I often listen to talk radio on my way to and from work and one of the topics today got me thinking about what the men in this country are becoming. The subject of this show was on the rights/wrongs of women in combat positions with the military. Now I'm not going to talk about women in the military today, but I reserve the right to address that at a later date. The part that really got me thinking was a comment from a caller who serves as a military recruiter for the Army. He commented "It's not that we prefer to recruit women in the military, it's just that there aren't many men out there now days willing to join."
These comments just floored me and got me thinking, are American men in such a state that they shy away from the call to duty? I hate to admit it, but I'm leaning towards Yes. I'm starting to believe, against my every being, that America has taken to pussify its male population and that we are no longer raising men to be the warriors that they once were.
I don't think it was a sudden change that cause this, but more of an erosion of Maleness over the years. I think it all started with the prevalence of divorce in this country and the lack of a male influence in many of our young men’s lives. Parents would separate and our young men were left to be raised solely by their mothers. Don't take that the wrong way, as I'm not knocking the job that single mothers have to deal with, but men need a male influence in their lives. By nature, women are more emotional and in touch with their feelings than are men. Women have a caring and nurturing nature that we, as men, love, but this is not a trait that we want handed down to the male youth. Men should be able to show emotion and be caring individuals, but this should come secondary to what it is to be a man, and that is a rough and tumble, protect your loved ones, never back down from a fight when it’s needed, beer drinking, swearing, and lack of social grace addition to the human race.
Men are hunters and gathers. They provide protection and food for their families. They need to have that warrior spirit just to fill the role that they are genetically predisposed to do. When young men have no role models in which to show and expand this trait, it begins to get lost as we see today. Think of what state this country would be in if World War II were to happen today. Do we have men of the same caliber that protected our country then living with us today? There are some, but I think they are a lot rarer than they used to be.
A secondary cause of this feminization phenomenon is the whole "metro sexual" fad that is now endangering the male population. I firmly believe that "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is largely responsible for the pussification of America's men. This show turns men into the very thing that men hate the most. However, this show glorifies the idea that women want a man that spends time and resources to better his appearance. It implants the thought that women are more attracted to a man that is "in touch" with his feminine side and more like them. Let's be honest, there isn't much a guy wouldn't do to attract someone of the opposite sex and I know, everyone is more attracted to someone that is easy on the eyes. For some of us, that takes more work than others, but is that something that we really want our men of today concentrating on? Ladies, and I need you to be honest with me here, which would you really prefer more: A man who is a bit rough around the edges, but steps in front of a thug on the street to protect you, or a man that cries over the fact that you used the last of his moisturizing cream when you showered that morning? Wouldn't you be more turned on by a man with a five o'clock shadow than a man with a seaweed facial mask and cucumbers on his eyes?
So there really shouldn't be a debate on whether women should be allowed on the front lines of the military. If America's men were still men, our military would be fully staffed with more than enough tough SOBs who are willing to place themselves in harm's way to protect this country, that there would be no need for women to be placed there. If our young men had the male influences to teach them how to be the warriors that their fathers and grandfathers were, this topic would have never come up.
Somehow I fear that it may be to0 late, as the "metro sexual" of today will be having boys of his own to perpetuate this "demasculinized" version of the male species that is alive today. The only way that we can change what, I fear will soon be an epidemic, is for the men that are left to take a stand. Throw away the idea of potpourri in your living rooms and go back to leaving your dirty underwear on the bedroom floor. Forego the frou-frou shampoos and go back to washing your hair with good, old fashioned soap! If you respond to that comment, "But that will give me split ends", then you are exactly the type of man that I'm ranting about. Quit ordering cosmopolitans at the bar and start knocking back whiskey and beer. Above all, wrestle with your sons. Teach them what it means to be a man and not to be afraid to act like one. Sure, the women of this country will protest for a short time, but I believe that they really want to have the strong male image back. What women wants a man who they feel they could more than likely take in a fight? Our families deserve the right to feel protected by the head of the household, and the only way they will have that feeling is for America to de-pussify the male gender.
That being said, I'm off to the bar for some Jack Daniels on the rocks and to watch Ultimate Fighting Championship on TV. ARGH ARGH ARGH!
2005-05-26
2005-05-24
You use the name Rednex?
Why would I pick the name Rednex as a moniker? Aren't you afraid that people are going to label you a racist bigot? You must approve of slavery and all that goes with it to use a name like that! Nice name Strom Thurman wannabe!
These are all questions that I've been asked or comments that have been made to me because of the nickname I go by. Am I embarassed by the name or am I promoting racist behaviors by choosing it? Of course not! Anyone that believes that is just as ignorant as they claim me to be. I chose the name Rednex because I am a redneck and very proud of it!
The term "Redneck" originally came about to describe southern boys who worked out on the farms all day. With all those hours spent in the sun farming, they would get sunburned and thus have a "red neck". However, in modern society, this term has taken on a taboo meaning to describe anyone who is seen as a racist, uneducated, or opposed to any sort of change. If you look up the term in Encarta's online dictionary, you will first get an advisory that the definition could possibly offend, then it goes on to state that this is a taboo term to the effect of what I said above.
So, you ask, with this modern definition, why do you chose this name? Well, I choose it because of I'm extremely proud of my southern roots. I was born and bred in the south and I feel blessed to have been. Does this mean that I'm a racist bigot that believes white people are the only true race? Please, I'm not even going to answer that. Were awful things done under the banner that is now the confederate flag? Of course there were, but you will be hard pressed to find any flag that wasn't flown in the course of horrendous events including the American flag. This fact does not make me value the Confederate flag any less. This was the same flag that flew over the states that opposed a over-powered federal goverment. This was a flag flown by people who laid down their lives in support of an idea that state goverment had the power to determine the course of it's people not the federal goverment. In a way, the Civil war was the grass roots of what is now considered the Libertarian movement.
My childhood was a happy one. My greatest moments were spent on a back porch listening to my father, grandfather, uncles, etc telling stories of their youth. We commonly had parties were neighbors and friends would gather around a fire in the backyard playing music and visiting while the kids ran around playing. People waved to you when you drove down the street and strangers would strike up conversations with you just because you looked in their direction. Hank Willimas, Waylon Jennings, and George Jones served their time as my musical babysitters. Potluck dinners after Sunday service were to be expected and enjoyed. Families spent time together working on the land they lived on during the day and watching tv or playing board games at night. The south was a god fearing, patriotic place where the 4th of July was celebrated with parades in even the smallest cities. Rodeo's were our version of "rock concerts" and you could almost always expect to see the whole town in attendance. Childern were taught to respect their elders and every kid had atleast 2 to 3 "grandparents" that had absolutely no relation to them. People spoke their minds even if they knew that people disagreed because they felt it was a duty to speak out on things that they felt were wrong. Good manners weren't just a niceity, they were a religion and things like holding the door open for those behind you, male or female, were expected but also appreciated.
These are the values that I consider to be redneck. So I ask you, why should I be embarassed of that term? I'm not, I'm proud to be a redneck. I think if more people grew up "redneck", this world might be a different place. A place where family values are strong and people have strong ties to their community. So to all of those people that belittle me because I'm a redneck, you go right ahead. You won't hurt my feelings. You call me a redneck as an insult and I will lift my head in pride. You call me a bigot because I'm proud of my heritage, and I will call you ignorant for not taking the opportunity to get to know me before making such an absurd statement. Being a redneck made me who I am today, a person whose friends always know they can count on me when they are in need. Someone who isn't afraid to speak his mind but at the same time tries to treat everyone with respect. I'm not ashamed of who I am or where I come from. I wear your "taboo term" with honor.
These are all questions that I've been asked or comments that have been made to me because of the nickname I go by. Am I embarassed by the name or am I promoting racist behaviors by choosing it? Of course not! Anyone that believes that is just as ignorant as they claim me to be. I chose the name Rednex because I am a redneck and very proud of it!
The term "Redneck" originally came about to describe southern boys who worked out on the farms all day. With all those hours spent in the sun farming, they would get sunburned and thus have a "red neck". However, in modern society, this term has taken on a taboo meaning to describe anyone who is seen as a racist, uneducated, or opposed to any sort of change. If you look up the term in Encarta's online dictionary, you will first get an advisory that the definition could possibly offend, then it goes on to state that this is a taboo term to the effect of what I said above.
So, you ask, with this modern definition, why do you chose this name? Well, I choose it because of I'm extremely proud of my southern roots. I was born and bred in the south and I feel blessed to have been. Does this mean that I'm a racist bigot that believes white people are the only true race? Please, I'm not even going to answer that. Were awful things done under the banner that is now the confederate flag? Of course there were, but you will be hard pressed to find any flag that wasn't flown in the course of horrendous events including the American flag. This fact does not make me value the Confederate flag any less. This was the same flag that flew over the states that opposed a over-powered federal goverment. This was a flag flown by people who laid down their lives in support of an idea that state goverment had the power to determine the course of it's people not the federal goverment. In a way, the Civil war was the grass roots of what is now considered the Libertarian movement.
My childhood was a happy one. My greatest moments were spent on a back porch listening to my father, grandfather, uncles, etc telling stories of their youth. We commonly had parties were neighbors and friends would gather around a fire in the backyard playing music and visiting while the kids ran around playing. People waved to you when you drove down the street and strangers would strike up conversations with you just because you looked in their direction. Hank Willimas, Waylon Jennings, and George Jones served their time as my musical babysitters. Potluck dinners after Sunday service were to be expected and enjoyed. Families spent time together working on the land they lived on during the day and watching tv or playing board games at night. The south was a god fearing, patriotic place where the 4th of July was celebrated with parades in even the smallest cities. Rodeo's were our version of "rock concerts" and you could almost always expect to see the whole town in attendance. Childern were taught to respect their elders and every kid had atleast 2 to 3 "grandparents" that had absolutely no relation to them. People spoke their minds even if they knew that people disagreed because they felt it was a duty to speak out on things that they felt were wrong. Good manners weren't just a niceity, they were a religion and things like holding the door open for those behind you, male or female, were expected but also appreciated.
These are the values that I consider to be redneck. So I ask you, why should I be embarassed of that term? I'm not, I'm proud to be a redneck. I think if more people grew up "redneck", this world might be a different place. A place where family values are strong and people have strong ties to their community. So to all of those people that belittle me because I'm a redneck, you go right ahead. You won't hurt my feelings. You call me a redneck as an insult and I will lift my head in pride. You call me a bigot because I'm proud of my heritage, and I will call you ignorant for not taking the opportunity to get to know me before making such an absurd statement. Being a redneck made me who I am today, a person whose friends always know they can count on me when they are in need. Someone who isn't afraid to speak his mind but at the same time tries to treat everyone with respect. I'm not ashamed of who I am or where I come from. I wear your "taboo term" with honor.
2005-05-23
What is "diversity" anyways?
Recently there has been alot of talk about diversity and the promotion of such. Some states have even gone so far as to recommend the passing of laws requiring that companies include "diverse" hiring practices.
Let's talk about diversity for a second. Diversity is defined by Encarta as social inclusiveness: ethnic variety, as well as socioeconomic and gender variety, in a group, society, or institution. Simply put, this means the inclusion of people or ideals that are different from the perceived norm. For a company to be considered "diverse", it must include in it's hiring practices the principal that no person shall be excluded from consideration due to their ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, or econmic standing.
Washinton house bill 1515 wishes to put this definition into law and make it illegal for any company use any sort of discrimination in it's hiring practices. Sounds good and fair right? Sure, it sounds like a winner on the surface, but take a closer look and you can see just how assine this bill really is.
This bill is aimed solely at the small business sector. Big companies that reside in Washington State, such as Microsoft, Safeco, Boeing, etc, do not need a law that tells them that they "have" to hire without a discriminatory bias as they already have well defined diversity policies in place. Big companies do not care about wether or not what race a person is, whether they are gay, or from another country, they only care about what is best for their shareholders. In other words, in hiring people that will best do the job and increase their revenue.
Where this bill would have hit the hardest is the small business owner with say 7 employees or less. This bill is effectively giving an ultimatium to small business owners saying that you will hire anyone, regardless of whether it's in the best interest of your business or not, or risk breaking the law. For example, the owner of a Christian bookstore would be required to hire a gay teller, should one apply, even tho the ideals of the business owner and the teller differ greatly. An Korean owner of a small community grocery store would be required to hire a middle class caucasian youth, even though the store owner would prefer to offer the job to Korean youth residing in the same neighborhood in order to provide them with opportunity.
Now I don't necessarily believe that diversity is a bad thing, but I do feel that it is being overused and directed. The topic of "diversity" is being used as a hammer to inflict the will of the few on the many. A small business owner should have the right to refuse employment to anyone should they so choose as they are the ones that will have to live with the rewards or the consquences of that decision.
Take the case of the owner of the Christian book store, should he/she be required to hire someone of differing ideals, then he also risks alienating a large majority of his clientele. His business deals solely with people who, on moral/religious grounds, disagree with the lifestyle of the teller. This fact may drive off a large portion of his business and he knows it, yet he would no longer have control of who is in him employee for fear of breaking the law. In retrospect, he may drive away the gay christian following that visits his store, but that is his consquence to deal with. It should be his decision on how he runs his business.
To me, this is just another case of the federal goverment sticking it's nose in some place it doesn't belong. If you don't like the hiring practices of a small business, then you have the right to frequent an establishment that has practices you do agree with. That is the great thing about America, you have the freedom to make decisions about who/what you spend your money on. I think all too often people forget that they have the right to simply go somewhere else. If you see an email you don't agree with, delete it. You hear a radio personality that offends you, change the station. We have to quit trying to make the country a "diverse" place where everyone agrees. America is a melting pot of all different races, ideals, and religions. If you don't like what someone is doing, it's only a short move to get to somewhere where the people are more like minded. We don't want everyone to think/act/believe the same. The differences in this countries people is what makes America great!
If you truely want to be "diverse", then that means respecting other peoples differences and either living with them, or ignoring them. Diversity is NOT forcing anyone who is different than you into following your way of thinking. If a goverment forces someone to live by the ideals of another, then they are not diverse, they are a dictatorship.
Let's talk about diversity for a second. Diversity is defined by Encarta as social inclusiveness: ethnic variety, as well as socioeconomic and gender variety, in a group, society, or institution. Simply put, this means the inclusion of people or ideals that are different from the perceived norm. For a company to be considered "diverse", it must include in it's hiring practices the principal that no person shall be excluded from consideration due to their ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, or econmic standing.
Washinton house bill 1515 wishes to put this definition into law and make it illegal for any company use any sort of discrimination in it's hiring practices. Sounds good and fair right? Sure, it sounds like a winner on the surface, but take a closer look and you can see just how assine this bill really is.
This bill is aimed solely at the small business sector. Big companies that reside in Washington State, such as Microsoft, Safeco, Boeing, etc, do not need a law that tells them that they "have" to hire without a discriminatory bias as they already have well defined diversity policies in place. Big companies do not care about wether or not what race a person is, whether they are gay, or from another country, they only care about what is best for their shareholders. In other words, in hiring people that will best do the job and increase their revenue.
Where this bill would have hit the hardest is the small business owner with say 7 employees or less. This bill is effectively giving an ultimatium to small business owners saying that you will hire anyone, regardless of whether it's in the best interest of your business or not, or risk breaking the law. For example, the owner of a Christian bookstore would be required to hire a gay teller, should one apply, even tho the ideals of the business owner and the teller differ greatly. An Korean owner of a small community grocery store would be required to hire a middle class caucasian youth, even though the store owner would prefer to offer the job to Korean youth residing in the same neighborhood in order to provide them with opportunity.
Now I don't necessarily believe that diversity is a bad thing, but I do feel that it is being overused and directed. The topic of "diversity" is being used as a hammer to inflict the will of the few on the many. A small business owner should have the right to refuse employment to anyone should they so choose as they are the ones that will have to live with the rewards or the consquences of that decision.
Take the case of the owner of the Christian book store, should he/she be required to hire someone of differing ideals, then he also risks alienating a large majority of his clientele. His business deals solely with people who, on moral/religious grounds, disagree with the lifestyle of the teller. This fact may drive off a large portion of his business and he knows it, yet he would no longer have control of who is in him employee for fear of breaking the law. In retrospect, he may drive away the gay christian following that visits his store, but that is his consquence to deal with. It should be his decision on how he runs his business.
To me, this is just another case of the federal goverment sticking it's nose in some place it doesn't belong. If you don't like the hiring practices of a small business, then you have the right to frequent an establishment that has practices you do agree with. That is the great thing about America, you have the freedom to make decisions about who/what you spend your money on. I think all too often people forget that they have the right to simply go somewhere else. If you see an email you don't agree with, delete it. You hear a radio personality that offends you, change the station. We have to quit trying to make the country a "diverse" place where everyone agrees. America is a melting pot of all different races, ideals, and religions. If you don't like what someone is doing, it's only a short move to get to somewhere where the people are more like minded. We don't want everyone to think/act/believe the same. The differences in this countries people is what makes America great!
If you truely want to be "diverse", then that means respecting other peoples differences and either living with them, or ignoring them. Diversity is NOT forcing anyone who is different than you into following your way of thinking. If a goverment forces someone to live by the ideals of another, then they are not diverse, they are a dictatorship.
2005-05-20
Where is the respect for our military?
As I sit and catch up on the news stories of the past week, I always find something that gets my blood boiling. This week it is a story in the Seattle PI about a lady by the name of Amy Hagopian who is working to have Military recruiters banned from high school campuses.
In Mrs. Hagopian's words, "Given the seriousness of what they are requesting people to participate in, we'd just prefer they not be on school grounds, which are supposed to be protected space for students." Well she's did get one part of that statement right, what the recruiters are asking our young folk to sign up for is serious. It's as serious as anything that could ever be asked of a person and that is to stand up for their country and possibly pay the ultimate price in defense of their nation. We are asking young people to defend the rights of people like Amy Hagopian to ridicule and mock a profession that has provided her with a comfortable and free life in which she can state the things that she says.
What is our country coming to when being a soldier is seen as a bad thing? Like it or not, this country was forged on a great principal of freedom and alot of bloodshed to ensure that freedom. I can think of no person that should be more honored in our society than those that choose to place their lives on the line to protect people that they know and those that they don't. This is what a soldier embodies.
All across America, we are seeing the Mainstream media and academia denounce the very people that make our way of life possible. Every day we see the abuses of the military in newspapers and television like Abu Garhib. Don't even get me started on those so called abuses, but that is a post for another day. Every day the media reports on these atrocities perform by the hands of our military on the front page, but how often do we hear the stories of the soldier that helped rebuild a church or that saved a human life? How often do we see pictures of a soldier who took the time help a child in the country that they are fighting in? Oh the stories are there, sometimes, if you look on the last page in the small print, but where is the front page recognition of the good that our military provides?
All of this "anti-military/anti-American" free press crap is taking it's toll on our youth. They no longer respect the people and professions that make this country great. Instead, we have small groups of students brainwashed by this mindset that are preventing military helicopters from landing on school grounds. Never mind the students that could actually benefit from a term of military service. Many a student has been saved by a term of military service, myself included. It provides an honest means to college or out of a way of life that could have led them down the wrong path. No, the voice of the few affects the will of the many. Yet another freedom that is protected by those in the military.
Mrs. Hagopian, you see photos of those that have been hurt in war and wish to abolish the military recruitment process. I see heros who have give more of themselves to protect your freedom and way of life than will ever be possible from you. You say that the decision to join the military is a "life and death decision" and for some people, you are correct, but then again, so is the decision to walk down a back alley of any major city in the world. Quit trying to pussify our youth and let them make their own decisions. I will never fault anyone for choosing not to join the military, but I find great fault in those people who wish to disparge and belittle the people who decide to do so. Any person who decides to protect this country is a hero and deserves to be treated as such, and what you are doing belittles their sacrifice. Our youth see the actions of people like you and choose to adopt them because protest (of anything) has become fashionable in this country.
What will this country become if you get your way? We become an indefensible people with no conviction. With no one to protect your right to live free, that right will soon disappear. While I'm sure you think you do this out of intelligent thought, take a step back and consider the consquences of your actions. The next time the bad guys come to blow up our buildings or take the lives of our countrymen, it will be a soldier that you turn to protect us and they will do so, even if you have tried to convince our youth that thier job is unnecessary. When all that stands between you and death is a soldier, will you still feel they aren't worthy of your respect? Hopefully we will never have to find the answer to that question, because somewhere, a soldier is ensuring that risk never finds you.
In Mrs. Hagopian's words, "Given the seriousness of what they are requesting people to participate in, we'd just prefer they not be on school grounds, which are supposed to be protected space for students." Well she's did get one part of that statement right, what the recruiters are asking our young folk to sign up for is serious. It's as serious as anything that could ever be asked of a person and that is to stand up for their country and possibly pay the ultimate price in defense of their nation. We are asking young people to defend the rights of people like Amy Hagopian to ridicule and mock a profession that has provided her with a comfortable and free life in which she can state the things that she says.
What is our country coming to when being a soldier is seen as a bad thing? Like it or not, this country was forged on a great principal of freedom and alot of bloodshed to ensure that freedom. I can think of no person that should be more honored in our society than those that choose to place their lives on the line to protect people that they know and those that they don't. This is what a soldier embodies.
All across America, we are seeing the Mainstream media and academia denounce the very people that make our way of life possible. Every day we see the abuses of the military in newspapers and television like Abu Garhib. Don't even get me started on those so called abuses, but that is a post for another day. Every day the media reports on these atrocities perform by the hands of our military on the front page, but how often do we hear the stories of the soldier that helped rebuild a church or that saved a human life? How often do we see pictures of a soldier who took the time help a child in the country that they are fighting in? Oh the stories are there, sometimes, if you look on the last page in the small print, but where is the front page recognition of the good that our military provides?
All of this "anti-military/anti-American" free press crap is taking it's toll on our youth. They no longer respect the people and professions that make this country great. Instead, we have small groups of students brainwashed by this mindset that are preventing military helicopters from landing on school grounds. Never mind the students that could actually benefit from a term of military service. Many a student has been saved by a term of military service, myself included. It provides an honest means to college or out of a way of life that could have led them down the wrong path. No, the voice of the few affects the will of the many. Yet another freedom that is protected by those in the military.
Mrs. Hagopian, you see photos of those that have been hurt in war and wish to abolish the military recruitment process. I see heros who have give more of themselves to protect your freedom and way of life than will ever be possible from you. You say that the decision to join the military is a "life and death decision" and for some people, you are correct, but then again, so is the decision to walk down a back alley of any major city in the world. Quit trying to pussify our youth and let them make their own decisions. I will never fault anyone for choosing not to join the military, but I find great fault in those people who wish to disparge and belittle the people who decide to do so. Any person who decides to protect this country is a hero and deserves to be treated as such, and what you are doing belittles their sacrifice. Our youth see the actions of people like you and choose to adopt them because protest (of anything) has become fashionable in this country.
What will this country become if you get your way? We become an indefensible people with no conviction. With no one to protect your right to live free, that right will soon disappear. While I'm sure you think you do this out of intelligent thought, take a step back and consider the consquences of your actions. The next time the bad guys come to blow up our buildings or take the lives of our countrymen, it will be a soldier that you turn to protect us and they will do so, even if you have tried to convince our youth that thier job is unnecessary. When all that stands between you and death is a soldier, will you still feel they aren't worthy of your respect? Hopefully we will never have to find the answer to that question, because somewhere, a soldier is ensuring that risk never finds you.
2005-05-19
Let the rants begin
So I decided to start this blog after reading a post from a friend of mine on his. Japher69 had a post about societies dependence on technology and where it all ended. As I read it, I told him that he was startin to sound alot like me with this random rant, as most of his blog entries are comments about what is going on in his life at any time. Well based on that and comments from a few friends and aquaintances who like what I have to say from time to time, I've been talked into creating a blog that will house each and every one of my random, sometimes politically incorrect, often strongly worded, but more than likely, dead on rants.
If you aren't a big fan of strong spoken people, or you are one of the extremely left leaning liberals that seem to be in over abundance here in the northwest, you might want to steer clear of this blog. Chances are I will offend you (which I live for btw). However, if you decide to stick it out and read the posts, you might find I make a lot of sense.
Of course, don't be surprised to see a pic of my pup every once in a while. She is the CUTEST DOG EVER!!
If you aren't a big fan of strong spoken people, or you are one of the extremely left leaning liberals that seem to be in over abundance here in the northwest, you might want to steer clear of this blog. Chances are I will offend you (which I live for btw). However, if you decide to stick it out and read the posts, you might find I make a lot of sense.
Of course, don't be surprised to see a pic of my pup every once in a while. She is the CUTEST DOG EVER!!
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