Woe is me - I'm politically ignorant

[Miztiki]

September 11th woke me up from my lifelong state of political and historical ignorance. Since then I have been trying to learn about and understand the world I live in.

I could use some help.

[geopyg]

No worries. I’m sorry to hear of your medication problems - hope its not long term, and if it is, I apologize in advance. I don’t even drink any more. And I did just spend the evening with my wife and kissed her goodnight. However, that getting any work done is still a problem!

And of course then I had to google that whole missing children thing! (Have they checked Congress?) Seemed that lots of democrat’s names came up. And of course they all need more funding!

[Marie2]

Seriously, if you want to know what I consider to be a conservative viewpoint on any subject, feel free to email me. I shall do my best.

[verum ago]

not pain I'm happy to say but sleep issues... I'm coming out of a bout of deep depression, and, well, yeah... they prescribed .25 mg triazolam, but turns out I'm damn near immune to the stuff in terms of drowsiness (the desired effect). But not cognition...

good luck with whatever your pain issue(s) is... I know life can get a bit down with chronic issues like that.

and oh what the hell, if you're starting a pinglist, throw me onto it. I could use some knowledge and would be more than happy to share stuff when I know it.

[verum ago]

thanks for your understanding... it seems to have helped my mood. Good thing you're not at mad at me too, I readily recognize your tagline which means we must cross paths quite often.

and, one FRiendly FReeper to another...




...DO YOUR WORK!!! :-)

(or if you do yours I'll do mine...)

[Miztiki]

Thank you Marie. I will do that!

[Miztiki]

I’ve been disabled for 10 years now and I get a little worse every year (and I’m young still). I try to keep my mind occupied with learning things but dang, not being able to do much of anything really sucks. I take pain meds that can make me a little loopy sometimes, so I know what you mean about posting under the influence.

I hope whatever has you down doesn’t keep you down for too long. I looked up that med you wrote and it sounds pretty strong. I hope it is able to help you. :)

[philman_36]

...learn something new every day...
Something new...Reply 2.

...who funds the "Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus" that he started?
Nobody, per se, actually "funds" the multiple caucuses in DC. They're groups of "like-minded legislators" who attempt to enact legislation for campaign contributions/votes (my definition).
As Cramer puts it...In order to promote specific policies and special interests, Members of Congress will often unite in smaller groups called caucuses. Congressman Cramer is a member of the following Congressional caucuses:
Snip...The Congressional Missing & Exploited Children's Caucus, Co-Chairman and Co-Founder
The Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus builds awareness around the issue of missing and exploited children, helps find children who are currently missing, and works to prevent future abductions. The Caucus is initiating community, state, and national efforts to combat the growth of child abduction and exploitation throughout the country - like the Amber Alert, Code Adam, Know the Rules and other programs.
Lots of Caucuses mentioned on his page.

[Billthedrill]

Hello Miztiki -

A conservative conserves, that is, he or she is interested most in preserving those aspects of politics that have resulted in the magnificent structure that is Western culture. A progressive wishes to take that as a baseline and march on to a better, imagined society. There is no shame in the latter - all of the Founders were for their day progressives, and yet they were conservatives as well - what they wished to preserve was long codified in British law and European Enlightenment philosophy.

We're left with a mix, really, and that's not a bad thing, but it does make it impossible to describe what truly constitutes a "conservative" or a "progressive" body of theory. Those are labels, more or less useful as they are taken less or more literally.

My humble - and it is, believe me - advice is to begin with the Constitution, and to understand how it came to be in its present form by reading The Federalist Papers. The issues described in the latter are as fresh and vital today as they were when they were penned. This is our agreement, our social contract if one may take back the term that a fellow named Rousseau thoroughly spoiled. It is to be defended fiercely, because it is what we are, and if there is no other working definition of "conservative" in American politics it is that.

The problem is that doesn't leave you with any specific guidance as to current issues. What it does arm you with is a body of principle and a close appreciation that you are not alone in grappling with these issues. You'll have to make up your own mind, but you are not alone in that either - at one point a body of individuals did so and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor after the conclusions they reached. We, their beneficiaries, cannot in good conscience do less.

So no formula. Did you think it'd be easy? It isn't. My very best to you and if I can help you have but to ask, right here. That's what FR is all about.

[stuartcr]

I really hop FR isn’t the only place you are looking.

[geopyg]

“The Caucus is initiating community, state, and national efforts to combat the growth of child abduction and exploitation throughout the country”

Thanks. My search came up with a large donation from Quest (I think?) that was being used for internet security regarding children I believe. So sounds like at least some of the funds are private sector. Another website talked about trying to get increases in funding for the FBI for missing children work as well, so obviously Gov’t funds are in the bag too.

[Miztiki]

Thanks for the old thread link.

As for the caucus question, on whose dime are they “initiating community, state, and national efforts to combat the growth of child abduction and exploitation throughout the country”...?

Do they do that in their spare time at eachothers houses? Or are they using phones and paper and transportation that was bought and paid for by taxpayers?

If the former then great, maybe I’ll stop by for coffee and join them in their efforts.

If the latter, then why? Lampson represents my district and introduced this caucus. He has no constitutional right to do such things and if that’s in fact the case, then I’d like to know.

I used to be 100% politically ignorant and in the past would have supported such a noble cause. Times are a changin’ though, and now that I know what the purpose of our Federal government is supposed to be, I want to learn as much as I reasonably can, and in the process share that with those who don’t know any better right now.

(Hence the purpose of this thread. Quite frankly, I’m too disabled to be an activist in any other way.)

[Miztiki]

Of course not.

[Miztiki]

The Federalist Papers

http://www.foundingfathers.info/federalistpapers/

Welcome to our Federalist Papers e-text. The Federalist Papers were written and published during the years 1787 and 1788 in several New York State newspapers to persuade New York voters to ratify the proposed constitution.

In total, the Federalist Papers consist of 85 essays outlining how this new government would operate and why this type of government was the best choice for the United States of America. All of the essays were signed "PUBLIUS" and the actual authors of some are under dispute, but the general consensus is that Alexander Hamilton wrote 52, James Madison wrote 28, and John Jay contributed the remaining five.

The Federalist Papers remain today as an excellent reference for anyone who wants to understand the U.S. Constitution.

http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

(scroll down just a bit for it)

My familiarity with the Bible is what brought me to the conservative side of the political aisle. Though it doesn't talk about many of the modern issues we face today, there is "nothing new under the sun", so I understand and agree with what you are saying.

I've never read the Federalist Papers before, so thanks for pointing that out to me. Just one more reason I stick around this joint. ;)

[philman_36]

The funds are for specific projects the Caucuses initiate, not the Caucuses themselves...as you're finding out.
...a large donation from Quest (I think?) that was being used for internet security regarding children...

[Silly]

An idea that is not-at-all silly.

Me like.

Please sign me up as a charter member of this list.

As much as I like being Silly, I really appreciate where you’re coming from and would enjoy the experience. I also think it would be completely in keeping with the spirit of this place. After all, we don’t post insults the day someone has died, and we also have a moratorium on religious attacks on certain threads.

Also, I am interested in starting the following new ping lists myself:

1. For those who want to explore new ping lists.

2. For those who think that Christmas smells like oranges.

3. For anyone wishing to debate my cousin, who is a patch of brown liquid.

4. For the administration of rum, sword fighting, and swabbing.

5. For those who want to communicate en masse with that nonexistent bizarro world in which people are allowed to discuss and carry out assassinations of corrupt, shrill, abortion-loving politicans.

JUST KIDDING -- JUST KIDDING -- DONT START AN FBI FILE ON ME. My cousin is NOT brown, he's green. It was a joke!

[spotbust1]

I keep thinking I’m still in my 20’s, but alas, I’m just old.

[philman_36]

The following is my opinion...
...on whose dime...
Apparently the public's dime since they consider it to be part of their job to work with special interest groups/constiuents to enact special legislation/programs.
Do they do that in their spare time at each others houses?
Damn, you're funny!
Or are they using phones and paper and transportation that was bought and paid for by taxpayers?
I would venture that since they consider it to be part of their job the answer is obvious...taxpayer paid.
If the latter, then why?
Campaign contributions/votes, though they'll mouth platitudes about it benefitting the public good/society in some manner.
And then again, I could be wrong.

[philman_36]

I've never read the Federalist Papers before, so thanks for pointing that out to me.
It's listed tenth in the link I gave you earlier.

[philman_36]

Congressional Caucuses Help Draw Attention to Specific Issues
In the 21st century, each major political party holds regular House and Senate caucuses for discussions of party goals, strategies and views on legislation. At the meetings held at the beginning of a new Congress, members vote for their party leaders and committee chairs. Leaders may encourage, but cannot require, caucus participants to vote a certain way on an issue. Once a congressional term is under way, caucuses focus on designing and implementing legislative strategy.
Sounds like it's on the public dime to me.

[philman_36]

From the same link...
Caucuses are not publicly funded. In the past, some had collected dues from their members that helped them operate and hire staff, but a 1995 law prohibited members from paying dues out of their office accounts, a step that forced most caucuses to stop employing staff of their owns. Today, many caucuses receive administrative support from members' personal staffs. Other caucuses have recruited outside partners to handle certain operations.