People Ask Me

 Far too often people will ask me: "So what do you think about..." 
It is seldom done with true curiosity but instead as either a precursor to present their view(s) or as an indictment for being opposite of what they believe.  Here - within this post I will state what I believe on the many issues people have inquired about over the last 4 years.  Don't get too alarmed there aren't that many - but - the explanations can be long.  Because of that I may refer to previous posts within my blog in lieu of either copying the previous post or re-writing it.

1st on the hit parade - Donald Trump
After 2016 I watched his presidency and in mid-2019 I took the time to evaluate his performance in multiple areas:
> The Economy
> International Relations
> Immigration (especially focusing upon his promises on the wall)
> Bills Enacted and Bill Signed
> Executive Orders (quantity and scope)
> Racial Relations
> Mass Shootings 
> Stance on a Woman's Right to Choose
> The unification of America - In my opinion a President's primary role is that of Leadership, and (in my opinion) leaders don't divide a team they unite it. 
So, I looked at all these and used sources Liberal, conservative and where I could discern it moderate to ascertain data that was shared across each media group because then it would indicate greater chance of it being true.  I did this for myself so I could decide for whom I would cast my vote in 2020.  I cast it for Joe Biden (I'll discuss President Biden next).  I cast that vote because the pages and pages of charts and data I researched showed the President Trump to be very ineffective.  I have tried to share this information many times with people when asked about Trump and no one (to my knowledge) has read all the work and research I sent them.  Some have been very candid about that - sadly.
They ask my opinion but really don't want theirs challenged.
So - simple answer - I think Trump is a very bad choice for America.

2nd is usually asked after they hear my views on Trump.  So?  What do you think of Biden?
Let me start by stating he was not my first choice in the Democratic Primary.  Now let me follow that us with... in the next few months I will review the same areas for Biden I did for Trump in 2019.  All the same.  Why - because to me those are important issues.  I will state as of this writing I am not pleased with how he has handled Immigration.  So for this those of you out there will just need to wait until about May 2024 for the complete answer.  I will add this - I think he shouldn't run again.

Number 3 on the hit parade is Gun Control - for that I will refer to my post from May 29, 2022 "We Don't Need Gun Control."  There is not much I would add to that other than perhaps greater clarity but it encapsulates my view quite well.

4th is somewhat of a tie between racism in America and a Women's Right to Choose.
For me this and LBGTQ+ and CRT and book banning and so many other things are grouped together.
See - for me - I don't care what you believe in or how you behave as long as it does not infringe upon the lives of others.  What I mean by that is simple.  I don't care how many guns you have, who you choose to marry, how you worship, who you like or dislike, etc etc etc.  All that is yours to believe and to do UNTIL if directly and negatively impacts the lives of others.  Now how do we decide that as a group.  Well, this is where it gets tricky.  Let me start with the Preamble of the Constitution and focus upon "promote the general Welfare" (there are much better scholars than I on this)...
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
I believe in limited Federal government and States Rights.  I believe in the Rule of Law.  So, for me it is up to the voters of a state to determine how that group (state) should live together - to "promote the general Welfare".  As I stated earlier this gets tricky because what if one state wants to abolish inter-racial marriage or gay marriage and people travel from one state to the next for vacations or work?  Do they become criminals?  What about abortion? If a woman goes to a state that allows it but returns home to a state that does not, can she be placed in jail? When do States Rights no longer allow for an AMERICAN CITIZEN to be that in every state of the UNION in which they may travel.  I choose the path of less is more. 
 I can own all the guns I want - but I cannot threaten or shoot anyone with them and for public security must keep them from public gatherings.
I don't care who you marry.  Should I not like that - fine. But it isn't my marriage and isn't that the only one I should focus.
The moment I place my religious beliefs upon others I tread on their individual rights.  I always chuckle when I see people with a flag that says "Don't Tread on Me" but want to impose their values upon others.  Anyone else see the irony in that?
I can go on and on with this but simply put - unless it affects others negatively in a real physical sense, why do we care?  


5th is CRT [Critical Race Theory]
For me this is an annoyance because NONE of those who have asked me about this have read:
"Critical Race Theory - the writings that sparked the movement" or "Critical Race Theory - and Introduction" to understand what it is (in my opinion they really should have called it Critical Difference Theory") OR... read some of the books against it like... "Cynical theories".  How can you be against something if you don't understand the viewpoints?
Yet when I suggest these books no one wants to read them as it may challenge their preconceptions.  That is something I just don't understand.  I want to learn and to know and that requires research, reading and facing the possibility that what you believed yesterday and not be right.  Or continued reading proves it is!

Last for this post is a question I ask others and NEVER get a true clear answer...
"What to you should America Look Like"  
On this last one I respond - read my blog.  My posts encompass my beliefs and from that you can draw your own opinion.  So may think I am too conservative other WOKE.  For me I am neither.
To me America is the Constitution and Amendments applied with equality and equanimity to ALL.

Thanks for reading
Tony