Everybody Comes To Rick's: Party Lines (also firearm eye candy)

So, I hate to talk about politics on my birthday, but it's been coming up a lot lately. Let me start by saying that I identify with neither the Democrat or Republican Parties. I am a fairly moderate conservative (a comment that gets me attacked by conservatives for "not being conservative enough" and liberals for "being a conservative asshole") with some liberal views. Now, lately I have seen and heard a whole lot of name calling from both sides of the fence. Liberals will claim that all conservatives are crazy and conservatives will respond in kind and this goes on for hours. The plea I make to all people of any age, gender, race, creed, or political affiliation is this: WE ARE ALL PEOPLE!!! Listen, if you have a cause, there will be radical crazies involved. Conservatives have their share of gay hating, gun loving, racist bigots while the liberals have gun hating, anti-capitalist, anti-constitution nuts who'd love to see a communist America. The fact that these are, by and large, the most vocal and visible members of their respective groups does not help matters. Having talked to many people, I've just about figured that most well-adjusted, informed, sane individuals fall into around a 60/40 split. That is to say that on the political spectrum, most people will register at about the middle with a slight lean toward either liberal or conservative. So, most who consider themselves conservatives, are closer to 60% conservative, 40% liberal, and vice versa. So, the people you are slandering out there and calling "sinners" or "capitalist pigs" are much closer to you in opinion than you'd probably like to believe. I consider myself a conservative on most issues. I am a strong advocate of the second amendment, I believe that capitalism works when you let it, and I believe in our country having a strong military and the balls to use it. However, I believe that homosexuals should have the right to marry. I am pro-choice, but anti abortion (by which I mean I am against abortion, but I don't believe it is the government's place to intervene). My opinions, like those of most people, are too varied and complicated for me to paint them in black and white. By hating and villainizing those with a different political identity than you, you are buying into how the politicians want to play the game. If you're a conservative, but you think the democrat candidate is better than the republican, why not vote for the person you think would do the better job? If you're a liberal, but the republican candidate really appeals to you, then vote republican. The idea that all republicans and all democrats are exactly the same and have the same agendas is the greatest conspiracy theory ever conceived. I am not a fan of Barrack Obama, but not because he is a Democrat and CERTAINLY not because he is black (I have been called a racist simply for criticizing President Obama...I really hate people sometimes). I dislike him because I don't see him as a strong leader and I've failed to see many of his promises fulfilled or any positive change come from his presidency. I also count several violations of the constitution made by his administration, but that's a whole other can of worms. On the flip side, the candidates that the Republicans are pushing are some of the biggest crazies one could ask for (Romney, Santorum, and Perry? Come on, can we get a sane human being here?). I believe the Herman Cain scandal was manufactured to get him out of the running (notice how quickly the women disappeared once he dropped his bid) but whether by the Repubs or Dems I can't be sure. The politicians want us to play this game and we are falling into the trap like blind mice. So, do me a favor if you vote this year. Listen to the person you're voting for first and, more importantly, watch to see if they put their money where their mouth is. Don't vote for someone because they say a lot of nice things and they're with "your party." Do it because they've shown that they can get the job done and save this country from the hole it's falling into. Anyway, that's my two cents. Take it as you will.

Oh, and since it's my birthday I'm going to reward myself with gunporn (aka some of my favorite firearms)