Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Goodbye Hillary

After an eternity of campaigning Hillary Clinton finally ended her run for the presidency by endorsing Barack Obama at the Democrat Convention last night in Denver.

Thank Heaven.

Even as I write, MSNBC is working to keep the dream alive... that Hillary will somehow make a comeback and steal the nomination from Mr. Obama. Even if it does fill a gap in the 24 hour news cycle - it's not going to happen.

Thank Heaven.

I would give anything to see Bill and Hillary Clinton driven into a small dark corner of our nation’s political process. Even four years of an Obama Presidency might (I say might) be worth it to me if “presto” the Clintons could just disappear. By the way – that includes Chelsea too, who will be the next family member who asserts a “right” to the spotlight. Who’s next? Roger Clinton? Tony Rodham?

It will be a tough four years, but it may be the wake-up call conservatives need to get off their butts. It won’t take four years for Obama’s positions to be exposed for the failures that they are and the failures that they will bring. No amount of false hope brings change.

Back to Hillary – I see no goodness in the woman. How ugly an analysis – I question my compassion and humanity by making such a judgment.

Thank Heaven.

TK

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Let 18 Year Olds Legally Drink

If you’ve ever been 17 and tried to get a total stranger to buy you a case of beer for ten bucks, you know how easy it is to partake in underage drinking.

I smile when I think about it. I grimace when I think of my own children trying it and I could easily begin to sob thinking about the stupid things I did under the influence of alcohol, and all of the people I could have harmed while doing so...

However, making young adults wait unit they are 21 to drink does not stop them from drinking. It may stop them from purchasing alcoholic beverages – but not from consuming them. As long as Budweiser, Jack Daniels and all of their competitors flood the airways with positive impressions of drinking – young people will want to drink.

The argument that an 18 year old can choose our president and can be blown apart by an IED, but cannot buy a beer never made sense to me when I was 18 and in the military - and it still doesn't pass the smell test today.

If we want to reduce underage drinking and curb alcohol abuse we need to change our values. Show a man from outer space the same number of commercials young people in this country view on a weekly basis for alcoholic beverages, and within a month, the alien will be buying beer and getting a prescription for Viagra.

True change comes from education - not legislation. Lower the drinking age and stop making criminals out of young adults.

TK