Ms. Hardt Goes to Washington...

There are times when the Mr. Smith in me wants to go to Washington. I don't think my skin is quite thick enough to endure the life of a politician, but I so often would like to march up to Washington and give them my two cents (instead, I give them much more than two cents from every paycheck, for them to misuse as they please). So many of our elected officials are disconnected from the real world and the impact of their decisions. Untouched by what they pass or do not pass, they sit on their cushy Capitol Hill behinds and watch as the nation slowly crumbles into a socialistic decline.

I wonder if more people would think differently about politics if they really studied history. Everyone knows that history repeats itself, yet few do anything to avoid tragic repetition. When has the decline of the middle class ever been a good thing? When the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, does that ever end well? When nations try to equalize everyone, do they ever succeed? What I see happening to our country is this: a broken system that has limited the freedoms of its people, alienated the people from its government, and crumbled the capitalistic nature of its economy, resulting in a loss of wealth, power, and freedom for both the country as a whole and the individuals who occupy it.

Some issues I would like to have a hand at fixing:
1. "Going Green." As my friends and family would willingly tell you, I am a "green" person. I firmly believe in being a good steward of all God has given me, which includes the earth. I recycle. I turn off lights. I unplug electronics when not in use. I bring my own bags to the grocery store. I do my part. But that is my choice, and my freedom to do so. I have a feeling that under the guise of going green, the powers that be are going to slowly and stealthily strip the American people of their freedoms. "No, you can only use THIS much energy." "No, you can only drive SO far in that car." Don't do this, don't do that, and suddenly we're not a free nation anymore-- we're a nation run by a group of people dictating our actions.

2. Universal healthcare. This is widely debated, but is there a successful working model of this anywhere in the world? Sure it's great in theory, but so is Communism, and we all know from reading our history books how that turns out. The system is broken, and there needs to be a solution for the poor. But universal healthcare is not the solution. It will kill more than it will save, because those who need the very best medicine and medical attention suddenly will not be able to afford it and will die; those who need immediate and comprehensive medical attention will have to wait so long for proper care, and they will die. This is not me being dramatic-- this is me being realistic. I'd like to see another solution. What if we could incorporate some kind of barter system for those who cannot afford healthcare? They provide some kind of useful service to the government, and in turn receive healthcare. So they can't walk... have them make telephone calls. So they can't speak... have them sew military garments. This could have many benefits: providing healthcare for the poor, allowing others to keep excellent insurance, and allowing America to become less dependent on other countries by creating more of our own products. Idealistic, yes, but far less devastating than the idea of socialized medicine. I'd like to try to flesh this idea out.

3. The "I deserve this" mentality. Perhaps the biggest problem in our country is not something that can be fixed, because it comes down to sinful laziness. There are many in America who have worked hard in the past but are unable to do so now, or would like to work hard but can't-- they deserve help, certainly. But a fact that cannot be ignored is that there is a growing number of individuals who subscribe to the mindset that they deserve wealth and health without the hard work that earns it. These are individuals who want something for nothing; parasites who live off of the blood, sweat, and tears of hard-working Americans. I live in a country that was built by people who knew that hard work was the only way they would survive, let alone prosper. I'm not just referring to "founding fathers" and mothers. I'm talking about our grand parents and great-grandparents who came to this land willing to labor in order to make a better life. If our economy and the future of our country is to improve, hard work is the answer, not handouts.

4. Social Security. The term "security" is used very loosely, I realize. What has gone so wrong to cause a system which has worked for decades to decompose so quickly? It seems to me that if the government would simply cease and desist stealing the money designated for retirees, this system could continue to work. If not, if it is indeed irreparable, then everyone under 40 (or whenever the cutoff age is for those who will not receive social security) should be able to stop paying into the system and have the option to independently invest instead. Don't take away my money and leave me a destitute old woman.

If only it didn't take millions of dollars to become a contender for a spot in Congress or the Senate... I would love to be a mouthpiece connected to a large group of Americans who are not only tired of the very wealthy who seem to be unaccountable for their greed, but also the very poor who have the ability to work but would rather be spoon fed. There will always be poor (Jesus even said that, PS), and they are not to be ignored, but we can't cater to the poor. There will always be the rich (either from legitimate hard work or ill-gotten gain), but we can't cater to the rich. We can't cater to the middle-class either, but we can try to mend the system by rewarding those who work hard and helping the truly helpless. The very end of I Thessalonians has excellent instructions from which our country would benefit. The answer to our country's problems is not drastic changes to cater to those who have made poor decisions... it is to go back to the principles upon which our country was founded: freedom and hard work.

Ramblings on a Pirate's Life...

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates." -- Mark Twain.

While the theological implications of this quote are clearly off, the idea behind its penning is fascinating. What is it about pirates that made even Mark Twain think of that lifestyle as a reward? Is it the swashbuckling? The crusty speech? The ill-gotten gain? In all honesty, I can't remember having a love affair with pirates before watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. Until that point there was Muppets Treasure Island (Tim Curry gave/gives me nightmares) and the occasional Errol Flynn-type cinematic treasure that my father probably forced me to watch. And then there was the turning point: Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, a character whose creation changed my perspective on pirates forever. Suddenly a pirate's life seemed full of mystery, intrigue, excitement, curiosity, danger, riches, and humor! Though I knew this couldn't possibly be the reality of a pirate's life years ago, I was drawn to everything pirate as Barbosa was drawn to the Aztec Gold.

I dabbled in some research and found interesting tidbits, but it wasn't until the other day when I visited Chicago's Field Museum's Pirate Exhibit that I truly understood the magnetism of a pirate's life.
In the days of little freedom and much hardship, the pirate life was a beacon of freedom and democracy, nevermind the little problems of thievery and violence. Africans, Indians, and poor European immigrants with little to no rights anywhere were offered the chance to have a say in their leadership, an opportunity for advancement, and payment for their hard work. They signed an agreement and suddenly had the respect of their crewmen and a voice among their peers. It was as if on the open sea, there were no racial or economic boundaries as there were on land. Perhaps the pirates were given to a bit of communism (if there weren't enough hammocks to go around, no one slept on a hammock!)... but it can be forgiven due to the fact that they gave rights to those who'd had none. No wonder this pirate life seemed bright and shiny! Africans weren't slaves on a pirate ship-- they had power and position! Even certain women were given position and rank beyond what was typical for the time. A particularly intriguing character is Anne Bonny, who joined the ranks of "Calico" Jack Rackham. I like to think we're related because her father's last name was Daly, a family name of ours, and she was from the area of Ireland from which our family emmigrated. If only.

But what of the pilfering, plundering, and violence? Humankind has certainly proved its love of titilation. We love the sensational. The ancient Greeks showed this with their gladiators. Americans showed this with their love of men like John Dillinger. We show this with our love of reality TV and certain celebrities. There is something about the pirate life that appeals to the basest of our humanness. And yet, what is glossed over and purposefully turned from is the consequences of a pirate life. The gallows. Public decomposition. Disease. Eternal damnation... you know, the basics. So really, I guess I don't want to be a pirate. What I think I really want is a rugged, self-assured, courageous man who is not afraid of anyone, knows what he wants and pursues it, and a life peppered with adventures and moments of bravery. Together we will fight against the injustice we encounter, and stick it to the socialistic man. That may or may not be my psychological reasoning for loving pirates.