It's a short one today. The new baby and mom are at the hospital, and I've got to get the 2 year old off to school. Here's what I've got, and I think it's pretty interesting. Religion and Social Security are dominating people's thoughts, and we seem to be winning the fight for hearts and minds. This survey is a lot smaller than usual though, so keep posted for larger trends.
Cross-posted, like all Tuesdays, to MyDD, where The Daily Pulse, and a lot of truly great commentary, can be found every day.
The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington)
Here is a whole string of letters on church and state. Together they pretty much sum up the arguments of all sides on this incredibly important issue. The second letter is so full of paranoid delusions it is amazing, and yet reflects the fantasies of millions of people in the majority, and making up a conspiracy so they can still feel victimized.
Church and State
In David W. Edwards' May 3 letter, "Herrington on the attack," he declares that "anything is tolerated except Christian morality" and that "anybody has a right to speak except Christians."
Reading this, one might think that Christians were an oppressed minority, instead of the largest and most powerful religious group in this country. One might believe that our elected leaders never referred to God or their faith when speaking publicly. ...
In fact, the Christian right is trying to force their beliefs on all of us. I am not asking anyone who believes abortion is wrong to have one, but they're telling my daughter she can't. I am not asking anyone who believes homosexuality is a sin to enter into a same-sex marriage, but they get laws passed forbidding my gay friends to marry. They want to rewrite state law, the textbooks, and the Constitution to fit their beliefs. And anyone who dares object is oppressing them.
Christians are certainly free to practice their faith I just don't want anybody practicing theirs on me.
Debra Di Piazza, Vancouver
There have been several discussions on this page about the separation of church and state. The Founding Fathers were well aware of the dangers of the state establishing a particular religion as the state religion, a situation most fled Europe for because of the suppression of religious freedom.
Don't forget the rest of the clause: "or prohibit the free exercise thereof." The left in our country is trying to paint the "religious right" as trying to establish a state religion when in fact it is the goal of the left to do so at the restraint of all others.
Those on the left generally practice secular humanism, the tenants of which include there is no supreme being, people are a power unto themselves, and morals and the definition of right and wrong are relative.
Generally, such people feel they are above the masses and should be in positions of power to influence the course of government to bring about a sectarian utopia. This is done by sacrificing the freedoms and rights of the masses to the superior wisdom and knowledge of this group of secular humanists. ...
Scott U. Johnson, Vancouver
We members of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State thank Columbian columnist Gregg Herrington for his April 29 comments regarding separation of church and state. We have watched over the past 25 years as this protection has been under attack.
There is no doubt that the First Amendment intended a clear line of demarcation between the secular activities of the state and the spiritual activities of religion.
This was for the protection of both, as all reputable historians can attest.
Our Founding Fathers from experience how the citizens of the state lost vital freedoms. They also knew how religion was degraded by the political compromises inherent in running a state.
We now find ourselves being pummeled by a small band of fundamentalist religious leaders who see a chance for political gain. ...
Be wary of religious figures who strive for worldly power. In over 5000 years of human history, it has generally come to a bad end.
David Black, Vancouver
Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)
W doesn't seem to popular in Chicago's suburbs. Here is a smattering of letters on gas, war, and Social Security, all drawing a picture of failure of vision, failure of action, and failure of honesty.
Bush is Failing
Republicans have convinced half the population they have the moral high ground, but what is the reality? They took the largest surplus in history from Bill Clinton and turned it into the largest deficit in history and call themselves conservatives. We now exist on money borrowed from other countries.
"Thou shalt not bear false witness" is one of the Ten Commandments this administration has broken over and over. Not only lying about the war but also turning brave war heroes like Max Cleland and John Kerry into traitors while making a hero out of a cowardly deserter like George W. Bush. Bush claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Christ was called the Prince of Peace not the Prince of War. This president calls himself the war president. How Christian is that? The Bible and Jesus are about helping the poor and disadvantage, yet this president gave a tax break of $1.7 trillion to the wealthiest Americans. This gives a tax rebate of about $100,000 to every person making $1 million a year. Since when is robbing the poor and giving to the wealthy a moral value? He signed a law taking away the child tax credit from 9.2 million poor Americans, cut $90 million from education, cut first responder grants by $207 million and cut firefighter grants by $246 million. ...
Cecile Powell, Schaumburg
For 70 years, Social Security has provided the American worker with basic protections for retirement, disability or death. Currently, 47 million retirees, survivors and disabled people receive some form of Social Security payments.
President Bush spent 60 days crisscrossing the country seeking support to completely overhaul the system by privatizing it and urging the adoption of a "means test," meaning workers who earn above the set income level would have Social Security benefits cut. Although most lawmakers agree that the program needs to be studied, they also agree that privatizing it and slashing benefits for middle-class retirees means that working Americans will lose benefits while the cost to workers increases. That is not a good return on investment or a good deal for retirees. ...
We need to keep Social Security strong and secure, but the president's plan will radically change the system and, in the end, harm Americans when they need the assistance the most. The privatization scheme significantly weakens Social Security's long-term solvency and reduces the actual benefits that all retirees would receive. ...
Ronald E. Powell
President
Local 881 and UFCW International
Rosemont
Supposedly, there is a gasoline shortage. How can this be? ...
We built an oil pipeline from Alaska at great expense. Back when we had the "oil crisis" in the 1970s, politicians said oil from this pipeline was being shipped to Japan instead of for us since we were trying to maintain good relations with Japan. Now that they will be drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where do you think that oil will go? I'll wager it will be sent to China, or onto the world market. The most powerful person in the world (next to Alan Greenspan) recently told us he can't do anything about gasoline pricing. I'll believe there's a gasoline shortage when I see George W. Bush and his administration driving two-passenger fuel-cell cars, or hybrids running on alcohol/electric.
Frank J. Sasevich, Bolingbrook
President Bush is fond of giving nicknames to his friends and associates. My nickname for him is "Chicken Little."
In his first term, he ran around the country shouting we had to attack Iraq because it posed an imminent threat to the United States. Every reason for attacking and all the evidence proved to be false, leaving us with huge losses of soldiers, treasure and credibility in the world community.
In his second term, he is running around the country shouting that Social Security is broken and must be fixed right now with private accounts.
This time, it appears the public and loyal opposition have learned a painful lesson from Iraq and are not buying.
Walt Zlotow, Glen Ellyn
Register-Pajaronian (Watsonville, California)
More on the abortion wars, as the same bills are introduced in statehouses around the nation. We need to wake up to how organized they are, and get the same way ourselves.
Abortion Wars
Abortion initiative is dangerous
There is an initiative circulating through California right now that would require parents to be notified before their daughters could have a legal abortion if passed into a law.
If this passes, the number of illegal abortions preformed in this country will skyrocket. It is sad but true that many young girls would have this dangerous procedure done rather than tell their parents. ...
If we really want to lower the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions among the teenage population, maybe we should educate them about safer sex. We cannot expect young adults to behave in ways that are safer for their health if we do not teach them how to be responsible when it comes to sex.
Comprehensive sex education has proven effective, while abstinence-only education has not. Thanks to comprehensive sex education and pregnancy prevention programs for teenagers, the number of teen pregnancies has dropped 40 percent in California in the last 10 years.
Breanne Sciaroni, Santa Cruz
Montgomery (Alabama) Advertiser
Not a bad boxing analogy for the Social Security fight. What do you think? Can we stay on the ropes for round two? Will Bush punch himself out, giving us an easy fight in round three? Or do we need to start counter-punching, ducking under the roundhouses with quick jabs like 'we have a plan, it's called Social Security,' and throwing hooks to the ribs under his jabs, like 'if Republicans are so worried about solvency they shoulds top spending the trust fund like a crack addict's piggy bank.'?
Rope A Dope
Dong! Round two. The Democrats won round one of the Social Security fight. I scored it 10-7.
Without throwing a punch, the Democrats "rope-a-doped" Bush punches. Bush led with private accounts a likely mistake. The Democrats countered with the solvency issue and did not even need to throw a punch to win round one.
Round two has Bush countering with specific proposals to address solvency. The Democrats are still rope-a-doping countering Bush's solvency solution as trying to reduce Social Security to an expanded welfare program -- with only meaningful retirement benefits for those at poverty income levels.
But Bush is pulling in some heavy punchers. Thomas, the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and an experienced and intellectual thinker, will broaden the Social Security debate to include retirement policy, both from public and private sources. In the Senate, Sununu, Hagel and Graham have specific proposals being formulated.
The Republican strategy in round two is to corner the Democrats, forcing them out of their "rope-a-dope" defense strategy and forcing their solution to fixing Social Security to be "put on the table."
Bush lost round one, but was not knocked out. Starting round two he has come out with some congressional heavyweight punchers on his side. Round two is just heating up. Stay tuned, the fight over Social Security may be just starting.
Carlton Garner
Montgomery