I’m back, with some changes…

Hi, everybody. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to start blogging again. The overall format (reading the local newspaper and commenting on it based on my own views and opinions) will remain the same. However, some things are going to be a little different. I won’t only be commenting on articles related to politics, business, etc. (see my post “Welcome to the Club,” for example). I’ve been thinking for a while of getting back into this blog, and I recently decided to make the leap. That decision was confirmed when I came across an article that surprised me so much that I just had to post something about it.

So what are the changes that you can expect? Well, if you’re hoping that consistency in posting is one of them, then I hate to semi-disappoint. I’ve only recently given my 30 day’s notice to quit my paper route, and for those 30 days there’s no guarantee that I’ll have the time to post.

The changes that I can promise you, though, are in the types of posts I’ll be making. As things stand now, I’m still a capitalist and I’m still a radical. I’m much more than that, though. I’m also a crossdresser, a gamer, an avid book-reader, and a person struggling to determine what, exactly, he believes about life, the universe and everything. Since simply posting “42” and leaving it at that would make for a very boring blog, I’ve decided to use this platform as a kind of sounding board. Some of my posts will be well thought-out and articulate (actually, hopefully, most of them will be). Some will be almost scholarly, with college-accepted grammar, formatting and citations. Some will be ramblings and musings as I try to determine exactly what I’m trying to say, and exactly what I’m trying to say it about.

So, with that, it’s good to be back and I hope you enjoy.

“Welcome to the Club” – Idaho Falls Post Register, February 22, 2013

Synopsis

This article is about a Gay-Straight Alliance in Idaho Falls High School. The article focuses on a student (they call him Kurt but explain that that’s not his real name) who is reluctant to come out to his family or his church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and finds comfort and acceptance in the GSA instead.

My opinions

I was amazed to learn of the existence of a GSA chapter here in Idaho Falls. So amazed, in fact, that it brought me back here to resume blogging after a hiatus of over a year.

There are few things more difficult than finding one’s identity during adolescence. While one is changing, physically, mentally, emotionally and in many cases spiritually, one also has to deal with that trauma-inducing therapy feeder that is high school. Granted, many teenagers have a wonderful time of high school. They become football stars and cheerleaders, prom kings and queens, academic giants who teachers adore, etc, and are destined for more of the same and even greater in college.

In case you can’t tell by my description of high school, I was not one of those. I was one of the many teenagers (a lot of whom, by the way, become football stars, cheerleaders, etc…) who was confused about the changes going on inside my own body as well as in my family, work, church, etc.

I was not questioning my sexuality at the time. While I was always on the effeminate side, it wasn’t until after I’d dropped out that I began to consider the possibility that I may be gay-or, at least, bisexual. The fact that I was raised in a conservative Christian home by a conservative Christian mother may or may not have had something to do with that.

Since leaving high school and my conservative Christian home I’ve questioned my sexuality quite a lot. In fact, I still do. I love my girlfriend, but I love her as the person that she is. By that I mean that I love her for her thoughts, ideas and actions-not for being female. While there is no way to know for certain, I feel that I would love her the same if she were male. Does that make me bisexual? I don’t know. Maybe. Or maybe the fact that I find it hard to determine who is more physically attractive, WWE Diva A. J. Lee or actor Matt Damon, makes me bisexual. Or maybe the fact that I’ve slept with almost an equal number of men as I have women makes me bisexual. Or maybe there’s no such thing as bisexual. Maybe I’m gay and my feelings for my girlfriend have me confused. It could very well be that while I love my girlfriend, the day will come when I find the man for me and leave her. I’d like to think if such a thing ever occurred she would understand and, although it would break her heart, we could remain friends and enjoy such feelings as we do have for each other.

Did I mention I’m a transvestite? That’s an entirely different type of log to throw on the fire. Transvestites are, I believe, even more misunderstood than homosexuals today. For example, did you know that the vast majority of transvestites are heterosexual? There is a huge difference between drag queens (homosexuals who like to dress in women’s clothing) and transvestites (heterosexuals who like to dress in women’s clothing). The motivation, the desires, and the experience are vastly different between the two groups. And that’s before throwing in transgenders (men, both homosexual and heterosexual, who dress in women’s clothing but also want to actually be women).

These are questions that I’ve struggled with for the last twelve years or so. I couldn’t even imagine dealing with issues like these in addition to the issues I dealt with in high school. I was bullied in school. I didn’t come from the right family, the right part of town, the right socio-economic background, the right… I didn’t wear the right clothes, drive the right car of car, own the right… I can’t even comprehend what life would have been like if I’d been openly gay as well.

Many teenagers are. The GSA provides a place for them. Many teenagers are not, but are sympathetic to friends that are. The GSA provides a place for them. Many teenagers don’t know and need a place to openly and honestly discuss the issue. The GSA provides a place for them. Many teenagers don’t even understand homosexuality. The GSA provides a place for them.

I was thrilled to learn that here-in ultra-conservative, mostly-Mormon eastern Idaho-there’s a chapter of the GSA in one of our schools. It is both a safe-haven for teenagers that are struggling with their own sexuality, and also an education and outreach for teenagers that are not, but want to support their gay friends, or simply want to understand more about homosexuality.

Those that would like to learn more about the GSA, or who would like to donate to its cause, should visit the following websites:

(In Eastern Idaho) http://www.breakingboundariesidaho.org/

(Nationally) http://gsanetwork.org/

Quote of the UTP

“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” – Geddy Lee

“Teachers unions: Reform hasn’t hurt relevance.” – Idaho Falls Post Register, 1-22-2012

Synopsis: Despite laws limiting the power of teachers’ unions, and waning membership, many union leaders feel that the negotiating power and relevance of the unions has not been hindered.

Ok. Teachers’ unions. Here we go. First, let’s start with unions in general. Workers do have the right to join together for negotiating power. They can say, as a group, these are our conditions and if they are not met none of us will work for you. However, they don’t have the right to force members of their industry to join them, and they certainly don’t have the right to use governmental force to demand that employer’s accede to their demands.
Concerning teachers’ unions specifically, I find it appalling that the number of years a teacher has worked determines their salary more than the quality of their work. I also disagree with the current tenure system, which forces a school district to retain a teacher who has worked a set number of years indefinitely, despite poor performance. The people in charge of educating our children should have to prove their abilities year in and year out, not just for the first few years of their employment.

Note: I am, of course, in favor of privatizing all schools, as well as eliminating compulsory education. However, this post is an answer to the question “Since we’re not going to do what we should, what should we do?” There will be many posts of this nature in the future, I’m sure.

“Internet bill put on hold indefinitely” – Idaho Falls Post Register, 1-21-12

Synopsis: Due to a massive campaign from online services such as Wikipedia and Google, as well as millions of internet users, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) have been shelved for the foreseeable future in the House of Representatives and the Senate respectively.

I’m all for preventing piracy. I understand the importance of copyright laws and the protection of intellectual property. For those interested, Ayn Rand wrote an essay on the importance of intellectual property entitled “Patents and Copyrights.” (Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, 1966, 130-132)
However, the implementation of these bills would inevitably have been tantamount to censoring the entire internet. Through these bills an entire site, such as Wikipedia or WordPress, could be shut down because of the actions of one of its users. Protecting intellectual property and enforcing copyright law is important, but shutting down the internet is not the way to go about it.

“Experts expect warm, wet weather to continue.” – Idaho Falls Post Register, 1-20-12

Synopsis: This article explains that while the Southeast Idaho region will continue to receive precipitation it will likely be more rain than snow.

So what could a radical capitalist have to say about an article concerning the weather? Only thank god we live in an industrial society and have the knowledge and resources to deal with extreme weather situations. With irrigation and dams, for instance, we can hand droughts and floods respectively. Environmentalists would have us regress to a time when sudden changes in weather would be detrimental, if not disastrous, to humanity. I, for one, don’t want that.

“Hurting small business.” – Idaho Falls Post Register, 1-19-12 (op-ed)

Synopsis: The author of this letter-to-the-editor makes the case that raising the Idaho tobacco tax will hurt small convenience stores and gas stations, particularly along the state borders.

I agree wholeheartedly with the practical points of the author. However, what she fails to address is the moral aspect. Not only is the proposed tobacco tax impractical, it’s also wrong. I admit that as a smoker myself I have a certain bias. However, even were I not a smoker I still would not support this tax. Any tax that places a larger burden on a select group of people, for any reason, is wrong. Taxing such things as tobacco, alcohol, high-end vehicles, etc. at a higher rate than other purchases is discriminatory and should not be allowed, far less given a moral sanction.

“Panel: Medicaid cuts failing.” + “Official: Most Medicaid cuts to hit savings mark.” – Idaho Falls Post Register, 1-19-12

Synopsis: These two conflicting articles, printed side by side on the front page, show two different points of view concerning the success of the 2011 Idaho state Medicaid cuts. The first claims that the cuts have failed; the other claims that the cuts have, for the most part, been successful.

Medicaid, like most entitlement programs, should of course be phased out. However, I’m inclined to agree with the first article, which claims that cutting too much too fast leads to a loss of jobs and poor medical treatment for Medicaid recipients, and will not effectively save the state of Idaho money. What is needed is a more gradual phasing out of all entitlement programs on a federal level.

“‘Mormon factor’ wears off for Romney” – Idaho Falls Post Register 1-17-12

Synopsis: This article’s a little dated since Gingrich has won South Carolina, but essentially the article’s about Romney’s religion having less of an impact on S.C. voters than when he ran in 2008.

Romney, as most of you know (and as is indicated by the headline if you didn’t) is a Mormon. South Carolina, being in the “Bible Belt,” is predominately Baptist. In the ’08 primaries this factored strongly against Romney. My question is simple. Why does it matter? A candidate’s religious beliefs should have no impact on their candidacy, except insofar as their faith influences their decisions, which ideally should be minimal. It makes no difference to me what imaginary being politicians choose to chant to on their own time, so long as they keep it out of their politics.
However, this is not the case. From Reagan’s Moral Majority to Bush’s Faith-Based Initiatives, religion has been a strong influence in politics, particularly in the GOP. Not exclusively, however, as Obama has also called on faith in support of his political agendas. While there’s not any specific language stating that politicians should leave their faith out of their decisions, precedent has supported this idea through the early 20th century. Part of the implicit intention of the drafters of the constitution was to prevent the type of theocratic government that was prominent in Europe and Asia before the enlightenment. While I’m not saying that Romney would necessarily take us there, I will say that the GOP is heading, at a dangerous pace, in that direction.

Okay, you got me…

I’ve asked all of my regular readers, and the consensus is that I just need to start posting, even if that means just posting commentary on articles from the local rag. I’ll begin doing so tomorrow. I will of course start with the articles in tomorrow’s paper. In addition I will go over the “archives” I have and comment on such old articles as I have access to.