American with an attitude(my title)

There have been a lot of inquiries about this article & whether Ted wrote it or not. Ted did not write the following piece & we aren't sure who did, but we do love it & here it is for you to enjoy!

I'm a Bad American-this pretty much sums it up for me. I like big trucks, big boats, big houses, and naturally, pretty women.

I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some midlevel governmental functionary with a bad comb-over who wants to give it away to crack addicts squirting out babies.

I think playing with toy guns doesn't make you a killer. I believe ignoring your kids and giving them Prozac might.

I don't think being a minority makes you noble or victimized. I have the right not to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird or make me mad. This is my life to live, and not necessarily up to others expectations. I know what SEX is and there are not varying degrees of it.

I don't celebrate Kwanzaa. But if you want to that's fine; I just don't feel like everyone else should have to.

I believe that if you are selling me a Dairy Queen shake, a pack of cigarettes, or hotel room you do it in English. As of matter of fact, if you are an American citizen you should speak English. My uncles and forefathers shouldn't have had to die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come disrespect ours, and make us bend to your will. Get over it.

I think the cops have every right to shoot your sorry butt if you're running from them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the previous line. I don't use the excuse "it's for the children" as a shield for unpopular opinions or actions.

I know how to count votes and I feel much safer letting a machine with no political affiliation do a recount when needed. I know what the definition of lying is, and it isn't based on the word "is"-ever.

I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you qualify for any special loan programs, gov't sponsored bank loans, etc., so you can open a hotel, 7-Eleven, trinket shop, or any thing else, while the indigenous peoples can't get past a high school education because they can't afford it.

I didn't take the initiative in inventing the Internet. I thought the Taco Bell dog was funny.

I believe no one ever died because of something Ozzy Osbourne, Ice-T or Marilyn Manson sang, but that doesn't mean I want to listen to that crap

from someone else's car when I'm stopped at a red light. But I respect your right to.

I think that being a student doesn't give you any more enlightenment than working at Blockbuster or Jack In The Box.

I don't want to eat or drink anything with the words light, lite or fat-free on the package.

Our soldiers did not go to some foreign country and risk their lives in vain and defend our Constitution so that decades later you can tell me it's a living document ever changing and is open to interpretation. The guys who wrote it were light years ahead of anyone today, and they meant what they said - now leave the document alone, or there's going to be trouble.

I don't hate the rich. I help the poor. I know wrestling is fake. I've never owned, or was a slave, and a large percentage of our forefathers weren't wealthy enough to own one either. Please stop blaming me because some prior white people were idiots - and remember, tons of white, Indian, Chinese, and other races have been enslaved too - it was wrong for every one of them.

I believe a self-righteous liberal Democrat with a cause is more dangerous than a Hell's Angel with an attitude.

I want to know exactly which church is it where the "Reverend" Jessie Jackson preaches; and, what exactly is his job function.

I own a gun, you can own a gun, and any red blooded American should be allowed to own a gun, but if you use it in a crime, then you will serve the time.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it makes you mad, then invent the next operating system that's better and put your name on the building. Ask your buddy that invented the Internet to help you.

You're telling me that someone who is a minority, gay, disabled, another nationality, or otherwise different from the mainstream of this country has more value as a human being that I do as a white male. If someone kills anyone, I'd say that it's a hate crime. We don't need more laws! Let's enforce the ones we already have.

I think turkey bacon, turkey beef, turkey fake anything sucks. I believe that it doesn't take a village to raise a child-it takes a parent with the guts to stand up to the kid and spank his butt and say "NO!" when it's necessary to do so. I'll admit that the only movie that ever made me cry was Ole Yeller. I didn't realize Dr. Seuss was a genius until I had a kid.

I will not be frowned upon or be looked down upon or be made to keep silent because I have these beliefs and opinions. I thought this country allowed me that right. I will not conform or compromise just to keep from hurting somebody's feelings. I'm neither angry nor disenfranchised, no matter how desperately the mainstream media would like the world to believe otherwise. Yes, I guess by some people's definition, I may be a bad American.

i am not totally against hate crime legislation though, and let me tell you what i'm thinking. (i've been dying to actually talk to someone about this topic). i totally think whoever kills anyone with malice etc. should just get the death penalty etc. regardless of who they kill. (for instance, i think in my state they keep trying to make it a death penalty crime if you kill a cop, or a kid--well too bad. i want the death penalty for them if they kill me also).....but hate crimes legislation also applies to assault. for instance, here are two very different scenarios: if you and i are walking down the street, i bump into you, so we exchange words, and then we fight, vs the scenario, me and a bunch of my black friends decide we are going to go out as a gang and pick out an unknown single white assailant, and beat the crap out of them because they are white. my understanding is that without hate crime legislation, all of the perpetrators, of these two scenarios, the bumpers into, and the gang, would receive the same charge:assault, or aggravated assault etc. i just think it is two very different things. perhaps if we had "premeditated assault", vs hate crime legislation, that would cover it. interested to hear what you think
stell

Nothing is simple, that is for sure. I am all for the death penalty in theory, but have some real issues with how it is practiced in the U.S. Why does justice take soooo long? We, the average tax payer, has to pay for 10-20 years of death-row care, lawyers, judges, food, guards, doctors and more lawyers for some murder'n trash before justice is finally served. That bugs me. A lot. I think I'd rather have the convicted murderer just go to jail with no (zero, 0) chance of ever getting out, then live for decades in the court system. I agree with your point that killing a cop is just as bad as killing me or you and the punishment should be the same.

As to your point about "motive" ie: hate crime. While I agree that some motives are worse than others, I'm not ready to sign up for more laws to put 'extra' punishment into what amounts to the same crime. To use your example, if you and some black friends beat the crap out of me because I'm white, then I and some of my white friends find and beat you because you beat on me, which is worse? In this example, my motive may be less evil, but our actions are the same. When we start judging the motives things get a little fuzzy. When we rely on the justice system to judge motives, then it gets scary.

The flip side to this, is that I really am a white guy and have no experience with being black, hispanic, asian or a woman. I've got a couple of black friends and one buddy in particular is close enough that we have talked about a few of his experiences. (very interesting perspective on the Rev. JJ!) He has a white wife and when we've been out, I've seen a few of the looks they get from some people. I guess things take time. Another generation and I think having 1 white and 1 non-white parent will be the norm in this country. I guess I say all that to say that if one specific group can truly demostrate that they are being treated worse because of their skin color, well, then perhaps some extra 'protection' is needed. I'm just not sure that this protection means additional punishment for the offender.

Anyway, that is my nickels worth, for what its worth. Thanks for asking! I love to chew on this stuff! <|8^) mp

I just look at it like this.

A death sentance in this country is like a life sentance with option to kill. The crook isn't getting out, ever. One way or another he's going to die in prison. And if they kill him in twenty years that's probably 10-15 years less that we have to pay for when compared to true-life WPP.

Doesn't bother me that he gets 10-20 years to fight it. As a matter of fact I wouldn't have any other way. If we're going to kill the crook we'd better make damn sure that we are right and the best way to do that is to let him fight for his life in court.

BTW. I hadn't seen this in at least 6 months and it wasn't on this site. Thanks for posting.

EBUCK

Ok, here is my deal with that: I am under the impression that one of the reasons we don't just give life in prison to murderers is the whole 'deterent' thing. If, and it is a big if, we accept that, then waiting 10 years to throw the switch turns the deterent argument into a joke. I hear you though, we do need to be sure. Tough issue.

BTW. I hadn't seen this in at least 6 months and it wasn't on this site. Thanks for posting.

Thanks EBUCK. Despite my faux-pas, the freepers were kind to me. I'm sure my eyebrows will grow back...

Hate Crimes: The opposite of Love crimes. Hate Crimes are those crimes which are committed for reasons of hate rather than reasons of love. It is a very strange distinction.

The fact is that all crimes addressed by so-called hate crimes legislation are already adequately addressed by existing federal or state criminal codes.

Hate crimes are an absurd, politically-correct construct which suggests that crimes committed for reasons of ethnic or gender hatred are somehow more reprehensible than crimes that are committed for other reasons.

Why have the feds defined a special category of crime defined as a hate crime?

First and foremost, a significant motive behind federal hate crime legislation is quite obvious: A politician who supports such laws earns votes from the minority voters who are supposedly protected by such laws.

Second, the definition of certain crimes as federal hate crimes allows federal officials to intervene and interfere in local law enforcement efforts. Hate crime legislation is thus a direct assault on states' rights. The racial lobby has effectively traded off states' rights for political power.

We're anxiously awaiting the inevitable introduction of federal Love Crime legislation.

I think it's two fold. First is deterent and second is making sure the creep never gets the chance to do it to anyone again. Deterent..At least to me a 10-20 year wait/fight then execution would deter me. Especially considering the fact that death row is basically solitary with one hour out for exercise a day. The second takes care of itself either way.

EBUCK

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I believe it was AL GORE who claimed to have written this.