Frightening

Recently, I have come across Janoskian videos on YouTube. I don't like criticizing people who are just attempting to become successful in a harmless, legal way, but this is a different situation. I don't see how this group of kids could have a channel become so popular amongst YouTube fans. Millions of views... really? I personally feel guilty and ashamed that I assisted in adding to that number. These children do nothing but bother people in unnecessary and inappropriate ways that honestly should not be found entertaining in any manner. Using others at their expense, who didn't even volunteer to be a part of the video, in order to attempt to create comedy is a truly pathetic way to become popular and make money. As I'm sure they would not support degrading and using others to become successful in the corporate or political world. Another sad day in the free nations of the world.

We Are the 99%

I sit here laughing at this slogan used by the Occupy movement and some Democratic clubs on campus because of its inaccuracy and false implications. I understand the thought process behind using the slogan, saying that these are the everyday "middle class" people that believe they are at the mercy of the wealthy who hold positions of power in our society. It is foolish that this slogan is representing a form of portrayed victimization because of its inaccuracy. The true 99% of our society earns an income of $506,000 or less annually, surely not what ''Occupiers'' would consider part of their 99%. This means that stock brokers, real estate agents, wealthy small business owners, etc. would be included in the 99% percent since these occupations on average earn less that $506,000.

The 99% is truly not composed or representative of the 99% and statistically has been shown to actually represent the lower 40% on the income tax bracket from its composition of supporters. There are obviously people who consider themselves part of the 99% movement that earn more than the lower 40%, but does not represent the majority of the group.

This movement financially wants more from a country through financial benefits and more tax cuts when it "invests" a minority of the funds through taxes for these programs. Not only does this group (40%) pay less percentage-wise on their income, but only contributes 3% to the overall tax income of the United States. I am not degrading the importance of these people to our society, but just would like to point out that the situation is much different from what the media is portraying. 

http://www.american.com/archive/2007/november-december-magazine-contents/guess-who-really-pays-the-taxes/

The true top 1% earns 19% of the income of the US but pays 37% of the taxes, and the top 25% of income earners pays 85% of the taxes of our country. This isn't to mention that the majority of financial risks and investments in new technology, companies, etc. are executed by the wealthy members of our society. These advancements and risks benefit everyone and we happily accept them as they become available to the less wealthy masses. As in everything in life, there are successes and failures and when the failures of investment occur, people still are effected in the lower classes. This is merely a reality of life and the downs must be accepted just as the ups are. We cannot react in uprising and disgust every time there are tough times in life. Where would we be if many wealthy men and women such as Bill Gates, Andrew Carnegie, Warren Buffett, etc. who have contributed incredible amounts of money to education, medical research, birth control projects, libraries. All of the lower classes have the opportunities to benefit from these programs created.

Although we live in a time of instant gratification and the need for everything to happen as soon as possible, we must have patience to see and allow the endeavors of the wealthy benefit us through the trickle down effect. We can see this through the availability of cars, cell phones, computers, health care treatments (including free clinics that have been around for decades, where they will not deny patients), education, etc. Is it the best available? No. But is it better than what people of equal position in society had ten, twenty, fifty years ago? Certainly. Let us be thankful for what we have now and patient for the benefits we will receive in the future.

Recent Events

In recent events, gay marriage has surfaced again as a large issue on the national level. Would just like to point out from a political perspective that this shouldn't even be an issue. Whether Republican (fighting for individual freedom through less government) or Democrat (fighting for equality of all through government empowerment), the solution of allowing a civil union between same sexes makes sense. It is an issue that distracts us from greater issues while causing unnecessary debate. As a Republican, you believe in the Constitution in its original form which means that there is a separation of church and state. Therefore allowing same sex marriage would be dealt with at church level since it is separate from state. This would achieve greater individual freedom from less government restriction on how to live one's life. From the Democratic viewpoint, (which really need not be explained since this party is the original warrior for this cause), people are achieving greater equality through the government's push to create policy allowing same sex couples to have a civil union.

On another note, there are plenty of children in this world created by straight couples but no longer have parents in their lives. Many gay couples adopt along with straight couples and are terrific caring parents for children who would otherwise be absent of love in their lives.  Artificial insemination is another topic to be debated.

As an American, it is embarrassing to see that as a country that was created by people escaping religious and social oppression, we are trying to reverse our progress by combining church and state. Forcing a belief on people is still not a successful way of capturing true believers, and this is coming from a believer himself.