AM~Erica is Rectifying a Grave Feminist Mistake

So anyway...

I honestly don't remember what made me think about this lately, but I began to re-research women's suffrage.

In my inadvertent quest to have outfitting for nearly every decade (apparently), I had not really looked into much of the 1910's. I was looking into the style & the events of the time. And I was super pulled into the women's suffrage movement.

Right now, I want to let you know that I do not live my life with politics in the forefront. Probably because so many folks have taken it to such extremes, it's been a turnoff for years. Just the ugly mudslinging of "human rights" folks & "Christian" folks. (Yes...I put those in quotation marks - neither "side" is acting like what they supposedly represent.) I'm also a realist; an optimistic realist, yet still a realist. I can see where there are positives of the ideals of both "sides", as well as the downfalls of the ideals of both "sides". Having it go all one way will never work for good.

I am so against the koolaid drinkers. They just absorb whatever they are told & just become parrots of what is put in front of them without larger research on their part. And that's an insult to parrots!

Don't forget, I'm all about this coming together thing, wanting both sides to meet in the center aisle, pour the red & blue koolaid into a great big vat & make a lovely purple color.

Purple politics is what I go by. And...I don't rub it in people's faces.

Sorry...got off on a bit of a tangent. I digress...

*ahem*

I'm going to make a confession right now. I need you to stick it out with me. OK?

As many of you know, I am a PASTOR'S WIFE. In United Methodism, the pastors are on an itinerant system & are appointed. Technically the appointment lasts year-to-year, but generally will be at least 3 years or so (can be longer - we're in our 6th year at our current church). Keep this in mind when I say that the pastors & their families tend to get moved fairly often, and generally to new communities, even in different parts of the state.

I'm incredibly right-brained (which should surprise no one), and I'm easily distracted by squirrels &/or shiny things. Plus, I'm a major procrastinator. So I forget to do major things sometimes because my brain wheels are turning & creating things in my head...I...well...just forget.

When I was 18, I registered to vote because I could. And I voted for a while, trying very hard to know what I was voting on. Like seriously considering.
Then my hubby answered a call to ministry & we began our journey into him being appointed to churches in the Missouri United Methodist itinerant system. When we started heading to new communities, registering to vote would slip my mind until it was literally time to vote. That wasn't enough time. I would get really frustrated with myself, vow to change that the next day, then my right brain would kick in...*sigh*

However, I realized this as I was looking back into women's suffrage.
I realized what these women went thru to get the right to vote. People! They were beaten, arrested, fined, spat upon, insulted. They went thru so much just to get a voice.

These wonderfully rebellious women who stood their ground, and spoke up, was a tremendous act to be able to fully claim their rights of citizenship! This is not well covered in schools or in conversation. I took for granted what fight was fought for me to have this right to use. And I'm embarrassed to say that...but I am. Because I'm human.

I won't be one of those people who will shame you if you don't vote...but you don't have the right to complain if you don't use your voice. I would complain about the complainers who use their 1st amendment right for major disrespect & personal attacks...but I also was careful to not complain where I didn't use my voice.

Today, as it turns out, is Women's Equality Day! We were given the right to VOTE on August 26, 1920! No wonder the flappers felt so liberated!

A greeting I got from Facebook for Women's Equality Day!

This is something amazing to celebrate! We are finally getting to a place where women are more respected. It's only taken 95 years or so.

And we've come a long way, baby. We are moms, business owners, CEO's, senators, part of congress, pastors, artists, speakers, respected journalists & writers, idealists, welders, mechanics, technicians, engineers, gamers, code writers, bakers, soldiers/sailors, pilots, doctors, nurses, presidents of boards, serving on boards...we are in so many positions of respect & authority these days. And? We can vote!

As I had to reread what we went thru to get to this point, my woman's heart swelled with pride. We are people. We are all people. We should all be treated as people.

And...if you are a citizen, I highly recommend getting registered to share your voice with your voting rights. Many fought way too hard for those of us, in the present, to not be doing so.

Although I didn't realize today was Women's Equality Day, until today, I felt the push to go ahead & finally get registered again. And I did it yesterday. Strangely, in that moment, I felt liberated!

I am an American citizen, and I am going to use my voting powers for good!

No, this doesn't mean I'm going to rub my thought process of politics in your faces as much as many of you do in mine...but I will continue to keep it real. I want to challenge many of you to think, to research, to actually look into the "other side" of your views. And then, know it's about the greater good of the people...not just you.

I am a woman, I am an American, and I am once again a voter. Hear me roar!!!

So this is a perfect day to encourage any of you who haven't yet to step up & register, too!

*UPDATE: My daughter registered to vote today! WOOT! Preparing to use her voice being an American citizen! Way to celebrate 95 years of women voting!

Oh! And?

HAPPY WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY!!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Trying to Give Direction to Solution

So anyway...

The TRAGEDY IN CONNECTICUT is still fresh in our minds, as well as the shootings in Topeka. And it seems there's no slowing down the jumping to a solution of sorts to slow or stop all of this.

I was going to wait to give my take on all of this & really open up my thoughts & where I'm coming from, but it appears the time is now.

So...*deep breath in, deep breath out* here we go:

Off we go on more POLITICAL TANGENTS, even with the elections being over. It hasn't slowed up. It's frustrating. And, as usual, both "sides" are sounding as insane as ever.

With the fiscal cliff looming (Solution: FLAT TAXES by percentage of what you make. Too easy? Whatever, just do it & get over it.), there are still people mudslinging from all directions.

Here's the dealio, y'all...the focus on gun control is not the answer...solely. Like it or not, there needs to be a major tightening. And even if you don't like to hear it, mental health issues need to be on the background checks for gun purchases, at least a reference from a doctor/phycologist/counselor, and a number of guns cap needs to be set. It's not a matter of taking them away, there is an issue of "control". Yet many just want to carry around pistol...or automatic weapons, like we are back in the old west. You know, settle an argument at high noon with a dual because you felt threatened. If you are not part of law enforcement or in the military...there is absolutely NO reason for a civilian to carry a gun unless it's in the woods because you are hunting for food...NOT GAME! The conceal & carry is a sham, in my opinion. I didn't say take them away. There's those who want to have them at home to defend their household & property from trespassers, but just note that you can still be shot, wounded, deablilitateyd, or killed by the trespasser who may have a gun. Your own gun would have done you no good. Will it keep the guns out of the hands of the "bad guys"? No. But keeping an actual registration of guns in the possession of persons will be a major start. You don't have to agree with me...but there is actual common sense here.

The biggest problem is the insurance & healthcare thing. Obamney-Care (that's right, it's still based off of Romney's stuff) is not the answer. Do we need all to be covered? Absolutely! But not at such a high of price. There is absolutely no reason anyone should be charged $20 to take 2 Tylenol while getting hospital care. It's about price gauging, for sure. Make it illegal to charge so much for use of equipment & things. Bring the price down so healthcare is affordable. Oh...and make it OK for people to get the prescriptions they need & make it OK to see the right specialists without the hinderance of insurance barriers. Trust me...it's happened to us. And marketing prescription drugs publicly is not OK, and should be taken away from them. Why? It's up to health professionals, not the everyday WebMD checker, to tell if they need it. Cut out that marketing & hopefully that will help with "big name" prescription costs going down. No one should ever have to pay $400 for any medication! When drug stores can offer $4 prescriptions, that should set a precedent.

It is so very wrong for people who need a particular attention given to them, but can't because insurance won't pay for it, and then one cannot afford to pay for it out of their own pocket. It's a disgusting vicious cycles that has to be broken! Oh...and taxing people who can't afford healthcare isn't the answer either.

These two issues are completely tied in together. It's both/and...not either/or. (see about my PURPLE POLITICS)

I, personally, am against the possession of civilian guns. That's my thinking. But...I wasn't brought up with them, either. No defending "my side" will make me want to jump into that mold of defending my 2nd amendment right when I've never had to deal with it...and been just fine. And the segway is that if I did want to get one, I truly hope I was turned down. Why? Because I have mental health issues.

If you remember when I've talked about my DEPRESSION ISSUES, I also said that I had been suicidal. I tried to overdose, and it didn't work. Luckily. However, those issues are never truly gone for me...I can easily slide back into those deep, dark areas. And I have brought up that I imagine another way of doing it, but I cannot make that work, which is a good thing. I can imagine the barrel of gun at my temple & can feel the cold metal against the right side of my head. If there was a gun in our house, I might find a way to use it. So the possession of this weapon is off limits!

That being said, I know there might be some kind of violation of privacy, blah-blah, if health records were a part of this background check to purchase a gun. I know of more than one person who either owns a gun or would like to that have mental health issues & are on medication. If this is the case...a weapon of destruction should not be in your possession...or under the same roof where they reside. Friends & relatives should know what your issue is & know that showing you where they stash their firearms or lending one (or more) to you is a serious lack of good judgement.

You know what all of that leads to? Murderous rampages. When someone who is in serious need of psychological help uses a firearm to take out many, and you turn around and defend them having a gun...guess what you look like. (Note: at the same time, whining & pouting because someone does have a firearm is just as crazy...because it is in the constitution.)

I have seen a couple of posts from people who have shared painstaking stories of loved ones who were lost to mental health issues to the point that they were no longer the same person. Good people, but who ended up with a twisted view on life for whatever reason. It's sad & horrible.

We have to realize that, if these people who need mental help, they can still use any means necessary to get their "point across"...they will find a bat or club, knives or axes, even create a bomb.

Along with some of these psychological triggers is the incidental glamorization of the assailants in these tragedies. If every name & face of these killers are all over the news & media, they got what they wanted...notoriety. Remembered for something big. The more we talk about their names & cover every inch of their lives...they have made a name for themselves...just as they had hoped to do - you know, like the last guy who did it. If we focus on the victims, it is no longer about the killer. We don't glamorize them anymore. But we get this sick curiosity about them & try to get into their minds. Why do we even want to be there when we see the outcome?

Morgan Freeman was credited with pointing out the media for being the big issue of a lot of these tragedies by sharing the name & face of the assailant over & over & over &...
As it turns out, Morgan Freeman didn't say it. But the words still ring true...to a point. The media is another large portion of the issue. Don't give anything personal away about any murderer. They seek & crave that kind of attention in these cases. And then we still cover their trials & every moment leading up to what's coming to them.

The glamorization of "reality" television with the people we make celebrity for outlandish behaviors & our lack of talking openly & honestly about mental health issues contribute greatly to this.

Gun control, healthcare, and media have jaded us as a people. Keeps us divided because we are focussing on the wrong things at the wrong times.

I've also heard that it's because God isn't allowed in our schools anymore. There is still prayer happening, mostly silently by teachers for their students & their days, and by students about to take a test. There is still gathering at flagpoles & Fellowship of Christian Athlete clubs that still meet & pray...in schools. We have worked SO hard to not offend, that we have been forced to be the defensive. And it forces us to hand out participation trophies & not make anyone work for anything. Just show up & you get recognized.
Where are our priorities, people? What are we really wanting & really fighting for?

President Obama, once again, delivered a beautiful speech at the inter-faith service for the fallen children & faculty in Newtown. Again, he spoke from being a parent. He was truly emotional...and I know. My hubby had to deliver A HARD SERMON this weekend & had the same tone. You get emotional, but know you have to keep it together in that moment. And when the president said that changes need to be made...everyone jumped to conclusions as to what he might mean. You know what he meant? He meant that CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE! That's it. That was not the time or place to spell it out. Did he elude to it? Yes...but guess what? It was a lot of what I pointed out here. It's more than gun control, folks...it's mental health issues, too. Don't just hear part of it...hear the whole of it. Much like scripture...take the whole thing instead of dissecting it into just pieces you want to get out of it.

I apologize for covering this so soon...but I'm sick of people's focus on just a couple of things while others deeply mourn.

I mourn. As a parent, as a human, as an American...I mourn.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Needs to See Some Respect - Show It

So anyway...

As you all know probably know by now, I'm not the most political person...but I've had to get on my soapbox in the last several months because of the immaturity of both sides of the aisle. Ugly & bratty was & still is hard to deal with. Especially when it's supposedly a bunch of "adults".

Those of you acting like you would be a martyr for your own party? Oh, puh-leez!

So that's why I have tried to start a movement of PURPLE POLITICS...the voice of compromise in our government. The urge of the lefty-democrat-blue drinkers & the righty-republican-red drinkers to come to the middle & pour your glasses of bitterness into the middle to create a sweet flavor of purple.

So I have been on a mission to find my perfect political shirt: a purple Koolaid Man tshirt! Oh Yeah!

There are others who have hopped onto the purple bandwagon. A place needed to be created where the moderates could actually feel like they/we could speak up. One of my bandwagon riders was on my mission to get me a koolaid shirt. She won & found it first...that's a whole other story that I may blog about soon...cuz it's entertaining. But here is my shirt, y'all:

Can you read my note? It says "Enjoy!"

See? I look like my pic above...OK, it's blurry, but I have on no makeup. No one needs to see that.

I do wish I could've had it before election day, but not this time. However, I will still wear it loud & proud. When you all see it, you will know what it stands for! Because it was not loud enough to get thru the campaign season...

That was quite the round of campaigning & elections, don't you think? It was a dizzying & gut-wrenching journey that I couldn't NOT wait see come to an end. There is a large number of people who did not like destination chosen by majority.

So now, I gotta pull out my soapbox again. I haven't gotten on it in quite some time. And apparently the time has come for me to jump on. So brace yourselves...here we go:

I have gotten on my SOAPBOX before about the level of nasty, one-sided politics. And I have seen the liars come out in full force. I'm not even talking about candidates, either. I'm talking about all the ridiculous supporters who keep on their blinders about what the post & what they say. You can't say you want peaceful posts & "discussion", put out your "prayer requests", and pretend you are looking for a better solution when you also put hateful, vile, and personal attacks on top of fake & mistruth information that is such a twisted truth. And you actually believe you are saying the right things?

I'm going to tell both sides something right now. If you haven't picked it up from my other posts about this, then pay attention now:

When you put that stuff out there, you look like the biggest jerk & no one with actual common sense is going to listen to it. If you want things to be better, then quit it with the smut & mud slinging from your own walls. Seriously.

There was a time (before social media) when there was this thing called "RESPECT" for our leaders. But now we can just say as hateful & childish things as ever. Even though that's part of our 1st amendment right, the vile levels from BOTH sides really should be come down upon. Personal attacks & trying to undercut in bratty ways should be a felony. Yep, I said it. (Thank you, 1st Amendment!) You think that thought is not OK? I've got more.

We just finished recognizing our veterans for their service & sacrifices to make sure our entire country was free. The United States of America...and the word "united" is in there. This part is VERY important. We are coming back to this...

As the election results have come out, and the voting wasn't quite as close as it was predicted to be, "sides" are now trying to hurl their koolaid at each other & anyone else. Remember that whole "ugly" thing? You're being a jerk thing? We aren't listening to you since you sound like your having a whiney brat tantrum thing? Yeah...

The dirt level of posts has risen instead of faded.

Seriously! Stop.

Even worse about the election results? There is going to be a primal civil war that may break out due to the lack of tolerance & respect. The majority spoke & now you are trying to blame & point fingers & discount whoever the majority clearly chose because you are clearly less than tolerant & are bad sports.

This civil war I speak of has to do with the states who want to not be part of the UNITED States any longer. I'm embarrassed to say I'm in one of those states. Talk about near-treasonous levels of thinking! (told you it would get worse) There are even veterans who are touting the fleeing. All they have fought for & they are setting such bad examples coming back.

Do you remember when George W. Bush was running for office & there were several celebrities who threw big hissy fits stating they would move out of the country if he won? So many of you offered up your support in helping them pack. You are the ones who gave them an openly hard time about leaving the greatest country & blah-blah-blah. So...you don't like the outcome now? So you've upped the ante? Shameful.

Those of you who stated you would move to Canada if the election didn't turn out like you'd hoped, they are successfully running programs & have a tolerance level in place...the ones you were hoping to run from. Think about that for a moment.

Oh...and not everyone in each state thinks exactly the same. You can't just up & take your state to go home cuz things didn't go as you thought. An entire state is not like a baseball, folks. Oh...and then what? Government would look very differently. You would have no representation. You just sit in your corners & pout. By the way...what if we now had to have border patrol between states because you now don't belong to The States? That would make you an immigrant. Congratulations! Oh, and please give up any Social Security your getting paid, any other aid, and any military &/or government benefits. Thank you.

Now...that doesn't take into account all the crazy thinking of the far left, either. If you voted just so you could secure handouts...then that's not right. A lot of people do need handouts once in a while. But...those that take advantage of the system need to be reeled in!! I do think there should be drug tests for welfare. I'm just gonna say it! And, if you are on welfare/food stamps, you don't have the money for alcohol, cigarettes, tattoos, drugs...I mean, c'mon! Oh...and if I need to show my ID to pay with my card at JC Penney or Goodwill, or many  other places, it won't kill you to have some sort of ID when you are asked. If you have something to hide...it will come out. And breaking the system to keep having kids so YOU can get free healthcare is not right either. Where's the money to feed you 7 kids when you can hardly keep a roof over your head & tummies filled, then shut down the baby factory & try to do something to get back on your feet. Plus...there are so many out there who want a family & have trouble having the kids. Why are you hoarding the population for yourself? Greed? You call that "trying to get by"? There's couples out there who cannot or have issues conceiving that have so much love to give. They need the children you can't take care of. After a certain period of time, the hand-out-only takers need to be cut off & actually contribute to society.

I would also like to point out that some of these couples who cannot conceive just cannot physically do it together. But they are loving people who are much more willing to take care of a child than most parents out there now. Why would we want to stop that? I would also like to bring up that there is no sanctity in marriage, overall, right now based on the current divorce rate. So why are we concerned about who gets married when you may be on your 3rd marriage right now? Something to think on.

We need to find some common sense, folks. Be UNITED! Stop worrying about these trivial things & work on what is good for the people. Guess what? That might mean it's not JUST in line with your personal thinking. Isn't that great about this country of the UNITED States? And if you claim "These Colors Don't Run, " then don't support running away from this great country. We can come together, people. It's possible. Open your hearts & minds about it.

Oh...and if you want to tout praying for the country, then do it. And if you prayed that God would direct our country & elections in the direction it needs to go, then complain we full of idiots, you might want to think about how you pray.

And if "the other side" is saying things that are disrespectful...it's just as immature to keep posting & saying things that are supposed to cut them back down, too.

Y'ALL BE ACTING CHILDISH! STOP IT!!

I will put my soapbox up for now. The ugly needs to stop. We need to support our country in the here-and-now. Respect, people. Show it. For all leaders. The ones that were voted in by majority from the citizens of this great & united country.

The power of purple, baby! It's OK to compromise for the greater good! OH YEAH!!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Sees the Divide

So anyway...

There is an important holiday coming up tomorrow. Independence Day, of course! It is the birthday of our wonderful country! But what are we celebrating when there is such dysfunction going on?

The sad truth is, we are a family horribly divided. Many of you have read about my purple politics, but there is such a pull of apart of red & blue...it's disgusting.

Well, I will probably, once again, tick people off with my brand of politics. There's actual common sense in my view. It's almost like a superpower anymore. There can actually be compromise, and there's such a divide that refuse to see it that way. I'm going to point out a few things that need to make you think. It may be painful. It may make some of you pout in a corner. It might pull out some extra bullhorns & megaphones besides mine...but it needs to be heard...again.

People, do you realize you are grumbling about what the other side says...and you are arguing the same thing pretty much? The twisting of words to try to make your own point for "your side" is ridiculous.

A question I have is to whether or not you all actually read & listen to what is happening, or do you go about it with totally closed minds that the "other side" is just wrong no matter what?

I'm going to point out a couple of brief things about the healthcare thing. There is good stuff AND bad stuff. It's not ALL good...just like it's not ALL bad. Wake up to the good and the bad, OK? The good? Everyone is to be covered & not turned away. No pre-existing conditions can prevent you from getting insurance. YEA! That's awesome! The bad? We are going to be forced to get insurance. It will literally be illegal to not have any...and you will be forced to pay a TAX PENALTY if you don't have any. Oh...and no matter who wins the election later this year, this doesn't take effect until 2014...and no one can fight it since there is a TAX involved until it's put into place. So...there is also so much wrong with this whole thing from BOTH SIDES!! So...why can't we all work together to get the bad out & the good in...and work toward the same goal? Are we all that power-hungry? Oh...I guess so. I would like to point out that our vehicles (which are THINGS) are better insured than each of us. Just throwing that out there.

Something else I'm going to point out that is quite ugly is the amount of money being spent on just elections. I want to throw up thinking about it. We are all upset about the economy & the lack of jobs...yet we are being driven to donate money to people who are trying to OUTSPEND each other to trick you into voting for them. Where is this money going? Well, my hubby helped break this down a bit: approximately 2 BILLION dollars will be spent on the election campaign trail. That's gagalicious as it is...and it doesn't go into the thinking of the amount of our country's debt, and the fact that approximately 40,000 people could make an annual salary of $50,000 for that amount of money...that is going to tricking people into voting for them...trying to outspend each other...while the economy is a mess...to say pretty much the same stuff. Hmmmmm...

So, gullible koolaide drinkers, you can twist & mince all the words you want, but there are major ugly truths that go beyond what I have pointed out above that you all won't look that much more into.

You know what's even worse? That 2 billion dollars is to go to the undecided voters. There's so many of you who have already made up your mind of which side you will vote for, it has nothing to do with the person or their personal views necessarily, and the money won't even sway you. The undecided voters are either over gullible & will listen to only the twisted words of the one who spent more money, or they aren't even going to head to the polls because of how awful this is. Do you see how ugly this is?

(This pic has been posted several times on Facebook by good people who this is geared toward - 
then they keep posting their one-sided political stuff. Talk about missing the point!)

So, as we celebrate our country's birthday, that falls on July 4th...that is called INDEPENDENCE DAY, what are we really celebrating? The freedom to fight one another because of brain-washed opinions? That's beautiful. Not exactly what I call the home of the brave.

I know these are very ugly words. I try to keep it positive in the end...but what possibly is positive about all of this right now? Are we just going to barbeque & blow stuff up in pretty explosions to get along for 27 hours (the total of all the time zones in the country) & then go back to being disgusting to each other? That's cute to make face for a day...but what about the others? What about respect toward each other, the country, and whoever is in charge? No we don't have the best people in place...but we voted them in! Using our freedom to vote when we lack the actual knowledge needed to get the right people in? Right.

I have brought up having a Moderate Party (said slightly tongue-in-cheek) & the criticism I got for it was awful! You mean...how dare me want to find compromise & want to have this country come back together? How dare me want to bridge the divide? What is wrong with me? *face palm*

There may be some face-palming from some of you reading this, but I'm going to bring up a GLEE moment. Back when Sue Sylvester was running for congress, she did it in an ugly campaign. UGLY! But it was great for us because she's a fictional character, and her corruptive brain is beautiful for satire, not for real life. But there are campaigns run like she did it...in real life. There was another guy on the ballot that ran against her doing some of the same stuff. But...there was a candidate that ran after the cutoff for getting your name on a ballot, so he ran a campaign to be a write-in vote. He did a better campaign, ran as a write-in vote campaign...and WON! Yes...I know it was fictional, but what a great idea!  Why can't we find a moderate to step up & take the reigns as a different party.

The two-party system is broken & corrupt. It's ugly. We need someone better.

I fully respect, usually, who is in the highest office of our nation. The lack of respect for it is awful. Why don't you try to take it over & see how that works for you? Scary thought, huh?

So...as we hug at the birthday party tomorrow, remember it can last past blowing things up & sitting around a table inhaling grilled fare. Yes, our opinions can be different, but it's about finding compromise. Like any relationship to work...it can't be one way or the other; it's both/and. And it's not about pointing out all the faults, it's about lifting up what's great & working thru ALL the faults...from ALL sides.

Hug it out, find a way, dump your red & blue koolaid cups into the big vat in the middle & see the pretty purple. It's the best way. THAT's what makes the country great!

So...are you pouting yet? Well, take it to the party tomorrow...jump in a pool & cool off!

*CHEERS*

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Continues Pushing Purple Politics

So anyway...

I still stress that I am SO not a political person. But it is in my face so much lately...it really ticks me off. You may be aware of where I stand in this stuff if you read my recent politic soapbox the other day. Are we clear? Even if we are...I got more...

I found it interesting, as 'The Hunger Games' craze is getting going, that Yahoo! had an article on the politics of 'The Hunger Games'.

Did you find that interesting? So...the parties are now getting to the point of arguing about what party this story is based on? You are absolutely blind if you don't see it's brilliantly about the government. Not a party specifically.

After I saw this article, it was even more interesting a piece of trivia I heard later...

Once in a while, hubby likes to give a trivia quiz, of sorts, to the kids during dinnertime. A lot of times it's about history, but sometimes there's other subjects involved. And most of the kids love it - the boys, specifically. A couple of smarty-pants kids that follow in their dad's footsteps. Teen boy is our history buff. It's freaky. Tonight, the kids (the boys) wanted quizzing during dinner. Instead, teen boy threw one out there & ended up doing the explaining. He was reviewing early American politics & how the early parties consisted of the Federalists and...brace for it...wait for it...Democratic-Repulicans. That's right...Democrats & Republicans were actually TOGETHER at one point!

Do you know what this tells us, folks? It tells us that the political party system is oh-so-broken. BROKEN...and I feel getting very out-dated. I'm not kidding!

The red koolaid drinkers & the blue koolaid drinkers were actually drinking purple when our great country was established...out of the same glass. That's right! So...who's twitching right now?

We keep trying to promote "equality". But it doesn't appear that the preaching is being practiced.

People...learn to compromise & work together. All of you climbing the right wall and those climbing the left wall are actually making things worse. Where's the equality? Huh? You all try so hard to decipher any movie's or book's political views that aren't directly named & either claim it as yours or blame the "other side". Ugh!

Will you all suck it up & join the compromise talks in the middle aisle? Pour your koolaid into the giant cup in the middle so we can find the antidote to the political poison? Yeah...that would be awesome.

Still offended? Offended again? Just now getting offended? Then I am talking to you. Now come join us on the floor in the middle aisle circle & hug it out.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica is Drinking Purple (Angry Politic Smackdown)

So anyway...

It is 2012. If you aren't aware as of yet...it's an election year. A BIGGIE election year.

Now then, if you know me, you know that I am NOT a politically-driven person. It's about to the point that I HATE politics. Seriously. And there are so many around me/us that are so politically-driven...it's actually annoying.

Now then, I know we need to keep up on what's going on. I do that, there's no choice. But I do it in a manner that I actually listen to what's going on & make my decision not based on the color of kool-aid to drink.

Just listening to & watching the candidates is horrible enough as it is, but then to listen to those around defending the ridiculousness of their "side" to no end is irritating. And it's even worse when those same people post about & send out & talk about personal attacks on anyone they don't agree with. And what is even worse about this is the fact that many of these personal attackers are supposed to be Christian people.

When you just sign up/register for one particular party, you are sucking down jugs of kool-aid...JUGS! And I do mean the Jonestown-level. Whether it's red or blue...you know who you are that are sucking down the poison.

Now then, I do believe that voting should be different. There is a "quiz" out there that you can take to figure out who your candidate should be that you would vote for. It is done blindly & in a fashion where you pick the issue stance closest to what you believe. After calculation at the end, it tells you who your candidate is. We should be voting on the issues...and I am positive that many who take it would be shocked who they would actually be voting for.

You know...that would be worth taking time to go vote. Not just going in & pushing a button or punching a chad...but actually taking a test. Once you hit 'submit', it tells you who you voted for. Period.

Now that most of you are probably mad at me, think about how the offices, parties & candidates would actually look. And, as for caucuses, WHAT A SHAM!! Early states get screwed, and other states get told they don't matter, so not many turn out...and you can only vote for whatever you are registered as. UGH!!! I understand having the caucuses, but it needs to be it's own Super Tuesday where everyone votes at the same time & see everything whittled down at once.

If you haven't figured out, I'm just moderate. I look at everything. I listen. I roll my eyes at all of you who rah-rah for your democrat or republican parties. I drink purple. Deal with it. The poison of true red & the poison of true blue is poisoning the patriotism of this whole country.

*deep breath in, deep breath out* I will step off of my soapbox for now. And know that if I see anymore ridiculous rah-rah posts of anything for any particular party or a hateful one against the 'other party'...I may very well call you out on it. There is no need to spew the hate & fling the poo at each other. You're not proving anything except that you are closed-minded & set in your ways.

And people wonder why I hate politics. Now then...get over yourselves, take a breath...and let's all hug & get along.

Stay tuned...if you dare...

God Bless, AM~Erica