MyndJack Radio Blog

Breaking News (and wind): My father just pissed me off.

Yeah, big surprise that the only person on this planet more opinionated than me pissed me off. And parents NEVER piss off their kids, of course. I am hardly playing a violin for myself, but it wasn’t the exchange that bothered me enough to blah-blog about it, it was the underlying issue behind it.

Politics with prejudice.

I consider myself very open minded, and anyone who actually listens to the show can agree that I’ll try just about anything once. My political views cannot be summed up in one political party in that no one person or group can speak for me. I fear that our drive-thru society wants not only their food now, they want their politics now as well. I’m finding that few people actually take the time to look at an issue, instead they would rather follow what their political (or worse, celebrity) heroes are saying.

For example, Michael Vick is an awesome football player and I’d love to have him on my fantasy football team, but I wouldn’t trust him to watch my dog over the weekend. Tom Cruise is a whack-job who follows a religion admittedly concocted by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, but that’s not gonna stop me from going to see Mission Impossible IV. Sure, some folks say things so extreme that they have turned me off seeing anything with them in it (Mel Gibson), but I refuse to live my life by what someone else says I should think, whether it be a political party, celebrity, athlete, or voice in my head.

During the Obama/McCain election, people would ask who I was voting for, and at that point, I really didn’t know. I didn’t want to look at this election as a Republican vs Democrat, or Black vs White, or even young vs old. I wanted to go with the candidate that I felt could do the job the best. Time magazine published two profiles of the candidates which I found to be the most objective on their background, views, and experience. I found Obama’s lack of experience a bit troubling, but I also felt that McCain might have been too entrenched in Congress to see the forest for the trees. I simply wasn’t sure.

It just so happens that I had returned to school in pursuit of my masters degree, and due to a conflict with my BA from VMI, I had to take a history class taught by a professor who also taught political science. The professor was informally speaking with the students in the class to get their take on the two candidates, when one girl announced with pride “I used to support Hilary, but now I support Obama!” The professor tilted his head and responded “Really? Mrs. Clinton brought up some very controversial issues about Mr. Obama that are still unresolved, not to mention she made some very harsh criticisms against him.” To this, she replied “Oh, but she likes him now, so I do too.” The professor then stared out the window for a good 5 minutes, and a single tear trickled down his left cheek before giving us all a pop quiz.

On my way to my truck, a friendly classmate of mine, who happened to be African-American, asked me who I was voting for. I replied honestly that I wasn’t sure, to which she rolled her eyes and said “you better vote Obama!” I laughed and asked why, and she said “because we need a Black President.” Really? I hardly thought that the color of one’s skin was a qualification for presidency, but then again, maybe it is. Would it have made me racist if I didn’t vote for Obama? Am I an ageist if I didn’t vote for McCain?

My political views can be summed up by a quote from Chris Rock. “Anyone who makes up their mind before they hear the issue, is an idiot.” This is so true. There are things that I am conservative about and things that I am liberal about. Like Chris Rock, I lean conservative about gun control, welfare, and the military. I lean liberal about prostitution, civil unions, and legalized herb. It doesn’t mean I won’t swing the other way on any issue, it just means at this moment, after looking at the issues themselves, this is where my views fall. If I had more liberal views than conservative, does that make me a Democrat? Am I anti-Republican? I’m not going to be boxed in by a political party nor am I going to root for them like my favorite Football team.

So, essentially, my argument with my dad was simply around a Facebook poll that misquoted President Obama. He was all hot and bothered because according to the poll, Obama had said 80% of the United States wants a tax increase. That’s not exactly what he said, but it was spun around to make it sound ridiculous. Do you want a tax increase? Neither do I….unless the benefits outweigh the increase; however, because I pointed out that he was misquoted, suddenly I was a knee jerk, bra-burning Liberal who forged Obama’s birth certificate in crayon, and will soon be goose-stepping on our front lawn in support of the United Socialist States of Obama.

What happens all too much in the media and with political parties is telling only part of the story that fits the argument. If I said that I was going to cut out your right eyeball, you would call the police. But what if I were your doctor, who has treated you before, and I told you that if I don’t remove your right eyeball, a terminal disease will kill you in a week. You’d be more inclined to believe me, right?

Perhaps this is a better analogy. Suppose Senator Kast wants to pay teachers more. He submits a bill to Congress, but Manny would only sign it if it also allows him to write his blogs in pirate speak. Senator Myndrunner will gladly sign it if it also includes a part that requires all members of the MyndJack Nation to do the Electric Slide. Well, Kast needs to get this bill signed so he agrees to both. The bill goes before President Deb, who swiftly denies it because she doesn’t play that pirate speak nonsense and fuck off with that Electric Slide bullshit. Kast then screams to the MyndJack Nation “Deb doesn’t want to pay teachers more!! Deb does not support better education!!!” Although neither of these statements are true, its easy for one to reasonably believe they are because, after all, Deb denied the bill that was originally intended to pay teacher’s more. What we didn’t get was the rest of the story.

What’s the point of all this TLDR? Well, if you made it this far, then I’m probably preaching to the choir at this point. (Oh noes! I said choir, I’m a fundy-bastard now!!!)

Don’t take what is told to you at face value, nor try and take the opposite opinion of the majority just to be contrary. Take a look at the actual facts around an issue, whether it be the Casey Anthony trial, Free Health Care, our involvement in Pakistan, or even whether or not our show is worth listening to and supporting.

There are even people to this day that still refuse to join our little MyndJack Radio party because of some bizarre, twisted, junior-high hate mentality that they just cannot get over. They are the one’s missing out, because we are having a blast. So, don’t form your own opinions based on what others tell you. See for yourself and make up your own mind……after all, it belongs to you.