DEATH PENALTY

This blog was inspired by my dear friend Joe Paone’s “Life and Death” duo blog. This is my take on the matter, and oh, by the way, I’m Ryan A. Rush and I’m The Good Rush.

Capital Punishment: Is it good or bad? Should it ever be used? If so, when and why? Now first off I am not keen on the idea of taking a human life, ever. I strongly believe in Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, which I try to base all my political beliefs off from. Capital Punishment seems to be a direct violation of the first: Life, and without Life, you cannot have Liberty or the Pursuit of Happiness. So let me make this clear: Life always comes first. However, are these unalienable rights only for those who follow them? And for those who violate these rights, like murderers, should they also get violated these rights in the court of law? Now there comes the big debate.

I would assume that no one would even think of capital punishment as a solution if the wrongdoer did not do something so extreme that it rocked the foundation of our legal system, such as murdering a child or massacring twenty people. I would also believe that it’s self evident that for smaller crimes capital punishment would not even be used, such as drinking and driving, and if it was used then that would be completely unconstitutional under the Eighth. But first of all let’s talk about what our legal system is for and what it is not for.

It seems to me that our Founding Fathers believed very strongly in protecting the rights of the accused, if you look at the Bill of Rights the 4th through the 8th are directly for protection under the rule of law. That means majority of the Bill of Rights is for the protection of the accused. So it would seem self evident that our Founding Fathers felt strongly in protecting the rights of the accused, because if they didn’t, then why would they dedicate majority of the first 10 to them? But then again the Founding Fathers lived in a time where a hanging wasn’t so uncommon.

According to the Supreme Court the Death Penalty "is an extreme sanction, suitable to the most extreme of crimes" "In part, capital punishment is an expression of society's moral outrage at particularly offensive conduct" and "the possible penalty of death may well enter into the cold calculus that precedes the decision to act".

Is our legal system built for making things “even” or for “punishment”? If it is for making things even then if someone takes a life, then it would be justified to take his/her life. It is if for punishment then some say that leaving someone in prison to rot would even be more punishable then if they were put to death. I believe that our legal system is neither. Our legal system should be for reform, not for making things “even” or for “punishment”. Because “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.”

61% of felons are repeat offenders, so this means that our legal system puts people in and then spits them right out and takes them back in later. So basically our legal system is not doing that much to protect the innocent. I believe that we should reform the wrongdoer and teach him that the law is the law and one has to follow it, because if one doesn’t then the wrongdoer will just be another statistic. And there have been studies that have shown that it is cheaper to reform someone then to jail them.

I have always believed that one should never do something to another person if they are not willing to do themselves. So I have to imagine if I was apart of a family who has been hit by an untamable act of violence. “What if someone killed your parents? Wouldn’t you want the killer to be put to death?” I was asked this question a while ago and it took me a while to answer it. Now to say that I wouldn’t want the killer to die would be false. There would be a part of me, a part in which I do not know how large, that would want the killer to face death in the eyes. But then I thought more and I found out that killing the wrongdoer wouldn't solve anything. You see if you killed someone in the court of law then it would be no more humane then if you killed someone in the streets. I would be no better if I killed him. It would be wrong for me to go down to his level; I have to bring him up, not for him, but for myself. Because if I killed him, then I would be no better then him, we would be equal, the same. “The bottom line is killing is wrong. Even if the person has killed others, even if the person deserves it and yes...even if the government does it.” – Joe Paone

Now I am completely and utterly against the death penalty on people. But in the case of monsters I am not. In some extreme cases the death penalty should be use, not because it is the right thing to do, or because I want to kill him, but because a monster must be stopped. Wouldn't you agree that when you see a monster you must stop it? End it? Make it so that it may never come back? Well I do. And when I talk of monsters I talk of people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao, Manson, and Jones. I do not believe there is a person alive today that would enjoy seeing Hitler alive for longer then we could allow it.

So in the end the death penalty is wrong and should not be used, however, in like everything, there are extreme cases, cases in which there is no other way.

Please check out my good friend, Joe Paone’s Progress blog. politicsbyjoe.blog.com

If you killed someone in the court of law then it would be no more humane then if you killed someone in the streets.

~ Ryan A. Rush

TOP TEN REASONS WHY GAY MARRIAGE SHOULD BE ILLEGAL

Then Top Ten Reasons why Gay Marriage should be Illegal:

1. Being gay is not natural. Real Americans ™ always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

2. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

4. Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn’t changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can’t marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Brittany Spears’ 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6. Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn’t be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren’t full yet, and the world needs more children.

7. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in America.

9. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That’s why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven’t adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

(If you cannot tell that this is sarcasm then, just no, you fail at life)

And oh, by the way, I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush

GOP

New Rule, anyone saying they are apart of the GOP should be punched in the face. Hey there, I’m Ryan A. Rush and I’m The Good Rush.

Ok, ok, ok! I know. I shouldn’t have said what I just said, but you know what? I just did. If you haven’t already found out, the GOP is a acronym that stands for the “Grand Old Party”, and is another way to identify a Republican in office or a member of the Republican Party. The whole “Grand Old Party” thing doesn’t really make any sense to me, and I will tell you why. Let’s start with G: “Grand”. Ok, this is pretty self evident, but the Republican Party is nothing close to being Grand. At the very best they are…annoying. I mean look, a small group of old, wrinkly, white, Christian men, who dress up on the weekends and reenact the civil war are bulling the country in their direction. Every time a Democrat, or ANYONE who disagrees with them, proposes something that is actually good the GOP stand up and shout “SOCIALISM! MARXIST!” and they do this until they filibuster the bill. The GOP has filibustered so many more bills then the Democrats, it’s almost impressive if it wasn’t so cynical and wrong, and the GOP is the minority in both houses. The GOP always complains about how Democrats “expand” government and spend an infantine amount of money. Um, news flash, hasn’t the GOP been doing that for the last…I don’t know, 40+ years? Government hugely expanded under Pres. Reagan, look at any national debt, it sky rockets under Reagan. And don’t even get me started about Pres. George W. Bush, what he did is untold of. Now to be fair, Democrats have spent a shit load of money. How much money are we in debt now? 11.5 trillion? How much money did Pres. Obama’s stimulus package cost? 800 billion? Now to be fair, again, the stimulus package was needed. We were in what I call the Great Recession. If those don’t spell annoying, then I don’t know what does. O: “Old”. The last time I checked the Republican Party was founded in 1854 and the Democratic Party was founded in 1792 (as the Democratic Republican Party) and later on to the Modern Democratic Party in 1828. So I do not know if putting “Old Party” in their title was a mistake or what? Maybe they were referring to who mostly represents them in congress or who mostly votes for them. Majority of voters between the age of 18-29 have voted for the Democratic Presidential nominee in every presidential election since 1992. In 2004 John Kerrey received 54% of votes from voters aged between 18-29. Barack Obama received 66% of the vote, in 2008, from the same age group as in 2004. In 2008 the GOP’s Presidential nominee, John McCain, largest age group of support were among senior citizens (65+). Poll after Poll suggest that a vast majority of peoples aged 35 and younger are very liberal, and it may appear that we may have another Progressive era in our future. Now to be fair, Seniors did not always vote GOP. In 2000, 54% of seniors voted for Al Gore, along with majority of the country, but that’s another story. Then a man named Barack Obama, and lets be honest the name Barack Obama is probably the blackest name we have in America, its like Kunta Kinte. People over 65 couldn’t even pronounce the name Barack Obama, let alone vote for him. And if his first and last name wasn’t enough…say hello to his middle name: Hussein. That’s right, Barack Hussein Obama. Now personally I have nothing against his name, and why should I? It’s only a bloody name and it’s not like he can control what he’s parents named him, and even if he could, who cares?! I mean what do you tea baggers what him to do? Fucking go back in time and pop out of his mother and be like “NAME ME A GOOD WHITE MAN’S NAME! JOHN DAVID WHITE!”? But nevertheless, it seems that the seniors had, and still have, a problem with someone who’s name is Barack Hussein Obama, oh and did I mention he was black? P: “Party”. Well hell they got that right, they are definitely a party alright, and a damn good at that. You see the Republican Party doesn’t mess around. They go in, get done, and get out (I know, I know, “That’s what she said!”) Majority? Hell they wouldn’t care if they had 10 members in congress, they will still seem to be able to slow and water everything down. They have the minority in both houses right now, and they are blocking a lot of good reform. Why? To be honest, I don’t know, are the Democrats really this bad at politics? It seems to be self evident. I don’t get Democrats. Democrats think that 41 is the Super Majority, and its not! You guys are! I don’t know how good my math skills are but last time I checked 59 is still the majority. Hell 50 could be if you have the vice president. In the end the GOP doesn’t stand for “Grand Old Party”, no, it stands for Greed Over Progress.

~ Ryan A. Rush

LIBERTY IS FOR EVERYONE

With four letters we can sprout the creed that this nation should stand for, but not what it has right now. LIFE. Hey there, I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

I will start this blog off with a quote: "I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's work, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV's while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be. We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, 'Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone.' Well, I'm not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot - I don't want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you've got to get mad. You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My life has VALUE!' So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell,'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad!... You've got to say, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

What you think? Good, eh? Those words are exactly what we have to do. Times are hard? Yes. And they will continue to be hard if we allow it. If we all united as one and voiced our opinion, voiced what should be rightfully ours - to keep our jobs, get paid well, have the right to live by giving free quality health care for all Americans, North and South, East and West, to be able to do what you got to do and be who you got to be without anyone, politician, special interest group, anyone, stand in the way of that, to be able to pursue what makes up happy, rather that's by doing recreational things, like drinking or smoking, and by allowing us to fall in love in who we want to, and not who the government tells us to - and take it without cynical reaction. If we did this then tomorrow we would have what is rightfully ours, because with the voice of the people anything can get done. These politicians, most bad, represent us, the people, not Goldman Sacks, or AIG, or the Banks or anyone, besides the people! And then when I go out and try to pursue help for the people who need it, no one helps out. Most of which scorn me, hitting me with thorns on the side. I think to myself; "don’t I have some rights? I am pursuing something here and no one looks to happy about it." Because if you are willing to go through all the battling to get what you want then who has the right to tell you that you ain’t good enough? After all the trouble you went through to get your voice heard, after paying your heart and soul, who has the right to tell you you can’t? After you paid your dues. Who has that right? Nobody! It is your right to do what you got to do and be who you got to be and it ain’t anyones right to tell you otherwise. Nobody! Now do I aspect to have these things handed over to me on a silver platter? Absolutely not. I understand that life is a cruel son-of-a-bitch of a machine. I understand that nothing in life is guaranteed, even the things that are suppose to be. And I understand that life is hard and that nothing hits harder then life. Not even the strongest, biggest, and toughest man alive can withstand that hits that life gives, and life will beat you down to the ground, and it will leave you there permanently, if you allow it. But it's not about how many hits you can give, it's about how many hits you can take and keep moving forward! What you are willing to take to get want to want. Now we have taken blow after blow, hit after hit, and we are down on the ground, but let's not stay there! Let's get up and move forward, not behind, to look for anew tomorrow, and not the same norm. I dare you to be better! And if they do not give you want you want then dammnit take it! Because "I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice!" So do it! Get up off your ass and say: "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" Louder Damnit! "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" For those who have everything you want, I bet you are taking everything you have for granted, well it's easy to take what you have for granted, when you have never had it taken away. For those who wonder if we can take it slow, step by step, to plan it out and see where it goes. I have two words for you: Look Around. The people don't have the time to "take it slow", they can't afford to "see where it goes". No! The time is now that we say enough! The time is now that we shape our future! The time is now that we take what if rightfully ours! "Step by step"? "Let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” And with four letters and four words we can make this happen: LIFE - LIBERTY IS FOR EVERYONE!

~ Ryan A. Rush

HALL OF SHAME

"This week we open our 'Hall of Shame', which will hold a special place for lawmakers who are part of the problem rather than the solution. Someone has to be the first nominee, so we choose Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for his stance on gays in the military. Just a few years ago, the decorated war veteran said he'd "consider" a repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" if the military's top brass asked for it. Well, the brass, including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, advocated just such a repeal last week. But McCain stood his ground: "We should not repeal this law." And that's the problem in Washington today: Too many politicians are standing their ground, no matter how the terrain has changed. Senator, welcome to the Hall." ~ by Conservative columist Cal Thomas and Liberal Democratic strategist Bob Beckel, featured in the Thursday, February 11, 2010 issue of "USA Today"

VIRG BERNERO FOR GOVERNOR OF MICHIGAN

I just want to take the time out to formally address to all in my strong and lively endorsement of "America's Mayor" Mayor Virg Bernero to become the next Governor of the great state that is Michigan. Virg Bernero is a Democrat Democrat's who states that he "won't give up [his] core values" of the Democratic Party, that he will not move to the middle because it seems nice to do so. He is what we need so that the Michigan future is there!

ENDORSEMENTS OF 2010

It's a new year and this year is an even one, thus meaning a new election year is upon us. Hey there I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm the Good Rush.

ELECTION OF 2010

CONGRESS/SENATE -- The election of 2010 is going to be a focal point in the way our country is going to be governed in the next coming years. Every single congressperson is up for re-election, since a congressperson only has a two year term and 36 Senators are up for re-election as well. Congress has a total of 435 members, and is the largest legislating body in the US and some debate the most important body as well, even more then the US Senate. As of the 2008 election the Democratic Party held the majority in congress with a 255:180 ratio; they have about 59% of the house. Now the country as of now is much divided as on rather or not President Obama is doing the right job and the right direction for the country and as of now majority of the country disproves of the job President Obama is doing. We all know that President Obama is a Democrat and since majority of the country disapproves of him thus means that maybe they also disapprove of the job the Democratic Party is doing and will vote out the Democrats, let us not forget about the election of 2006, this happened to President Bush and the Democrats gained majority, although not much changed, but that’s another topic. Not to long ago there was a special election in the state of Massachusetts for the vacant Senate seat that the late great Edward M. Kennedy left behind due to his passing. The election was Martha Coakley—Democrat—VS Scott Brown—Republican—in the once “safe” democratic seat. A little brief history of Massachusetts is this: Edward M. Kennedy (Democrat) held his Senate seat for 47 years, since 1962, Kennedy’s served with Democrat Senator John Kerry, who is still one of the Senators for Massachusetts and has held his seat since 1985 and the Senator before him was a Democrat as well. Massachusetts has a Democratic Governor, Deval Patrick, and every single Congressperson in Massachusetts is a Democrat! All ten! And one is even a homosexual, Congressman Barney Frank and they also have many homosexuals in the State Assembly, one is even a Republican. So when the special election came around all thought that Martha Coakley would have an easy win and in most early polls she did have a bigger lead, however as the election date came closer and closer the lead began to decrease and then Scott Brown went ahead and stayed ahead. With a month to go many came out to support the “lost cause” of Coakley’s election, President Obama even endorsed her, but it wasn’t enough. On Election Day the people of Massachusetts voted in, who is now Senator, Scott Brown. The Election Results were: Scott Brown; 1,168,178 votes and 51.83% of the vote. Martha Coakley: 1,060,861 votes and 47.07% of the vote. A third party candidate, Joseph L. Kennedy (who has NOTHING to do with the Famous Kennedy family) who gained 22,388 votes and .99% of the vote. Scott Brown won with a mere 107,317 lead over Coakley. Once was a powerful 60:40 ratio in Senate is now a 59:41 and Health Care could be in trouble. This election was a shot heard around the nation and waked many people up to think that “safe” Democratic states are no more safe, not at all. Democrats will have to fight hard in this election and campaign with great sprit because they are going to need all the help they can get.

PRIORITY -- Now there are some congresspersons and Senators that need to say in congress, it’s a priority that they stay in congress, not only for Democrats, but also so that our nation can keep heading in the correct direction. I am going to list them in which state they represent.
OHIO -- Ohio is the state that I currently live in and there are many seats I am looking forward to. First of all I want the best Congressman in Congress right now to stay in office—Dennis Kucinich of the 10th District. I want Mary Jo Kilroy for the 15th, Betty Sutton for the 13th, and the district in which I live in, the 10th; I want currently Congressman Steve Austria OUT.
FLORIDA -- Alan Grayson of the 8th District.
TEXAS -- Ron Paul of the 14th District.
CALIFORNIA -- Nancy Pelosi of the 8th District. Barbara Boxer for Senate.
MASSACHUSETTS -- Barney Frank of the 4th District. John F. Tierney of the 6th, and Bill Delahunt of the 10th.
COLORADO -- Jared Polis of the 2nd District.
WISCONSIN -- Tammy Baldwin of the 2nd District.
VERMONT -- Peter Welch of the lone At-large district (only one district in Vermont due to the lack of population. Patrick Leahy for Senate.
MARYLAND -- Steny Hoyer for the 5th District, Elijah Cummings of the 7th District, and Barbara Mikulski Senate.
NEW YORK -- Chuck Schumer for Senate.

There are many Governor Offices up for election or re-election and I am following a few. I very much want Mayor of Lansing Virg Bernero to win the Democratic nomination and then go on to win the Governor of Michigan. Matt Entenze for Minnesota. Dan Hynes for Illinois. Stewart Alexander for California, finally Schwarzenegger is done and out. Deval Patrick for Massachusetts. And finally Dennis Spisak for Ohio.

Now it’s going to be a hard and rough year for Left-Wingers of any kind, but with compassion, leadership, voice fullness, and courage we can over come what many called is a “Republican landslide” for the 2010 elections. Times are hard, yes, but they will only get harder if we vote in the wrong people. Workers of the country unite! The only thing you have to lose is the chains that enslave you.

~ Ryan A. Rush

"SOCIALIST"

What do my oppenets mean when they call me a "socialist"? Hey there, I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

Over the course of my life my opponents have been calling me a label for the negative. Socialist. What do my opponents mean when they give me the label “Socialist”? If by “Socialist” they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is weak in his policies abroad, someone who is afraid to protect our country, someone who wants to control the lives and freedoms of all Americans, someone who wants to make the government the biggest identity in the land and let it have complete and utter power, someone who is against allowing the people choose for themselves, someone who wants to tax the life out of every person and be unconcerned with the money that it brings in, then let this been known throughout my life that I am on the record saying I am not that kind of “Socialist”. However if by “Socialist” they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who sees the light even in the shadows of the dark, someone who welcomes new ideas, new ways of governing, and new polices without a cynical reaction, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their education, their housing, their jobs, their civil rights, civil liberties, and their unalienable rights, for all people, young and old, sick and healthy, black and white, famous and unknown, rich and poor, domestic and foreign, gay and straight, Christian and Atheist -- someone who believes that no one, no matter what they have done or attempted to do, shall be left behind in the shadows of the dark, someone who believes that the biggest identity of government should be the people, by the people, and for the people, someone who can finally insure that all men and women will have Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness as a god given right and not trashed around from time to time, if this is what they mean when they give me the label “Socialist” then I am proud to say that I am a “Socialist.”

PATRIOTISM

Q: Ryan, do you think Patriotism is good? A: Yes I do, but nationalism, which many think is "Patriotism", is an evil. Hey there, I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

I was talking to a conservative about patriotism, a term that was perverted into something else in the 2000's. David, the conservative, asked me if I thought that this nation is superior then all the other nations in the world. I answered with "no". He then asked if I thought our nation does good for its people, and I said "for some". And finally he asked "Do I support the war on terror" and I answered "I do not support the way it is being handled." After answering these few questions David went on to say that I am not patriotic and I am not a patriot. What do you consider patriotism? If you believe, as what many believe, that it is a strong compassion for your country in every decision it makes, then that is the perverted definition. If you believe, as I do, that patriotism is when you love your country when it does good, when it is just and right, and you will be against anything that tries to bring down the good, then you have the right definition of patriotism. You see many of the right love this country, as I do, however they love this country so much that they will support anything and everything it does, even when it is doing unjust and poor things. Rather it is starting illegal wars or leaving 40 million people behind, they will support their commander and chief, mostly only a Republican one let me mind you, in anything he/she does. These "patriots" allowed Bush to pass an act just called that the "PATRIOT" Act. It certainly was an act, but it was sure as hell not out of or for patriotism. They allowed Bush to start a War on the Middle East, a huge vast majority of these areas attacked by us had nothing to do with the 9/11 reason. They allowed him to go against the Constitution in his lust for power. They allowed Bush to use torture as if it was nothing. They allowed Bush to fly over an American city that was five feet under water and just wave. And they allowed our economy fall to the point of almost no return in the name of patriotism. That is what they have done. All of this was in the name of "patriotism" but it was far from that. It was nationalism. Period. Nationalism is, as the Webster dictionary states; loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially : a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups. These self-proclaimed "patriots" wanted to put the !UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! above any other nation. To make it the icon of the world. But the thing is, when you invade countries, rather if its for political reasons or for oil or any other reason, this does not make the light of America brighter, it dims it. Whenever we put the lives of hundreds of thousands of our youngest legals--our brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, anyone--on the line for a single groups lust for power and because of greed, when we silence the lives of millions of the worlds civilians and thousands of our nations, whenever we do this it degrades us, not for only the people who started it, no, but everyone. This isn't a Republican issue or a Democratic issue, they are both the fault for it. Democrats had control of the House in 2006 and had two years to change things, but they didn't. They voted to allow more money to go over to another country, they voted to allow the "Patriot" Act to still be allowed, and they voted "yes" on almost everything that Bush threw at them. I was against all of this, and I am the one who is not a patriot?! Being a patriot is not allowing millions die, allowing trillions of dollars of our money go to fund the death of children in Iraq or Afghanistan, it is not allowing our leader do anything he wanted by breaking the fundamental document that started it all, that is not patriotism. Do you know what patriotism is? It's when you try to make your country better, not worse, to move forward, and not behind, to not be afraid to call out our leaders and the people who are supposed to represent us, to be vocal in our opinions, that is the voice of patriotism, the voice of the people wanting more for their country and people aboard, nothing more my friends and nothing less.

~ Ryan A. Rush

A FALSE TRUTH

Can something be true and false at the same time? Yes. That's the definition of religion. Hey there, I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

Religion is probably the most debated topic of all mankind. You can trace back till the start of mankind in where the people living at that point believed in a certain type of god and/or gods. Rather it was the Sun God, Zeus, or Allah. The human race has always looked to the skies for "help", "comfort" and "guidance". You might be wondering why I " " around those three words, well the reason I did that is because I believe one cannot get those things from a not real thing, but I will leave that up to you. I consider myself as a agnostic atheist, because to tell you the truth I do not know if there is a god or not. I can not prove it, I have an opinion yes and I believe my opinion to be the truth but hey we all think we are right and others who think different are wrong. That is the agnostic part of me, but the other part of me, the atheist part, believes that the chances of there being a god of any kind is so small and unlikely that there is probably isn't none. And to tell you the truth I do not care if there is a god or not, not one fokkin' bit. If I die and go to "hell" because I reject religion then the Christian God is a very cruel one. But the thing is I cannot prove rather there is a god or not, and that's the beauty of it, because if I cannot prove if there is a god or not then you, believers, cannot either because you do not have powers that I don't. Period. Okay, sure I am not the smartest person in the world, not even close, but I am pretty sure that the smartest people in the world are atheist as well. Just a thought. I believe that if you do believe in religion, or any sorts, then you have a little problem. Not in the sense that you are not smart, no, many believers are very smart and swell people. But in the sense that you believe in something that can not be proven, makes you a little less smart then if you rejected it. Think of it as this: We live in a place where no one can tell a lie--watch out Bill Clinton--and out of the blue one single person can tell lies and since no one else can lie, everyone takes what that single person says to be the truth, following me so far? In this place, where only one person can lie, that single person has a sick mother and she is going to die. She is very sad and scared of death because she knows that after life here on earth there is nothing else, that's it. So the person who can lie wants to comfort his/her mother so he looks up to the sky and makes up a whole lie about a place after death where everything is happy and just wonderful and one man controls who gets in or out of this magical place and to get into this place one has to follow a book of his rules that he sees fit for a just and right life. And anything one who goes against this book or him have sinned and are damned to hell. And oh better yet, we are all born into sin and damnation and if we don't "save" ourselves then we are...well we are fucked. That my friends, that is religion. If you can explain it in anyway else, then please do tell, I'm all ears. On one in of the spectrum is the religious fanatic who takes every little word in the bible, or other holy book, word for word and follow it just like that. And then on the other end of the spectrum is not a atheist fanatic who wants to destroy religion. It's the man or woman who detest any falsehoods and takes life as it is, not as what they want it to be, but as it is. The opposite of of a fanatic is someone who is normal, to tell you the truth. I will probably be the first atheist or agnostic or whatever to say that I wish there is a heaven, honestly I do. I do not want to just rot in the earth. I want something more then that. And yeah, doesn't a place where everyone is happy and perfect sound great? I know it does to me. But that's the thing, just because I want something to be true doesn't mean it is true. I would love it if there is a peaceful and happy after life, but it's just like if I wanted everyone to have healthcare or everyone to have a stable income or a home to live or no pain or suffering, or money to fall from the sky. But just because I wish upon a star does not mean life is a fairy tale and it will become true.

~ Ryan A. Rush

THE TRUTH

The title says it all. Hey there, I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

Main Entry: hyp·o·crite
Pronunciation: \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English ypocrite, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin hypocrita, from Greek hypokritēs actor, hypocrite, from hypokrinesthai
Date: 13th century
1 : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2 : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feeling

Let's face it, we all lie and if you say that you don't lie then you just committed your "first" lie. Lying is apart of human nature. We humans could not live with out making up something that isn't true. Why? Well as Bush once said, that's a good question and I cannot answer it. Is it because our lives are so boring that we have to make up false statements to make ourselves sound better or our everyday lives sound more exciting? Do we humans have to strive each and everyday to make up lies to impress ones around us? I think a lie, to most people if not all, is the same concept as a shield. You see a shield is anything that we use to protect ourselves. And because mankind isn't perfect we all believe that we will always have to protect ourselves even if we did no harm or anything. Humans always think of themselves as imperfect, and they are right, they are not perfect, but because they always think of themselves this way they will always try to protect themselves and try to put forth as if they are perfect and the only way they can do this is to lie. Its really that simple. But the thing is, the thing is that because we are imperfect that's what makes us perfect. If we lived in a world where everything was perfect, where everyone was the same, no differences to be heard of, some might like to think it would be a well "perfect" world. But that's the thing, it wouldn't be, and that's the beauty of life. If everyone was perfect then what would be the point of living? I see life as a long road where we are all trying to get the furthest we can, the closest we can to our destination. But not everyone will share the same destination, some will naturally want to go further then others, while others will never reach their destination because they are always trying to be better then what they are. It's because of this is why our world has so many great people in it. Please think of a world where everyone and everything was perfect. Would there be any point to anything in life if everything was perfect? There would be no laws, no government, no real point to living because everything would already be what we are today trying to make. I will be the first to say that if everything was perfect then we would never see perfection. Imagine a world where everyone naturally did good things. Now just think, how would we know they are doing good things? Because if everyone did them then it would be expected and apart of a everyday life. We would never know if someone would do something good because we would have no comparison to compare it to. The reason we know today if something is good or not is because we can compare if someone does one thing or another such as if someone saves a life to someone taking one, and because of this we know which is just and right and which is wrong. Humans are not perfect, but we need to stop thinking that's a bad thing. Use that. Use that to go out and try to make yourself perfect. Don't use it as "Well I will never be perfect so there is no reason to try and make myself perfect" old ethnic of thinking. Because, yeah it's true that no one will be perfect, but it is also true that one can change themselves to be a better person tomorrow then what they were today. Stop lying to yourself by saying "This is the way I am and I cannot change it." Well how do you know if you have never tired? And then people seek a higher being for perfection. Religion. Which in my belief is absolutely hypocrisy. Period. Because I believe that if you believe in god or Allah, or any higher being for that matter, you are lying to yourself. Because how do you know that there is that being or not? You don't. No one does. I do not know for sure that there is not a god of any kind, but at the same token you, believers, do not know for sure that there is a god of any kind and I believe that we humans will never know why we are here or how we got here. And you know what? I am content with that. I am content knowing that I will never know how or why we are here. But as long as I am here, for reasons I do not know and to be honest for reasons I don't give two shits about, I am going to do everything and anything in my power to try to make the best of it, not only for myself, no that's greed, but also for those around me. The world entire. Because as I look at it we are all brothers and sisters, all of whom are striving to be the best we can be, all of whom are trying to reach that everlasting happiness, and all of whom are trying to fight off the mindless menace of violence that attacks each and everyone of us daily. So in the end stop lying to yourself. Don't be something you are not. Don't hide behind fake faces, friends, styles, closest doors, and higher beings in which you don't even know to be true. The truth is a beautiful thing, because the truth is the truth. Period. Now sometimes the truth isn't what you want to hear, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't hear it. Sometimes the truth will hurt, but as in many things in life you have to carry that burden of pain. The truth doesn't take sides. It knows no boundaries, no race, no colour, no creed, no language, no sex or sexuality, and no gender. Because at the end of the day the truth says the same. No matter what it goes through, lies upon lies, it will stick it through even the darkest of times. And I can honestly say, that's the truth.

~ Ryan A. Rush

ARE WE SO DIFFERENT?

(I used the picture above, out of the thousands of examples of KKK terrorism, as a symbol that even though we like to believe that the KKK and other American terrorist groups are long gone and only a page in our history books, it is not and it is still very much around.)

For the last eight years we have been fighting many countries based off things such as Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorist. So my question is; are we so different? Hey There I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

We went to war with the state of Iraq for one reason and one reason only, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). And at the time of invasion we found that there were none, no WMDs to be found, or were there? I will be the first to say that Iraq does have Weapons of Mass Destruction, and we see them here in our own country as well. Poverty is a Weapon of Mass Destruction, Homelessness is a Weapon of Mass Destruction, unemployment if a Weapon of Mass Destruction. All of these we have here in our own country. In our homes, our front yards, our family, and everywhere to be seen. Where is the war on these Weapons of Mass Destruction? Where? Because at least to me and millions around our nation, these WMDs are real and are a serious thereat to our nation. Not false red alerts or false so called "central intelligence". And the funny thing about these WMDs is that we all know these to be true. The only thing one will need to do to know for sure that these are true is to take a step outside there front door. That's all. No spies or spending millions of dollars in looking for intelligence. No. Just a simple step outside into our front lawn. You know, maybe the WMDs that the government were looking for were real to them, but what is real for them is often not for us, the American working people. You see the big cats at DC live very well, making six digit incomes, the best health care, perks here and there, so when they want a Weapon of Mass Destruction it has to be something that they can relate to. They can't relate to being poor or poverty. The WMDs that these people seek have to be so extreme that even they can see. Because poverty, homelessness, and unemployment have always been around and only a select few have decided that it was wrong and they would do something about it. Poverty, homelessness, and unemployment may never be the truth for the people in congress or the White House, but they are very true for over one out of every ten people living in this nation. They are very true for them. The US census Bureau released a poll siting evidence that as of 2009 there are 13.2% of our population living below the poverty threshold, which is the federal government point where a household has a cash income insufficient to meet minimal food and other basic needs. That is a total of 39.8 million people. I find it fascinating that both parties complain and cry about the unemployment rate being 10%, which I would agree is terrible, however where have these people been to cry and complain about the poverty being at 13.2%? Where? Poverty isn't a new term or thing that has just been made. It has always been around, and it will continue to be around unless we change it. It's bullshit that our nation leaders pick and choose who is important or not. Our leaders tell us to worry about these people over here but not those over there, who are suffering a great downfall. It's bullshit. And then these politicians try to say that poverty isn't a problem. Isn't a problem, really? So people without food, water, shelter, clothing and the barest necessities of life who are suffering a slow long prolonged death isn't a problem? Because to me it sounds like the biggest problem. And then we go to war with another country based off terrorist groups. As if we don't have our own American grown terrorism. The Ku Klux Klan is still very real and active. They still spread hate and violence across our nation. And as if that is our only terrorist group we have here. Neo-Nazis and thousands of gangs. They are here and they are real. So why don't our leaders go out and fight a war with them? "Do we dare call them a terrorist group? I mean they aren't Muslims, so can they even be terrorist?" Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as of mean of coercion. Period. That is the definition of terrorism. Not, let me mind you, a Muslim. Religion has nothing to do what-so-ever with terrorism, but many of our representatives believe it to be. Some men, such as Michael Savage, think they have the audacity to say that a terrorist is only a Muslim and that's it. So I guess that the KKK and Neo-Nazis aren't terrorist after all. I mean do they use a systematic use of terror as a mean of coercion? I guess not. I guess they are peaceful groups that promote peace, health, and love. I guess my point to all of this is that yes, there are terrorist groups in the middle east, but let us not forget about the ones living among us. Ones that we time after time again forget about and then out of the shadows of the dark, they strike again. Leaving a wound in the ever so bloody soil of America. At the end of the day I believe one should always look at what they are fighting and ask themselves "Is this a common enemy?" and by common enemy I mean one that they have in there own nation. Because if it is a common enemy then maybe one should worry about his country first and not one thousands of miles away. So my question is this; are we so different? Do we share a common enemy that we are fighting? I think so and there are millions, 39.8 million to be exact, who know as well. After all I see it as we are fighting this war today to get even for the 9/11 attacks, but how do we get ahead when we are trying to get even? What does more blood shed going to cause for good? As Gandhi once said "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind." and that's very true. I will end this blog with a quote from a former US President, a president in which isn't that popular, however the words he said back then I believe are still very much true today. "War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children." - Jimmy Carter.

~ Ryan A. Rush

ARGUING WITH THE IDIOT

I haven’t blogged for awhile now, the reason for this is because I didn’t want to complain during the holidays and I didn’t want others to complain as well so it’s best to practice what your preach. Hey there, I’m Ryan A. Rush and I’m The Good Rush.

The first decade of 21st century is now official at a end. Ten years has past since many thought that because someone didn’t type in a few numbers in a computer, everything would cease to work. Yes this decade, political speaking, has been one with the utmost excitement, happiness, pride, hope, change, but let us not forget about the start of this decade with pain, suffering, anger, falsehoods, and misguidance. Yes, if I said that the first decade of the 21st centaury was anyone of these, you would agree. We started off the new centaury with the election of 2000 and with this election, as what Michael Moore would say, we elected a “fictitious president” with “fictitious election results”. Mr. Bush then went on doing many controversial things with the multiple wars and with adding acts upon the government that went against the US constitution and many other things, which most of you already know. Mr. Bush went on to win the 2004 election, wining both the Electoral College, and finally this time, and the popular vote. I guess second time is the charm with Mr. Bush, however this blog is not about that. And then in 2008 came hope with, now President, Barack Obama. By this point in time our country was on the brig of falling apart, and some would argue that it already had fallen apart. Our country went for eight years of failed economic and social policies that tore apart the system that many great men fought to make. The American people were tired of the old cats that had what they believe “good moral traditional values”. However this blog is not about that either. What this blog is about is what the title suggests it’s about. Just recently my good friend, let’s call him…Mr. Black, got a book by the ever so lovely Glenn Beck (insert your own joke here). This book is entitled “Arguing With Idiots” (all caps and the R in “arguing” is turned around, just another attempt by the right-wing to connect communism with liberal, oh they do try so hard). Now let me just put forth that I am in no way shape or form a “liker” or “supporter” of Glenn Beck, however I wanted to keep an open mind when reading this book and I did. I can honestly say that I went into this book with a clean slate and I wanted to take in what Beck said clearly without any form of a grudge or anything and even with this in hand I still came out with anger from Beck’s book. Now this book is formatted in a more of a “civilized” way, if you will, then other right-wing books, such as Michael Savage’s “Liberalism is a Mental-Disorder”, which the whole book is just Savage being just that, a SAVAGE. Beck has a little more class then that, please note that I said a little. Beck formatted this book with a Q and A type way, where a “liberal” or as he calls it in the book the “idiot” asks a question and then Beck answers the question. Before we start talking about the content of the book I think it’s a pretty funny thing knowing that there are a total of 10 writers on this book and I will list them: Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe, Steve “Stu” Burguiere, Dan Andros, Brian Sack (LOL), Alan Gura, Pat Gray, David Harsanyi, Carol Lynne, and Carl Williott. You know, I think it would be great being Glenn Beck, because he woke up one day and someone gave him a huge check from the publisher of this book and he didn’t even write it. Oh it’s great that even though he didn’t really write the whole book, he gets all the credit and profit for it, but hey, its capitalism at its best. So let’s please get back to the content on the book. Well my first problem with the book, besides the fact that Beck didn’t write it himself, is that he basically inferred that all liberals and or democrats are “idiots” and that right there is a pretty idiot move on Beck’s part considering that its Liberals who made this country the way it is, but then again that is not what this blog is about. My second major problem is that Beck is obviously biased in hating Democrats more the Republicans, although he states that he is a Libertarian and hates both parties equally. It’s pretty clear Mr. Beck that you have more of a…a…hard time, lets put it, with Democrats, fair? I think so. I will be the first one to say it, that both parties have failed us time after time again. There have been good Republican presidents and bad ones, just the same with good and bad Democrat presidents. However I will and have disagreed with both parties and I have and will again in the future agree with both parties. The reason I would classify my self as a “Democrat” and not a “Republican” in the two party system in which we have is because majority of the time I have agreed with Democrats, so its logical to classify oneself under what you agree with and not by what you think of yourself agreeing with. Problem three with this book is that it used a derogative term against Mexicans, on page 141 it has the words “Operation Wetback”. Really, Beck? Really? I mean I am for freedom of speech and press in all but using a word of hate is no freedom of someone of your stature should take advantage of for wrongdoing. Period. Beck has borderline racism in his book, and I know that some of you will say “well you just call everyone on FOX (more like FAUX) news a racist without any proof!” Well yeah because it’s the truth and I do have proof, didn’t you just read what I wrote about page 141 ^^^ are you even reading my whole blog? Throughout most of his “Illegal Immigration” section, starting at page 133, he has this undertone that an American is a white, straight, Christian, male and that’s pretty much it. However this is not true at all. An American has no specific race, creed, colour, gender, sexuality, or anything for that matter. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside.” If you are born in America or you have gained your citizenship then you are an American. Period. Problem four, he is wrong on many things, such as economics. Beck, or his writing team, stated that the only way for economic growth in this country is through free trade and no government intervention and blah blah! I heard it all before. But on page 202 there is a graph from the date 1928-1944 and there are two lines, one for government spending and one for the unemployment rate, and the graph clearly shows that whenever the government spends more money the unemployment goes down and whenever the government spends less money the unemployment goes up. That graph right there just defeats the whole economic thinking of Beck. Problem five, and probably my biggest problem, Glenn Beck compared Hitler to US presidents. Really, Glenn Beck, you will slope to a lower level? I mean come on! I do not care if you absolutely hate a president, but no American presidents has ever been close to Hitler, at all. Hitler was a dictator who had complete and utter control of his country and most of a continent. He was a savage beast who killed millions upon millions with the barrel of a gun and hate. He wanted to erase a whole group of people, many groups of people, and he would have done it if we didn’t do something about it. And Glenn Beck thinks he has the right, the audacity to compare a US president to that? Goddamn! I said goddamn! Glenn Beck has a top ten Basterds list in his book, under his "U.S. Presidents: A Steady Progression of Progressives” chapter, and at number one is former President Woodrow Wilson, beating out Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, and Pontius Pilate. Here is the list: 10. Pol Pot, 9. Robert Mugabe, 8. Teddy Roosevelt, 7. Bernie Madoff, 6. Adolf Hitler, 5. Keith Olbermann, 4. Pontius Pilate, 3. Franklin D. Roosevelt, 2. Tiger Woods (before the whole cheating scandal), and 1. Woodrow Wilson. Let’s break this down, Wilson is worse then Pol Pot, who killed around 2.5 million innocent civilians, Wilson is worse then Hitler who well we all know what he did, and Wilson is more of a basterd then Pontius Pilate who killed Jesus. WHAT THE FUCK?! I mean come on it doesn’t take that much to know that Wilson is not even close to those three I mentioned. And why are the Roosevelts on there? TR and FDR where two of the best presidents we have ever had in our history. Sure Beck could have put Nixon, Carter, Buchanan, or many other former US President basterds but no he has to pick the ones that saved our country over and over again. You know, I thought Glenn Beck had more class and more respect then many of the cats on FOX but then again I guess I was wrong, because whenever someone compares an US president to Hitler and making the president be the worse basterd then whoever is doing this is the real basterd. Throughout this book there are some things that make sense but most of it is just complete and utter bullshit. Glenn Beck titled his book “Arguing with Idiots”, he should have called it “Glenn Beck: The Idiot”.

~ Ryan A. Rush

AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER?

For thousands of years the single question has been asked: Am I my brother’s keeper? And for thousands of years this question has been answered in many ways, all of which are different. Am I my brother’s keeper? That’s a good question. Hey there, I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

It was a blue hell freezing day in the North. A day that was so cold it stopped the water from flowing, the trees from swaying in the wind, and the tears from falling. I’ve never seen it so cold in all my very little years, minus five degrees my family’s vehicle said. Hell I thought hell did freeze over, I mean come on, we all know that’s the only identity keeping this rock we call Earth warm. My family and I were new to this far North. Before I moved there, I haven’t been that far North in my whole life. The snow was settled in strongly, as if the snow decided that this was the place it would spend the rest of its life. For once, the weather man was right. My family and I were from the south, so naturally when a massive snow like this fell, we were like children in a wide open candy store. When I woke up that morning, around ten-ish, if I am not mistaken, I woke up to a very eerie presence. For a very brief time in my life, I could hear my own heart beat as if there was a group of tap dancers thudding around, having a gay ole time. Usually when I wake up there would be the sound of the TV, music playing abroad, and at least two people having a conversation. These were the noises that I was used to, and to be frank with you, these loud sounds help me sleep. Funny thing, most would wake up because of the sound of loudness, but I…I woke up because the sound of silence. I never heard such a sound before, so I got up, oh yes I did, I got up quick. I ran out of my bedroom… and nothing. There was no one in neither the living room nor the kitchen. I looked over the whole house and I could not find my family. Now my heart beat could be heard by anyone within a mile of where I was standing. I went to the kitchen, to get the house phone, and that’s when I noticed where my family went. Outside. My father, mother, and sister were all outside on the deck, just standing, if my memory recalls, their eyes were all shut. They were standing still, looking up at a slim angle up to the sky; it was snowing, at a very good rate. Not at a mad rushed rate, but a calm, more settled rate. I rushed over to the slider door and opened it and was relieved when I finally could be sure that my family was safe and sound. “What’s going on?!” I frantically said. My voice boomed, ringing out into the wilderness. “Nothing.” My father said, “Nothing is going on.” I’ve never understood what my father meant by that, until now. For one short few minutes in my family’s life, nothing was going on. No work, or having to run out to get something, or worried about meeting a deadline for work. No. Just a calm, everlasting, cold, snowed, winter morning. Snow is very much like humans; they are unique, everyone is different, therefore no one is the same, at some points in time they are wonderful prayers and at others they are the utmost annoyance…but in the end, in the end they are all beautiful. My family and I came inside and went back to our hectic day, filled with loud sounds, phone calls, and having to run out for random worthless pieces of nonsense – shit – to be honest. Most of us, if not all, are hardwired to perform almost identical tasks day in and day out. Yes, of course these tasks are not 100 percent identical, but never less they are severely close. And if one small thing, or big one in this case, goes different, then your whole day is different; sometimes for the better, and some for the worse. That day for me, was very much like that. The same old, same old, would not fulfill me that day, I wanted something different. So I set out to try something different. I lived in a very secluded neighborhood, a place where trees, water streams, and trails were abundance. The trail was frozen over, little patches of once was liquid ice, water, was frozen over. I have a hard time keeping my balance on a just regular surface, never less a frozen black sheet of ice. I lost my balance here and there, but I trekked forward. I wasn’t aiming for no certain destination, spot, or any place what-so-ever, as Forest Gump would say: I just felt like walkin’. To tell you the truth, sometimes not knowing what will come next is more relaxing then knowing what will. A false truth, if you will. I was breathing in the slicing thin air, but it didn’t matter, the trees around me where silent, no cracking or swaying, the birds were long gone by this point. I was about half way to a lonely park, which many went to, wide open areas and little play sets for the younglings. When I passed an elder woman, the kind of that you knew she has been walking these trails long before yourself was even born. I gave her a friendly gesture and through up a quick happy face, she did the same. We passed and I thought that was it, when…THUD! There was this unearthly thudding noise that shot from behind me, sounded like a sack of lifeless potatoes fell. I turned around and to be hold the elder woman had slipped on a sheet of black ice and fell to her downfall. I starred at her, as if I never seen her before or as if she was a little green alien from outside space. “What should I do?” I began to ask myself, internally. What was probably 30 seconds, felt like 30 years passing by. Ever so slowly. The woman was giving off little moans her and there and was holding her head. My brain was telling me to move and help her, but my body was frozen over, like everything else around. I looked down the trail in the direction I was heading and I saw more people coming in the direction of the woman and I. “Should I leave her and carry on and let the people coming deal with it?” Finally, after the longest 30 seconds in my life, I went forward. I rushed over to her and grabbed her hand and helped her up, she was so relieved. I helped her back to my house, which was the closest place of warmth. My parents looked at her head and made sure there was no bleeding or cuts. Besides the initial shock of the fall and the blow to the head, she was fine. When my parents were done with her I asked her if she was okay and she said “Yes and thank you, but next time when someone falls down, how about hurrying the fuck up a little bit.”

So it brings me back to the question: Am I my brother’s keeper? I’ve never knew the answer to this, till now. Yes, I am my brother’s keeper. I am under a moral obligation to him that is inspired, not by any maudlin sentimentality but by the higher duty I owe myself. We are all capable of helping each other, but are we all willing? No. What would you think of me if I didn’t help that elder woman? Would you look at me in a higher manor or lower? When someone or something is in danger and or need, help them. Don’t hold the sound of silence, no, be vocal, have a strong voice for good and just. Boldly go beyond the average and norm and dare yourself to be better then the man on your left and the woman are your right. Help your follow brothers and sisters, help them and when you are in the time of need they will help you. Don’t follow the old ethnic that man’s business on the earth is to look out for himself. That is only the ethnic of the jungle; the ethnic of the wild beast. We it comes to anything in life, think of what can you do to help those around you; the sick, the poor, the homeless, those who are at the barest of necessities of life, just think if they were you. If you believe that yourself is more important then those around you, then fuck you and the horse you road in on, because in the end, we will either stand as one, or I promise you, we will at least fall as one. You choose, your life, your path, and your decision. Will you become a greedy son-of-a-bitch, or will you become something different? It’s not about how many hits you can give, it’s about how many hits you can take and keep moving forward.

~ Ryan A. Rush

LIBERAL DEFINITION

“What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label ‘Liberal’? If by ‘Liberal’ they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of ‘Liberal.’ But if by a ‘Liberal’ they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a ‘Liberal,’ then I'm proud to say I'm a ‘Liberal.’” ~ John F. Kennedy

SOCIALISM VS. TOTALITARIANISM

Main Entry: to·tal·i·tar·i·an·ism
Pronunciation: \(ˌ)tō-ˌta-lə-ˈter-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm\
Function: noun
Date: 1926
1 : centralized control by an autocratic authority
2 : the political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority

Hey there I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

Some people I know call me a so called "socialist", well they can believe in what they want. I am not a socialist, never have been. When someone calls me a socialist I don't get offended because socialism is this BIG evil, no. The reason I do get offended, if at all, is because I am not one, and when someone calls me anything I am not, for the negative, or to be a negative, this upsets me. I am who I am and if you don't like it... then I don't give two shits about you because obviously you don't care about me. But never less, I am not a socialist. You see when someone says socialist or socialism they then jump to thinking about Stalin and then Hitler and the whole mass killings resulting in close to a hundred million deaths. And a wee bit smarter people think that socialism is not TOO bad but it leads to communism! This is false, because their are many socialistic countries in the world and they are not going to change over to communism, and as John F. Kennedy said "Communism has never come to power in a country that was not disrupted by war or corruption, or both." So for the most part, most people view socialism in a negative matter. So if you are a socialist this is your duty: to become a dictator, have total control over the country and its people, and then kill tens of millions of people, and oh yeah have a really cool mustache... Really? Because this is what most people probably think of a socialist. Is this true? Absolutely not. Period. You see the socialism in America is, probably, more democratic then capitalism. Most of you are probably thing "HOW?!" well calm down and I shall tell you. You see the SPUSA (SPA), Socialist Party of the United States of America, is a strong supporter of democracy, so much so that they want true democracy and not Representative democracy, which we live under today. Representative democracy means that their is not a direct vote for president, which we don't have. We have an electoral college in which through these votes the candidate gets elected. SPUSA wants a direct vote from the people. Do we all remember the election of 2000? Al Gore won the popular vote, but George W. Bush still won the election because of the electoral vote. We have a direct popular vote for any other public office but just not president, and its wrong that we don't. Period. Also the SPA wants workplace democracy which is a system in which almost everything is of democracy, from voting to work. If your work place has a democratic way of working this means that the workers decided what is best for the company, that the CEO does not only provide for themselves and their stock investors, but also the people who actually go out and make the product. It is kind of a union, if you will, in which the workers have the liberty in making and or helping make decision in the company. Some companies in America already have this and they are very successful and pay their workers very well. You see with Hitler and Stalin, they didn't have these, not at all. They had totalitarianism. Total control. Period. Stalin and Hitler were in complete and utter control of their country and their economic system, none of this is anywhere close to socialism, not even close. The SPA wants a president and congress to be voted in by the people, and not just one single power like under Stalin and Hitler. And why would anyone ever compare Hitler and Stalin to someone? They were two of the evilest people in history and it should be self explanatory that no one will ever come close to their dark utmost rage. So the next time someone says I'm a socialist or anything to do with socialism, do not think of Hitler and Stalin. Period. In a way, socialism brings the power to the people more then any other system.

~ Ryan A. Rush

THE FORGOTTEN MAN

Be thankful for what you have, and not sorrow for what you don't. Hey there I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, where most of you reading this will indulge yourself with plenty of food and drink. To share this grateful moment with the people you love the most, your family. In fact a person isn't a person without their family. Why yes, for some, tomorrow will be a great day. But like everything in the world, there is a equal positive and negative reaction. We are one of the richest nations in the world, however in 2007 37,000,000 (million) Americans are below the poverty line. That is 12.6 Percent of the total population of the United States. The numbers are as equal to the population of California, the most populated state in the country. And this number is only those who are under the poverty line. There are many and many who are at the poverty line or just barley above it. And if you think this is bad, in 2005 1.2 BILLION people lived below the international poverty line of making less then 1.25 dollars a day, that's 1/6 of the population of the world. Tomorrow these people will not have plenty of food and drink. No, there will barley have enough food to survive. Why? Why is this nation, one of the richest in the world, is that more then 1 out of every 10 people living here are below the poverty line? Why?! I know what you are thinking "Well Ryan those people are lazy and don't work. Its their own fault!" Well this may be true in some cases but really? So because they are lazy they should suffer and die a miserable, long, and brutal death? Does that sound humane to you? I don't care if they deserve it or not. I am not comfortable in knowing that tens of millions are battling for their own life. I am not. Have we forgotten that our nation was founded upon by "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Have we forgotten? I think we had. We, the American People, are endowed certain unalienable rights, that among these are LIFE. We have the right to live in this country, so why are there one out of every ten people in this country struggling for that unalienable right? We can not forget about the forgotten man, for there are tens of millions of them. I will not forget about them, and I hope you do not either. Last year Americans spent 33.3 Billion dollars on movie tickets and rentals. With that money we could give everyone, everyone in the United States 110 MILLION dollars cash. For just one year alone, for movies. Do we Americans care more about movies then our fellow brothers and sisters? I think we do. And what does our Government do? Nothing. You know what, we care more about people who are thousands of miles away in the Middle East, in a different country, then our own people. During Hurricane Katrina, average Americans help the people more, in the effected area, then the Government, who's job is to keep us safe, from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Our biggest enemy is Poverty, for that is the only Public Enemy that all will face at least once. So what does the Government do? Give trillions of dollars to wall street and banks. Where is the bail out for main street? Huh?! For the American people. That is what I want. From the two bail outs, one in '08 and the other in '09, the Government spent around 1.6 TRILLION dollars. With that money, we could have easily ended poverty in not only America, but also the world. I have said this many times before, to people who agree with me and those who didn't, and I shall say it again now and many times more. Now my brothers and sisters, I do not oppose this system in which we live under today because I lack the natural tools to do for myself. No. I am oppose to this system because under this system it tries to make us think to not worry about the millions who lack the basic necessities of life. It tries to make us feel comfortable. Well I am here today saying that I am not comfortable in watching, hearing, feeling, and smelling millions suffer, Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. We were taught under the old ethic that man's business on this earth was to look out for himself. That was the ethic of the jungle; the ethic of the wild beast. Take care of yourself, no matter what may become of your fellow brothers and sisters. Millions.

~ Ryan A. Rush

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

So I want everyone to have a fair and equal chance in life? What's the big deal about that? Hey there I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

America is known for being one of the most scared countries in the world when it comes to red, and by red I mean Socialism and Communism. We have fought four of the bloodiest, biggest, and terrible wars in history based of these red alerts, e.g. WWI, WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam. Now do I discredit all of these wars? No. I believe we should have been in some of those four, not all, but again some. Also in probably all of these cases the major threat was Communism, and not, necessarily, Socialism, however Germany was a socialistic state, but then again that was a different kind of socialism, with underlining elements, such as the capitalism, if you can call it that, we see today. Now do I consider myself a full blown dedicated radical socialist, absolutely not. However, do I consider myself a big outspoken supporter of the so called "capitalism" we have today in our country, well to that question I again repeat myself by saying: absolutely not. What we have today is this Cowboy Capitalism, which rose to the occasion starting under former Pres. Ronald Regan and grew up to this point, and it is still growing today. This Cowboy Capitalism is a bandit style of economics, in which the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and everyone else...well everyone else good luck. Now the top one or two percent are loving this Cowboy Capitalism because their workers do all the work, and get paid very little, and these bosses sitting behind big desks are getting all the rewards, and then a bigger boss, sitting behind a bigger desk, gets the credit and the profit from the work of the common person. That is not right, that is not fair, and that is exactly what I am so against. It is sad in this country that a person is not paid or recognized as a good person by the content of their character or by their hard work, no, they are recognized by what they own, who they know, and by what their last name might be. A person should not be paid by who they are, what degree they might have, or what they own. No, they should be paid by what they do, the work they get done. It is sad that we as a nation pay the least for some of the hardest and most needed jobs, those who are teachers and those who are in the armed forces are among these. Capitalism does some very great things in this country. By sparking the pride in some people in wanting to go out and make it on their own, to compete, fairly, with others. But in the end, most of the time, this does not happen. In the end Capitalism, sometimes, spawns a very deadly offspring, and the name in which this offspring is bestowed is of one, greed. Now my brothers and sisters, I do not oppose this system in which we live under today because I lack the natural tools to do for myself. No. I am oppose to this system because under this system it tries to make us think to not worry about the millions who lack the basic necessities of life. It tries to make us feel comfortable. Well I am here today saying that I am not comfortable in watching, hearing, feeling, and smelling millions surfer, Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. We were taught under the old ethic that man's business on this earth was to look out for himself. That was the ethic of the jungle; the ethic of the wild beast. Take care of yourself, no matter what may become of your fellow brothers and sisters. Millions.

~ Ryan A. Rush

EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN THE USA

Ever heard of the phrase "Everything is bigger in the US"? Well I have...many times and its true. Hey there I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

Do you see the map of the world ^above^? Well thats a world map of the calorie intake that each country eats. And look, no shocker in this, at who is the largest country? America. Yay! We did it! We are now the fatest country in the world and majority of Americans are overweight. And we wonder why we spend so much money on health care? We are literally eating ourselves for death. Period. There is almost no other way in telling it. As being a big person myself I know all about this. Now this blog isn't about myself ranting off on how we need to exercise and stuff, the main stream media already does this. However I will take a mini rant about how much we waste food in this country. Look at Africa, look! You see how skinny that whole continent is and it has three times the population then us and the size is very larger then ares and we still mange to beat them out in calorie intake and how much we weigh. Has anyone ever told you when got a bunch of food on your plate and didn't eat it all "There are people in Africa starving." and you just blow it off as a bunch of bullshit, well you are wrong. It is not bullshit. It never has been and probably never will, if we don't do something about it. We are one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and we are also one of the most selfish greedy bastards in the world. And you know what? It does me no harm is saying that. I'm pretty greedy, its true. If I don't personally know you, then I will probably not help you. Now is this the way I should think? Absolutely not. I should be more giving to people and help them out. I should. Why I don't, it's just pure laziness, as most Americans are. Now when I say help, I don't mean hold a door open for someone or little things like that. Everyone should already do that, without thinking and without getting an award for, I believe in that. When I say help I mean do things for the common good e.g. donate money, clothing, or anything that is useful for someone else. Now I understand that not everyone can give money or other things out for someone else, and they shouldn't have to, if they are in tight spot and or need themselves. But money/items aren't everything. Anyone can make someone laugh, smile, volunteer and be happy. Everyone could pick up trash and put it in its rightful places. These things help the world entire and the entire also means YOU! I promise you that if you help out for the greater good, yourself will feel better. Next time when you go get some food, stop and think. Are you really going to eat all that food? Two hamburgers, large fries, large drink, and a cookie? And do you really need it? We Americans think we need more then what we truly do. Many Americans could cut what they spend/eat in half and still be able to live and very healthy life. If everyone in America, that is able to, would donate a mere 50 dollars a month to a person who truly needs it, and not for some big screen TV, then we could end this fight for life in Africa in years to come. You are not a citizen of only this country, but also one of this world, and there are brothers and sisters who need are help, and we shall help them.

~ Ryan A. Rush

Investing money in a foreign country = patriot, Investing money in your own country = socialist and communist...?

Red is my favorite colour, is there a connection? Hey there I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

Ever since Barack Obama sought for the presidency some people have been shouting and yelling out that Obama is a socialist. So I must ask the question, how? Obama is not even a liberal. If he was a liberal then he would openly support full gay rights and gay marriage. By making an executive order, like Truman did for allowing blacks to serve in the army, to dispose of the prejudice "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. Hell to end this policy was a campaign promise and it looks as if he will not be able to do it even after being in office close to a year. Pres. Obama supports civil unions in which give the same benefits and equal rights as do marriages offer, but he does not support full complete equal rights e.g. gay marriage. Pres. Obama does not support the legalization of marijuana. Pres. Obama is still fighting in two wars and he just approved to have 40,000+ more soldiers to Afghanistan. This once Bush war is quickly becoming Obama's war. If Obama was a true socialist, hell even a liberal, he would be against both wars, for making weed legal, and for making gay marriage legal nation wide. Period. But the crazed right wing keeps yelling that they see red. Well here is a fact, there is no red to be seen in Obama. None, what-so-ever. Period. And even if there was, why is it such a big deal? Under Republicans they believe: Investing money in a foreign country = patriot, Investing money in your own country = socialist and communist. Does this make any sense? Well to be it does not. You see if wanting the majority, if not all, of Americans to make it in life and knowing that no one is perfect and therefore everyone will make mistakes and will need help, means you are a socialist then so be it because I am proud of being a socialist, under this definition of it. We as a country are way to fearful of seeing red, we are like fucking under red alert. Palin shouting that Obama, a "socialist", is "hell bent on destroying America". We have fought four of the most bloodiest wars based off of red alerts and trying to "keep the world safe for democracy" e.g. WWI, WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam. We as a country needs to back off on these red alerts and look at this so called socialism as what it really is, letting all have basic unalienable rights, to allow everyone have the same chance in making it in life, to help those who are in great need of our help, rather or not if they deserve it, and finally to put our own country first, above any other, and worry about whats best for our own citizens and not of those thousands of miles away. Before you start yelling at me for being a so called "socialist" just think about what it truly is and not what the right says it is.

~ Ryan A. Rush

WE SALUTE YOU

To all those who have given their lives so we wouldn't have to, we salute you. To all those who have served to protects our freedoms, our unalienable rights, we salute you. To all those who still serve today, representing every freedom we have, we salute you. We shall never forget the man who died to give us our rights today. We will never forget.

WHAT IF IT WAS YOU?

You know, one can only go so far in defending something without having it happening to them. Hey there, I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

Before I get started I just want to express that I am sorry for my lack of postings this week. For I have been very busy. Again sorry, but back to the Good Rush.

One of my friends, Joe Paone, has been posting notes on facebook and over these notes there has been a very heated debate on the very dear to my heart subject, Gay Marriage. Now throughout these debates, two so far, I have been called "immoral", a "sinner", that I will go to "hell", and that I "choose" to live a "sinful" life. Really? Who would in their right mind choose these things? To choose a life in which many hate you, in which many look down upon you, and not be able to marry the person you love. Who would? I wouldn't, and I didn't. No one would. And beyond the fact, who is really the immoral one here? I believe that person yelling these things at me are, not me. Period. And I find it quite funny that these so called "moral" people have the right to call me these things when they do not even know me. None of these people have ever meet me, talked to me in person, or looked me in the eye. They don't know me, they don't know how I am. Therefore they have no, no right in calling me these things. And even if they have meet me they still have no right because none shall judge someone on what they are, one should only judge of whom they are. Period. I wonder a world in which the tables are turned, in which homosexuals were the majority and heterosexuals were the minority. A world in which only gays could get married and straights could not. I ask my straight friends, would you be mad and upset that your human counterparts have rights they you do not hold? And to my gay friends, wouldn't you be upset that others are denied rights? I know I would and I would do anything to change that for my friends. To finally have equal rights for all. What if it was you who had a gay/lesbian child? Would you look them in the eye and tell them that they are immoral, sinners, and choose a sinful life, would you? And wouldn't you want them to have the right to be able to marry the person they love? As the once Martin Luther King Jr. said "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood." I believe that these tearful words are still true today and to that great man I say Mr. King this dream is still alive and it shall never die. Men may come and go, they will be born and they will die, but a dream lives on, through generation and generation, through every hillside and every tallest building. As one of another brotherhood in which were denied unalienable rights, as we see today, they reached their rights and so can we. And once again will the creed "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" will once again ring out to all to hear.

~ Ryan A. Rush

LIBERTY IS FOR EVERYONE LIFE PARTY

Are you tired of the cowards from the left and the civil war reenactors from the right? I know I am, this is why I have made my own political party. Hey There I'm Ryan A. Rush and I'm The Good Rush.

In no way shape or form do I think that a mass of people will join this group, nor do I think that anyone will. I merely do this as a reflection on my own personal political beliefs and as a action towards the cowards from the left and the bigots from the right. I am by heart a liberal democrat and if I ever choose to run for a public office then I will be labeled a democrat on the ticket. However I am completely tired of democrats not getting anything done, even when they control all three major branches, house, senate, and the white house. Now yesterday I give congrats to the house for voting for health care reform and finally passing it, but look how long it took to do this, and the vote was 220-215, we almost lost and only won be a very small uncomfortable five votes. Never the less they did pass it and thankfully they did. But on a majority time, over the past years and almost making four decades, have we the democrats not been able to pass many good things. That even when the small out dated right wing is the minority they still seem to be able to organize and slow down and or prevent good things from passing. From this I sat down for many long hours and created my own political party, not to seek fame or popularity, but just to merely be shown as a sign of reflection. One of my biggest beliefs is Liberty, freedom. I believe that only through Liberty For All that a nation can carry on, that everyone should have the same liberties as there brothers and sisters. From this coined the name of the party, Liberty Is For Everyone, LIFE, and or Lifers. The basic platform for the LIFE Party is that everyone should have the same equal unalienable rights, that by no means should factors such as the color of ones skin, where one comes from, who one calls god and if one doesn’t, what gender one is or considers themselves to be, and or whom one loves. None of these should prevent in having the same rights as any other. As for Economics goes we Lifers believe that the government should not "baby sit" the business sector and should try, as much as possible, to stay out of this sector. However there has and will come times in which the government has to step in to fix and aide the business sector. As the parties Preamble states:

Preamble

"As Lifers, we boldly seek a nation of liberty for all; a nation in which all its citizens can have the same unalienable rights as their brothers and sisters do. A nation is which we the people can sovereign over themselves, to be able to live their own life of their own choosing, without having an outside force, of any kind, to prevent them from such sovereign.

These unalienable rights are that of the same of the Declaration of Independence; That All men are created equal, the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Under these unalienable rights fall the building blocks of our legal system and humanitarian efforts.

We believe that only through liberty for all that we as a nation can succeed. In which every American citizen should have the same equal vital freedoms that apply to themselves. Which only through this action can we as a nation still be the greatest nation in the world.

Unmistakably, we strongly defend each person’s right to engage in various activities that are peaceful, honest, true, and do not infringe upon another persons unalienable rights. The nation in which we seek is a nation in which anyone can live out their dreams in their own way, without having any interference from the government or any other outside force. If there are any outside forces evolved they should only be there to help and or aide, not to slow and or try to prevent them from seeking their own dream(s).

No government should tell its people how to live and or how to reach their own personal dreams. The government should only promote the general welfare of the public and to provide some basic laws in which would only help guarantee the success of the people reaching their dreams. There should be only one force to tell one how to live their life and that is themselves."

And as our Principles State:

Principles

"We, the people of the Liberty Is For Everyone Party, boldly oppose any outside force that tries to strip away rights of others. Lifers believe that no one, man or woman, congressman or congresswoman, senator, and or president, has the right to pick and choose who receives certain rights.

We uphold that all individuals have the right to choose and exercise sole and complete domain over themselves. To choose what kind of life to have and how to reach it, as long as it does not infringe on another persons rights and or pursuit of another persons right.

Therefore we believe that everyone has the right to be able to go out and try to reach their dream and not be stopped by any outside force, rather if it’s the government and or another person. No one shall interfere with another’s seek towards the pursuit of happiness, for this is an unalienable right, unless they are infringing on others.

We believe that everyone has to face the responsibility of there own mistakes on their own and not, necessarily, by law of government. Each and everyone picks their own choosing, therefore they pick and choose their own fate and responsibility of that choosing. The only time in which a law of government should punish someone actions is if they infringe on someone’s rights and or attempts or put to risk of someone’s rights.

The government was not put in place by our founding fathers to “baby sit” our nation, but only to set an example and to keep just order. However, there has and will come times in which the government has to step in, in a major way, to fix and or solve a problem of that time. The LIFE Party is not against the government in anyway shape or form, without the government our nation would be in complete, utter, and irreversible shambles."

We have 25 Articles in which we express on stances on certain issues and or policies. And finally our platform is dedicated to these following words:

We The People…

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

___________________

Thomas Jefferson

The Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776

I will upload the complete Platform of the LIFE Party sometime soon and will provid a link to that asap. Please support.

~ Ryan A. Rush