Why Do We Never Get An Answer?

When I first worked as a newspaper reporter, I always worried that I wouldn't get all of the information. Just to cover my ass, I often asked what may have seemed to be silly questions or too many questions. But I asked anyway, and I got my answers.

Now it seems that journalists just won't ask enough questions to get all the information that the public needs. At least I'm never satisfied with the information they present. So I have some questions that I need answered. Some of them are dead serious; others are more in the Andy Rooney did-ya-ever-wonder line.

1. Why is a poor child less important than a rich one? Even if it is the parents' fault for not supporting their offspring properly, those children still deserve to eat, to be educated, to have the opportunity to succeed. Don't penalize the child for the sins of the parent.

2. How is Social Security an entitlement when millions of Americans have invested their earned money, without choice, in the program? Perhaps those of us with funds in the program should say "It's my money and I want it now!"

3. Where in the Bible does Jesus preach against anything related to the LGBT community? Yes I know it says in Leviticus that men should not lay with each other as they would with a woman. But that is Old Testament Hebrew law -- something that Christians say Jesus trumps. Plus, the idea of homosexuality was unknown in ancient times; it was normal behavior in most cultures of that day. Men went to male prostitutes for pleasure; their wives were for procreation only.

4. And while I'm on the LGBT subject, how does same sex marriage harm my own marriage? It simply isn't possible. Plus, it seems that heterosexuals have done the majority of the damage to the institution of marriage on their own with affairs, domestic violence and divorce.

5. What do God, guns and country have to do with each other? OK, I will concede the guns and country part a bit. Winchester tamed the Old West. Samuel Colt made all men equal. Lead and black powder won the freedom of the nation and resolved its internal dispute. And, I will accept that God and religion have been a major force in this nation. But putting them all in the same equation, to me, isn't logical. So I ask for an explanation.

6. Why is lying about getting a blow job impeachable, but lying to go to war is not? As long as the President is getting the job done for the country, I really don't care what goes on under the desk. I do care, however, about putting our young men and women in harm's way for a false reason (just because some bully got the better of your daddy on the playground).

7. When you fly the Stars and Bars, do you really know what it means? I often see the flag of the Confederacy being displayed with beer, Hank Williams Jr., and large 4WD trucks. Being a Rebel wasn't about being a redneck. It was about states' rights and a certain way of life that, unfortunately, depended upon the slavery of other humans. I can't imagine Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson giving up the cry of "Git R Done".

8. Why does the stock market fall every time someone sneezes in China? Is it that precarious, or are these traders a bunch of shysters who are taking us for a ride? Again folks, that's our money too. Stop taking it from the little guy and putting it in your pocket.

9. If huge tax breaks for American corporations creates jobs, where are those jobs? I'm still waiting, along with millions of others who got kicked to the curb in this economy. Boehner, Cantor and the rest of the Republican gang claim their plan will create jobs. When? After the zombie apocalypse? It hasn't worked yet, fellows, and it won't as long as you keep rewarding bad behavior.

10. How can Americans claim "God-given" rights from scripture when it was written long before America was even discovered? We have Constitutionally-guaranteed rights, but I don't recall any Biblical text that says God has his hand on this nation and its people. Even in the last days, the Jews are still his chosen ones.

11. Why is it acceptable to do away with protecting the environment and the food supply? People and businesses, like little children, require boundaries. Someone has to set limits to prevent harm to themselves and others. That is why we have a Federal government -- to set the boundaries needed to protect the citizens and the planet.

12. Why should we privatize education, but not space exploration? If education is private, only the wealthy will be educated, and we will have created a greater welfare state than we already have. But space exploration, even medical research could be privatized. Because there would be greater resources, endless creativity, and accountability, we would undoubtedly achieve great things.

13. Do we really believe that military intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan or any other ass-backwards country is going to change things? The former Soviet Union figured it out; why can't we? Again, we are sacrificing our best and brightest for people who hate us and are content to live in the stone age. Leave them there!

14. And finally, why are RuPaul's queens better counselors and psychologists than all of the preachers, professionals and others like Dr. Phil? I've watched RuPaul's Drag U occasionally and the support and advice those queens have given some women is incredibly healing and supportive. If more of us listened to those girls, we'd be a lot happier. And that is something this world needs a lot more of right now.

My questions are waiting. Anyone have any answers for me?

The Nightmare within The Dream

America was founded on a dream, a pursuit of personal freedoms and a better way of life. Millions came to these shores seeking what became known as the "American Dream". Different as we were, that dream meant the same thing to all -- this was a place where life would be better and we could achieve anything we wanted to achieve.

To some, the American dream meant safety -- a place where they would be protected from death squads and political upheaval.

To others, it meant freedom -- to worship as they believed, to pursue vocations and avocations alike, to express themselves through any medium they chose.

The dream that was America also included gainful employment, a home in which to raise your family, clothes on your back, food on your table, education for your children, and access to the best healthcare in the world. If you think back to psychology 101, those don't sound like outrageous wants; they sound like the most basic levels of human needs.

Now, thanks to poor decisions in Washington and the ultra-conservative movement in this country, there is no longer an American dream. For millions, it has become the American nightmare -- a horrific downward spiral from which we cannot wake.

The dream of home ownership has been destroyed by the subprime lending practices and inflated real estate prices. More and more families are threatened with homelessness every day because of misleading practices and foreclosure. Yet Congress does nothing.

The dream of free education for our children is being threatened by bureaucratic mandates, emphasis on test scores, and calls for privatization of our schools. When education is no longer public, many children will be left behind, uneducated because their families cannot afford America's new system. And Congress rallies behind this new direction.

The dream of a college degree is quickly becoming a thing of the past as tuition costs escalate at public and private institutions alike. And Congress backs plans to eliminate Pell grants and students loans, the only hope for many seeking higher education.

The dream of gainful employment has vanished for millions as businesses close their doors and corporations are rewarded for eliminating job or shipping them overseas. Worse yet, Congress fails to acknowledge its role in this situation and do anything to change it.

Dreams of affordable healthcare, a safe environment, saving for retirement, marrying the person of your choice, supporting the elderly and the disabled have all vanished. Dashed by people who do not comprehend the principles upon which America was founded, the principles by which our government is supposed to operate. Damaged by elected officials who serve a political ideology instead of the United States Constitution and the needs of the people. Destroyed by those who place their own self-serving wishes about the general welfare of the nation.

America is poised on the edge of a black abyss, a chasm from which Congress can pull us back if our elected servants are willing to look at issues logically. First, we must hold everyone accountable for their fair share of the tax burden. Placing the overwhelming burden for America's revenues on the working class is, quite simply, short-sighted and ridiculous. Corporations, millionaires and billionaires have made their wealth from America. They owe something back to the nation that enabled them to achieve the dream.

Then, we must have affordable healthcare. We must have free public education and affordable higher education. We must provide support for our elderly and disabled. We must control the Wall Street attacks on peoples' savings and investments. We must maintain the monies that working Americans have already invested in Social Security. We must protect this nation from terrorist threats. We must treat all people fairly and equally, without regard to race, gender, religion or sexual identity. We must create a safe, healthy environment for ourselves and our children. In short, we MUST take care of the basic needs of this nation. Everything else must take a back seat until the general welfare of the nation has been met.

Only then will we awaken from this nightmare and return to the ideal that is the American dream.