Rick Perry - Strong

     This has probably been hashed to death already...  Rick Perry's "Strong" video, one of the most idiotic campaign ads I've yet to see.  This 'brilliant' work starts out with Rick making the statement that he is a christian, and not afraid to admit it.  Statistics aside (82% of Americans are christian), who the hell cares really.  I mean, he might pick up a couple of right-wing votes with that, but seriously?  His next line states that "...you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.".  Actually, Rick...  Most atheists don't give a rip about gays in the military, so you do have to "be in the pew every Sunday" to be that bigoted.  They're people too and they've got the same right/duty to defend our country as anyone else.  Kids are allowed to pray in schools, the teachers aren't.  The principle isn't allowed to pray over the intercom...  And leave Christmas out of this, most people in America celebrate Christmas, even atheists.  Most of the people who don't celebrate Christmas choose not to out of religious preference.  

     But it can't even end now... "As President, I'll end Obama's war on religion." So *President* Obama has a crazy pastor, is a Muslim and has a war on religion...  That and President Obama had Rick Warren (Author of The Purpose Driven Life) give the invocation at his inauguration.   All at the same time...  Real likely Rick. 

     I wish I were making this up, I really do.  It goes on to say "And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.".  I did a it of digging, and found that 54% of liberals say that their religious faith is VERY important to them.  Granted, among conservatives it's 82%.  But at 54%, if you pull two random liberals off the street, odds are one is a devout christian.

     So, anything else to say, Rick?  I was being sarcastic, noooo please...  But here it is... "Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again. "  Ok, faith made America strong eh?  It wasn't people viciously fighting for their land, rights and lives?  It wasn't our allies, wasn't our weaponry and hard work.  Faith did it all.  Well, we're waiting, faith.  Show us what you got.

     Faith is believing without any evidence whatsoever, that insinuates that people with faith are people who believe without seeing.  If I were to tell you that there were an apple tree on the far side of the moon, and this apple tree regularly produces apples, you'd dismiss me as incorrect immediately.  But there's a god no one can see or interact with...  Seems a bit unfounded to me.

76 and Tired - Hoax email

This email is fake.  It's supposedly sent by Bill Cosby, but...  No.  billcosby.com/site/2011/09/if-you-got-the-bogus-email-its-time-to-hit-delete.html That's Bill's website, more to the point, it's Bill denying that he wrote or agrees with the email.

If you want to read it before my rebuttal, you can do so here.  http://www.hoax-slayer.com/bill-cosby-damn-tired.shtml  This link states that the email is false as well.

So assuming you've read the email...  My rebuttal.

I agree with parts... 

1: Welfare is largely abused, certainly an issue.  But there are some people who truly need help.

2: All religions have extremists.  That's how it goes.  Hitler claimed to be/thought he was a christian doing God's work.  The crusades in Europe which eliminated innocent villages indiscriminately were fought in God's name.  That card is unplayable.

3: When we pay for oil, it becomes 'their' oil money and they're free to do with it as they please.  America is a country with freedom of religion, They can teach whatever they want to - and we get to tolerate it.  We can't build churches there, but there are missionaries, we're not respecting them either.

4: Global warming (whether a natural cycle or human effect) is happening.  No serious changes to our lifestyle have been made yet, so...  No argument there, Robert.

5: A self-inflicted disease is a disease all the same.  They have a medical dependance on the substance they're addicted to and if we can help them rid themselves of it we shouldn't whine about it.

6: It's not ours to judge other people's motives.

7: "I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions.  I'm tired of hearing them blame government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems." There's a partly valid point!  Only 3rd from last too!  A lot of people do gripe about the government and discrimination, but they only get away with it because there is something of an issue in both, and there's no one group to blame for it.

8: Yeah, people get covered in tattoos, but they can still find jobs.  When I see people between jobs there's a fine mix of pretty much everyone.  People who like being coated in tattoos often find themselves working in (hold your breath) tattoo parlors. 

9: Wow that's selfish...  And pessimistic...
I don't *WANT* this to be widely publicized...

I don't do chain messages in general.  If I did, I wouldn't send this one.  It's very disingenuous in my humble opinion.