A Rebuttal to Leftist Stereotypes Placed on Republicans, Conservatives and Libertarians

I’ve seen a lot of comments on reddit and other social media outlets smearing the Right, unaware of what their Democratic administration is doing to shame marijuana, gay rights, etc, as well. Instances like these are far from being a one-party downfall. This is an issue with old government (old politicians), which is really a new government which is not really based on our Constitution, whatsoever.

Let’s start with marijuana legalization. I think anyone who regards “fresh” Republicans as being the same money-hungry politicians as the “veteran” politicians is really quite asinine or just merely uninformed on current political shifts. As in recent history, a Republican run House garnered 219 votes to support of medical marijuana, 33% support from these younger Republicans, 19% from “resident” Republicans. Now don’t be mistaken, the trend has in fact, trickled to the populous.

We can revisit the current Democratic administration, now, to highlight its role in ‘derailing’ the legalization of marijuana. As Eric Holder stated in 2010: “that the Obama administration “strongly opposes” the initiative and “will vigorously enforce the (Controlled Substances Act) against those individuals and organizations that possess, manufacture or distribute marijuana for recreational use, even if such activities are permitted under state law.” Our constitution has one very big factor that it protects, and that is state’s rights. This is another ‘firewall’ against the pure democracy that is growing stronger by the day.

I know I will receive a comment about Bush and the Patriot Act regarding the current state of affairs. However, to this, I can only remind you that when President Obama had the chance to let the Patriot Act die, he extended it. Not only this, President Obama kept Bush admin.

Let’s move on to the current growing police state. We can look at what the former Democratic Congress supported: the growing police state. As stated, “the same goes for corporate America, with companies like Verizon, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and others willingly collaborating in the wholesale assault on the rights of the American people.” While this particular article focuses on the controversy surrounding the Snowden leaks, it is measure that these politicians supported despite what it would mean and did consequently result for the American people. We can also look at one of the growing issues in America, civil asset forfeiture. Our current administration is in favor of someone who is in favor of it. Loretta Lynch. There should never be an instance where a government official of the United States of America would be okay with a police officer entering your house and taking whatever they want.

Let’s continue with the illusion that the Right is strongly against gay marriage. False. As with marijuana, the very present force of young Republicans is growing and changing the way the game of politics is being played. While Republicans did control the midterm elections, the vote was split right down the middle. In 2012, Republicans garnered more supports for gay marriage rights than did the Democrats. If I had to say anything more about this, the angst against the LBGT community is in the mob mentality that it has taken on. If the LBGT community could appropriately live within society with the rest of us without imposing your views on us. When you have to involve the U.S. government to take away rights of others, you are not doing this country a service. In any way.

Next is the ‘war on women,’ which any rational person would know by now, that it is a complete lie.

On to a more recent shift within the left: immigration. We now see Democrats sounding off about the homeless and starving, appearing to care about those who can not do for themselves. Wouldn’t a sensible solution be to open more jobs up to these American citizens? Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but our “loving” president convinced you that amnesty was a great thing, right? Well, due to this, at least 500,000 jobs have been taken away from true Americans. As I write this, members of our current administration are fighting to take even more jobs away from our own.

To me, it seems that Democrats really do view our fellow (while still blinded) citizens as just a vote on a ticket. They do whatever they choose under the cover of darkness. The best example of this is, our dear champion, Hillary Clinton.

Many now assume that Hillz will be the Democrat favorite. As if we need any more explanation of her “trustworthiness,” I’ll keep it to the basics. Whitewater, Benghazi, Waco, Ruby Ridge, Travelgate, Chinagate, Filegate, etc., etc.

At some point, the Right must realize that our party is changing for the good, if we unite against the powers that be. At some point, the Left is going to have to realize that the party that they are so dedicated to does not care about them. They will do whatever they can, say whatever they have to, to gain your vote. These are the rich that threaten our very existence as a free society.

When we unite as a people against those who wish to harm our very livelihood, we will break through victorious. There are two amazing politicians running in favor of a Constitutional America. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. Hate them or love them, they are running to reign in the government, strengthen the economy, give the states their rights back and release the grips on the American people. If we must initiate change, we must all unite against this regime. I put my hat in for both of these great men ending up on the final ticket.

Oh, what a victory that would be!    

The Hypocrisy of Protesting Race Relations in America

As we see turmoil hit our streets, it seems that the argument has been lost – no longer sought after, never to be sought after again. Protesters in New York City, Berkeley, and Ferguson have been blind to the narrative that they are being used for. To the outside world, it is pretty easy to see that the anger is placed in the wrong direction, and the looming dangers that are now presented. In a last plea of hope, the Democratic campaign is at it again, using the Black community for political gain. From the tragic days of slavery, segregation, electing the first black president, and now racial profiling, the narrative has successfully been placed in the minds of those on the streets: there are racist people out there and you must rely on us (the Democrats) to protect you.

Mind you this is all coming after an Executive Action for amnesty is placed on the table, which would take away 5 million jobs and much needed funds (since our debt clock has now ticked past 18 trillion dollars) that could very easily be used to restore urban communities that are highly populated by minorities. Many of these protesters do not realize that they have been under Democratic rule for many years, and they have forgotten (or just ignored the fact) that there are new faces in these towns. In the Midterm Elections, we saw a wave of red as Democrats were replaced by Republican candidates who have a pretty good rap sheet when it comes to running our government. Not only this, but it really is a slap in the face that we Republicans voted people like Mia Love and Tim Scott into office to give this community a better voice, and now we are being called racists.

Here is a little history lesson about race and the political parties. It is never safe to assume, but it would be pretty safe in this situation to assume that many of these protesters did in fact vote democrat at one point or another. From the 1800’s, the Democratic party has had its hands in the mud of slavery and segregation, once proclaimed as the “White Man’s Party” (they also proclaimed the Republican party to be how do we say politely… full of black people). The 14th Amendment had 0 support from the Democratic party. By the late 1800’s, the Democratic party regained control of the southern states and well that is how it stayed until the 1950’s and 1960’s (oh yeah in the 1930’s they filibustered anti-lynching bills until they disappeared). Also, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that the protesters keep referring to? It was supported by larger percentages of Republicans in both Houses. The Democratic party is in fact, the originating force behind the KKK and pushed for segregation in the south. This is also why you saw some KKK campaign ads leading up to the 2014 elections in Mississippi.

So what is happening now that many have blindly walked past during their rampant and destructive temper tantrums? That the Democratic party has successfully made many Americans, a large majority of blacks, (11% are unemployed by the way) entirely dependent on the Government. They tell you who to vote for, what music to listen to, what clothes to buy, how much money to spend.. But they do not encourage you to have a top notch education, they do not encourage beautification efforts in your communities, they do not encourage a lifestyle that is healthy for yourself or those around you. More black people are killed by other black people than cops ten times over. Thousands have been gunned down on the streets of Chicago, where guns are supposed to be illegal. They have ran campaigns for you to give up your right to practice your religion, whereas 98% of Black Democrats are very religious, this should be something you take more seriously. They have successfully convinced you that “crime isn’t the problem, guns are.” Look now, “crime isn’t the problem, race is.”

Black Criminality is a very serious issue. One parent homes are on the rise, drop out rates continue to climb in urban areas, arrest rates increase and are beginning to trend at younger and younger ages. There must be a time when the black community, and every community for that matter, must look inside and acknowledge their influence on society. If you are selling drugs, it probably is not a good influence, if you are pushing for a degree to one day better your community, it probably is. If you promote a hostile environment, your environment will become hostile. If you continue to break the law, you will continue to have interactions with the police.

There is such thing as accountability. It is an attribute that was once apart of our daily lives, however now escapes us as time goes by. We must not continue to blame someone else for our issues, we must stand up to the occasion and make ourselves better people.

The Importance Of Religion In America

While many claim that there is no war on religion in America, many would agree that there is a serious conflict involving religion and individual rights. Religion has found itself in the feminism, equal rights, and freedoms in the school system debates, often in a derogatory sense. However, many fear that more peaceful religions such as Christianity, Catholicism and Judaism are being replaced by a more chaotic religion such as Islam. Critics of religion, again focusing on western Christian/Judaic faith, include feminists and gay rights activists led by Liberal Democrats. Although that may seem like an unbeatable opponent of religion, the largest criticisms of religion lie in the science and psychological fields of study. Despite all of this, the majority of American people have stuck with their faith, and still believe that religion is merely a positive influence on society, not a negative one. Given the 2014 midterm elections, it seems that the people have voiced their opinion on what they feel is best for the country, which would be what is best for them as an individual and as a nation. Could it be that the anti-religion movement is pulling our nation farther from the country our Framers envisioned? If the American people were the deciding factor, the majority would say yes.

At the metaphorical front lines on the opposing side of religion without a doubt is the feminist movement and gay rights activists. Of course, this does not include all of those who identify in these positions, but it seems the majority have been influenced by the Democratic Party in their attempt at appealing to more liberal and progressive individuals. One of the most debated subjects revolving around religion, is the apparent ‘War on Women.’ While the modern feminist movement has gained a large amount of participants, it has also morphed into an anti-religion movement. While the 2014 midterm elections gained speed, Democratic candidates ran largely on abortion and contraceptive issues. (Reihl, 2014) Despite this, the number of Republican winners made history. For the first time, there are 100 female members of Congress. Mia Love became the First female Haitian American and the first black female Republican elected to Congress. Also we saw a 12 point margin decrease in the 2 year lapse as 47% of women voted Republican, 51% voted Democrat. A huge surprise during the midterm elections was Republican Representative Cory Gardner won over the Democrat Mark Udall. While Mark Udall ran on abortion and contraceptive issues, Gardner ran on a variety of issues including the economy, foreign policy and thwarting high unemployment rates.  (Day, 2014) As if this wasn’t a heavy blow to the Democratic platform, Republican Joni Earnst became the first female elected to federal office in Iowa, fiscally conservative Republican, Sara Blair, became the youngest female elected to the House of Delegates. While it is hard to understand why the Democrats chose to run on such petty issues such as abortion, however religion has successfully become a political decision here in the United States, especially in regards to abortion and women’s rights. This could be a result of our society splitting the opinion, or rather, it could be a political tool to separate and gain dependable votes come election time. However, Dr. Peter Francia concluded in 2010 that: “It is not a culture war between red states and blue states, but rather a war between Fundamentalists and biblical minimalists within both the red and the blue states.” (Francia, 2010)

Another hot topic that involves religion and politics is the discussion of gay rights. We have seen a Democratic demonization of religion in relation to the LBGT community. While popular belief is that if a citizen is of faith, that they will disagree with gay rights, the Evangelical Lutheran, Episcopal, Judaism, the United States Presbyterian Church, United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church all support same-sex marriage. (Pew, 2012) Also, while many claim that the Republican Party is solely anti-gay rights, the vote was split in the recent elections with a turnout of 34% Republican and 37% Democrat and a split vote of 49-48. (Langar, Crowder, 2014) It seems that the Republican angst towards gay rights is fabricated by the Democratic Party to gain votes.

Although there are several theories that seem to discredit religion, their findings ultimately leave questions that can only be answered by religion. Although skeptics (mostly from the scientific crowd) generally focus on Christianity, Catholicism and Judaism, the debate encompasses all religions involving a divine being. First, about 40% of scientists are religious in one way or another. (Collins, Pg. 4) One of the theories that has been used to debunk religion is The Big Bang Theory. However, there have been Popes who support the theory such as Pope Pius XII, and the theory strongly supports the Genesis Scripture. (Collins, Pg. 82) Another theory used to debunk religion is the theory of Darwinism and the Theory of Evolution; or rather the theory that we are all related to each other, and related to the same distant ancestor. Some have used the theory to promote Atheism, most noted is Richard Dawkins who has been quoted stating that: “belief in evolution demands Atheism.” (Dawkins, Pg. 374) Despite this, we can refer to Darwin himself when he stated: “…It is just as noble a conception of the deity to believe that he created a few original forms, as to believe that he required a fresh act of creation to supply the voids caused by the action of his laws.” (Darwin, Pg. 452) What may be best in this argument is to cipher what the American citizens believe is viable evidence for belief or non-belief. In a 2004 Gallup poll, only 1/3 of we Americans believed that Evolution was well supported. While 45% believe we were created in present form about 10,000 years ago. However, 34% believe that the word of God should not be taken literally. (Gallup, 2004) This obviously shows the powerful impact that religion has on We The People, and it is difficult imagining a country void of faith. Perhaps the flaws lie in the science where every member of our species is 99.9% similar on the DNA level, or the fact that Self-Replicating organism (beginning of life) origin still unknown. (Collins, Pg. 125) With so many unanswered questions, religion should be maintained as a personal choice-rather than political. Politics and religion would be best if they revert back to being separate topics. Not only could it eliminate some of the issues preventing growth as a whole, but it could diminish many civil arguments that rest with the American People.

“The highest principles for our aspirations and judgments are given to us westerners in the Jewish-Christian religious tradition. It is a very high goal: free and responsible development of the individual, so that he may place his powers freely and gladly in the service of all mankind.”

–Albert Einstein, 1954.

While many blame religion for poor life choices, religion has been proven to promote mental, spiritual and social grown of the individual. While mental illness is an issue that has plagued the United States, one must ask why there has been a push for its separation from mental health studies and treatment. 43.7 Million adults with any kind of mental illness, 9.6 Million Adults have a serious mental illness and 1 in 5 children have, or will develop a mental illness during their lifetime. (NIH, 2012) According to leading expert Kenneth Paragment, PhD, Faith based programs for rape victims, drug addicts, divorcees, and women with eating disorders proven effective. He also stated that: “Empirical studies of many groups dealing with major life stressors such as natural disaster, illness, loss of loved ones, divorce and serious mental illness show that religion and spirituality are generally helpful to people in coping, especially people with the fewest resources facing the most uncontrollable of       problems.” (Paragment, 2013) It is odd that there is a feminist movement focused on obliterating religion, when religion helps rape victims, which are majorly women.

With the constant war on religion, one would think many American citizens would distance themselves from any and all religion. However, as anti-religion rhetoric grows momentum, so does the number of people turning to faith along with the number of people who believe it is a) a positive influence on society and b) logical when compared to science. When focusing on the statistics regarding faith, it seems that this decision should be left for the American people. 70% of Americans say religion is losing influence, and 80% of Americans think that Conservative Ideology is losing its impact. This is probably due to the Democratic campaign against religion and the GOP. Despite this, 75% of Americans who are religious believe that if more American’s were religious, it would have a positive impact on our society. Also, 94% of Americans who claim religion is unimportant in their own lives believe it would have a positive influence on society. (Newport, 2013) Many would like to think that religious influence is not related to political influence however, as we see the the left wing anti religion rhetoric amp up, the number of those who identify with a religion and the democratic party are dwindling. 52% of non-religious Americans are Democrat compared to the 29% who are Republicans while 49% of very religious Americans are Republican compared to Democratic affiliation of 36%. It is also interesting to note that religious African Americans lean Democrat, while Hispanic, Asian American’s and Caucasian Americans lean Republican. (Newport, 2014) With known Democratic involvement in the KKK, it is confusing why African Americans tend to sway to blue on Election Day. It seems that the Democrats’ strategy worked in 2008 and 20012, however it did not work in 2014, and hopefully will not in 2016.

In conclusion, when looking at the larger picture of religion as a whole and its influence on American life, it is easy to see that religion has earned its right within our daily influence. While the First Amendment protects the freedom of all religion, we must not use religion as a form of criticism of either side, left or right, and must not victimize certain religions that are deemed ‘intolerant’ (even if they are generalized by fabrications). Religion has become a tool utilized by residents of Washington to split the nation in two, assigning allegiance to being religious or anti-religious. While we focus on issues such as religious freedom, women’s rights and gay rights, our national debt clock still ticks, our unemployment rate is still rising, our border has crumbled and we have allowed large groups of people in the Middle East, Africa, and even here in the United States to continue fearing their surroundings. It seems we have become a complacent society, focusing solely on the individual in America rather than the nation of America. Could it be possible that with a larger influence of religion in our lives that we may overcome the lacking moral responsibilities we have to ourselves and our neighbors to promote a healthier, and more harmonious society? In addition, would we have a more cohesive society if we banished religion from politics altogether? While science only presents more questions and political rhetoric promotes a hostile environment, it seems that this decision will be left for the American people to decide. As of right now, religion seems to be what the American people are longing for: That religion has taken the place of the American government as something we can believe in, a solid foundation we can stand on and real hope we can rely on in times of sadness and dismay.

Riehl, D. (2014, October 17). Democrats Losing Mid-Term War for Women.             http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2014/10/17/Democrats-Losing-Mid-Term-War-for-Women

Day, S. (2014, November 13). Midterms brought a wave of ‘firsts’ for GOP and USA.             http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/a-wave-of-firsts-for-gop-and-usa/article/2556102

Bass, D., Francia, P. (2010, May 25). Lost Democrats: Faith and the 2010 Elections.             http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diana-butler-bass/lost-democrats-faith-      and_b_587431.html

Pew Research. Religious Groups’ Official Positions on Same-Sex Marriage. (2012, December       7). http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/07/religious-groups-official-positions-on-same- sex-marriage/Midterms brought a wave of ‘firsts’ for GOP and USA

Langer, G., & Crowder, A. (2014, November 4). Midterm Elections 2014: National Exit Poll Reveals Major Voter Discontent.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/national-exit-poll-reveals-major-voter-discontent-midterm/story?id=26688877

Collins, F. (2006). The language of God: A scientist presents evidence for belief (p. 305). New       York: Free Press.

Darwin, C., & Beer, G. (1996). The origin of species (p. 452). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Dawkins, R. (2006). The God delusion (p. 374). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Newport, F. (2013, May 29). Most Americans Say Religion Is Losing Influence in U.S.

Einstein, A. (2005, May 28). An Ideal Service to Our Fellow Man.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4670423

Mental Health and Education Statistics. (2012, January 1). Retrieved from             http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/index.shtml

Newport, F. (2013, May 29). Most Americans Say Religion Is Losing Influence in U.S.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/162803/americans-say-religion-losing-influence.aspx

Newport, F. (2004, November 19). Third of Americans Say Evidence Has Supported Darwin’s     Evolution Theory.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/14107/third-americans-say-evidence-has-supported-darwins- evolution-theory.aspx

Newport, F. (2014, July 28). Religion Remains a Strong Marker of Political Identity in U.S.             http://www.gallup.com/poll/174134/religion-remains-strong-marker-political-identity.aspx

President Obama: Playing With Fire

As you may have heard by now, our almighty Obama has turned his back on the American people, asking Iran for their help in defeating ISIS. If you are like me, you’re thinking: “well that doesn’t make any sense,” and you would be right in thinking that. Just earlier this week, we saw pictures and heard the reports of Iran’s celebration of the US Embassy takeover. Some want to brush this off as a “quiet and peaceful time of mourning,” but let’s call it like it is, there are a lot of people in the Middle East who blatantly just don’t like us ‘westerners.’ It is unorthodox for our president to be asking a country like Iran to aid us when we are fully capable of handling this situation on our own-given we had a president that had any knowledge of military campaigns.

First, let’s look at the relationship between Iran and Syria. Iran is Syria’s largest supporter, larger than Russia. Iran views Syria as a pathway to places such as Israel and will fight to protect that direct line. As well as this, Iran views Syria as an acting counterweight to the United States. This relationship was also sealed with the Iraq/Iran war, and was strengthened by the United States’ invasion of Iraq, where Syria believed they could be a possible target. Something else that is interesting to note, is Iran’s acknowledgment that Assad may be overthrown, and in turn has been funding and supplying weapons and training for the Syrians. The 2006 Hezbollah was viewed as a success and relied heavily on Iranian weapons and military tactics. The last I checked, Israel was one of our largest allies, so why would we partner with a country that was responsible for deaths of our ally’s citizens? Also considering that ISIS stands for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, this seems to pose an issue, doesn’t it? Could it be that Ali Khamenei is playing President Obama for a fool? Is it possible that our president is really this blind to the long running partnership between Syria and Iran? With Iran’s growing nuclear capability, could this be a decision that could change American life as we know it? Let’s be real here, if Iran jumps into the fight, they will not be supporting us, they will be fighting with ISIS against us and I wouldn’t be surprised if Syria jumped in to protect its alliance with Iran.

Yep, I also am unsure why the mainstream media has yet to pick up on this.

Something that I have thought of over the past several hours is Iran’s nuclear capability and the impact it could have on our military. Iran has long wanted to occupy the land to its west known as Iraq and has continuously voiced disdain for the United States. I have a theory, and it could be outlandish but we all know that 1500 ‘advisors’ will merely do nothing to stop the radical effort that is ISIS. In the wake of this, would we not send more troops to the region to better combat ISIS? Well what if we did? What if we decided to launch a fully manned operation in Iraq? This would leave a large majority of our military ripe for the picking in a land that Iran wants. Scenes from Pearl Harbor keep flashing through my mind, our ships grouped together, ignoring the idea of any tragedy such as the attacks that crippled our Navy that fateful morning- and let’s be honest, history has a funny way of repeating itself.

So what would happen if Iran is playing us for a fool? What if Iran is planning a nuclear attack? Would our military and almighty government be able to withstand such a strategic move under the not so watchful eye of President Obama? What would such an attack mean for the rest of the Middle East, including Israel? Would the most powerful man in the world, yes that’s Putin, lead Russia seizing the opportunity? Would that mean that China or North Korea would get in the mix? While our president has torn almost every relation we have, would anyone come to our aid?

Most importantly, could we be teetering on the edge of World War III?

The Great Gun Debate: A Woman’s Opinion Based on Facts

When you think of America, you may think of Washington’s mighty monuments, our diverse landscapes, our pride in country, a cheeseburger, or you may think of our obsession with firearms. Our love of gun powder is one that runs deep, so deep that it is engraved into The Constitution, the very law that defined our existence as a nation on this great blue planet called Earth. As our nation has grown over the years, we have seen the gun debate catch fire, splitting our nation in two between pro-gun activists and anti-gun lobbyists. Although anti-gun supporters have valid reason to be concerned with America’s love of guns, it is often noted that their arguments will not breach to the core of the issues in America, which is mental illness and the increase of illegal firearms within our borders.
To better understand the pro-gun opinion, we must first tackle the main points of the anti-gun plea. The first being the number of gun crimes in America, although it is still tragic that in 2014 we still see mothers burying their sons, the estimated 480,000 crimes is not quite one-third of the 1.5 million gun crimes we saw in the year 1994. Also, we see the majority of these crimes happening in urban areas, where there are stricter gun laws. Even with the gun bans, Chicago tops the charts for the year 2014 having 1,129 victims of gun crime as of July 4th, 2014. To put to rest the fact that the homicide rate has dropped by a mere 5 percent, the shootings have increased and continue to increase as time goes on. (Guns, 2014) Not only this, but the majority of the guns used in these crimes were obtained illegally.
A major argument for the anti-gun movement is that as increased legal gun ownership occurs, more crime is committed with those legally purchased firearms. However, only 10 percent of gun crimes were committed with a firearm that was purchased legally. There has been a reported decline of 49 percent in homicides, with a 75 percent reduction in non-fatal crimes involving a firearm.(BJS) The year of 2012 proves this as we saw a record 19.6 million background checks with the intent to purchase a firearm.(Forbes, 2014) This leaves only the notion that there is another reason for these crimes being committed. As mentioned, only 10 percent of the annual crime rate involves a legally purchased firearm, while 40 percent of these crimes are committed with a firearm that was acquired illegally.(BJS) With these major arguments put to rest, we can now focus on the core issue, which is our nation’s increase in mental illness cases.
When these points are set aside, it is often noted that the next argument for anti-gun lobbyists will be the amount of mass public shootings. What is often left out is the sad reality that our nation is plagued by mental illness. It is often found after the fact that those who picked up the gun had at the very least, showed signs of mental illness. Elliot Rodgers is a good example, as he was in the care of several mental health professionals when he decided to viciously kill 6 innocent people. This may lie in the number of people that will have a psychotic break every 30 days. According to the CDC, at least 3 individuals will have a serious psychotic meltdown every 30 days.(CDC) It is not hard to speculate that individuals such as Elliot Rodgers, Adam Lanza, and James Holmes may have suffered from an instance like this and felt the only way to stop it would be to kill someone. To further add to this, the mental illness plaque sadly runs deeper.
Further understanding of America’s mental illness issue lies in the small details. According to the CDC, 38 million Americans suffer from a mental illness, and 10 million suffering from a serious mental illness. According to the CDC, in 2010 for every 10,000 short term hospital stay discharges 1.7(we will round to 2) individuals were diagnosed with schizophrenia. 8.9(we will round to 9) people were discharged with psychosis. Furthermore, 2.7(we will round to 3) were diagnosed with major depressive disorder. By these findings, for every 100,000 persons in our country, 20 of them suffer from schizophrenia, 30 of them suffer from major depressive disorder, and 90 suffer from psychosis.(CDC) Although this describes the outstanding numbers of mental illness cases, it also shows how these illnesses have caused crime.
Mental illness causes crime as 1.2 million of our nation’s inmates suffer from a serious mental illness, inmates often attributing their choices to such illnesses. At Chicago’s cook county jail, alone, there are 12,000 inmates with a serious mental illness. According to Cook Country Sherriff Tom Dart, “One of those inmates was a “chronic self-mutilator” who has been arrested more than 100 times, ringing up more than $1 million in repeated arrest- and detention-related costs.” (USA Today, 2014) If we had a broader acknowledgment of issues like these, inmates like these could be sent to mental health facilities on their first attempt, leaving the funds that would have been spent to be used in more useful ways such as finding and getting rid of our nation’s illegal weapons. It could even be used to fund a better mental health system, and we could strengthen our chances of catching a homicidal person before they have a chance to commit the crime.
Again, any crime involving a gun is a disgrace to our nation, and it would be fair to say that both sides of the argument want the same outcome, which it not to lose another member of our society to these heinous crimes. Instead of dividing amongst what we believe the issues are, we must follow the facts. There is a common saying that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” and we must acknowledge that it is not the tools fault, it is the tool’s handler who is at fault. Even in this, we cannot fully blame a person if they are under influence of adverse thinking, but we can blame those who are responsible for not noticing, and not providing the care that is desperately needed. Crime will live forever, as it always has, but we can begin to educate our civilization on noticing the signs and providing better and more easily obtained mental health care. One thing is for certain, we must discontinue the tradition of banding together in the wake of a tragedy and get back to the tradition of banding together to prevent tragedy.

1) Is Chicago’s violence improving? Some say yes as homicide rate decreases from last year. (n.d.). Guns . Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.guns.com/2014/07/07/is-chicagos-violence-improving-some-say-yes-as-homicide-rate-decreases-from-last-year/
2) Bureau of Justice Statistics Firearm Violence, 1993�2011. (n.d.). Bureau of Justice Statistics Firearm Violence, 1993�2011. Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/press/fv9311pr.cfm
3) Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). (n.d.). Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Retrieved July 19, 2014, from http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4616
4) Disarming Realities: As Gun Sales Soar, Gun Crimes Plummet. (n.d.). Forbes Magazine. Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.blogs.forbes.com/larrybell/?p=3855
5) Serious Psychological Distress. (n.d.). Center for Disease Control. Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/earlyrelease201312_13.pdf
6) Number and Rate of Short Term Discharges. (n.d.). Center for Disease Control. Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhds/2average/2010ave2_firstlist.pdf
7) Mental illness cases swamp criminal justice system. (2014, July 21). USA Today. Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.usatoday.com/longform/news/nation/2014/07/21/mental-illness-law-enforcement-cost-of-not-caring/9951239/

Are We Better Off Under President Obama?

When President Obama was elected, many were hopeful that this country would finally see an end to the economic turmoil resulting from the War on Terror. The American people were promised a change they could believe in, and although there have been strides within this presidency, we still have yet to see any action on major issues that plague this country. Although President Obama managed to pull us through The Great Recession of 2008, the long term effects have been anything but positive. While the top 10% has seen an increase in salary, the bottom 20% have continued to tighten the purse strings year after year as salaries and take home pay have dwindled. As once promised, a secure border was in our future. We have seen the opposite in the recent months as tens of thousands of illegal immigrants have poured over our border causing even more financial burden on an already suffering economy. Many would like to think that our economy is getting better under President Obama, but that is not the case, there was one truth about the change we were promised: the change has occurred, it was not a positive one, but negative.
While 2016 draws closer to us, many believe our economy is much better off, while the majority have been handed the bill. The Great Recession was a troubling time for many Americans as the housing market crashed and companies began to shut their doors. President Obama did set in place policies that did help us through it, but in turn caused Americans to lose money year after year. While incomes of the top 10% have increased by 0.7%, the lower 20% saw a decrease of 3.5%, young families saw a decline of 6.1%, and seniors saw a decline of 8.1%. (Irwin, 2014) During the recession, we Americans also lost faith in the stock market and we have seen stock ownership decline. This is largely in part to the loss of income by many families in our country. As if the decrease in income growth wasn’t enough, many are seeing a decline in their actual share of their hard earned money. Once again we see the top 3% has enjoyed an increase of their share of income at 30.5% from 27.7%. (Leubsdorf, 2014) The bottom 90% have experienced the opposite however, and the gap between rich and poor has continually widened.
While a land of opportunity and sanctuary from ill situations of other countries, many feel that it is the time to build our walls and become financially capable to do so again. As the gap between rich and poor has widened, the poor or even “barely comfortable” families have felt that some decisions, such as increased taxes and Obamacare, have been a figurative slap in the face. Just this year, while many struggle to put food on their tables, they have been asked to pay for upwards of 60,000 illegal immigrants who have flooded our border. Instead of handling this issue, President Obama has felt the need to delay action until after the November elections. At this time, the President seeks Executive Action to grant amnesty to any and all illegal immigrants who seek refuge within our borders. (Nakamura, Keefe, 2014) Many see this as a major issue in many instances, but the effect it will have on our school district seems to be the heaviest handed. While our national debt clock ticks steadily towards 18 trillion dollars, this amnesty could cost our schools $761 million dollars to provide education for these children. At the top of the list of states with the largest costs, New York could see an additional $147.7 million dollars after forcibly shutting down schools due to limited funding. This would include free lunches and an estimated $35,520 per pupil with limited language capabilities. (Ferrichio, 2014) While we have been given the image that this situation is being handled, Governors and mayors across the country continue to struggle to keep up with the influx. This often seems an injustice to the American children who are already experiencing the consequences of limited learning capabilities due to a lack in funding. Along with the increasing debt this influx of illegal immigrants would cost, it has raised numerous concerns about our nation’s health. According to the CDC, a new virus that mimics Polio is being brought over the border by these children. As a result, nine cases of this illness have been reported between August 9, 2014 and September 17, 2014 and affected children ages 1-18. (CDC, 2014) Aside from the growing Ebola virus which is also making its way across our border, this unidentified virus is a new worry for parents of young children who may be exposed to the virus in their classrooms.
Even in the wake of the immigration fiasco, and a declining economy, many still argue that we, indeed, are better off under President Obama rather than President Bush. By recent reports from the Obama Administration, this is also untrue. Since 2009, we have only seen an inflation-adjusted rise in economy growth by 1.6%. This falls short of President Bush’s growth rate of 1.7%, at the end of his term, during War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. While President Bush did start his presidency with a seemingly strong economy, events such as 9/11 caused major disruption in our spending habits. As journalist Brian Domitrovic states in a recent article for Forbes Magazine: “Bush started from a high base and came in low. Obama started from a low base and came in worse.” (Domitrovic, 2014) Also contrary to common acknowledgment, we have seen an increase of government spending by 50%. We have seen a 15% increase in Obamacare funding, gas costs 80% more, local and state pay allowance has decreased by 3.2% while government payroll has increased by 3%. Our countries student loan debt now sits at an astounding 1 trillion dollars, while the government still owes the public sector $12.3 trillion dollars. With these numbers, you would think that a budget would be at the top of the list, yet we have not seen one since August 9, 2009. (Lancaster, 2014)
This may all come as a shock, as it does for many American’s who dive deeper into the finer details of the presidency, as our media has seemingly done a fine job of shining the President’s image up. Although the overall approval rating of our President sits comfortably at 43%, individual marks aren’t so glamorous. An astonishing 63% disagree with his decision to grant amnesty, while 25% approve of his handling of the minors and others who have crossed our border. On top of this, 56% blame his policies for the increasing number of illegal immigrants. As far as our economy, 52% believe we are still in a recession, stating that the economy is no better than what it was. As if these numbers are not disappointing enough, 29% approve his handling of the federal budget. (IBD) It certainly seems as though the American public has caught on to what has been happening to cause misfortune in our individual lives. As many hold on to hope that things will turn around, many Americans, and it seems even the President, has given up on this term as well as hopes of recovery.

So what about you? Do you feel as if you are better off under President Obama?

Irwin, Neil. “How Are American Families Doing? A Guided Tour of Our Financial Well- Being.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 8 Sept. 2014. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/upshot/how-are-american-families-doing-a-guided-tour-of-our-financial-well-being.html?abt=0002&abg=0&gt;.

Leubsdorf, Ben. “Fed: Gap Between Rich, Poor Americans Widened During Recovery.” The Wall StreetJournal. Dow Jones & Company, n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2014. <http://online.wsj.com/articles/fed-gap-between-rich-poor-americans-widened-during-recovery-1409853628&gt;.

Nakamura, David; O’Keefe, Ed. “Obama delays executive immigration action until after midterm elections in November.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-delays-executive-immigration-action-until-after-midterm-elections-in-november/2014/09/06/e3ecf346-35cf-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html&gt;.

Ferrichio, Susan. “Immigration group: Surge will cost schools $761 million | WashingtonExaminer.com.” Washington Examiner. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. <http://washingtonexaminer.com/immigration-group-surge-will-cost-schools-761-million/article/2552749&gt;.

Center for Disease Control “Acute Neurologic Illness with Focal Limb Weakness of Unknown Etiology in Children.” 26 Sept. 2014. <http://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00370.asp&gt;

Domitrovic, Brian “Obama’s Economy Is Worse Than Bush’s, By Obama’s Own Numbers.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/briandomitrovic/2013/10/01/obamas-economy-is-worse-than-bushs-by-obamas-own-numbers/&gt;.

Lancaster, Robert “My Turn: Numbers Speak For Themselves and Obama’s Performance.” Gaston Gazette. Web. <http://www.gastongazette.com/opinion/columns/my-turn-numbers-speak-for-themselves-and-obama-s-performance-1.383649?page=0&gt;

“What’s Keeping Obama’s Approval Ratings Up?” Investor’s Business Daily. N.p., n.d. Web.  <http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/090214-715650-what-is-holding-obama-approval-ratings-up.htm&gt;.