Iran Deal Riles Americans. Should It?

Last night, a group of countries reached a treaty with Iran to start working on its nuclear stuff.

Does it sound like I have no idea what happened last night?! That's because I don't have any idea what happened last night. Sure, I can parrot back news headlines and what my senators have to say about the deal; but could I explain it to a sixth grader? Not a chance. And I'm not alone.

Most people in the US are not foreign diplomats. Most people in the US are not nuclear engineers. Most people in the US know about foreign relations and nuclear treaties based only on what the media shows them.

This morning I woke up and on my Facebook Newsfeed one of my friends was calling Obama "a dangerous president" because of the deal we made last night. Another friend said that "our country is going downhill and now taking the rest of the world with it."

Really? Is that what you think based on your years of experience in the field? Or is that what the news channel that you decided to watch told you?

Our age of 24-hour news has made all of us "experts" and we all have our "expert opinions" that we try to shove down other people's throats on social media. I'm willing to bet that neither one of my friends who commented about Iran's nuclear program has any reason to think what they think other than "well, that's what a particular news channel said" or "well, that's what a particular senator who disagrees with the President said."

Come on, guys. Even if you "research" your opinions on foreign relations, how are you so arrogant to think that you know better than the people you put in office? Oh, you didn't vote for Obama? Well, tough cookies. You still put him in office. And if you think that reading a couple of articles about Iran's nuclear program makes you more qualified to form an opinion and create a plan than the President (regardless of his party), you're arrogant.

None of us know what exactly is going on in that program.
None of us can fathom what's at stake.
None of us should think that we know better than experts just because we watched a certain news channel.

The age we live in is showing just how quick we are to take sides and fight to the death for something we know nothing about. We know so little and yet we are so willing to put everything on the line to tell everyone how "much" we know and why everyone should agree with us.

A year ago, I "knew" that the guy I voted for was the bomb-diggety and I couldn't wait to rub it in the faces of people who lost the election. I was super-arrogant about everything, too. I am beyond grateful that I've been humbled to the point that I have realized just how little I know about everything that I was writing and fighting about last year. It's made me see how silly people who think that they're being "progressive" or "politically active" make themselves look so much of the time.

I believe in having opinions (obviously) and I believe in voting for the person you think will do the best job carrying out your opinions. But I do not believe in pretending to know anything about other countries' nuclear programs or anything where you have to go through years of specialized training to know anything about it.

This week is Thanksgiving. Instead of trying to provoke people into arguments and violence, put your arrogance down and be thankful--be so thankful--for the little that you do know.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi 

"Ditch Mitch": When Will We Have Substance?

The Capitol. Kinsey Hein, 2013.

I live in Kentucky. I have voted in Kentucky elections for the last six years. I vote for candidates based on what they are bringing to the office for which they are running, how they have run their campaigns, and whether or not I believe that they have the best interest of the country at heart. I do not vote for a candidate just because they represent a certain party.

I am not a fan of Senator Mitch McConnell, one of Kentucky's senators. No, it's not because he's a Republican and I'm a Democrat and so of course I should hate him. It's because I don't agree with things he's supported (or loudly not supported) during his tenure in Washington. He has voted for war in Iraq, the Keystone Pipeline project, and a tax break for himself; all issues I see as despicable. He has voted against gun regulation, campaign finance reform, the Violence Against Women Act, affordable health care; all issues with which I have a very personal relationship and believe are necessary for the good of our country.

Mitch McConnell is up for reelection in November 2014. The assumed Democratic candidate running for US Senate is Alison Grimes, the current Secretary of State of Kentucky. She took the office only 19 months ago, so when her name started coming up, I paid attention. I wanted to see what experience she's gotten during her stint as our Secretary of State, seeing as she was a local intellectual property lawyer before she was elected. I've listened to a few of her speeches and I agree with her more than I agree with McConnell on a number of political issues.

I am, however, disappointed by the campaign Grimes is running. Slogans like "Ditch Mitch" and "Team Switch" are all over local television and newspapers. Grimes's bid for the Senate is polling well simply because she's saying that she is not Mitch McConnell. I don't want to vote for someone because they aren't "the other guy;" I want to vote for someone.

I expressed my frustration to my husband about the fact that Kentucky's best hope of a Democratic US Senator is using grade school insults to persuade voters to vote for her. He listened for a minute, and then said, "She has a campaign team that is using polling data that shows what works to get a win."

"Ditch Mitch" works? "Team Switch" will win Grimes the election? If these absurd sayings work, I think we have a lot more to worry about than which candidate won the election. If someone who has only 19 months of public service experience can win a seat at the national level on elementary school level quips and not on her resume or voting record (because she doesn't have a voting record), what does that say about us as a society?

Sure, it might simply mean that more people voted against McConnell than for him.

But what else could Grimes's winning demonstrate? That we don't care who takes a seat in the US Senate as long as it's not "the other guy"? That we are perfectly fine not only supporting, but rewarding the playground insults (that we wouldn't allow our children to say) our elected government officials are using during their "elevated discourse"?

I'm tired. I'm tired of this divisiveness that we insist on clinging to like a lifeline. I'm tired of the die-hards out there who refuse to see the other side of every issue just because of who brought the issues up. I'm tired of the name calling. I'm tired of the holier-than-thous out there who think that people who don't agree with them just aren't smart enough to understand. I'm tired of the staunch patriots on both sides who think anyone on the other side of the aisle is a complete jerk. I can't be the only who's tired of all of this!

When we heard about the tragedy at Sandy Hook, who didn't hug their kids a little tighter that night? I can tell you it wasn't just Democrats who did.

When the death of Osama bin Laden was announced, who didn't feel a little tiny sense of relief knowing that he had finally been brought to justice? I can tell you it wasn't just Republicans who did.

Whenever we hear about kids who have bad schools or people without food or young moms who get laid off, who doesn't feel for them? We all do.

We all have common goals. We all have the same things we care about more than anything else in the world. Shake off that grade school sense of "I've gotta call this guy a bad name to make myself look better." Move on from that childish yearning for victory, just so you can say you've won, even if you haven't earned it. Become that person, that leader, who is willing to question his own opinion to give the other side a chance to be heard. Become a leader and, for the good of your country, reach across the aisle and shake the hand of someone who, deep down, is just like you.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Sources:
McConnell's voting record
2014 KY Senate Polling Statistics
KY Secretary of State Legislative Initiatives

"NSA Collects Data." And We're Surprised Because...?

Author's Note: Thank you to my readers for being so patient between articles. I'm now two weeks away from my wedding, so I'm running around like a crazy person! 

Last week Edward Snowden shared the news that the NSA collects data from phone customers and keeps it for its use as it sees fit. Apparently it also collects user data from Google, Facebook, and some other sites.

After the first year anniversary of dating my boyfriend, I started getting engagement ring ads on Facebook (why I got them and he didn't, I don't know!). After we got engaged, Facebook started giving me wedding dress ads. Google ads always seem to "know" where I am or what I'm interested in: concert ticket ads for bands I like, flower ads in my wedding colors, jewelry ads, etc. If Facebook and Google "know" these things about me, why are people shocked by the revelation that the NSA knows all of that plus our phone numbers and emails?

We are in an age of oversharing: people are willingly putting all the little details of their lives in public places. I don't think it's surprising at all that corporations and the government are using what we give them. Sure, there are "privacy policies" on Facebook and Google, but come on; who really thinks they have a private Facebook page? It seems ridiculous to even put "private" and "Facebook" in the same sentence! 

In all honesty, I've always assumed that the government knows everything I put online, every phone call I make, and everywhere I go that has a guest list. I don't mind that at all; it's my choice to "check in" when I get to certain places, use a cell phone, and "like" different things online. I am willingly sharing my life with my friends, strangers, and government, so I don't feel like I should be very upset that all of that data is collected.

What I do mind is the part of Snowden's report that explains that the government can use any and all of the data it's collecting now (and has been collecting) in the future to paint someone as something they're not. For example, ten years from now, let's say I write an inflammatory article condemning something the government does. Let's say it gets lots of attention and the government doesn't like it. The government could come back to this article that I'm writing now, find all my other articles, and paint me as someone who is argumentative, jumps on big news stories, and likes attention, thereby either discrediting me or turning me into this long-time radical political activist who needs to be--*cough, cough, wink, wink*--detained.

Do I get to choose what I share with the government? Kind of. Do I get to choose how the government uses the information I share? Not a chance! So. Is it ethical for the government to collect the information I willingly share with anyone who can find it on the internet? I'm going to go ahead and say, "sure." Yes, "requesting" my provided information from companies is different than "collecting" information unknowingly, but the government has made thousands of requests for personal information from Facebook and Google and I'm willing to bet that it was unbeknownst to those users. If the government "collects" my information without my knowledge, fine. 

Technically, any one of us can "collect" any information on anyone we want and we definitely don't have to tell them. I'm willing to bet that out of my 1,000+ Facebook friends, I could find at least 10 where I could go back in their "timelines" and find something that I could twist to make look horrible and get them fired from their jobs. Frankly, I am more concerned about the prospect of a Facebook "friend" that I met once five years ago trying to ruin my career for their own amusement than I am about the fact that the government is "collecting" my information.

This is a massive debate that is important to have, but we need to realize that it will be ongoing for as long as technology advances. I think we need to come to terms with the fact that while technology helps us and gives us access to things we couldn't even have imagined 50 years ago, it also gives strangers an inside look at our own personal lives; strangers that (for now) include the government.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

P.S. Hi, NSA, CIA, and/or FBI agent who's reading this to make sure I'm not a terrorist! Spoiler alert: I'm not. Hope you guys and gals have a wonderful day!

Say No to the Washington Blame Game--Take Action!

We have seen a lot of political turmoil lately. The 2012 election season was full of attack ads and empty promises, we've had financial ceilings and cliffs come and go over the last couple of years, and our country is more divided than it's been in 150 years. 

The thing that troubles me the most about this is that when I listen to the news I hear blame, not a call to action. It doesn't matter what station I listen to: if it's MSNBC they're blaming the Republicans; if it's FOX they're blaming President Obama. But on no station do I hear, "Our country is in trouble; let's put our party differences aside, come together, and get it back on track."

The "sequester" is coming in 24 hours. It seems to me that everyone in Washington is playing a game of "chicken," with the American people as the one who will have to pick up the pieces. The politicians are blaming each other and then sitting at home, with no meetings or phone calls on the books, waiting for the other side to blink. 

I want to be very clear: I am not at all blinded by my past involvement with the Obama campaign. I am incredibly frustrated with Obama and the Democratic party, as well as the Republicans. 

I feel cheated: I worked for Obama for three months to get him re-elected because he promised a better tomorrow, a better country. Kentucky is slated to lose 150 teaching jobs if the sequester happens. My fiancé is a first year teacher and his is the only income we have right now. If Josh loses his job because Obama and Congress can't get their act together to fix this mess that they put us in, you'd better believe that I'll be very vocal about what my president and my congressmen have done for me.

We get to elect our leaders, but I don't feel like we've elected leaders. I feel like we've elected 15 year old boys to Capitol Hill and they're acting like children, refusing to talk to the guys they don't agree with. They need to get it together and remember that they are representing us, the people of America. 

They have the honor of having been chosen to represent us at the highest level and they are not taking that seriously. It seems to me that most of the people in Washington (the president, senators, and representatives) are more interested in their own political gain than doing what's right for the people. 

Contact your congressmen and congresswomen, as well as your president. Tell them that you don't agree with the way they're doing business on your behalf and you expect better from the people you sent to Washington in your stead.

Contact Info:

US Senators

US Representatives

US President

The only way we will get this country back on track is to stop joining in the blame game. We need to take action, not spend article after article blaming the "other side." We are better than that! Our country is one that has been built on its citizens taking action, not its people complaining until someone else fixes our problems.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Are Elected Officials Civil Servants?

This weekend I saw the film "Lincoln." What a brilliant movie. When we got home as I built the fire, I got to thinking that the Lincoln that was portrayed in the film was such an incredible "civil servant." This led me to think about the political figures we elect today. Are they the civil servants we elect them to be?

And, even if our elected officials are not voting in their constituents' best interests all the time, do their constituents know and/or care? I am a rather politically-minded person, and to be completely honest, I had to look up the representative I was voting for last month the day before Election Day. I moved here in July and I knew nothing about local politics or who our representative was. But what about the rest of the population who isn't as politically-minded? Do they just vote straight-ticket?

The thing is, back in Lincoln's day, there wasn't all the extra crap we have in our lives now. It used to be that if you lived in town, you would get a weekly paper if you could afford it. If you lived on a farm, you might get the news once a month, if you were lucky, and it was the only news you had for the next month! It really gave you time to understand the news and care about it before you moved on to the next thing.

Now, if we're listening to the news as we're starting our day or reading one of the hundreds of daily newspapers we have access to, we can hear one minute about something our congressman has said in passing, then the next minute hear something terrible about how a building has been blown up halfway across the world, and then hear about how some pop icon has gotten her hair dyed and "Oh my god, what a fashion faux pas." And then we go about our day, getting inundated with more stimuli with everything we do, so that by the end of the day we don't even remember what our congressman said.

Even though it's harder for us to keep up with our congressmen and congresswomen because we have so much going on in our lives, it's important that we do pay attention to what they're doing. We live in a democracy and part of our job is to vote for the people we think will do the best job in our best interests. Our job goes deeper, though, than just voting. We need to be informed voters, and not just informed the day before Election Day!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Conservatism: Black and White?

One of the things I'm learning as I "grow up" is that reality isn't as black and white as I generally like to believe. I have always been a this-is-correct-so-it's-good/this-is-wrong-so-it's-bad type of person. But looking at all the issues going on and how I feel about some of them, there are definitely things I never thought I would say.

When it comes to "family values" I am apparently a lot more conservative than I could have ever imagined. I didn't realize this until my fiancé and I were talking about raising kids. I plan on being what I see as "reasonable," very similar to the way I was raised. But looking deeper into what that means, it turns out that it is more "conservative" parenting than "liberal" parenting.

Now, of course, I about had a heart attack when my fiancé first brought this to my attention: conservatism is bad...isn't it? This has been going on for a few months. It's taken me a while to start to feel okay with it. I mean, I was raised in a "liberal" family, wasn't I?

I believe in being an incredibly present parent. I believe in loving my kids no matter who they are. I believe in telling my kids what they are and are not allowed to do or eat. I believe in disciplining my kids. I believe in being honest with my kids. I believe in having dinner together every night. I believe in having family game night on weekends instead of watching TV or going to a movie.

This is such a weird thing to be talking about since I don't even have kids. But it's important to see someone who used to be such a self-professed liberal accepting some more conservative ideals. I want to be perfectly clear: I am not going insanely conservative, but I'm also not a liberal extremist.

What would happen if our government took a lesson from this? Being a moderate means that we can see both sides and choose for ourselves what is right for us; not being a dogmatic follower of a certain party. Yes, I voted for Obama; yes, I worked for his campaign. But not because he is a Democrat; I believe in him, because I agree with most of his policies. Not all. Most.

Take a moment today and be with yourself. Decide what works for you; not what your party dictates that you should believe. It's harder than it seems like it should be. It's taken me months to be okay with it. But it's important. I'm glad I've taken some time with it.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Politicians Just Want to Help

I've been working on the Obama campaign for about a month now. It has been one of the most interesting experiences I've ever had! Most of the times when I go into the campaign office, there is such a high level of excitement and hope. The people who work there, myself included, are so sure that President Obama is going to continue to help the people of the United States!

I don't, however, like all parts of the campaign. Some of it is so negative! The campaign ads are infuriating. I can't believe that the Obama campaign put one out earlier this week about Big Bird! The fact that he is spending campaign money on Romney's silly comment instead of telling us what he is going to do to continue to work with the American people is very frustrating to me.

Getting frustrated at the same time you believe so strongly in something makes only one thing look like the solution: getting involved! I don't have a degree in political science or anything related to economics or anything, but I would really like to get more involved in local issues because I would like to help people get what they need and help make the world a better place, and what better place to start than your own community?

Thinking about why I want to get more involved in politics made me think about the reasons the politicians we already have got involved in politics in the first place. Every congressman, congresswoman, judge, president, governor, etc. that I can think of has told us that they got involved because they wanted to help people and lead our communities in the "correct" direction. While we don't all agree on which direction is the "correct" direction, we're all in this for the same reason: to help people. Seeing the campaign ads that tell us what a horrible person the "other guy" in the race is, is incredibly sad to me because if you look at the other person for who they are, he or she is in this for the same reason you are.

Take today to appreciate the people around you for who they are, even if they don't agree with you, especially if they don't agree with you! I have people in my own family and inner circle of friends who are die-hard conservatives. I don't agree with most of their views, but I understand why they have them and why they think those views are valid. There is no reason that I should tell them they're wrong or they should tell me that I'm wrong in my own views. We all have our own views on a bunch of different issues, but at the end of the day, we can all unite in the fact that we want the best for ourselves and our children.

Have a great weekend!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi