English only?

I can see requiring that English be used in all official proceedings, for example, in court cases. But if English is made the official language to the exclusion of all other languages, will "E Pluribus Unum" still appear on our money? Will "Semper Fi" remain the official motto of the Marine Corps?

Will Congress be fussy about which dialect or dialects of English get approval? For example, can a bloke still drive his red-coloured lorry? Can he take the lift up to the first floor? Will shagging and buggery still be permitted between consenting adults?

Mr Bush, don't put up this wall!

Originally, when social security numbers were first issued in this country, it was promised that the numbers would not be used for identification purposes. Today, those numbers are used more often for ID purposes than any other reason. The original purpose had changed.

This is what really has me worried about the proposed wall. The purpose of the wall might change in the future. Remember all those people who threatened to leave if Bush got re-elected? Very few of them actually did leave. But part of what makes a country free is that if for whatever reason you don't like it here and you can find a better place that will accept you, then you are free to leave.

If you want to move to a country that will recognize your same sex marriage, go some place that has universal health care, or travel to Amsterdam and go on a heroin binge, that is your legal right in this more or less free country that we have now.

The question is, how much longer is this country going to remain free? And what is that wall going to be used for then? Will it be considered "unAmerican" or "unpatriotic" to try to leave the country? Will the Border Patrol serve the same role as East German border guards once did?

Battered Voter Syndrome

Ray Nagin has been re-elected Mayor of New Orleans. The first time I heard this man's voice was when he was freaking out on the national news. It should be readily apparent that this man is not capable of dealing with a crisis. This man is not fit to be a security guard, let alone serve as mayor.

Why do voters re-elect politicians who are obviously incompetent like Nagin, obviously corrupt like Marion Barry or Richard J Daley, or obviously stupid like George W. Bush? I think it's for the same reason that women stay with abusive husbands. They form an irrational emotional attachment to the guy, even if its obvious to everyone else that he is creating all sorts of problems.

Immigration

I believe that it should be at least as easy to legally immigrate to this country as getting a driver's license. After all, more Americans are killed in car wrecks than by foreigners. Illegal immigration is no more of a crime than driving 10 mph over the speed limit.

I've noticed that many are insisting that they are for legal immigration but they are against illegal immigration. It seems that they have a healthy respect for the rule of law. I propose that these people prioritize their efforts to control lawbreaking by targeting the worst lawbreakers.

Start by focusing your attention on those who violate Amendments 1 through 10 of the Constitution. After all, if even the President breaks the law, how can anyone else be expected to obey it?

Interesting email that my dad sent me.

Dad used to blog regularly, but he does not ahve the time any more since he adopted a baby from Guatemala. But from time to time, he'll comment on the news blog-style in an email. I'll start reposting what he says from time to time. The following was one he sent addressed to my stepmom on Friday, and sent a CC to me as well.

Sandy,
On my way to work this morning, I heard a story on the radio about a Guatemalan couple living in Stamford, who came into the United States illegally a couple of years ago, using forged visas. They are asking for asylum because they were persecuted when they were in Guatemala because of their affluence. They lost in the trial court, but they appealed and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals (New York, Connecticut, and Vermont) sent the case back to the trial court and told the judge to study whether affluent people are being discriminated against in Guatemala. I would think that being discriminated against because of poverty would be a bigger problem. When you are poor (especially in countries like Guatemala) it can be difficult to become affluent. Starting out affluent and becoming poor is much easier. If their affluence is a problem, the judge could always sentence them to a week at Foxwoods so they can donate their money to the impoverished Mashentucket Pequot Nation before sending them back to Guatemala. If they looked real hard, I bet they could even find some Indian tribes in Guatemala that are worse off than the Pequots.
Michael B. Enders
Senior Attorney
Hartford, CT Hearing Office

Personally, I think we should grant asylum automatically to anyone with a lot of money. They'll either spend or invest their wealth here.

I'm back!

I was in Iowa over the weekend, and for a while I had to catch up with all the stuff that I fell behind on.

Was I gone that long? Why is Howard Dean coddling up to the religious right?

U.S. should not dictate Mexico's internal policies.

Yesterday, President Bush declared that Mexico's decriminalization of drugs would lead to a deficit in the illegal drug trade. "Mexico's new law could put honest, hard-working American drug dealers out of business," said the president. "Like that dude who hooked me up with blow when I was in college."

Ok, he never really said that. For one thing, I never heard him say the word "dude". But seriously, we should allow Mexico to legalize drugs. Their workers come up here, and our stoners will go down there. That's a fair trade.

What I did on May 2nd...

I handed out flyers in front of a church that was being used as a polling place on Carroll Road. I showed up at 2pm, and Jeannette turned over to me a big box of buttons and flyers. Several other people dropped in to hand out flyers, including Roger Gump, the GOP incumbent for Perry Township Trustee. Several high school students came by to support Brown. Adelsperger dropped in and chatted with me. He asked why I was a Libertarian. I told him because there are two types of fiscal conservatives: Libertarians and Republicans during Democratic administrations. He laughed.

Today is Primary Election Day

In yesterday's News Sentinel, it says "If you don't vote, don't complain." I am not a Republican, nor am I a Democrat, nor is Fort Wayne Community Schools having a school board race this year. So I will not be voting in the primary election this year. I instead made my voice heard when I attended the Libertarian Party of Allen County convention last week and endorsed myself for the nomination to be the LP candidate for the 80th District House seat of the Indiana General Assembly.

I intend to do plenty of complaining over the next six months. On November 8th, I will stop complaining long enough to vote for myself and Mike Kole. Other voters will decide whether I will still be posting my complaints on this blog or if I will be complaining from the State House floor.

I can't help but notice that it is raining today. Good. I hope it rains agan on November 8th. If raindrops are all that it takes to stop a person from voting, then I don't really care what that person thinks.