated with kid gloves: Oh, how cute! Your parents raised you right, didn't they? Haha! Get it? Raised you right!
Obviously, as a young person, I'm not old enough and therefore not intelligent enough to make my own decisions or consider my own political opinions.
How can they NOT see the appeal of liberalism to the young? They're VALUED over there, for who they are. I envy that.
Do I get an I told you so moment now? I think I deserve it at least, even if I can't take it.
Considering how inept the GOP is, I find myself hoping more and more that libertarians will overtake the GOP's place in the future with our generation. - Not the radical ones who are against police or any sort of government education, federal, state, or local. I'm not in for anarchy. - But at least the libertarians' ideology is far more rigid with regards to such petty political issues. Of course, the larger a party gets, the more petty and partisan it becomes, so it's probably inescapable either way.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-03-11 03:34 am (UTC)Addressing the Republican guy's quote, I can see why you would find it upsetting but on the other hand, check back with yourself in about 20 years. There are times when I think lowering the voting age to 18 was a huge mistake. You can't even legally drink alcohol but somehow you still are mature enough to choose our leaders. If it were up to me, I'd bump up the voting age to 25 with exceptions for active duty military, married people, or those who can pass a civics test. Why? While there are smart, aware young adults--yes, even those who are liberal--and utter dopes my age, remembering how things were back in the day, the majority of my peers didn't really know what they thought or why. Even my own views were a confusing mess. Many are still forming their opinions and for most college students, those opinions are being forged by peers, Marxist professors, and pop culture. Most of their concerns are self-centered. After all, most of them are unmarried, have no children, have limited job experience (and likely at the bottom of the rung), have never employed anyone, and don't own property. Most don't earn enough to pay very much in taxes if at all. They're just old enough to know the world's not a fair place and still young enough to believe you can correct that with the right government policies. Democrats also get a lot of mileage from promising young people access to all of the sex they want without any sort of responsibility or judgment (abortion, government subsidized birth control, even gay rights) which of course sounds great when you're 19. It's not so much stupidity but having limited life experience and being in a different place in life from say, a 45-year-old business owner with a wife, kids, and a mortgage.
There's a way to make inroads with young voters but if you ask me, what the Republicans ought to be doing is doing all it can to reverse the leftist stranglehold on education at every level.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-11 06:47 pm (UTC)That part I have no problem with, but I do have a problem with the coincidences. I also have a problem with singling out Student IDs in the other state: I don't even have to present an ID to vote, and I'm in Texas. Yeah, each state chooses their own restrictions, but it just seems mighty, mighty convenient that the Republicans start this immediately after they get into power after the 2008 election in which their butts were handed to them largely in part due to the youth voting block. As I said, voter fraud is an issue of paramount importance, but if there are going to be new laws on who can vote, how, and why or whatever else it is they want to include in such legislation, they had BETTER get out and explain exactly WHY it needs be so. - And with addressing any rights, it does need to be an area of absolute necessity.
The MSM, as per its usual modus operandi, decide to tie in this quote
Yes, he did. He also tried to make it about race at the end, which I don't buy for one minute. It's more my own experience of debating this issue repeatedly that I'm going off of here - the quote cements my suspicions. Even if it was entirely out of context, the fact of the matter is that he currently holds those opinions regarding college-age youth: there IS an ulterior motive here.
Call me paranoid, but considering the general hostility towards colleges within the Republican party directed at both professors and students, I can't help but see the correlation. I'm also severely skeptical any time government decides, "Hey. We need to limit your rights/how you can exercise your rights now." I'm going to look for the hidden implications, no matter who is doing the suggestions.
If it were up to me, I'd bump up the voting age to 25 with exceptions for active duty military, married people, or those who can pass a civics test.
Honestly in 20 years, my goal is still remember what it's like to be young - in the compassionate and empathetic sense. I hope I'm not so drastically different from who I am today that I have the same jaded opinion many older folks exude today.
Jim Crow Laws for people under 25? We tried that before for black and poor people, and they were rightfully struck down: I don't think it would go over well if citizens had to prove their intelligence or worth only if they're under 25.
Are we even... flirting with taxation with no representation here? Because I'm not yet 25, but I assure you I have been paying taxes for the past 6 years.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-11 06:48 pm (UTC)Conversely, the vast majority of 20-yr-olds I speak with want to learn. They want to take the time to understand and make their own informed decisions. Probably because we know there will be no social security for us. Yet we, who are going to be the most affected by that, shouldn't have any say in the civics process because we're too young?
Just two years ago, my political opinions were still developing. My writing style was still developing. My knowledge of the retirement industry was still developing. My video game skills were still developing. My "level" as a Christian was still developing.
Today? Yeah. All that stuff is still developing. And honestly, I don't ever foresee a time when I'll stop developing or even WANT to stop developing, even when I turn 25 next month. I love to learn, and I understand that I'll never reach the Ultimate Peak of Nothing Left to Improve.
But I'd suggest that if we're going to have limits on how old you have to be to vote, there should be a cut-off age limit, as well. Once you get to 65 or so, you're nearing the end of your life: why are you influencing policy decisions that will well out-last your lifespan? I think it should go for anyone diagnosed with a terminal illness, as well: if you're gonna die, no voting rights for you.
Republicans ought to be doing is doing all it can to reverse the leftist stranglehold on education at every level.
Republicans need to be embracing youth as citizens of equal standing instead of constantly looking for a way to degrade or exclude them. EVERYONE is in a state of development at ANY given time: excluding the youth has far more to do with the fact that they vote largely liberal. Well, what happens with the democrats make the equal suggestion regarding seniors who vote largely republican?
We ALL live in this nation, we ALL have the ability to make decisions and live our own lives. Therefore, the policies that government makes affects us ALL, and we should ALL therefore have the ability to influence those decisions if we so choose.