Friday, January 20, 2012
Letter to my representatives in Congress about SOPA and PIPA
I am writing to you in regard to SOPA and PIPA. These bills claim to stop online piracy and protect intellectual and creative property, but they don't.
Instead, they give the government a sweeping and worrisome, as well as dangerous, ability to shut down any site whatsoever at the mere thought that they might have copyright infringing materials on them. It does not give the site owners/moderators/etc. a chance to deal with the alleged copyright infringement.
If either of these bills pass, they will make it impossible for certain websites to function. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and countless other websites will end up shutting down because they will be unable to sustain the requirements that would be necessary in order to comply with the bills.
Right now, we have laws that address these very issues and use common sense language. Those who own/host/moderate the websites are notified of the alleged infringement of copyright and give them time to take the infringing content down.
Taking down an entire websites without notice just because some users have misused it is government-sanctioned censorship and America is better than that.
These bills will put the US on par with China, Iraq and other countries that are known for their nasty Internet censorship laws. Do we suddenly want to become the next China or the next Iraq? What's wrong with being America and a leader in freedom? I thought that was a fundamental thing that set us apart from those other countries -- freedom.
Punishing everyone for the actions of a few is neither fair nor right. We as a country are better than what these bills will do to us.
In addition to the rights that the bills would give the government over entire websites, there is also very broad language about what constitutes copyright infringement in these bills.
I'm sorry, but I'm not going to take the government's word that they won't abuse the power, the fact is the way that some of that language is written it would give them the right to arrest someone for singing famous songs and posting their talent on YouTube. That's ridiculous.
And I'm supposed to feel better about the language just because the government is assuring me that despite the fact that the bills would allow for that they will not be using it that way? No thanks, I'm not that gullible, or trusting of Big Government.
Finally, neither of the bills actually fix the problem of piracy. Not one bit. A person can still get to the websites to pirate goods or to view pirated goods online JUST by typing in the website's IP address into the address bar. That's all.
So, if this bill expands government reach to censorship territory, puts government on par with the likes of China and Iraq of all places as far as that censorship goes, takes away more of our freedoms, punishes innocent users and innocent website owners/operators, and DOESN'T EVEN DO the job that they're supposed to be doing...why in the WORLD are we even contemplating these bills in the slightest?
Please, vote these bills down and then chuck them out the window. It's the American thing to do.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Canada voids foreign same-sex marriages?
Living in a country that doesn't allow federally sanctioned same-sex marriage? Thinking of leaving the country in order to get married? Don't go to Canada.
Apparently, they haven't decided yet if you're going to be considered married if you are non-Canadian and your home country is one which doesn't allow same-sex marriages. At least, that's what it seems like after a lesbian couple went to Canada to get a divorce, only to be told that they couldn't do so...not because of the law that states that you must live in Canada for one year before being allowed a divorce, but because they come from a country that doesn't allow same-sex marriage and so therefore Canada doesn't recognize their marriage either...despite the fact that they were married in Canada.
This has worried and angered many around the world already since the news broke from the Canadian news site Globe & Mail. Somewhere around 5,000 couples who went to Canada to get married because they couldn't in their own countries are now worried that they aren't legally married after all.
The Prime Minister is a conservative and many wonder if perhaps this doesn't smack of backroom dealings or just simply a hidden agenda or policy issue leaning that was heretofore left unmentioned by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The Globe & Mail reports that, so far as the Harper government is concerned, same-sex marriage in Canada is not an issue and not in jeopardy. There are currently no plans to reopen the issue of same-sex marriage in Canada for Canadians. It's just the non-Canadian marriages, where the foreign couple hail from countries which do not allow same-sex marriage, that are in trouble.
From the looks of it, for all intents and purposes, anyone who took a trip to Canada to get married because they couldn't in their home country has reason to worry. Apparently, they are not legally married as far as Canada is concerned and therefore they wasted their money on the trip and the legal fees to get what they thought would be a legally recognized marriage at least somewhere in the world. But, if the country they got married in doesn't recognize their marriage, then they are not married anywhere. Not legally, anyway.
This is something that I'm sure devastates a lot of couples. And it really shouldn't be an issue. Why in the world would Canada do something like this? Even former Prime Minister Paul Martin has weighed in his disapproval of these shenanigans.
With the public backlash all over Canada and the world in general, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Harper government have been unprepared for all of the questions and outrage over this very huge problem, and backpedaling has already ensued.
Perhaps if we not only keep the pressure on but add more we will see a reversal in this nonsense. Because, that's what it is. Insulting nonsense. Let's hope that this doesn't go away for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and that his government will have to straighten up and act properly and honor the marriages, and the protections that come with marriage, for the people who were married there regardless of their country of origin or their mother country's own laws on same-sex marriage.
Apparently, they haven't decided yet if you're going to be considered married if you are non-Canadian and your home country is one which doesn't allow same-sex marriages. At least, that's what it seems like after a lesbian couple went to Canada to get a divorce, only to be told that they couldn't do so...not because of the law that states that you must live in Canada for one year before being allowed a divorce, but because they come from a country that doesn't allow same-sex marriage and so therefore Canada doesn't recognize their marriage either...despite the fact that they were married in Canada.
This has worried and angered many around the world already since the news broke from the Canadian news site Globe & Mail. Somewhere around 5,000 couples who went to Canada to get married because they couldn't in their own countries are now worried that they aren't legally married after all.
The Prime Minister is a conservative and many wonder if perhaps this doesn't smack of backroom dealings or just simply a hidden agenda or policy issue leaning that was heretofore left unmentioned by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The Globe & Mail reports that, so far as the Harper government is concerned, same-sex marriage in Canada is not an issue and not in jeopardy. There are currently no plans to reopen the issue of same-sex marriage in Canada for Canadians. It's just the non-Canadian marriages, where the foreign couple hail from countries which do not allow same-sex marriage, that are in trouble.
From the looks of it, for all intents and purposes, anyone who took a trip to Canada to get married because they couldn't in their home country has reason to worry. Apparently, they are not legally married as far as Canada is concerned and therefore they wasted their money on the trip and the legal fees to get what they thought would be a legally recognized marriage at least somewhere in the world. But, if the country they got married in doesn't recognize their marriage, then they are not married anywhere. Not legally, anyway.
This is something that I'm sure devastates a lot of couples. And it really shouldn't be an issue. Why in the world would Canada do something like this? Even former Prime Minister Paul Martin has weighed in his disapproval of these shenanigans.
With the public backlash all over Canada and the world in general, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Harper government have been unprepared for all of the questions and outrage over this very huge problem, and backpedaling has already ensued.
Perhaps if we not only keep the pressure on but add more we will see a reversal in this nonsense. Because, that's what it is. Insulting nonsense. Let's hope that this doesn't go away for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and that his government will have to straighten up and act properly and honor the marriages, and the protections that come with marriage, for the people who were married there regardless of their country of origin or their mother country's own laws on same-sex marriage.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Obama 2012
I struggled a lot in deciding who I'd vote for. In fact, the only thing I was sure of for a while was that I was going to vote and that none of the circus of GOP nominees would get my vote no matter who won the GOP nomination. That clown car is an embarrassment to our nation, if you ask me.
For a while I wasn't even sure I'd vote again for Obama. There was the incident where he apparently gave away secrets involving a European ally in order to get a deal with Russia, despite not having permission from said ally to do so. Then there's the more recent NDAA fiasco. So, I was hoping that perhaps a viable third party candidate would show up.
But, as I waited for this I realized it wasn't going to happen. And even if it did happen it would hardly matter. The most that would do is make it more likely that the GOP candidate, whoever that person is, would get in instead. A third party candidate that becomes popular is unlikely to win. Instead, their main function (even if it isn't intended in this way) will be to split the vote between the Democratic candidate (Obama) and the third party candidate. If that happens, it will mean that (barring a third party conservative candidate that becomes popular) it's very likely that the Republican candidate will get enough votes to get into office. And we'll be screwed, because none of the candidates for the GOP nomination are better than Bush Jr was. They're all just as bad or worse.
No, our best bet really is Obama. He has done things that I don't like, he's a conservative Democrat and I'm a far left liberal. Of course he's going to do things that I don't like. He's going to give in on things I don't think he ought to give in on. But, he does listen to the people quite a lot of time (something we won't get at all with a Republican or other right-wing type of president). It doesn't mean that he can fix everything just because he listens, but at least he takes things others say into actual consideration and he often tries even if he fails or is forced to compromise because of the childishness of others.
He's not perfect. He could step up to the plate more with women's issues, with LGBT equality issues, with immigration reform issues, and educational issues, etc. But, in all of these instances he has still done more than previous presidents (definitely including Bush Jr). He could step up closer to the plate, but he's still stepped up closer than the others have and he's gone to bat a few times. He may not have won every time, he might have compromised when we didn't think he should have, but he tried. And we have to remember that a lot of the people on Congress are against him. He's the President of the United States, effectively the CEO of our country, but our government is set-up (and rightly so) so that someone in that position of office does not get all of the power. It's divided so as to make dictatorship more difficult to achieve, to make abuses of power more difficult to achieve.
A lot of the Democrats on Capitol Hill, especially in the beginning, also fought against him when he tried to do anything. Some Democrats still do. Hardly any conservatives on the Hill will back him up, no matter what. In fact, some of have gone on record as saying it doesn't matter WHAT Obama does they need to oppose it even if they think it would be a good idea because they have to make Obama a one-term president. And there have been many instances where conservatives on the Hill have gone right ahead and switched their allegiances as soon as Obama backed something they had previous backed. Suddenly, it was not only not a good idea but it was socialism at it's worst to so much as consider backing the law, the policy, or the deal.
And that still goes on today. And as it stands there's an outnumbering of Democrats by conservatives in the House, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a thin margin in the Senate, and that's partially our own fault. Remember, when we were all upset with Obama during the 2010 election cycle? We felt that he was ignoring his base, compromising too much, and even calling us names in one instance. Remember, when the e-mails began to go around about just staying home in the 2010 election cycle and showing the Democrats and Obama that if we didn't go to the polls then they were screwed? Or maybe a lot of people decided that without seeing the e-mails.
Well, I remember that. And, apparently a lot of people decided to do it. A lot of Democrats and other left-wingers decided to just stay home from the polls. More than usual for a non-presidential election. But the conservatives didn't stay home, and they mobilized a little more than usual because the Tea Party was still really big at the time. As a result, Republicans and other conservative right-wingers outnumber Democrats and other left-wingers in many states, are in charge of many states, and are on the Hill than would have been if we'd gone to the polls even just in the usual numbers for a non-presidential election.
Yeah, we sure showed the Dems on the Hill and Obama. We sure showed them, alright. But, at the same time we also showed our own stupidity and shot ourselves in the collective and proverbial foot. Cutting off our noses to spite our faces was not the best idea. And I say our, because even though I wasn't one of the people who ever thought it was a brilliant idea to stay home from the polls it still effects me that so many people did.
And now we want to know why it's even harder than it was before to get anything done on the Hill? Now we want to know why so many unconstitutional, unfair, unjust laws are being passed in so many states? Why states don't want to listen to the people, why asshats like Gov. Walker in Wisconsin get away with what they get away with? Don't be silly. This is all made possible because the left wing stayed home in a disproportionate and peculiar number during the 2010 election cycle to prove a point. We already know how it happened. Unless we really have such short memories. Perhaps we do. But, I hope not.
But, crying over what happened in 2010 is not going to help anything right now. So, I'm going to let that go now. I'm going to let it go, but I'm also going to remember it in case anyone ever thinks it's a bright idea again during my lifetime. I will learn from the past, but I will let it go.
So, now letting that go what do we do? Well, first let's not make that same mistake again. We have to mobilize and show up at the polls during the November elections this year. But, also let's not make a similar mistake by instead just allowing our vote to be divided up between Obama and a third party candidate so much that we once again shoot ourselves in the foot and allow a Republican or other right-wing candidate win the election instead.
Let's re-elect Obama because he is our best bet, regardless of how we dislike some of the things he does. I think the two examples I provided above are atrocious and shocking from a Democratic president. But, at the same time I can't allow my anger and shock over these things to cloud my judgment so much that I help to allow a win for the right-wing. A win for them is going to be a colossal loss for the rest of us because that's going to ensure that all of the terrible things I envision happening WILL happen without a doubt and it'll happen in the most horrific ways possible.
So, let's re-elect Obama in the November elections. And, while we're at it, let's replace any red seats that we can with blue seats instead. Give him back a majority in both Houses and give him back his presidency. During the second term of presidency, it's even more possible for a sitting president to get things done. But, he has to get that second term. They're able to fight harder, they're able to stand their ground more firmly, they're able to bargain more efficiently. And all of these things are made even MORE possible if he has a supportive majority in both Houses.
So let's do this. And let's not fuck it up this time, okay? We all make mistakes, and that's natural and that's alright. Even big ones like the 2010 mistake. But, let's learn from it and not let our anger cloud our judgment. I think we can all agree that a right-wing president is not in our best interest, no matter how pissed off we are with Obama and any policies or laws we disliked him passing, or just compromising on.
For a while I wasn't even sure I'd vote again for Obama. There was the incident where he apparently gave away secrets involving a European ally in order to get a deal with Russia, despite not having permission from said ally to do so. Then there's the more recent NDAA fiasco. So, I was hoping that perhaps a viable third party candidate would show up.
But, as I waited for this I realized it wasn't going to happen. And even if it did happen it would hardly matter. The most that would do is make it more likely that the GOP candidate, whoever that person is, would get in instead. A third party candidate that becomes popular is unlikely to win. Instead, their main function (even if it isn't intended in this way) will be to split the vote between the Democratic candidate (Obama) and the third party candidate. If that happens, it will mean that (barring a third party conservative candidate that becomes popular) it's very likely that the Republican candidate will get enough votes to get into office. And we'll be screwed, because none of the candidates for the GOP nomination are better than Bush Jr was. They're all just as bad or worse.
No, our best bet really is Obama. He has done things that I don't like, he's a conservative Democrat and I'm a far left liberal. Of course he's going to do things that I don't like. He's going to give in on things I don't think he ought to give in on. But, he does listen to the people quite a lot of time (something we won't get at all with a Republican or other right-wing type of president). It doesn't mean that he can fix everything just because he listens, but at least he takes things others say into actual consideration and he often tries even if he fails or is forced to compromise because of the childishness of others.
He's not perfect. He could step up to the plate more with women's issues, with LGBT equality issues, with immigration reform issues, and educational issues, etc. But, in all of these instances he has still done more than previous presidents (definitely including Bush Jr). He could step up closer to the plate, but he's still stepped up closer than the others have and he's gone to bat a few times. He may not have won every time, he might have compromised when we didn't think he should have, but he tried. And we have to remember that a lot of the people on Congress are against him. He's the President of the United States, effectively the CEO of our country, but our government is set-up (and rightly so) so that someone in that position of office does not get all of the power. It's divided so as to make dictatorship more difficult to achieve, to make abuses of power more difficult to achieve.
A lot of the Democrats on Capitol Hill, especially in the beginning, also fought against him when he tried to do anything. Some Democrats still do. Hardly any conservatives on the Hill will back him up, no matter what. In fact, some of have gone on record as saying it doesn't matter WHAT Obama does they need to oppose it even if they think it would be a good idea because they have to make Obama a one-term president. And there have been many instances where conservatives on the Hill have gone right ahead and switched their allegiances as soon as Obama backed something they had previous backed. Suddenly, it was not only not a good idea but it was socialism at it's worst to so much as consider backing the law, the policy, or the deal.
And that still goes on today. And as it stands there's an outnumbering of Democrats by conservatives in the House, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a thin margin in the Senate, and that's partially our own fault. Remember, when we were all upset with Obama during the 2010 election cycle? We felt that he was ignoring his base, compromising too much, and even calling us names in one instance. Remember, when the e-mails began to go around about just staying home in the 2010 election cycle and showing the Democrats and Obama that if we didn't go to the polls then they were screwed? Or maybe a lot of people decided that without seeing the e-mails.
Well, I remember that. And, apparently a lot of people decided to do it. A lot of Democrats and other left-wingers decided to just stay home from the polls. More than usual for a non-presidential election. But the conservatives didn't stay home, and they mobilized a little more than usual because the Tea Party was still really big at the time. As a result, Republicans and other conservative right-wingers outnumber Democrats and other left-wingers in many states, are in charge of many states, and are on the Hill than would have been if we'd gone to the polls even just in the usual numbers for a non-presidential election.
Yeah, we sure showed the Dems on the Hill and Obama. We sure showed them, alright. But, at the same time we also showed our own stupidity and shot ourselves in the collective and proverbial foot. Cutting off our noses to spite our faces was not the best idea. And I say our, because even though I wasn't one of the people who ever thought it was a brilliant idea to stay home from the polls it still effects me that so many people did.
And now we want to know why it's even harder than it was before to get anything done on the Hill? Now we want to know why so many unconstitutional, unfair, unjust laws are being passed in so many states? Why states don't want to listen to the people, why asshats like Gov. Walker in Wisconsin get away with what they get away with? Don't be silly. This is all made possible because the left wing stayed home in a disproportionate and peculiar number during the 2010 election cycle to prove a point. We already know how it happened. Unless we really have such short memories. Perhaps we do. But, I hope not.
But, crying over what happened in 2010 is not going to help anything right now. So, I'm going to let that go now. I'm going to let it go, but I'm also going to remember it in case anyone ever thinks it's a bright idea again during my lifetime. I will learn from the past, but I will let it go.
So, now letting that go what do we do? Well, first let's not make that same mistake again. We have to mobilize and show up at the polls during the November elections this year. But, also let's not make a similar mistake by instead just allowing our vote to be divided up between Obama and a third party candidate so much that we once again shoot ourselves in the foot and allow a Republican or other right-wing candidate win the election instead.
Let's re-elect Obama because he is our best bet, regardless of how we dislike some of the things he does. I think the two examples I provided above are atrocious and shocking from a Democratic president. But, at the same time I can't allow my anger and shock over these things to cloud my judgment so much that I help to allow a win for the right-wing. A win for them is going to be a colossal loss for the rest of us because that's going to ensure that all of the terrible things I envision happening WILL happen without a doubt and it'll happen in the most horrific ways possible.
So, let's re-elect Obama in the November elections. And, while we're at it, let's replace any red seats that we can with blue seats instead. Give him back a majority in both Houses and give him back his presidency. During the second term of presidency, it's even more possible for a sitting president to get things done. But, he has to get that second term. They're able to fight harder, they're able to stand their ground more firmly, they're able to bargain more efficiently. And all of these things are made even MORE possible if he has a supportive majority in both Houses.
So let's do this. And let's not fuck it up this time, okay? We all make mistakes, and that's natural and that's alright. Even big ones like the 2010 mistake. But, let's learn from it and not let our anger cloud our judgment. I think we can all agree that a right-wing president is not in our best interest, no matter how pissed off we are with Obama and any policies or laws we disliked him passing, or just compromising on.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
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