STUPID E-MAILS

Jack Norman’s response to a Republican friend that sent one of the countless e-mails telling how bad the Democrats are in this election year. This probably will not make much difference or change his mind but it this kind of stuff that is tearing this country apart.
Response:
Greg, your smarter than this. This is the kind of Carl Rove fear baiting that is dividing this country so bad today. I am a Democrat and I probably feel the same way on about 99% of the issues that face us today that you do. There has never been a Republican or a Democrat that is 100% right or wrong. Both Nixon and Clinton did a lot of good things and some bad things. We have got to get back to listening to both sides and not just looking at everything as good vs. evil. Both parties have got to represented by statesmen not party hacks if we are going to become the great country we can be. This partisan crap is killing us. I only respond to the people I know can understand what I'm trying to say. There are unfortunately too many that had rather take the easy way and simply allow someone in a national party headquarters to tell him or her what they should think and whom they should be afraid of. You are too smart for that.
Norman

p.s. I'm going to add my views on the points contained in your e-mail. I have not done it yet and am anxious to see how close my views on these items are to yours.

How to be a Good Democrat
1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.

I do not support abortion on demand. I do believe in the case of adversely affecting the health of the child or the mother or in the case of rape or incest.

2. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.

No, I do not believe this and have never heard any sane person that does.

3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than U.S. Nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese and North Korean communists.

I believe in guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens. There is no relationship between the right for citizens to own guns and the threat of nuclear weapons in the hands of the Chinese and North Koreans. By the way, I'm against China and North Korea having nuclear capabilities.

4. You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.

No I believe there was art long before and there will be art long after any Federal funding. I do believe that art helps to reflect the soul of a nation and if properly prioritized some funding is in the national interest.


5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth's climate and more affected by soccer moms driving SUV's.

I believe you have to take the political agendas from all sides out of this equation and rely on pure science. I think it is stupid to ignore what's happening but important that the results not be shaped by either tree huggers or automobile makers and fossil fuel companies.


6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being homosexual is natural.

I don't believe in the gender roles that Americans believed in 50 years ago. If that were the case your daughters would only be taking home ec classes and cheerleading instead of getting highly skilled and professional educations. I don't believe homosexual lifestyles are natural but I'm not privy to the final word on what makes them that way. I don't want them filling sensitive roles in our government, schools or religions. I also don't like murders, liars, rapist or robbers.

7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.

Does this statement even deserve an answer? If anyone I know or happened to be related to contracted AIDS from any source I know I would want the best possible treatment for them that was available. AIDS are a fact of life. If we as a nation are going to support research into cures for diseases that affect our people then AIDS research should be considered.

8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach fourth graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

I do not believe this at all. If the parents in our nation are going to cede the responsibility for raising our youth to the state then someone damn well better train them but I don't believe just anyone with a teacher's certificate can do it.

9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.

Another statement that no one believes but that really makes the other side look stupid to someone reading this mess.

10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.

Strongly disagree.

11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent $25 million of his own money to make "The Passion of the Christ" for financial gain only.

I believe this is the most significant film I have ever seen as it relates to my spiritual life. I believe it was made for the message it conveys and I believe God inspired it much like the books of the Bible. The message is powerful.

12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.

I believe the struggle of the NRA is a great example of what makes this country great. I personally believe in the 2nd Amendment rights and the NRA efforts to protect them.

I also while disagreeing with many of the ACLU stances on many issues I believe that this country's constitution is strong enough to demand periodic examination and testing from time to time. The ACLU has its place and there are times when we need to be held accountable.

13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

Another broad stupid statement that appeals to our fears

14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and A.G. Bell.

What a load of crap. Think about this and tell me if you think the strongest Democrat you've ever known believes this. I do believe the women are important, we needed to examine our thinking on women’s place in our country when they came along.

15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.

I don't agree with anything in this statement. I do believe that every person in this country is entitled to an equal opportunity. That is what has made us strong in the past.
It is the work we do before anyone gets to the testing stage that is important. Racial quotas and set-asides should not even be in the picture at this point in our history.

16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a very nice person.

I totally disagree. I agree with the Priest that preached at Obama's old church.

17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.

This again is crap, a broad statement that no one agrees with but really makes Democrats sound bad.

18. You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.

If the conservative or liberal is telling a lie that will get us into a war and cost us over 4000 lives of young men and women and trillions of dollars, then yes he should go to jail. If any person is a sex offender they should be in jail.

19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

I believe in free speech to the point that it becomes harmful to the majority of our citizens. I really don't think it is the Governments place to spread my religion to the masses. I am responsible for telling the story and message of my religion. It is our diversity that has always made us strong. Christianity is our responsibility to spread.

20. You have to believe that illegal Democrat Party funding by the Chinese Government is somehow in the best interest to the United States.

No and I don't and I don't believe that Republican funding by the Saudi Royal family, big business and special interest is good for this country.

21. You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right wing conspiracy.

No, just fear baiting political hacks.

22. You have to believe that it's okay to give Federal workers the day off on Christmas Day ..........but it's not okay to say "Merry Christmas."

How stupid can this get? I'm sure Jimmy Carter is your example here.

23 You have got to believe that a one-term senator from Illinois, a Muslim, that refuses to salute our American Flag or hold his hand over his heart and say the Pledge, can make things better in America.

I think you ought to listen to him, study his life and background, read his position on the issues and not rely on some hack with a computer terminal to tell you what kind of man 18,000,000 people have voted for in the primaries.

24. You have to refuse to vote in November.
Where did this gem come from? Did they just exhaust their thinking capabilities?