Unequal Equalities

By       Dale Hummel

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. These words are immortalized in our Declaration of Independence by our founding fathers. I believe, at the time the document was written, these words were meant to be taken figuratively even though women and black people were not treated equally. Today, however, our country has matured and grown into a country of tolerance, and acceptance. Today anyone can do most anything they wish and be whoever or whatever they want. That is not necessary a bad thing, except when what they want takes rights from someone else or when someone’s rights seem to be more important than others.

Today it appears as though those who have fought in the past for equality are still fighting. It seems as though the mindset now is the old adage of “too much is never enough”. “Civil rights” groups seem to have the idea that unless they get everything they want, and more, they are being discriminated against and they will either protest or sue to get what they want. To hell whether it is fair to anyone else. This has happened today, right under our noses.

As I recall, in the early-to-mid 90s there was a rash of law suits going on in relation to someone’s “civil rights” being “violated”.  On November 21, 1991, Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1991. This seemed to open the doors for everyone and their third cousin twice removed to sue someone it they feel their “rights” were violated. This resulted in a wave of P.C. (political correctness) talk. It seemed everyone, mainly middle-aged men, were afraid to say anything for fear that someone would sue them for something they may or may not have said or did. This same consensus still exists today, even though the mentality of the average middle-age white guy has become much more accepted in the alternative lifestyles.

In its day, groups like the NAACP, (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), NOW (National Organization for Women) and others performed important functions that were necessary for the equal treatment of the American citizen. Unfortunately, these groups have grossly out grown their usefulness. There is even a group called the Congressional Black Caucus. There are congressional caucuses for Asians and Latinos but, strangely enough, there is no Congressional White Caucus. It this because if it were white it would be racist? The inequalities don’t end with race, people of faith, and those with conservative values also suffer from intolerance and prejudices.

Liberals and atheists seem to have a problem with people of faith exercising their 1^st Amendment rights of religion. Weather it is a Christian bakery being forced by a bogus law to produce products that is against their religion, or the use of the ACLU(American Civil Liberties Union) to keep objects of faith off public grounds or prayer in schools. Even though our country was based on Christianity, too many seem to think that since they don’t choose to worship, or don’t approve of objects of faith in public, no one should see them.

I consider it fascinating, yet disturbing that a decision which is made by the people of Oregon that differs the liberal mind set they will warrant a call to a lawyer to have the ACLU to have it removed or changed, while those with the conservative mind set will actually petition to put the idea on the ballot to have it changed. But as we have seen, that doesn’t always work in Oregon. According to www.ncsl.org, Oregonians voted in 2004 to define marriage between on man and one woman, however, gay Judge Michael McShane “ruled” that the people’s decision was unconstitutional, and he struck down the decision of the people. Seems a little unfair, doesn’t it? So much for equality.

One of the biggest forms of inequality today seem to deal with race, usually between black and white. It puzzles me that when O.J. Simpson was acquitted and Michael Jackson was ruled innocent, we didn’t see whites, or any other race looting or destroying property. However, when the Michael Brown verdict was announced, Ferguson, Missouri burned in the name of race. From the videos I’ve seen, most of the protesters were black. For a group focusing on race, they were foolish enough to even burn the businesses owned by blacks. If a black cop shot and killed a white teenager do you think it would attract national attention?

The biggest perpetrators in today’s “race war” are Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. They made sure they were involved in the Travon Martin Shooting, and now they put themselves in the middle of the Mike Brown shooting. It is sad that the young Mr. Martin and Mr. Brown chose the life that would end in an early death, but what is even sadder is the people who choose to support racism to “honor” their death. Jackson and Sharpton should be ashamed of themselves to support such destruction and pain in a bad situation, and likewise, anyone who supports these two race-baiters should also be ashamed. Just days before the verdict, Police Officer Darren Wilson, who defended himself against Mike Brown, resigned from the police force in Ferguson, Missouri. Mr. Wilson accredited the resignation to avoid putting “the residents and police officers of the City of Ferguson at risk” according to www.youngcons.com. The race baiters, including Brown’s parents, are only happy with legal decisions if they are in their favor.

We all want to be treated equally, unfortunately, we look at each other through the eyes of our own experience and prejudice. Even those who claim to be open to acceptance are not as open minded as they seem. If you asked a member of the liberal community what they thought of the Tea Party I’m sure it would be far less that favorable, and that would be considered acceptable, but if a Tea Party follower has a less than favorable view of liberals then he or she would be labeled a bigot, homophobe, racist, or a hater. Where is the equality there? We like to think of ourselves as open-minded and free from “hate”, but are we. From what I’ve seen in Oregon, Ferguson, Missouri, and all over the country, we are far from being “equal” and open towards others.

                                                   dkhummel.com, dkhummel.blogspot.com, twitter.com/dkhummel

Conservative Corner- Lessons Learned from the Left

I have been writing this column since January of 2013, and during that time I have written on a variety of topics from gun control to abortion, to racism. With all the areas of interest I have covered I would like to extend a deep appreciation to the journalism instructor and Commuter adviser, Rob Priewe, for allowing me to write a conservative and politically/socially right-leaning column in a college publication that is usually moderate to left-leaning.

 I would also like to extend gratitude to the editor and editors of the past year for carefully helping to edit my columns in a way that would get my conservative point across without looking like a total ass. And last, but certainly not least, I would like to extend a heart-felt “Thank you” to all the readers and those have written in comments to either the Commuter web page, or emailed the Commuter on what I have written about. Because of you, even though many have opposed my view, we, as a campus, have seen different sides of a multitude of different topics and have seen that there may be more than one side to every story. It’s trying to understand the stories and how different people view them that make us better people. There are people, however, that see things so differently one can only guess is they can ever see the other side. Here are a few things I have learned from the left and from liberals.

We all must learn to at least tolerate change, even though we may not agree with it.

As I have walked around campus, I have seen a huge plethora of personalities from the quite conservative and old fashioned, to the very modern and liberal. I have learned that these people look this way because they like to, and that is acceptable, but I’ve also learned that some liberals think that conservatives have to embrace it or face consequences. That’s where liberals get it wrong, conservative tolerate a great many things, but accepting them is not necessary. Liberals need be tolerant of other views, not just their own.

We need to be fair and try to see the other side.

I have had many people try to explain to me cases like immigration or the gay rights issue, why is it that if a person is against illegal immigration, they are labeled racists. If people are in favor of traditional marriage, then why are they labeled bigots and homophobes? Liberal aren’t always lenient.

The left has an unspoken hypocrisy

A Gresham bakery, Sweet Cakes by Mellissa, was closed down for refusing to violate their religious beliefs by not baking a cake for a gay wedding. Gay rights groups claimed the bakery’s refusal to bake the cake was illegal; however, there is a retirement community in Gresham, Rainbow Vista, that advertises specifically for the gay community.

According to arcweb.sos.state.or.us, Oregon Admin Rule 839-005-0205  says “ A person may not...publish, circulate, issue or display...any communication, notice, advertisement, or sign of any kind whether oral, written or electronic, relating to the sale, rental or leasing of real property that indicates any preference based on sexual preference." Looks like hypocrisy to me.

 The left also seem to have issues with racism. When LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling was penalized for comments he made in private the left praised his persecution, however, Al Sharpton has been making racist comments for years and he gets his own segment on MSNBC. More hypocrisy

The left also seem quite happy with allowing illegal immigrants to get free healthcare, food stamps and low cost housing,  but they don’t seem to care much about the epidemic problem of our veterans who suffer with mental  and physical issues, homelessness , and unemployment.

The left seems to have a very unhealthy relationship with the government. It seems as though the left believes that the government should control all portions of their life. Thomas Jefferson said “History, in general, only informs us of what bad government is.” While Ronald Reagan once said “Man is not free unless government is limited.”

A limited government is at the heart of most, if not all conservatives and libertarians, unfortunately liberals seem to think that they are entitled to everything and it’s up to the government to provide it.  As it has been said, a government big enough to give you everything is big enough to take it all away.

As I take my leave, I would like to quote from two people.

Herb Shaindlin (1930-2008) was a long time Alaskan radio broadcaster who used to say “Everyone is entitled to my opinion”, while conservative radio talk show host and author Michael Savage commonly claims, “Liberalism is a mental disorder” 

                                            dkhummel.blogspot.com, dkhummel.com

Conservative Corner- One Person, One Vote

Well, the primaries are over in Oregon and very soon there will be, once again, politicians and political volunteers pounding the pavement and knocking on doors to get your vote. No matter what your political affiliation or even whether you vote, voting is very serious.

We are indeed blessed to be living in a country where we can change things that we, as citizens, do not approve of. We do not need to worry about a king, dictator, or some in tyrannical power to tell us what we can or can’t do. If we do not like a politician, we can vote them out, if we do not like a law, we can change it, I we feel we need a special person in congress or the Whitehouse to help us with the kind of change that is needed, we vote for the person. Unfortunately, some groups and people feel so strongly about helping out their favorite candidates during a political campaign that they will do anything to get that person elected, even if it means committing voter fraud.

Voter fraud took place during both the 2008 and the 2012 presidential elections. One of the ways that voter fraud took place was through intimidation.  According to www.washingtontimes.com a “uniformed member of the New Black Panther Party” posted himself at the entrance to a polling place in the 1200 block of Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia during the 2008 presidential elections. The very same thing happened at the during the 2012 elections when www.wnd.com reported that Malik Zulu Shabazz, national chairman of the New Black Panther Party, said in a radio interview that his racist group may deploy at voting booths in the November presidential elections, claiming such a move is needed to ensure there is no “intimidation against our people.”

Another kind of voter fraud that is now coming out into the open is voter registration of the dead. Even www.nrp.org states that “more than 1.8 million dead people are currently registered to vote. And 24 million registrations are either invalid or inaccurate.” Voter fraud gets narrowed down even more when www.whitehousedossier.com says “Dead people have long been a major Democratic constituency, given that Democrats mostly control the big cities where such voter fraud – and other types – tends to occur.” Using the dead to win elections, I’m sure, isn’t just a Democratic thing, it’s just the finger seems to be pointing their way.

A case of fraud that gained some national coverage was that of Melowese Richardson who was a poll worker and used her position to vote for Obama multiple times according to www.breitbart.com. Richardson pleaded no contest to four counts of illegal voting in 2009, 2011 and 2012 and was charged her with voting for her sister, who is in a coma. Four other counts were dropped in exchange for Richardson's plea. She has had past charges from witness harassment to theft to assault and told Judge Robert P. Ruehlman during her hearing “I take the law into my own hands. I do what I want." How can we stop voter fraud and people like this from putting the wrong person into power? One way is using voter identification.

If everyone could prove who they were with a passport, driver’s license, or even a basic ID card, that would most likely keep illegals, the dead, and fraudulent people from voting multiple times. Apparently www.motherjones.com thinks that the idea of needing ID for voting is a form of suppression and even hints that needing ID is racist. Does that mean that it is also racist to need an ID for cashing a check, buying alcohol, renting a DVD or driving a vehicle? Obtaining an ID is actually quite simple.

From what www.oregon.gov tells us all we need is proof of your legal name, proof of your legal residence in the United States, your social security number and $44.50. Granted, that much money is hard to get some times, but in today’s world having an ID is a necessity.

Elections are an extremely important event. If the wrong people fraudulently get the wrong people into an elected office the effects can be disastrous. Let’s ensure that everyone gets one vote. Until we find a better system, voter ID is the best way to ensure there is no voter fraud and that each person gets only one vote for a fair election.

                                 dkhummel.blogspot.com, dkhummel.com

Conservative Corner- The Right to an Appropriate Appearance

As students, staff, and faculty of Linn-Benton Community College, we are indeed enriched and blessed with a wealth of diversity in culture, attire, values, and opinions. It is remarkable how so many people with different backgrounds, cultures and mindsets can come together as a community to learn, work and play together in a strange kind of harmony.

            At LBCC we have nearly every kind of person that you can imagine, from the seemingly dark, quiet, and reserved, to the flamboyant, out-going and friendly. The same is said for how we present ourselves on campus. Students and staff alike have the privilege of expressing themselves in a plethora of attire, from the very distinguished suites of the professional executive business person, to those who chooses to cross-dress for fun and frolic. The choices of how we are seen on campus and the community are nearly endless. Unfortunately, some choose to take the issue of clothing a different way, showing appropriate clothing.

            How some of the students wear their clothing on campus became an issue on April 23 of this year. As it is understood, there was a discrepancy between a staff member and a student with how the young man wore his pants and LBCC security was called in to try to defuse a situation. The student was requested to pull up his pants to an appropriate level and he refused. When campus security arrived the young man was asked again to pull up his pants and again refused at which time campus security asked for the young man’s identification, but did not have his ID on his person. The student was then escorted out of the building and suspended for two days.

            This example of, what I would consider to be a simple case of incorrect wearing of attire, may not have had the effect on campus if it weren’t for the fact that the young man is black. Javier Cervantes, of the Diversity Achievement Center, put an unfortunate racial spin on the situation by saying, “If we’re going to name what happened last week, it’s racial profiling,”  With all due respect to Mr. Cervantes I would, of course, strongly disagree with his appraisal of the situation.  As we all can attest to the idea, not just black young men wear their pants to show their boxer undergarments. In an effort to “be cool”, many young people choose to ware their pants this way. From what I can see of the situation, the idea that this is caused by racial profiling is outrageous and preposterous. Anyone can wear their pants like that, no matter what color of the skin.

            Taking race out of the situation, (as it should have been), does the young man have the right to wear baggy pants as to expose his undergarment? LBCC has no dress code; however, it does have code on the learning environment. According to the LBCC Code of Conduct we must “respect the teaching/learning environment by interacting with civility within the classroom and following safety guidelines”. If a student wears something that others consider distracting or offensive, doesn’t that effect the environment and civility of a class or area?

            The student failed to follow direction, according to the code when we learn that the young man did not “follow the lawful direction of faculty and staff including providing information and identification when requested.” When this situation occurs, “the lawful directions of college personnel acting in performance of their duties, e.g., disrupting class sufficiently to hinder effective instruction, or failure to leave a building or specified work area when directed to do so by college personnel.”, according to the Student Conduct Code.  LBCC does not have a dress code; however, I would think that the college would rely on the better judgment of their students to dress appropriately in the presents of those who may be offended by questionable attire.

            I am a firm believer in the freedom of expression, however, in a college as diverse as ours, we as a community, need to be increasingly vigilant on how we present ourselves to others with different values and be responsible for the consequences for inappropriate dressing or attire. I’m not saying we need a dress code and require all students, staff and faculty of wear business suits daily, but what I am saying is the next time a student should think before wearing a shirt with a swastika, the letters KKK, or any other images or inappropriate parts of the body show before arriving of campus.

            Yes, a student, or anyone else has the right to wear what he or she wants and how they wish to wear it, but should it come at the expense of all those whom it offends? I am very serious about my college career and normally dress to fit the part, however, even though I don’t approve of all the fashions that are represented at LB, I hope that all on campus can agree on the right to an appropriate appearance.

                                                Dkhummel.com, dkhummel.blogspot.com