Plus, Gordon Lightfoot.

Too bad it�s so damn cold there.

I really think I need to start acclimating myself to colder climates.

~~~

In response to my buddy GP�s note in my guestbook, I have to note that the legalization of medicinal marijuana is one of Dennis Kucinich�s main platform points in this election. As is a huge decrease in the amount of money the country puts in to the stupid �drug war� we have been in the losing midst of for lo these many decades.

As an introduction to Dennis Kucinich (pronounced Koo-Sin-Itch), following is a run-down of his major platform positions:

1. Universal Health Care - America is the only industrialized country on this planet which does not provide national health care. At the present time, over 40 million Americans have no health care. Those of us who have insurance often pay an extraordinary amount for it and in return receive sub-par care (see past entries in regard to my own frustrations on this subject) or delayed-treatment as a result of the insane insurance bureaucracy. Kucinich means to establish health care of all American citizens, publicly financed but privately delivered. His plan would provide affordable prescription drugs. The closet model for how his plan would work presently works in Canada. I am in complete agreement with his position on this issue. As a side note, I must point out how ridiculous it is that when Hilary Clinton tried to get people talking about Universal Health Care as First Lady, she was ridiculed and laughed off of Capital Hill. Now it�s one of the main issues on every candidates platform.

2. Full Social Security Benefits at age 65 - This pretty much speaks for itself. However, in light of the fact that Howard Dean and other Democratic candidates want to actually raise the retirement age to age 70, it bears mentioning here, as a point of comparison. It also bears noting that, unlike the present administration, Kucinich feels that Social Security must not be privatized. I agree. Gambling one�s retirement funds on the ups and downs of the stock market is not a good idea. Even in my own 401k plan, I gamble with some of the funds, but always make sure I also have some which go to no-risk investments. It�s just not a good idea to gamble with your whole nut.

3. Withdrawal from NAFTA and WTO - Kucinich asserts that while these regimes have enriched multinational corporations, they have meant doom for our country�s workers, family farmers and the environment. Companies end up leaving the states in search of low wages, the nonexistence of unions and lax environmental laws. As I know several people who have lost jobs for these very reasons, I feel certain that those of you reading this entry probably do too. Kucinich would replace the WTO and NAFTA with fair trade agreements.

Kucinich asserts that trade treaties must be conditioned on workers� rights, human rights and environmental principles. I agree. I�m not sure how realistic a goal this is, but I�d rather vote for someone with whom I agree in principal, rather than for someone who will compromise his principals to work for what most people will agree on and what will get him elected.

This country was not built on the backs of people who did not take risks and did not challenge what was �acceptable�.

4. Repeal the Patriot Act - And that means all of it. Dean, and some others, are interested in repealing �parts� of the Patriot Act. Kucinich is the only one who thus far has called The Patriot Act what it is: A complete disregard for our Bill of Rights. He recognizes that �to allow our Bill of Rights to be nullified without judicial supervision invites tyranny�The Patriot Act is not what American Patriots have fought and died for.�

5. Right to Choose, Privacy, and Civil Rights - Kucinich believes in the judicial findings of Roe vs. Wade and will help elect judges to the Supreme Court who believe the same. Under a Kucinich administration, gay and lesbian marriages would be recognized and all homosexuals afforded the same rights as we, the rest of the populace. Affirmative action will be maintained as a tool for racial and gender equality. Probably needless to say, I agree wholeheartedly.

6. Capital Punishment - Kucinich disagrees with Capital Punishment. So do I. He will seek an end to it. Again, I don�t think his efforts will see an end to it, but I would rather vote for a man who has the guts to speak from his morals on this issue. Setting aside for the moment the enormous margin for error in Capital Punishment cases and our capacity for killing people innocent of committing any crime; setting aside the argument that the death penalty has been used in a racist way or to eliminate from society those deemed �undesirable� (such as the developmentally disabled or downright insane); if we have a law which states you can�t kill other human beigns, it simply does not make sense, logical or moral, to kill other human beings, even in the form of Capital Punishment.

7. Drug Policy - As I mentioned, Kucinich would legalize medicinal marijuana. Moreover, �Drug policy would emphasize treatment over criminalization and not a rampaging war that erodes Constitutional freedoms, privacy and law enforcement resources.� This is great. Lets face it, people. We are wasting billions of dollars ever year fighting a war that we have never even been close to winning. In addition, gang wars are fought on our own streets daily � wars over illegal drugs. Drug addiction is not down. We are not in any way keeping people off drugs or winning this war. Instead, America is now the world�s leader in putting people in jail. Our incarceration rate exceeds every industrialized nation�s, including China.

8. Guaranteed Quality Education, pre-K Through College - Frankly, I can not understand out country�s attitude toward education and I never have. It only makes perfect sense that the more educated your people, the better leaders (in every area) they will be in future generations. Duh! And yet, we make it so hard for people to get a decent education. Especially people who do not have a shit-load of money. In addition, educated people make more money, which is just good for everybody. Money stimulates the econony. Money keeps people off of welfare. People with bachelor's degrees make on average $30,730 per year, nearly three times as much as the $11,432 non-degree employees earn.

Further, from the Kucinich web page: �Congress should allow home childcare to count as an allowable work activity. For women on welfare, childcare during evening and weekend hours is notoriously difficult to find and is too costly for a welfare recipient. In 1998, 43 states reported waiting lists for childcare, and only 12 percent of those eligible for child care are getting it. Not only does it make practical sense to allow mothers to take care of their own children; it makes sense for families to stay together..."

The Universal Pre-Kindergarten Act, introduced by Denis Kucinich, "will provide funding to States to establish universal pre-kindergarten programs that build on existing federal and state pre-kindergarten initiatives. The program is voluntary and will be available free-of-charge to all families who choose to participate. The legislation requires pre-kindergarten programs to meet quality standards of early education and provides resources for the professional development of teachers.

9. A Renewed Commitment to Peace and Diplomacy - We�ve made a lot of enemies in the last two years. Not just with our over-zealous use of weapons in Iraq, but diplomatically. Right now, few other countries want to work with us at all, due to our prevailing �cowboy� attitude. In fact, we are the most hated nation on the planet right now. It is Kucinich�s position that our doctrine of pre-emption, our aggressiveness and our unilateral foreign policy during the Bush administration have made our people less secure, not more. Under Kucinich, our attitude will be to work with other nations and the U.N., instead of acting like an arrogant empire, undermining a number of previous weapons treaties. In fact, Kucinich �filed a lawsuit in federal district court to block the President from withdrawing from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972. The President, by withdrawing from this particular treaty, insists that he has the authority to terminate any treaty, and can do so without the consent of Congress. But according to Article 6, Clause 2 of the Constitution, treaties constitute the "supreme law of the land." And the President does not have the authority to repeal laws: Article I, Section I empowers Congress to create laws, and charges the President only with carrying out these laws. Thus, the President's termination of the ABM Treaty represents an unconstitutional repeal of a law duly enacted by Congress.�

Serious cuts would be made to the military budget, under a Kucinich administration, instead investing that money in to education, health care, environmental clean-up, Social Security, veterans� benefits and other domestic needs.

10. Environmental Renewal and Clean Energy - Kucinich would support the Kyoto Treaty on global climate change, reduce oil dependence by investing in alternative energy sources (including solar, wind, hyrdogen and ocean energy). He will offer tax incentives to businesses which conserve energy, retrofit pollution prevention technologies and eliminate the toxins in their processes. In addition, clean energy technologies will create new jobs. Kucinich wants the US to become a leader in sustainable energy production and in working with other countries in providing the same.

There is, of course, a lot more. I urge you all to take a look at Dennis Kucinich�s web page. He makes a lot of sense. Moreover, I have yet to see him backtrack on any issue, once he finds out that his position doesn�t make him popular. Sorry, but I can�t say the same about any other candidate presently in the running, and this includes everybody�s favorite, Howard Dean. As I said before, I believe Dennis Kucinich to be a man of integrity. And when was the last time that could be said about any politician, no matter the party?

Plus, I obviously agree with most of what Kucinich stands for. Even the points on which we disagree, my thoughts are more, �Well, it would be cool if that were possible, I just don�t think you�re being very realistic.�

Like Iraq, for instance. Kucinich is for a withdrawal of all American troops, leaving the re-building of Iraq to the U.N. I just don�t see that happening. First of all, whether you wanted us to be there or not, we are in Iraq. We can�t just abandon those people. And even if we start to actually work with the U.N. again, it will take a long time to undo the damage that has been done by Bush and Company. We�re going to be in Iraq for a long time. Hopefully, we will eventually be there along with representatives from the U.N., but I don�t think it will be so easy to just pull out. Not if we want to be able to look ourselves in the mirror in the morning.

~~~

I just had to give you guys the Word of the Day for Sunday August 10, 2003 because I am apparently still twelve years old and�well, look at it.

cum KUM; KUHM, preposition: With; along with; combined with; -- often used in combination.

Word of the Day for Monday August 11, 2003

excoriate ek-SKOR-ee-ayt, transitive verb:

1. To express strong disapproval of; to denounce.

2. To tear or wear off the skin of.

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~~~~~~~~~~~peace, love and smooches~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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