Vinh Pham

Last night I watched Idiocracy for the first time. The movie itself wasn’t all that funny, and it was pretty boring at some points. However, the movie touch on one subject that resembles our current state of the economy.

In the movie, the main character is tasked with figuring out why the crops are not growing. He finds out that crops are not growing because people have been watering their crops with Gatorade. He convinced them to stop using Gatorade and use water instead. But in an ironic twist of events, their switch from Gatorade to water causes the Gatorade company to go out of business, making thousands of people lose their jobs. The people got upset and rioted against the main character.

In Detroit, they are building inferior vehicles that are not selling, and the people who buys these vehicles can’t afford to drive them because of the high oil prices. The obvious solution is to stop investing in these outdated technologies and start looking into vehicles that uses alternative energy. But of course, this move could mean thousands of people will be out of a job. What do you think they will do?

Funny.

I am not a very smart guy. So it freaks me out when I hear smart people tell me that there isn’t enough transparency in our government.

Specifically, there have been a lot of complaints about the lack of transparencies in how the bailout money will be spent.

It’s like taking your car to a mechanic. You have no idea what’s wrong with it, or how to fix it, all you know is that it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg. So you pray to dear God that the mechanic doesn’t lie to your face and steal all your money.

Our government is a shady car mechanic. You pay the son of a b1tch to do his job, and all you get is him telling you there are more problems that will require more money to fix….

So I followed up with what I said the other day and went to volunteer for the No on 8 campaign. Sad to say, I was disappointed at how unorganized the Sacramento area seems to be. I didn’t feel like there was any real effort to enroll or maintain curious/shy volunteers like myself. Also, the task they had me do feels like a waste of time.

Well at least I got myself a No on 8 yard sign, which I will display proudly on the lawn here in West Sacramento, an area populated with Yes on ‘Hate’ signs.

That brings me to another issue. How come there are thousands of Yes on Hate signs popping up like weed, but it is so dang hard to even find a No on Hate sign? Shouldn’t there be an effort to put out more signs to show our support?

The real jewel in my volunteering experience came when I went to Jamba Juice to get my parking ticket validated on my way home. One of the JJ employee was dressed in a cheerleader’s costume ( with huge jugs ). A black guy came in, laughed, and said “Thank God, Yes on 8″.

The irony of this event kills me. Here is a black man, who’s ancestors were victims of the same hate crimes not too long ago, dishing out his own prejudice and hatred to people different than him. Oh, the circle of life is complete…

The more I hear about California’s Proposition 8, the more I feel compelled to help spread the “No on Prop 8″ message. Here is why:

They first came for the communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics, I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up.
-Martin Niemoeller

To me, this issue is even more important than the presidential election. Choosing a presidential candidate is like choosing between different flavors of ice-cream. Granted, you could end up with a really shitty flavor ( George Bush ) and get sick eating it. But defending equality for all people is equivalent to defending someone against a bully. If you don’t have the courage to do it, no one else will… And one day, it will be you who need to be defended.
So, whether you are gay, straight, or i’ll stick with my right-hand kinda person, you have to stand up for equality.
To make sure that I am not just all talk, I will contact my local field office and ask to volunteer.

I often hear people refer to my sources of news ( NPR, AP, BBC, The Daily Show, and various other websites ) as having a “liberal bias”. What is “liberal bias” you ask? Well, Liberal Bias is…

1) Basing your beliefs on scientific facts instead of saying “that’s how God made it”

2) Being able to recognize hateful rhetoric, personal opinions, and crackpot mouthpieces. ( For example: Bill O’reilly )

3) Making decisions after reviewing statiscal data to ensure that the decision will have the intended outcome. Not doing whatever “feels right”, or “has been done this way forever”.

4) Gathering information from multiple sources, including those of opposing viewpoints, to establish a complete understanding of the subject matter.

5) Having enough self-control to keep your personal opinion out the news you are reporting.

On a more serious note… The reality is: Truth has a liberal bias.

Being a devout ( church going ) Catholic, I am perplexed by why so many of us Christians are against the idea of gay marriage. What’s wrong with gay people getting married?

1) It ruins the sanctity of marriage - The sanctity of marriage? Does that even exist? How about we protect the sanctity of marriage by reducing our divorce rates first. Or better yet, protect the sanctity of marriage by being good, financially responsible, and loving parents. Obviously as a country we are not doing that with all the foreclosures, childhood obesity, and school shooting we are living with everyday. Sorry, but gay people can’t ruin the sanctity of marriage anymore than straight people already have.

2) Marriage is a commitment between a man and woman - I think being a man, or a woman is about a lot more than having a penis or breasts. It’s about committing to the responsibility of either bringing home the bacon, nurturing the family, or both. In today’s society, there are numerous examples of role reversals in nuclear-type families. The “man” stays at home to take care of the kids, and the “woman” goes to work. So in practice, the definition of “man” and “woman” has been greatly redefined. Should we stop people from living happy, fulfilling lives because we are unable to update our vocabulary?

3) It’s a sin - Not washing your hands before dinner is a sin. Please……….. “Let those who have NOT sinned throw the first rock”. Jesus taught us to show love and compassion to a prostitute, a tax collector, and a thief. Gay people are not prostitutes, tax collectors, or thieves, yet so many of us are ready to stone them to death. I don’t know what version of the bible you are reading, but God has always taught me to have compassion for everyone.

To sum it all up, the simple fact is, this is a matter of Church and State. Religion, of any flavor, should not enforce rules and edicts on people of the State.

If your religion, like mine, doesn’t favor homosexuality, then you have the responsibility to your faith of choosing the right path. But don’t go around forcing your fellow neighbors to adopt your beliefs. If you want to live in a society where religion tells the government what to do, move to the Middle East.

Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.” Marriage, outside of a church, is a property of the State. If gay people want to force you to let them marry inside your Church, then you can get mad all you want, but that’s not what they are asking. Most gay people are just asking for some respect.