We are Millennials and We've Had Enough

Born in the 80's or 90's, we are the generation of the selfish and entitled.  We are lazy and uneducated.  We don't know the meaning of hard work, and we definitely don't have it as bad as our parents did.  Have you heard this before?

We are Millennials and we've had enough.  

We've had enough of endless wars that our government always seems to get us involved in.  Who decided America is the world's police anyway?  Do you think that terrorists hate us so much because we are constantly fighting wars in their home land?  

We've had enough of the brutal job market.  We don't want to work as a bartender forever, but when no one is hiring, what do you expect us to do?

We've had enough of the ever expanding police state.  Why are militarized vehicles and full riot gear needed in suburban America?

We've had enough of police brutality.  We expect the police to be held to the same standards and accountability as the rest of us, and stop living above the law.

We've had enough of the polarizing, biased media.  It's no secret that the media has become more and more of a propaganda machine and less of a means of providing accountability in government.  

We've had enough of the runaway national debt.  Who do you think is going to be responsible for paying back 18 trillion dollars (and counting)? 

We've had enough of the rising costs of college education and the endless amount of student loan debt.  You told us we can't get a job without a college degree, but getting a college degree requires decades of debt.

We've had enough of intolerance and racism.  We just want everyone to be treated equally despite one's race, gender, sexual preferences, religion, or nationality.  Intolerance isn't something that we're born with -- it's something we learn from those who raise us.  

We've had enough of government spying.  You can have all our texts, emails, and Facebook messages if we can read all your government emails.  Deal?

We've had enough of career politicians.  Congress maintains a terrible approval rating, but somehow incumbents almost always win re-election.  Perhaps it's time for a new voice.

We've had enough of money in politics.  Millions of dollars are spent campaigning for a job that pays around $170k.  Our "representation" consists of about five hundred rich and powerful politicians that claim they want to help the middle and lower classes but nothing ever seems to improve.  

We've had enough of our opinions being ignored.  Who do you think is responsible for all the problems we experience today?  The older generations own the current state of America whether they want to admit it or not.  Now we are the ones paying for their mistakes.  We are the ones trying to build a life during a recession.  We are the ones who will be responsible for fixing the problems caused after forty years of bad decisions.  And anytime we try to speak up and make our voices heard, we are ignored because we're younger than the people with all the money and power.  

Politicians Dodging Questions

The media protects politicians in America.  Politicians dodge any question that could make them look bad.  This is quite possibly the most ineffective media/government relationship that our country has ever experienced.  The information provided by the main stream media is moving towards government propaganda and away from accountability in government.  Below are some questions that I would like to be answered.

For Obama
1.  One of your campaign promises that everyone agrees with is improving government transparency.  You executed executive privilege to protect the Fast & Furious documents.  There has been controversy surrounding your administration's response to Benghazi and the altered talking points.  The IRS and now EPA are involved in scandals where they have lost crucial emails and text messages.  Have you kept your promise of bringing transparency to government?

2.  In 2012, you pulled out our troops from Iraq.  Your administration -- yourself and Biden included -- boasted that this was a huge success and a "promise kept."  With the threat of ISIS growing stronger every day, do you think this was a mistake?  You have recently commented that the Iraqi leaders made us take our troops out of Iraq.  This is quite different from the message of a "promise kept" as something that you accomplished.  Was it your decision or their decision?

3.  You successfully targeted and killed an American citizen via your drone strike program.  Three other Americans have been confirmed killed, although they were not specifically targeted.  You are a lawyer.  The fifth amendment states that "no person... shall be deprived of life... without due process of law."  How do you defend killing Americans citizens without trial?

4.  We've heard countless times from your administration -- and you specifically -- that you find out about certain stories from the news reports.  This includes (1) spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, (2) the V.A. waitlist scandal, (3) the IRS targeting scandal, (4) the DOJ obtaining phone records of the Associated Press, (5) and the Fast and Furious gun running tactics.  Can you explain why/how you didn't know about any of these things?


For Harry Reid -- You are constantly complaining that the House is obstructing any policies from passing.  You have over 350 bills sitting on your desk that the House passed.  Over half of those passed unanimously and many were proposed by Democrats.  What is different from your obstruction that makes it okay?

For Al Gore -- You have profited millions of dollars from your work around "global warming" or "climate change".  Some would argue that your carbon footprint is many times greater than that of the average American due to your multiple homes, expensive cars, and frequent air travel.  Are you taking any steps to reduce your own carbon footprint?

For Eric Holder 
1.  In 2 weeks, the documents detailing the Fast and Furious gun running scandal have been ordered by the courts to be released.  Is there any correlation with the timing of your resignation as the Attorney General?

2.  The position of Attorney General is intended to be a non-partisan one.  Your responsibilities include enforcing federal laws, investigating violations of federal law, and providing advice/opinions to the President on legal matters.  However, we have seen you injecting yourself into countless political battles.  You've even implied that Republican opposition to yourself and the President is based on racism.  Can you explain these statements?

Here are some of the best question dodges I've seen!




There are plenty more questions that I would love to have answered, but these are just the first that come to mind.  What are some questions that you've heard politicians dodge?

Negative Side-Effects of the Technology Era

There is no doubt that we are experiencing an incredible period in history -- an era in which technology is making the impossible possible.  The rise of the internet has made the spread of information and ideas practically instantaneous around the globe.  The birth of the smart phone put this connectivity in the hands of pretty much every human being in a first world country.  It truly is remarkable.  Despite how incredible this era is, there have been some negative side-effects, especially for the younger generations.

The Art of Conversation -- Try calling someone younger than the age of 40.  Try calling someone younger than 25.  Odds are they didn't pick up.  It's actually pretty rare that someone will actually answer the phone when you call them.  The world has devolved to text messaging as the primary means of communication.  Sure, it's fast and effective in most cases, but we are losing the art of verbal communication.  The business world requires verbal communication.  There is no such thing as "texting" a client.  Email communication is huge as well, but short hand such as "lol", "ttyl", and "brb" are unacceptable in a professional environment.  Younger generations, who are growing up in a down economy and a tough job market, are not doing themselves any favors by avoiding verbal communication in favor of texting.

Ignoring People Entirely -- Another side effect of texting is the ability to ignore people entirely.  How many times have you messaged someone and you don't get a reply back?  The best is when you can see they read your message (via iMessage or Facebook) and they still don't reply.  We all do it.  Wouldn't you rather the person tell you they don't want to hang out instead of ignoring you completely?  Perhaps you should take that into account the next time someone asks you to do something that you don't want to do.  It's amazing to me that this is acceptable today.  We all have our phones practically attached to us at all times during the day -- there is no way that you "just saw your text" 6 hours later when it doesn't matter anymore. 

Punctuality -- When I was around 6th grade, I distinctly remember making plans with my friends to meet up.  Whether it was playing wiffle ball in the empty lot or going to eat at Sonic then walk to the local Cinema 4, I can guarantee you that we were all on time.  My parents always made sure we made it to all our events/sports/practices/parties/etc. at least a few minutes early.  Today, being on time is so rare it's incredible.  People are instantly connected to each other, so running late isn't seen as a big deal.  If you are one of those people who are constantly running late, just know that you are an annoyance to everyone.

Everyone Knows Everything -- Because of the lack of real-time communication (face-to-face or verbally), suddenly everyone has a built in buffer time to formulate smart/witty comments in every situation.  Do you know anyone that seems to be an outgoing genius online, but in real life they are pretty boring?  That's because they have the ability to google anything and everything before responding to that political facebook post or that tweet about nothing.  Talk to them face-to-face about the same topic and they struggle to regurgitate that article they read without having it right in front of them. 

In summary:  Answer the phone.  Respond to people.  Talk to people in person.  Be on time.  Be yourself. 

The American Police State

On July 17th, 2014, a man was murdered in broad daylight on the streets of New York.  Nothing was done to stop it.  No one tried to intervene.  Why?  Because the murderer was a NYPD cop.  The victim must have done something pretty terrible to have been killed by a policeman, right?  The man was selling un-taxed cigarettes.

In the early morning hours of June 29th, 2014, police respond to a call about a suspicious vehicle outside of a club.  The police reports claim the man was hitting the car and yelling.  The young man says he was watching videos on his cell phone while waiting for his girlfriend to get off work.  The results of the incident are a broken leg, black eye, and another run-in with the law that escapes significant accountability.

These are just 2 examples of the daily problems that come from over-confident, over-zealous cops that think they are above the law.  Think about it -- if a cop sees an individual make a right turn without signaling, they can make an illegal U-turn and break the speed limit before they pull someone over, search the car, and put them in jail with hefty fines for practically anything they want.

Have you seen an episode of "Cops"?  Think about how many lives are ruined because a cop wants to satisfy his monthly ticket quota.  He pulls over a young, black man -- still in college -- and convinces the man that he has the right to search his car because he "smells something suspicious."  He asks the man to step out of the car, and he is handcuffed for "procedural and safety reasons."  The man acts irritated and annoyed -- which are not crimes -- because he's being treated like a criminal during a routine traffic stop.  Whether the cop finds a joint in the car is irrelevant because at this point the man is going to be booked for something.  His record is going to be permanently blemished, and employers are going to be forever hesitant to hire someone who had issues with the law.  But it sure makes good television.

In the video below, you'll see a cop dramatically change his tone after he is told that he is being filmed.  Watch the cop squirm as he refuses to admit his guilt.  The truck driver signaled for the cop to pull over after the cop car sped past with the officer on his cell phone.  Cops are allowed to break the very law they are supposed to uphold.

Thankfully we live in an age where cameras are everywhere.  It would be incredibly naive to say that police brutality has only recently become a problem in America.  Twenty years ago, if you experienced a case of police brutality, it was commonly your word vs theirs -- and I bet I know who won those arguments.

This is the world we live in.  Cops can enforce the law however they see fit, and if they treat anyone with an unfair amount of force or coercion, they can rely on the lack of media coverage and their "official police report" to protect their heinous actions.  The examples of police brutality in America are practically infinite.  How have we gotten to a point where the police can literally murder a man with a choke hold and the media barely cover it?

July 1, 2014 -- Cop beats a homeless grandmother on the ground
June 16, 2014 -- Cop beats 19 yr old lesbian at a Gay Pride Parade
Jan 4, 2014 -- Cop beats 70 year old man having a diabetic attack
July 26, 2014 -- Cop stomps on the head of a man arrested for smoking weed
Nov 11, 2009 -- 2 Cops beat a man senseless, and were just now fired after a video surfaced in January
May 28, 2014 -- A SWAT team drug raid results in a flash bang nearly killing a child in a crib
May 2014 -- Police taze a sleeping passenger during a DUI stop in the EYE, twice 
April 25, 2014 -- Police break 3 bones in a mans face during a routine traffic stop for a cracked windshield

Gun Control and Voting Rights

Gun Control.  If you've read anything I've written, you know I'm a big fan of less government control.  But my view on gun control might surprise you.  Every gun-owner in the United States should take a gun safety class, have a gun license, and pass a background check.

Compare driving cars to owning guns.  The purpose of owning and driving a car is for efficient transportation.  Every American is free to choose to drive a car, but they first must pass a driver's test and get licensed.  Cars are dangerous.  There are tons of rules about driving cars that no one seems to complain about.  They keep people safe.  People who cannot prove that they can safely drive a car are not allowed to drive cars.  Seems simple enough.  Guns should be no different.  We all have the freedom to own and use guns, so asking for people to prove they can be a responsible gun owner is not too much to ask.  

Now compare voting to owning guns and driving cars.  Voting rights might seem to be an unrelated issue, but not when you think about it logically.  Voting in itself is not dangerous to the person voting, but the results of voting can have drastic effects on our country.  Does any American want someone to win an election as a result of voter fraud?  Doesn't everyone agree that we want our elections 100% free from corruption?  Just like driving cars and owning guns, the individual needs to prove they can be a responsible voter.  Vote once, and only once, in the elections that are available to you based on location/party/etc.  The best way to ensure that the power of the vote is not abused is by registering. The best way to assure guns don't easily get in the hands of criminals is by requiring registration.

So if you can't tell already, the hypocrisy around these issues is plenty.  Republicans scream that the government shouldn't be able to regulate guns, but they want voting more heavily regulated.  Democrats scream "voter suppression!" when registration is required to vote, but they want to heavily regulate guns.  This is why nothing ever gets accomplished in America -- our politicians are inconsistent on their views.  Republicans are pro-gun because southerners are more commonly gun owners and conservative voters, where as progressive voters are typically less likely to go register to vote.  This isn't rocket science.  It's all about votes and maintaining power to our politicians.

The majority of the people in America are honest and responsible.  But does that mean we should make it easy for the dishonest and irresponsible to misuse their power?   Owning a gun, driving a car, voting for our leaders... no one is saying that you can't do each of these things.  We all just need to be sure these things are done responsibly. 

Fixing Immigration: It will Never Happen

We will never achieve successful immigration reform until several things change.  Let's stop pretending that the Democrats have all the solutions to immigration.  Let's stop pretending that the Republicans can straighten out the immigration problem.  But the solution is a simple one, nonetheless, if only both sides could admit a few things.

The Democrats need to admit that a border is important.  The idea of a border has been around basically forever.  There is a border between my yard and my neighbor's, and there is a border between the United States and Mexico.  It is there to allow people and ideas to thrive separately, but co-exist with no issues.  For the same reason I can't decide to put a pool in my neighbors yard, all of Latin America can't just freely come into the United States.  I can institute an "eat your veggies or no dessert" policy for my son, but my neighbors don't have to follow that rule.  See?  Co-exist with no issues.  When you don't honor a border, the system falls apart.

The Republicans need to admit that immigration is a good thing.  Past, present, and future, the majority of Americans are here because of immigration.  Putting up a fence does not solve our immigration problem.  There are countless hard-working, motivated people that dream of coming to America.  These people would undoubtedly help put more money into our economy.  They would pay taxes just like every other American.  They would have the freedom to choose who to vote for just like every other American.  Republicans want you to think that every immigrant is a drain on society, but that simply isn't true.

Democrats need to admit that not every immigrant is going to help our country.  There are a lot of bad immigrants.  Some have criminal records, while others have a history of abusing the system.  There are diseases and viruses that could lead to the harm of other Americans.  And yes, there are even people who want nothing more than a free ride from our generous government.  Sweeping amnesty for all is not the solution, no matter what the Democrats tell you.

Both sides need to admit that they are mainly interested in votes.  In general, it takes generations of hard work, good choices, and responsibility to achieve success in America.  Rarely is success achieved over night.  Most immigrants would be just starting that path to success, and most low-wage workers would use any help they could get from the government.  And we all know Democrats love expanding entitlement programs.  Republicans simply don't want their opponents to secure more votes.  When it comes right down to it, this is the most important issue to the politicians in our country.

So now let me explain to you the logical solution to immigration reform in our country.  Firstly, let's secure the border.  Find a company in the private sector to manage the construction of a wall between Mexico and America.  Simple.  Secondly, completely scrap our current immigration process and start from scratch.  The current system takes years to legally become an American.  Again, contract out this process to a company in the private sector with plenty of checks and balances to assure a speedy, efficient immigration process -- it should take less than a month.  And finally, define the criteria to become an American.  You cannot have a criminal background, contagious sickness, or a history of joblessness.  You must have a minimal understanding of the English language.  There must be a time-limit established for those who enter our country and require government assistance.  These criteria make sense, right?  We can all agree that these things are not difficult to achieve -- don't be a criminal, have a job, learn some English.  It is common sense that these are qualities we expect in every American, so why should an immigrant be held to lesser standards?

So when pigs are flying and hell is frozen over, I expect Republicans and Democrats to have come to a successful solution to immigration in America.  It only took me 10 minutes.

America Today: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

People are good.  You can see it everywhere if you just look.  This country is made up of people from all over the world with varying ideas about how they want to live.  There is no denying how different we are.  But the one thing to remember is that the vast majority of the people in this country are good.

At a yard sale in California, a homeless man walks by.  He wanders up into the cluttered isles where he spots an old portable CD player.  The owner notices the homeless man's interest and runs inside.  Was she going to call the police?  Moments later, she came outside and approached the man with something in her hand.  "Some batteries.  Pick a few cd's to go with it and it's all yours!"  People are good.

In the very last row of a jam packed parking lot in North Carolina, a young woman unloads her shopping cart.  When she finishes, she looks around for a cart-return and doesn't see one anywhere.  She decides to push the cart all the way back to the store instead of leaving it by the bushes.  As she got closer, an older man noticed what she was doing and offered to take the cart the rest of the way.  People are good.


The Bad

The media in America is beyond terrible.  It is virtually impossible to find a non-biased news source.  You don't have to look far to find a poll that shows Americans have been losing trust in the main stream media in the last 20 years or so.

Over the past several months, MSNBC has pretty much had non-stop coverage of the Chris Christie "Bridge-gate" scandal.  When phone records are released that contain call-logs of Christie's aids contacting the Port Authority, you better believe MSNBC will devote a half-hour of each news program that night to the story.  Yet they have maybe given the IRS targeting story a few 6 minute segments in the past three months.  Now take that same example, switch the scandals, and replace MSNBC with Fox News.  Do you see the problem here?  MSNBC wants to do everything they can to stay away from stories that might damage the left while they cover stories that could damage a potential Republican Presidential nominee for 2016.  Fox News just wants to destroy the current administration.  Shame on you, main stream media.

Not only is the media extremely biased, but it is also encourages the people of this country to argue about everything.  Just look at MSNBC and Fox News specifically -- they probably couldn't exist without the other!  They can barely go a night without mentioning how biased the other is.  But I cant say I blame them.  Their ratings are crucial to their survival, after all, and who would watch the news if everything was running smoothly in America?


The Ugly

Money is the root of all evil.  It's also the "ugly" part in this article.  Our government has practically an unlimited supply of money -- $3,800,000,000,000.  No person has ever had that much money.  You probably had to count the sections to figure out how to say it -- millions, billions, trillions.  And our government wastes so much of that money, it's incredible.

The War on Drugs started in the early 1970's and we spend an estimated $51 billion dollars annually in this domestic fight against illegal drugs.  Sure, we might capture and prosecute some guy connected to a Mexican drug cartel.  We've probably had some pretty huge busts that they've made movies about.  But mostly we just permanently ruin the lives of college-age kids who want to smoke pot and end up with a criminal record for having a bag of weed.  That seems like something we should keep spending money on, right?

But the worst thing money does to America is it drives every single policy and decision that our government makes.  Behind every law, there is a donor.  Why do you think we really went to war in Iraq?  The giant oil companies wanted access to Iraqi oil -- and now they've got it.  Why do you think the Democrats are pushing for amnesty?  The Unions get more workers, which means more union dues and more campaign donations for Democrats (not to mention more Democrat voters). 

Our political system is designed so the rich and powerful get to spend our tax dollars while maintaining their money and power.  They spend more money than any other nation in the world, and yet no problems are ever solved.  The media and government successfully deflect all attention off of them, and the people fight among themselves instead of holding the rich and powerful government accountable.  Congress maintains a horribly low approval rating, yet somehow incumbents are rarely beat in their re-election campaigns.  Why is that?  It takes access to millions of dollars to unseat an incumbent.  So the rich and powerful continue to maintain their money and power in our "representative democracy."


People are good.  But people put trust in our media to educate them on the state of our country and hold the government accountable.  When those things don't happen, the power and wealth of the government increases, while the accountability of the government decreases.  The government takes our money, wastes our money, and the people play the blame game.  The goodness in people trusts that our government shares our best interests.  The goodness in people believes that our government wants to make our lives easier.  But money and power trump goodness -- and we are none the wiser.