Let's talk about race

Most of what I write here is straight from the heart, and I am usually apologetically honest, even when it's not the popular thing to say. But how does a white man talk about race without it blowing back up in his face? We are in some ways (and many will argue with me on this) the "privileged" race and sex, so that's two strikes against me. How does one engage in an open dialogue with anyone if they are white and male? I've been told before that I just don't understand and to be silent, because I was (as if I was around) the oppressor for so many years. Yes, my fellow white men (and women) were oppressors and they did terrible things to people of color. A long time ago. No one alive today remembers anything about slavery except what we hear from older generations (the stories they were told by older people) and from what we read in our history books, etc. I know people of color today in a lot of ways still feel oppressed, whether it's by society, law enforcement, political leaders, etc. Do I feel that oppression is a problem? Absolutely. You'd be a fool to think it was not. But I see a world that is open and ripe for the taking regardless of your background. Accepting personally responsibilities and not blaming the world for your problems, no matter how big is a step toward maturity.

I know that racism still exists. And it's still a prevalent part of our society, unfortunately. It will always be to a certain extent. Race has been brought to the forefront the last handful of years. With the #BlackLivesMatter movement, racial justice has been a leading discussion among people. Beyonce has caught some heat for her Super Bowl 50 halftime performance, which she performed her new single "Formation," which highlights the Black Lives Matter movement. and her backup dancers were dressed as an homage to the Black Panther Party of the 1960s. I will personally say that, I like Beyonce, and I like her new music video, and I respect an artist's freedom of expression. But, I think maybe the Black Panther Party, which advocated violence to overcome black struggles, might have been done in poor taste.

But hey, it's Beyonce and she can pretty much do what she wants. I think most people will forget about it, and buy her new album and attend her concerts.

I recognize the significance of racial injustice, and know there's still more work to be done. As a libertarian, I recognize the decriminalization of harmful drug laws most affects the African American community. These are steps we can take to keep non-violent offenders out of prison, which often times tend to be African American males. It's a problem that is bipartisan, and I think we're headed in the right direction.

It's important to listen to your neighbor, even if your neighbor isn't like you. Something that isn't an issue to you, might be a very important one to your black, Latino, gay, elderly, transgender, female, etc. neighbor. I am for the individual. I re-posted a picture on Facebook the other day that read, "The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." This speaks volumes in my opinion. Because most who claim to be for minority rights don't typically care about the individuals rights at all. But that's for another article I suppose.

My biggest question is what can I do to help? The only way I know to help is to treat everyone I meet with kindness and respect. Something I was raised to do. I'm not much on protesting or attending rallies, or even arguing with anyone that disagrees with me. As a white person, I believe I can still recognize and acknowledge these issues, without feeling any "white guilt." I am only an individual and I only represent myself. I don't represent all white people or all men. I only can speak for myself and myself only. And I suppose you can relate.

Post Iowa Caucus thoughts

There are two major things that I took away from the Iowa Caucus results. Number one, the only candidate that I wanted to support dropped out of the Presidential race Wednesday morning. Of course I'm speaking of Rand Paul. It was probably the right decision for him as he's done everything possible to try and relate to every voting base possible. His campaign had took a great turn earlier this week, but only receiving 4.5% of the vote in Iowa was enough for him to suspend his campaign. Rand is needed in the senate, and he will continue to fight for liberty and government overreach. I'm grateful for this. This country is clearly not ready for a libertarian president. I'll never figure out why. Establishment republicans clearly want to elect someone who doesn't have what it takes to beat Hillary in November. 

GOP Results: (Source: AP)

100% reporting	Delegates	Vote %
Cruz (won)	8	27.6%
Trump	7	24.3%
Rubio	7	23.1%
Carson	3	9.3%
Paul	1	4.5%
Bush	1	2.8%
Fiorina	1	1.9%
Kasich	1	1.9%
Huckabee	0	1.8%
Christie	0	1.8%
Santorum	0	1%
Gilmore	0	0%

And number two: Judging by the post-caucus speeches, it appears nobody really lost. Even when they did. Hillary Clinton narrowly won by a coin toss, which technically is not accurate, but she did in fact win 6 precincts by a coin flip, but it's not why she edged out Bernie Sanders. She was very fortunate to win that is for sure. The Iowa Caucus is a strange happening in American politics. Almost like a sporting event in which a winner can be determined in part because of.... a coin toss. 

Democratic Results: (Source: AP)

100% reporting	Delegates	Vote %
Clinton (won)	23	49.9%
Sanders	21	49.6%
O'Malley	0	0.6%

This has been and will continue to be a very interesting presidential race. I don't feel like there is a clear winner, especially on the republican side. Bernie Sanders has made it interesting and is definitely making Hillary sweat. He has a lot of supporters, (And most, if not all could use a basic economics lesson) but I'm certain those supporters will jump ship to team Hillary if she wins the nomination, even though they seem to be against one another at the moment. 

I'm not certain at all what will happen on the GOP side. I'm still not convinced Trump will win the nomination, and I personally don't think it will end up being him. Just don't ask me if it's going to be Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio. 

As a libertarian, my attention most likely turns to a Libertarian Party candidate. Sighs.... Maybe 2020 is a possibility, libertarians? Don't give up the good fight. The libertarian message is becoming more common and I hope people are starting to take notice. 

Obama's final SOTU reflections

President Obama address the nation in his final SOTU

"Who is President Barack Obama and what does he stand for? I used to think I knew, but after seven years of an unprincipled, meandering presidency, I'm not sure that even he knows.

When President Obama first ran for office, he promised "hope" and "change." As a Republican who didn't vote for him, I nonetheless believed he might right some of the wrongs of the Bush administration. Instead, he has further concentrated power in the executive branch and eroded our rights.

The president's failings provide an opportunity for Republicans to grow our party, but to do so, we must genuinely stand for limited, constitutional government. That means spending less time on the excuse that we don't control every part of government and more time persuading others to join us on sound policy. More important, it means fully advocating for liberty—not just economic liberty but also personal liberty—for all people.

We must uphold the Rule of Law by ending cronyism and corporate welfare. Every person deserves equal protection under the law, and no corporation, group, or individual should receive special treatment under the law.

We must protect civil liberties and stop the surveillance abuses that violate our privacy, and we must defend the rights of all people to speak and worship freely.

We must reform our justice system to combat overcriminalization, and we must ensure that every person accused of wrongdoing receives due process and, if found guilty, fair sentencing.

We must pursue a rational, conservative foreign policy—focused on defending Americans, not bravado and rash interventionism. Our sons and daughters never should be sent to war without congressional approval.

In short, Republicans must embrace the fundamental principles of limited government that we profess to hold. I am honored to be leading the Republican Party in this direction, and I am grateful to the people I represent for their continuing trust." - Rep. Justin Amash (Serves the Third District of Michigan)

I always make a point to watch the president's State of the Union. I think every American should regardless or their party affiliation or leanings. I thought it was long to say the least. But there were things that President Obama said that I liked (believe it or not), but there was plenty that I did not like. I'm not sure what Obama's legacy as a President will be. It will probably depend on who you ask as is the case with most presidents. 

I had hoped after the 2008 election, which I did not vote for Obama, but I liked some of the things that he campaigned on, and after 8 years of Bush, I was intrigued to see if any of the things he campaigned on would come to fruition. I have been mostly disappointed from a libertarian standpoint as Obama has expanded government and increased our national spending. He has expanded drone strikes, killing innocent civilians. Something most liberals (sorry I know it's a broad sweeping term) don't even bat an eye to. He just signed executive orders to expand background checks on the private sales of guns, and mostly has trampled on our privacy rights in the name of safety. 

As we turn the page into 2016, I am not very optimistic about our impending choices for the next President of the United States. I am a fan of Rand Paul. If you know me or follow my tweets or Facebook posts, you probably have figured that out. Is Rand the perfect candidate? Not by a long shot. But he's the closest thing we have to a libertarian running for President (two-party system) probably ever. Most of the other candidates (democrat and republican) have some admirable qualities, but the idea of a Trump/Hillary race frightens me. I know my republican and democrat friends alike will inevitably and almost blindly support whoever their respective party nominates. Something I've tried to preach on for a few years now. 

Vote principle over party.

Do it. I promise you, you'll feel much better about yourself. And don't listen to anyone tell you that you've wasted a vote if you don't vote either nominee. Accepting the status quo of the current state of American politics is a disease we must eradicate. Neither a Hillary Presidency nor a Trump Presidency is going to solve anything.

One thing I will echo from Obama on his final State of the Union address, is to make sure you vote. No matter which party you lean or have allegiance with, go vote. Now, let's try and make sense of this crazy presidential race in the upcoming year. Not going to happen? Oh well, I tried. 

Wanting What We Can't Have

Drew Sechler


Why is it that we always want what we can't have? I've often wondered that very question and then thought about all of the things I did have that others may desire and vice versa. These aren't always material things of course. Often times we desire a job that we can't have, or a person that we wish to date, or even the thought of someone else's life often sounds appeasing.

It's okay to want to accomplish something or "go after" what we really want. In fact that's great. But it needs to be something that you work for and that you earn. All the while realizing you may not be meant to be with a certain person, or maybe that job is not really for you. I think it's only natural to desire things that we don't have. I would like a flat stomach and a million dollars. One of those is more obtainable than the other (I'm trying to figure out which).

Nothing makes these "Keeping Up the Jones" attitudes worse than Facebook or Instagram. I love both of these social media outlets, but I'll be damned if people try to paint a picture that their lives are always dandelions and unicorns.

They're lying.

When we stop comparing our lives and our journeys with others, is when we truly become happier individuals. This is not an easy task for some. Especially if you know someone makes more money than you do, or someone just got married and you are still single, or someone has a full-time job and you have two part-time jobs. See what I did there? It's too easy to compare ourselves to others. Stop doing it.

Your life is only yours. You can share it with many people, but your journey is strictly yours. Decide the best way you can live it and go do it. Don't worry about criticism because it's going to happen anyway. Look at your failures as learning opportunities, and not really failures at all. It's called life.

Let's live it.

Getting there

I've never really been one to not be able to express myself, either through my writing or my voice. So as I continue to write, which is clearly my passion, or one of my passions in life, it should be noted that I continue to struggle with what I exactly want to do with my life. People ask me what I really want to do, and I can't always honestly answer that question. Is that a problem? I obviously love to write. I always have. I love politics, hence my political blog, Facebook page, and my Twitter account (shameless plugs).

But the trick is, how do you translate your passions to earning a paycheck for doing what you love to do? I've often thought of how great it would be to write for Reason Magazine, Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute or even a less known libertarian leaning or political outlet. Hell, I'd write for MSNBC or Fox News if they hired me (Maybe).

I also have a passion for giving people advice, and/or counseling, but I have no background in that arena. That shouldn't stop me of course, and I guess the moral of this short piece is that you should follow your dreams and ambitions no matter what someone tells you. I remember during my internship at the Salisbury Post back in college, I had one of the reporters (not naming names) tell me and pretty much every young intern there to "get the hell out of journalism." Bold words from a longtime stalwart of the Rowan County daily. I may have entered the journalism field at a terrible time, but I do still possess a journalism degree and I intend on utilizing it again. Mark my word.

One thing that I've learned and one thing that I must overcome is that I cannot let my past "failures" or shortcomings keep me from pursuing what I want to do. Living in fear or the fear of failing is no way to live at all. I've took a few kicks in the teeth from life, but so has everyone else. My only problem is that I haven't found my right niche, and finding that right niche comes very naturally to some, but not much to others. If you have found the perfect place for you and you're doing something you absolutely love, you are incredibly fortunate. Many people work years in jobs they hate simply because it's security. I never will be able to live like that.

I would rather be poor and happy, than to be well off and miserable any day of the week. Finding that balance is key and I am the only person that's going to make that happen. It's time to start making things happen instead of waiting.

So here goes nothing. Or maybe it's everything?

Answers

      I'm having a really difficult time here trying to make sense of senseless acts of violence that happen in this country. I, like most people are only seeking answers. Is there a solution? Some believe that through more regulation, we can prevent these acts of violence from happening. Others don't believe any regulation at all could stop crazy people from doing anything. I'm not sure where I fall to be honest.

I certainly am a proponent of the 2nd amendment. I don't think it's outdated in the least, and I think most people understand that no one is wanting to take away any guns as gun control supporters like to point out as if they're speaking to children. We've had these discussions before as mass shootings seem to be a monthly incident now. Some politicize the situation before the dust even has time to settle. We've gotten to a point in this country where people think that government is the solution to all of our problems. 

We do have a gun problem in this country. Guns fall into the wrong hands. Can we keep these people from getting their hands on these weapons? Maybe, maybe not? I think some provisions could work in theory, But real solutions shouldn't be theory-based. It's also important to have these discussions. Guns are dangerous, of course. I've never been a fan of guns, but I would like to learn how to use one properly one day, and I believe that if more people were educated and were taught and allowed to conceal carry, I feel like some of these gun violence victims could have or potentially could save their own life one day. Let's be honest, this problem isn't going to go away overnight. And more government regulation will probably not be the answer. Let's have open discussions about this and less finger pointing. I truly do not care if you consider yourself to be a social justice warrior because you believe in more gun control, or if you're a staunch conservative who wants to cling tighter to your gun. Enough with the division. Try and act like adults and less like children comparing who has the better bicycle. I am so over seeing both sides of the aisle constantly bicker. It's getting us no where. 

If you're the praying kind, keep these families of the Oregon shooting in your thoughts and prayers. Let's have some time pass and discuss things rationally. Not as liberals or conservatives, but as people with level-headed approaches. 

Mixing Jesus with your Huff Po

Okay, so as I was trying to think of a title for this piece, I didn't intentionally target any particular news outlet. Huffington Post just came to mind. My blog posts are usually inspired by what I read on Facebook (or through fill in the blank social media) on a daily or weekly basis. I try my best to just be a casual observer as my wide variety of Facebook friends post their political and non-political thoughts. I came across one last week associating Jesus himself as a political figure in our modern times. What would Republican Jesus Do? It read "Cut food stamp benefits, cut affordable healthcare, demonize the homeless, and block equality rights) Jesus wasn't a democrat, republican, socialist, anarchist, etc. Jesus was (if you're a believer) as the Bible tells us the son of God. While I will not make this post religious, Jesus can't be equated with what our government should or should not do.

Jesus gave out of the kindness of his own heart. Giving someone food, clothing, shelter, love are beautiful things, but doing it voluntarily, not through government force is another. Being against food stamps is not being a mean person. If you're for food stamps and government assistance, it doesn't make you a better person than the person who is against it. Give of your own time. Volunteer at a local food shelter, donate clothes, make Christmas shoe boxes for children around the holidays, but whatever you do, do it because YOU want to. Not because someone tells you. Giving out of the goodness of your heart will mean ten times more than sitting back and expecting our government to do it.

Yes, government assistance is a necessary thing on occasion, and even though I don't think it should be a means of living, I understand people endure struggles, and I'm not heartless enough to understand that.

But please, please do not say that Jesus would be aligned with any political party of our modern times because you think the government taking care of people is caring. Do something on your own. That's what Jesus would do.