Just Makes Me Shake My Head

I received an email today from a family member referring to the Top 10 list of why America looks so stupid. I don't know where this list came from but it looks suspiciously like someone supporting a very far right view point, and the following is their list of what they deemed as stupidity.

Only in America:

1. could the rich people - who pay 86% of all income taxes, be accused of not paying their "fair-share" by the people who don't pay any income taxes at all.
2. could you collect more tax dollars from the people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a trillion dollars more than it has per year for a total spending of seven million per minute and complain that it doesn't have nearly enough money.
3. could you have to pass a drug test to get a pay check if you work, yet any crack head can get their welfare check no questions asked.
1. Drug testing isn't required for all jobs in the United States. Most company require them because they can, not because they are mandated to do so.  There are some jobs like flying an airplane, a school bus driver, trucks on the road and others that are mandated and I for one am very happy they do. If you are complaining about taking a drug test, maybe there is something going on in your own life they might need a closer look.
2. When testing this theory it becomes too cost prohibitive to do. In cases where this was applied, less than 1% tested were positive for drug use. You, the American public would be paying more for the testing than the assistance the government provides to the people on assistance. Many people who use drugs hold down jobs. Most of those receiving assistance are not drug users.
4. you need to present a driver's license to cash a check or buy a alcohol, but do not have to do so when voting.
1. Here is Indiana's requirements and I for one believe I should be asked to show ID. Indiana requirements
5. could the people who believe in balancing the budget and sticking by the country's Constitution be called extremists.
6. could they make people who want to legally become citizens wait in their home countries and pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege, while they discuss letting anyone who sneaks into the country illegally just "magically" become an American citizen.
1. How to become a citizen 
7. could they have terrorist kill people in the name of Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims might be harmed by the backlash.
1. Non-Muslims Carried Out More than 90% of All Terrorist Attacks in America
8. could they have had the two people most responsible for our tax code, Timothy Geithner (head of the Treasury Dept and Ways and Means Committee) turn out to be a tax cheater who is in favor of higher taxes.
1. It is unfortunate, every job has it's problem people and when exposed need to be dealt with.
9. could people claim that the government still discriminates against black Americans when they have a black president, attorney general and roughly 20% of the federal workforce is black, while only 14 % of the population is black, 40 (+%) of all federal entitlements goes to black Americans, three times the rate that goes to whites, and five times the rate that goes to Hispanics
1. Does Discrimination Still Exist, Of Course It Does
10. could liberal politicians talk about the greed of the rich while charging $35 thousand per plate to attend an Obama campaign fund-raising event.
1. 2015 Jeb Bush 100K per plate fund raiser

I won't take the time to address each point, and I know there are those whose minds cannot be changed and are unwilling to listen to any point of view that doesn't reflect their own thinking.

So here are a few of things I believe:
I believe black Americans and others (Hispanic, and women) are still being discriminated against, having a black president doesn't mean discrimination doesn't exist it only means there were enough non-biased people willing to elect him and if this is the only proof you have to stand on when discussing discrimination, you still DO NOT understand discrimination. I believe under the constitution we have the right to not stand at the national anthem, there is no law that states I must stand. On any given day watch C-spam or the channel that videos the house and senate and see how many of them do not stand for the pledge. If you look up the complete lyrics to the nation anthem, you will find within it there are words of discrimination and bias. I do not believe we build a strong America by refusing to look at our misguided antiquated ways and blaming all our problems on the African-American or Hispanic population or feminist, these are all a cop out.

We live in an America where women and children are not safe in their own homes from husbands or boyfriends who profess to ''love" them. We live in an America where rape and dating violence is blamed on the victim and the perpetrator (when white and a star in his collage or from a privileged home) is not held to the same standards of the law as people of color or sexual orientation). A-typical white males are taught the definition of a man is to be tough, get what you want at all cost, don't be some sissy with feelings don't cry in public and don't let anyone think you are weak. We belittle our daughters by telling them they are the reason boys behave badly, and they shouldn't dress like they do or go to the places they go (by the way this is an example of discrimination between genders). Sex is selling everything in commercials from candy to drain-o and we allow it. This double standard between or sons and daughters has been around for a very long time.

We live in an America where people get fifty years prison sentences for selling or using marijuana while fathers and boy friends rape and/or kill their "loved ones" and get much lesser punishment, the most resent evidence is the collage boy who received 6 month probation after being found guilty of sexual assault on an unconscious woman. During sentencing the judge stating there was no reason to do further damage or do anything which might jeopardize the further of the bright young man. After all he is young and has a life not yet lived. CNN Brock Turner

People say they are pro-life when what they actually are is anti-abortion. Pro-life would include the care and rearing of the child(ren). This is my body and I am not the property of the state. Women can't be forced to have children then given no means to take care of them. Too many young women find themselves in a position of an unwanted pregnancy and she is the only one forced into the caring of this child. She is asked, "why did you let this happen to you?"  The other half of this equation has no responsibility thrust upon him and goes on living his life and impregnating how many more women? When she asks for help she is told there is no help, get off your lazy ass, stop having kids and get a job. The only job out there is minimum wage and which offers no benefits and less money than is needed to support her child and herself. It is a no win situation and we blame her for all the problems in our society. She has dropped out of school and has no marketable skills.

We have privatized prisons making them a business that has to make a profit so more and more people are tossed away, but we can't seem to find an affordable education system which provides the means to teach our children so they may become productive adults. We cheer and glorify athletes on Sunday paying outrages ticket prices for the privilege doing so, and build monuments to them and tell our teachers on Monday we are sorry there is just no extra money to teach our children just do the best you can. We teach to pass a test not to live a life. We are cheating our children of a prosperous future.

I believe we should help the poor. More than 16 million children, or roughly one in five, live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is higher than any other age group. Among 18- to 64-year-old, the poverty rate was 13.7 percent, while among seniors the rate was 8.7 percent. We cannot hold freedom high and then refuse it to the most needy among us. We have to find a better way if we are to continue to be even a semblance of a free world leader.

I do believe there needs to be tougher gun laws, no one needs an automatic weapon to go squirrel hunting. We stand back and rage war on other countries for their dismissal of human rights blaming them for all of our problems, yet dismiss the taking of lives of innocent children in our schools, shopping malls, places of worship, and entertainment spots in order to maintain the perceived right to carry a gun that can destroy multiple human lives in seconds, we are truly missing the mark and clearly do not understand the constitution and what the second amendment means.

There are some real misguided "facts" about immigration. We cannot blame Hispanics and Muslims for our problems, we created problems for ourselves. Building a wall is counter productive to the "freedom" we like to toss out there for all to see. It appears we violate those freedoms and toss "right" to side when it suits us. We have immigration laws in place and when followed they work. There is a process for those wishing to live here legally.  They can be here while waiting out this process. We blame Hispanics for taking our jobs while refusing to do the job. While U.S. manufacturers move jobs outside the U.S. borders.

As a believer in a higher power I believe what Jesus taught and that was to accept one another, and treat others the way I would want to be treated. To tell the truth and be respectful no matter how disrespectful others may be. It means helping others when I can and doing so without expectation of anything in return. I cannot go to church on Sunday turn my back on others on Monday. I will vote my conscience in November and my vote will be with the person I see more qualified to lead our nation. At the moment we have to adhere to the only laws an means of voting. At some point maybe we need to consider a restructure of that system. A fact we might consider when looking at how hard congress has fought President Obama over the past eight years. He was able to make some changes for the better, but could have made so many more had the Republicans not fought him tooth and nail at every step.

So while you may not agree with anything I believe in, I accept and respect your views while disagreeing with them. May we all find the truth we seek while holding respect for the other.  I can disagree without being a bully or tyrant.