Time to vote!

It seems to me, though, that democracy is being subverted by big money interests. Obscenely wealthy men are buying airtime in support of extremist candidates; Candidates whose primary interest is in consolidating power in the hands of a few and promoting a system that will keep the middle class from prospering. I mailed off my ballot, voting is an essential part of our democracy.

We have some very real problems. The deficit is an issue that must be addressed for the good of our children. The problem is that those screaming the loudest are the very same ones who were willing to fight an off budget war based on lies. They are the same ones that think billionaires are over taxed even though they pay the lowest taxes of any developed country. They say that higher taxes will keep the wealthy from creating jobs. They aren't creating jobs now so why should we think they will do it if they keep their tax breaks.

Do your homework, go to the League of Women Voters http://www.lwv.org/Elections/index.html to check out the ballot issues and go to Fact Check.org http://www.factcheck.org/ to check out the truth of political ads and then vote.

We Should Encourage Same Sex Unions

Now that a judge has enjoined the enforcement of "Don't ask, don't tell" it is a good time to take a look at same sex unions.

Anti-homosexual bias dates from a time when tribes wanted to increase their numbers so that they would be advantaged against their enemies, a time when people led short lives, a time when many hands were needed to help grow crops. In short, the bias stems from conditions very different from today.

Laws and tax codes were written to encourage families to stay together for the protection of children. That is still a laudable goal but society has other needs as well.

As our population ages there is a need for committed relationships for the protection of the elderly. Who hasn't seen an aging couple supporting one another enabling them to live independently? Even young people need the support of another, someone to help them when times are hard or when they are sick. It is not society's business what goes on in the bedroom, it is only the welfare of its citizens that should concern the rest of society. Let people designate any one as their life partner, have them make a civil commitment (the only thing government can grant is a "civil" right) and give that couple all of the rights and obligations we now reserve for marriage.

Get the conservative right out of other peoples bedrooms and take sex out of the discussion.