Somebody's Gotta Say It
Whenever I'm picking something up at the dollar store, I always go to the book section right before I leave - I've found a lot of good reads, actually. The other day I went and got this one, a book by Neal Boortz. I've never heard of him before, but apparently he is a radio talk show host who is very opinionated and controversial. While I don't believe in every single thing that he says, we are on the same page with a lot of issues. He's also opened up my eyes to some things that I've never even thought about. As I continue to read this every night, I'm going to updated this with my favorite lines.
This "homosexuality is a choice" nonsense can be put to bed with one question: Just tell me: At what point in your life did you decide that you were going to be a heterosexual? Come on, surely you can remember such a big decision! Why, it must be one of the most important decisions you ever made! A decision that determined whether or not you would have children--whether or not you would be ostracized and hated by a significant segment of our pepulation. Surely that must have made some kind of impression on your memory, no?
What was that decision-making process like, anyway? Was it when that little girl with the hazel eyes winked at you in the seventh grade? Did you go sit by yourself in the library and think: "Okay, Joe. This is it! Here I am, almost twelve years old, and girls are winking at me. I knew this day would come, sooner or later. Hmmmmmmmmm...Know what! I think I'll be a heterosexual!" (pg 50)
"Who would say, "Yeah, that's very nice and all, but I really think I'd rather choose a lifestyle where I'm discriminated against on the job and in my church, and where I'm constantly derided and condemned by much of society. Instead of being a solid and respected member of my community, I think I'm just going to opt for a lifestyle where idiots assume that I'm a child molester"? (pg 51)
***
I don't feel any real need to defend myself here, but let me make it clear that I love this country. I am perfectly willing, on an individual basis, to pledge my allegiance to the United States. I'm just not in tune with the idea of forced patriotism. Either you feel it or you don't. It doesn't look right when despotic regimes like North Korea's Kim Jong II parade thousands of little schoolchildren through the public streets wearing their neat little uniforms and chanting their love of their "Dear Leader." And to my mind, it doesn't look right when our government compels children to stand and pledge allegiance before all the readin', writin', and 'rithmetic starts. (pg 55)
***
The Board of Education, joined by other proponents of prayer in the schools, argued that no child was compelled to recite the prayer. The students were free to leave the room, or to stand there with their mouths shut.
You'd think these professional educators would have known a little more about the social dynamics of schoolchildren. Show me a child who leaves the classroom every day when the mandatory prayer is being recited, and I'll show you a child who's tormented endlessly by his classmates. (pg 57)
***
...it was the day after Halloween and Laura had taken a bag of goodies to day care...as soon as the day care supervisor saw her bag, however, she seized it. She told Laura that it just wasn't right for her to have anything that every other child didn't have. If she didn't bring enough to share with everyone, then she couldn't have it at all.
...As soon as I heard that, I spun my incredibly hot Ford Pinto around and headed back to the day care center...I asked her if she was familiar with the concept of private property. She said yes. Then I asked why it was the day care center's policy to indoctrinate children into the idea that it was not right for them to have property that other children didn't have.
Blank stare.
Then I asked her how she would feel if the bank took her next deposit and distributed it evenly among its other customers, telling her it wasn't nice for her to have money that other people didn't have.
She got it.
The next time Laura brought some candy or cookies to day care, the supervisors left her alone. (pg 76)
***
Would you, the consumer, please tell me why you allow your local car dealer to slap an ad on the trunk of your new car before you drive it off the showroom floor? Why do you pay all that money to turn your $30,000 car into a car commercial on wheels? (pg 88)
***
Let's face it: the modern Supreme Court would conjure up a Constitutional right to an iPod and free music downloads if there were enough social pressure to do so. Today's Supreme Court is more an agency for social change than it is a court of law. (pg 91)
If you don't understand the basic workings of our government, if you can't name those who can confiscate your wealth at will, and if you can't name the people who have a tight grip on the exclusive right to use deadly force to accomplish their goals, then you have no business gumming up the works on Election Day. Stay home. (pg 95)
This "homosexuality is a choice" nonsense can be put to bed with one question: Just tell me: At what point in your life did you decide that you were going to be a heterosexual? Come on, surely you can remember such a big decision! Why, it must be one of the most important decisions you ever made! A decision that determined whether or not you would have children--whether or not you would be ostracized and hated by a significant segment of our pepulation. Surely that must have made some kind of impression on your memory, no?
What was that decision-making process like, anyway? Was it when that little girl with the hazel eyes winked at you in the seventh grade? Did you go sit by yourself in the library and think: "Okay, Joe. This is it! Here I am, almost twelve years old, and girls are winking at me. I knew this day would come, sooner or later. Hmmmmmmmmm...Know what! I think I'll be a heterosexual!" (pg 50)
"Who would say, "Yeah, that's very nice and all, but I really think I'd rather choose a lifestyle where I'm discriminated against on the job and in my church, and where I'm constantly derided and condemned by much of society. Instead of being a solid and respected member of my community, I think I'm just going to opt for a lifestyle where idiots assume that I'm a child molester"? (pg 51)
***
I don't feel any real need to defend myself here, but let me make it clear that I love this country. I am perfectly willing, on an individual basis, to pledge my allegiance to the United States. I'm just not in tune with the idea of forced patriotism. Either you feel it or you don't. It doesn't look right when despotic regimes like North Korea's Kim Jong II parade thousands of little schoolchildren through the public streets wearing their neat little uniforms and chanting their love of their "Dear Leader." And to my mind, it doesn't look right when our government compels children to stand and pledge allegiance before all the readin', writin', and 'rithmetic starts. (pg 55)
***
The Board of Education, joined by other proponents of prayer in the schools, argued that no child was compelled to recite the prayer. The students were free to leave the room, or to stand there with their mouths shut.
You'd think these professional educators would have known a little more about the social dynamics of schoolchildren. Show me a child who leaves the classroom every day when the mandatory prayer is being recited, and I'll show you a child who's tormented endlessly by his classmates. (pg 57)
***
...it was the day after Halloween and Laura had taken a bag of goodies to day care...as soon as the day care supervisor saw her bag, however, she seized it. She told Laura that it just wasn't right for her to have anything that every other child didn't have. If she didn't bring enough to share with everyone, then she couldn't have it at all.
...As soon as I heard that, I spun my incredibly hot Ford Pinto around and headed back to the day care center...I asked her if she was familiar with the concept of private property. She said yes. Then I asked why it was the day care center's policy to indoctrinate children into the idea that it was not right for them to have property that other children didn't have.
Blank stare.
Then I asked her how she would feel if the bank took her next deposit and distributed it evenly among its other customers, telling her it wasn't nice for her to have money that other people didn't have.
She got it.
The next time Laura brought some candy or cookies to day care, the supervisors left her alone. (pg 76)
***
Would you, the consumer, please tell me why you allow your local car dealer to slap an ad on the trunk of your new car before you drive it off the showroom floor? Why do you pay all that money to turn your $30,000 car into a car commercial on wheels? (pg 88)
***
Let's face it: the modern Supreme Court would conjure up a Constitutional right to an iPod and free music downloads if there were enough social pressure to do so. Today's Supreme Court is more an agency for social change than it is a court of law. (pg 91)
If you don't understand the basic workings of our government, if you can't name those who can confiscate your wealth at will, and if you can't name the people who have a tight grip on the exclusive right to use deadly force to accomplish their goals, then you have no business gumming up the works on Election Day. Stay home. (pg 95)