Playing Chicken with Human Rights

                Chick-Fil-A has mighty good food, their chicken is far healthier than a burger and fries, and they promote healthy eating and other positive life style choices. One thing that Chick-Fil-A has done wrong though, is having an aggressive anti homosexual stance, or as they would put it; a pro heterosexual stance.  It was recently uncovered that Chick-Fil-A donated more than 5 million dollars to Christian organizations with an anti gay agenda.  It would be one thing if Chick-Fil-A donated to unbiased Christian organizations or no organization at all. Although every person has a right to their own personal beliefs and ideals, a company also has the ability to make a political stance whether or not it be an advantageous business practice. Discrimination is different, when a company openly admits to supporting organizations that support the ostracizing and discrimination of a minority, it not only questions the company’s business practices, but it validates the erroneous belief that homosexuals are different and their life choices are to be judged and scrutinized. This country is a free country, a country where a business can say whatever they want about whomever they want. We as a free people can openly decided which business we decide to patronize based on their products and their beliefs. I certainly will not patronize a business that preaches discrimination and intolerance towards anybody, no matter how good their food is. 

Opiate of the Masses

 Karl Marx famously said "Religion is the opiate of the Masses". Opiates can be used responsibly to help aid patients who are suffering severe pain, but it can also be abused as a very addictive drug that can destroy communities. Religion embodies both aspects. In the United states, religion is often used as an excuse for hatred towards anybody and everybody. People wield Religion as a weapon to oppress people of a different walk of life. This use of Religion dates back to the early days of the United States. Religion was used as an excuse for slavery, killing of Indians and other heinous crimes against humanity. On the other hand, religion can be used to help people less fortunate and other positive actions. Large charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity are often started by religious groups. Religion often inspires hope and structure to peoples lives, there is no doubt that Religion has done good for many. Religion is just like government, money or resources. In the hands of the right people with the right intentions Religion can be used for good, it can also be used for evil. 

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were two great visionaries; they had both had ideas that would change America into what it is today. Although they were both visionaries, they both had very different visions of what America could be. Jefferson was a strong proponent of the Bill of Rights; he supported agriculture and a strong state government. Hamilton wanted a large federal government, akin to the British Monarchy. He believed that industry and trading were the keys to the nation’s success. Jefferson wanted a quite agricultural collection of states; Hamilton wanted an industrial power house of a nation that would dominate the world market. Fast Forward 200 years and we see a combination of these juxtaposed positions. America’s strong government has been a main player in foreign trading and politics. Its people as a whole though embody more of a Jefferson approach, they support human rights, farming and reduced foreign dependency. The American government embodies Hamiltonian ideals whilst the people are pro Jefferson. This duality creates an interesting dynamic that gives America the ability to eat its cake and have it too. On one side its strong Hamilton influenced government can drill deep for oil into the Gulf of Mexico, start wars overseas and set up prisons on a communist countries soil. The American people rally against this government – the occupy Wall Street movement, protests against federal spending and human rights abuses. Jefferson and Hamilton clashed on many ideas about what the country could be, and today the Government and the People clash about what the country has become.