Musings of a Patriot

Tag: civic participation

  • Taking Ownership

    Yesterday I helped my brother move into his new house (like me, he changed jobs and relocated over the summer). I am looking forward in the next couple of weeks to completing a home sale (this week) and a home purchase (next week) so that he can return the favor (actually, him returning the favor…

  • Incentives to Get Off Welfare

    Another spinoff from the discussion about Equality Under the Law clicked a switch in my brain. Nothing that Anti-PC Infidel says in his post should surprise anyone who has seen the discussion already, but for some reason the following statement made a connection to another issue that I have struggled to resolve for a long…

  • Who Are You Voting Against?

    I really wish I could find the article I glanced at yesterday postulating that the presidential race is not looking like a blowout for Obama because the contest has been framed as a referendum on Obama rather than a referendum on Bush and the Republican party. The thought that struck me is that when an…

  • Established Patterns

    After a week on vacation it is nice to have a bit of a fresh perspective on life. We are entering a month where we have to close on our old house in Lehi and our new house in Bountiful so there will be plenty to do. Having taken some time off I am ready…

  • American Citizenship

    I really liked this Deseret News profile of a naturalized citizen. Airman 1st Class Elena Dulger’s face lights up the room when she talks about her first chance to participate in a democratic election. Dulger, 21, is taking her oath of citizenship today, seven years and one day after meeting her father at JFK International…

  • The Best Day to Vote

    As a perpetual proponent of incresing voter turnout, I enjoyed considering the story on NPR about Rethinking The Tuesday Vote. I’m not sure when voters would be noticable less busy than Tuesday – especially considering that we would not want the vote to be on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday as each of those days is…

  • The Rule of Law or the Rule of Fear

    I really liked this challenge from Obi wan Liberali related to the current FISA revision bill. So to my Republican friends, I lay the challenge before you. If you support the FISA bill going before the Senate, justify and defend that support. If you oppose the bill, speak up to your Republican U.S. Senators Orrin…

  • Depressing News

    Despite what some people may think, my outlook on life is not based on how politically active my fellow citizens are. If it was, this report from the Deseret News would have made today really lousy. Utah now has the nation’s worst voting participation rates. We should have participation closer to 65% like Minnesota rather…

  • Republican Primary – State Treasurer

    Today I am hoping that Republican primary voters show that they can see through party connections to select a candidate who might actually be qualified for the office of State Treasurer by selecting Richard Ellis to represent the party on the November ballot. There are other races where I have a preference, but no others…

  • The Dread Disease Called Ease

    With the news that WordPress.com is banned in Brazil because of some inappropriate blogging by someone, Lorelle makes this observation: I think bloggers around the world have become apathetic. Lazy. Uninspired. Dumbed down. Honestly. When the term echo chamber was coined, it was a good label for all the regurgitation of content spread all over…