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How about this one? People, according to urban legend, should 'pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, do it for themselves, and if things don't work out, well, it must have been something they did. I can't help but notice that the biggest proponents of this philosophy were born into well-to-do families. I'd be willing to bet a day's pay these people don't even clean their own bathrooms. They darn sure didn't achieve their goals all on their own. Another: All babies should be planned, wanted and born into a family which has two committed, mature adults. Therefore, it's ok to curtail poor women's access to medical care, because this will force them to think twice before they get pregnant. Guess what? Partners run off, and babies are conceived during rape. This idea, to me, doesn't even sound as though it should work. When people vocalize this one, I can barely restrain myself from saying, 'Duh'.
I grew up in a large, politically and religiously, diverse family. And, vocal. Really, really vocal. Opinions were freely given, even if you didn't ask. My 'authority figures' possessed opinions that were all over the spectrum, from slightly left of those held by Huey Long to just right of Barry Goldwater's platform. Additionally, I attended a high school with excellent teachers. They encouraged us to read literature of all varieties. I have read the works of Ayn Rand--in fact, I'm willing to bet I've read more of her books than Paul Ryan has. I have read the speeches and writings of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Point being, I was exposed to all sorts of opinions.
However, all of my family members, regardless of their political beliefs held certain core beliefs:
1. We were, under no circumstance, to make fun of those with special needs. This also went for calling 'normal people' --whatever that is-- by derogatory names such as 'retarded', 'tard', 'feeble minded'. God help you if you were heard saying such a thing. The adult who heard you--regardless of whether he or she believed Franklin Roosevelt was a savior or the anti-Christ,--would be in touch with your parents immediately. Probably sooner.
2. We were not to blame people who were down on their luck. Even if they had made a boatload of poor choices, we were not to judge. The phrase I heard was, 'Don't kick a person when he's down.' We were taught to put out a hand, not point a finger.
3. We were not to behave in ways that were considered to be hypocritical . State your opinion and back it up. Being 'wishy -washy 'was just the worst thing. Behaving in such a way would get you laughed off the back porch where my Grandmother's big dining table was placed. I did mention the vocal part, right?
4. No matter what a person's religious beliefs were, we were not to be disrespectful of them. If they were not hurting anyone, it was not our business if they wanted to bay at the moon. No discussion.
And, that, when you get right down to it, is why I don't like this batch of Republicans. They are not nice people. They are judgmental, hypocritical and wishy washy. Recipients of government welfare, sorry, 'tax breaks', they begrudge any sort of tax relief or services to the rest of us. Recipients of government funded programs--legislative insurance, medicare, they, nevertheless, scream about 'socialism'. Proponents of 'less government', they still attempt to barge into our bedrooms, churches and doctors' offices in order to enforce their life view on the rest of us. If one is known by the company one keeps, I guess I just don't want to be in their company.
And, oh yeah, this President's policies are working. Just making note.
In closing, please vote. I already did.
