The War on “US”

It’s pretty amazing to me that what is going on in Congress right now is not being told how it really is. The budget cuts being discussed is a fight between one side trying to stand up for the rights of the average American and on the other side, trying to strip those rights away, reforging a more Corporate America. It’s also quite clear, as republican leaders have stated more than once, their top priority is to make sure president Obama does not get re-elected, by any means necessary. That means, even if it brings down the average American.

Basically the big debate over the U.S. budget is now down to a couple of things. One being Planned Parenthood and abortion rights and the second being the EPA’s ability to regulate green house gases. Both of these are incredibly important issues and should not even be a major part of the “budget” that republicans are trying to propose. Let me explain further.

First of all, it is already completely illegal for Planned Parenthood to use any federal funding for abortion purposes. This means that the entire arguing point that republican leaders, John Boehner,  in particular, is trying to use is bullshit. The funding that will be stripped from Planned Parenthood will be the money that helps people live healthier, happier lives. The money that helps prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place, the funding that helps make a safe haven for millions of Americans in times of need. It’s like stripping money from hospitals that are trying to help people from getting sick. Yeah, it’s on that level. Ridiculous.

In regards to the EPA, their job is to protect human health, and ensure that we have clean air and clean water to live with. Is that so bad? I don’t think so.

The clean air act is one of the most successful programs ever implemented and has had vast positive impacts on American lives and those of people across the world. However, allowing the EPA to regulate green house gases means that some huge corporations will have to change the way they do business, in particular, oil and coal companies. Big surprise here, right? We already know that oil and coal are hugely in the pockets of republicans (and some democrats too.).

As it is, without a doubt true, green house gases are not good for human health. As more research is done there is more and more evidence that it endangers humans by increasing respiratory diseases, increasing cancer rates, etc. There is a reason that asthma rates have been going up consistently, along with other illnesses that can be linked to poor air quality.

This is not even taking into consideration climate change, often referred to as global warming. This particular piece to the puzzle is quite complicated, so I will not get into all of the details of it right now (though I assure you, I will get into it eventually because it’s one of my biggest topics that I like to discuss!).

The point is, Democrats bend on many things to try to pass legislation, at least they have for the last few years, and republicans, for as long as I have been alive, never do. (This is a broad generalization of course.) In this particular case, I believe they are fighting for the right reasons. To allow the Planned Parenthood to be stripped of millions in funding is simply wrong. To not allow for the EPA to do their job and protect American’s health is immoral. To hold up the entire United States government in an attempt to push through unjust and inappropriate legislation is unimaginable.

Yet, here it is, about to happen, all because of corporate greed, and the people who are pro-war, thinking they can then tell women what they can or cannot do with their own bodies. When are we, as American’s, going to stop letting this happen? Start taking appropriate action to dislodge all of the greed infested lobbyists out of congress, remove the representatives that are more about themselves and corporate industries than that of the average American.

What’s worse is that in the 2010 elections the people who should have known better didn’t come out to vote. This allowed for the situation to get even worse. Come on people, educate yourselves. The country you thought you lived in is being destroyed, piece by piece, and I assure you, it isn’t because of president Obama.