Gordaen’s Blog

It looks like the majority of the United States thinks minimum wage is too low, gay marriage is bad, marijuana is bad, and parental notification is bad.

I wonder why states have to individually raise minimum wage when senators are so willing to allow themselves to take raises (about 24% increase since Federal Minimum Wage was set at its current level). Inflation makes the poor people poorer. Oh well, only 12.5% of the nation is at or below poverty level and that’s only 37.5 million people. They’re not as important as the 100 senators that account for .0000003% of the nation. If the senators were actually doing excellent work, you might be willing to accept that the people who positively affect so many citizens would be paid well, but I can’t really say I believe they are doing excellent work.

Gay marriage is bad? How about the government involved in any marriage—heterosexual or homosexual—is bad? The government has succeeded in polarizing the nation and not reflecting American values. Is that really the group of people we want in charge of marriages? Shouldn’t marriages be between the two people (or more, I don’t care) and their religion(s) if applicable? Too many rights are wound up in marriage.

Marijuana… I’ve never tried it, so I don’t care much about this issue, except in the case of “medical marijuana.” Consider the extreme side effects of current medications that are legal (e.g., morphine is addictive and can cause seizures) and you have to wonder why people are so against medical marijuana. Is it because of this stigma that has been placed on it by commercials like the “Nobody ever says ‘I want to be a junkie when I grow up,’” one? Really, I don’t think many people ever say ‘I want to divide the nation and pursue my own interests at the expense of America,’ when growing up, yet we continue to allow deceptive political practices. I think the “This is your brain” commercial could have ended with the egg or whatever representation splattering and the words “this is your brain if you only care about political parties.”

Parental notification is a bit tougher. For example, Oregon law currently allows individuals at least 15 years old to have an abortion without parental notification. The proposals would have required parents to be notified at least 48 hours prior to an abortion (measures/propositions were voted for in Oregon and California and look like they failed). I really am not sure what to think on this issue, but I do find it interesting that it’s illegal to drink until 21 but legal to have an abortion without parental notification when you are 15… Somehow I think an abortion is a bigger decision and a far more life-altering one.