This Things I Believe

            I have been asked what I believe on a variety of subjects since I decided to “Slit my belly” and empty the contents on the docks of the internet. In case you don’t get that reference because you were born after 1990 it’s an allusion to the original Jaws … fuck I’m old. Also the title of this essay is likewise a pop culture reference, though a bit more current than one of Richard Dryfus and Roy Scheider searching the guts of a shark for the remains of a little boy and finding a license plate from Louisiana instead.

            When I have refused to give my opinion or GASP refused to debate the answers some individuals have gotten irritable. All I can say about this is that I am not asking you to believe the things I believe why do I have to believe the things you believe? I mean seriously kids getting pissed at somebody’s ideas and beliefs because they are different than yours but are not hurting anyone is really fucking stupid.

            But Josh what are these salacious beliefs?

            Calm the fuck down I’m getting to it.

            Religiously I am somewhere between an atheist and an agnostic.

            I can’t say I am truly an atheist because I want to believe in magic, I want to believe in a metaphysical world that we just have yet to penetrate. I want to believe that there are more highly evolved creatures in the universe than us. But that is not to say I want to believe in a God. I don’t, at least not as God had been presented by any of the major monotheistic religions. That God more often than not seems to be a creature of hate and exclusion at worst and a being of contradiction and confusion at best.

            What really irks me is that the idea of a kind and loving god sounds like a good thing. But what even the best of religions appear to offer is a form of “Do this the way I tell you too or I will damn you to hell and take away your desert” or some other variation. All religions, to me, are tools people (mostly men) use to control the masses and accumulate wealth and power. I am sure there are exceptions to that statement but on the whole that is religion to me.

            For that reason I do not debate religion and I do not accept religious reasons and justifications as valid in debates. If you think that I should be killed, pitied, excluded, or damned to hell because I have been attracted to men then you and I are never going to see eye to eye on anything of substance. I will give more thoughts on religion at the end of this essay when I provide a more specific list of the things I believe.

            Moving on.

            Freedom seems to be a word every wants to coop for their own purposes. Freedom and politics are so tightly intertwined in this country that I am not sure we know the difference anymore between our basic freedoms and the bullshit we are force fed by the corporations and politicians. I can’t really pick a political allegiance anymore. I used to consider myself either a Liberal Republican (believe it or not kids that creature used to exist) or a Conservative Democrat. I can’t call myself a Libertarian because I only agree with about 50% of what they claim to believe in. The same goes for the Socialists and the Greenies. I suppose I would consider myself an Independent but that feels more and more like a copout. I generally don’t talk about these things online because I get really fucking tired of people arguing minutia and semantics. I have actually had my opinions changed on occasion by a well reasoned and politely delivered argument. What I can’t deal with is the growing number of jackholes who scream some variation of …

“I AM SO SICK AND TIRED OF YOU FUCKIGN MORONS WHO DON’T AGREE WITH ME! JUST DO WHAT I WANT AND EVERYTHING WITLL BE OKAY YOU STUPID ASSHOLES!”

            Seriously how the hell are you supposed to even have a conversation with these people? Maybe I’m just too old and should shut my mouth but I can’t understand, respect, or even tolerate the opinions of these blowhards.

            I guess I am dancing around the real point of this essay, to make a list of the things I truly believe and put it out there so there are no more questions. Some of these opinions may be diametrically opposed to one another and all I can say is that real life is messy and the numbers in the ledger never balance. So with that in mind here I go, in no particular order and zero organization. I make no apologies for these beliefs, they are mine and if you don’t like them the door is right behind you.

{C}·         I believe that people should be able to make their own decisions as long as they are not overtly hurting others.

{C}·         I believe that men and women are equal in that their unique pros and cons balance each other out.

{C}·         I believe that as long as it’s consensual and children are not involved in any way what adults do in their beds, or anywhere else in their homes, is nobody else’s fucking business.

{C}·         I believe that as long as I have not committed a felony or been diagnosed with a dangerous psychiatric disorder I can own a damn gun or ten if I want.

{C}·         I believe in background checks for gun ownership for EVERYONE.

{C}·         I believe all Americans should have equal, competitive, and fair access to Healthcare and Education. Let me spell it out so there are no questions I believe that the government that we pay taxes to should provide 100% coverage for health care and education.

{C}·         I believe in a strong, well trained and supplied, but not bloated military.

{C}·         I believe a woman should have access to all forms of contraception.

{C}·         I believe women should have full access to abortions before 20 weeks and that there should be exceptions for medical reasons after that.

{C}·         I believe that Religious organizations should be tax free but that they have to spend the money they take in on good works and not horde it away or pay themselves millions of dollars.

{C}·         I believe all mentions of religion must be removed from the government.

{C}·         I believe citizens should pay fair taxes and by fair I mean the rich should have to pay more and that corporations should actually have to pay their fucking taxes.

{C}·         I believe that corporations are NOT PEOPLE and should not have RIGHTS.

{C}·         I believe there should be zero corporate money in politics.

{C}·         I believe the uber rich run the world and they do not give a flying fuck about any of us.

{C}·         I believe that Obama is a good man and a bad President … I also feel the same way about GW Bush.

{C}·         I believe Michigan is he most beautiful place I have ever seen.

{C}·         I believe Clowns are monster from a dark and vile dimension.

{C}·         I believe that obligations go both ways whether it’s in government or employment.

{C}·         I believe having a union is better than not having one.

{C}·         I believe everyone has the right to disagree with me,

{C}·         I believe in the Death Penalty but only in the most extreme circumstances.

{C}·         I believe the GitMo detentions are a stain on the nations soul.

{C}·         I believe in an afterlife but I have no clue what it will be.

{C}·         I believe I have the right to edit and add to this list whenever I want.

{C}·         I believe in the power of love.

{C}·         I believe in the power of hate.

{C}·         I believe in luck.

{C}·         I believe that sometime the bad guys wins.

{C}·         I believe in hard work.

{C}·         I believe in me.

            Okay, that’s it. I have nothing else to say at the moment, I feel like I have been beaten by that gorilla in the old Samsonite commercials. This was harder than I thought it would be but looking over it I am happy with this list … for now.

{C}-          Josh