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This morning when I went out to my car, my driver's side door was frozen shut. This, of course, agitated me. I grumbled, of course. What a shitty way to start my day, right? So I climbed in the passenger side and I was on my way. I forgot to get out to Kroger, last night, so I had to stop into McD's for a sausage biscuit. I hit the drive through. The girl starts talking…and my window won't roll down! Frozen! FUCK!
I try the door…STILL FROZEN! DOUBLE FUCK!
So I pull around and park the car, bitching up a storm to myself. When I get to the door, the one on that side of the building…LOCKED!
MOTHERFUCKERS! What the fuck is up with this shitty day?!
So I walk around. I get inside, the transaction takes 30 seconds, tops. I have a little laugh with the girl about my morning, and I was out the door.
When I went outside, I saw ol' Bob S. across the street. I had seen him waiting for the TARC there a few times, but never thought to stop. I asked him where he was headed, and it was on my way to work, so I gave him a ride.
I hadn't seen Bob in a while, so it was nice to catch up. He's not really drinking, anymore. He's got a good job. He's living with his girlfriend. He's got a good new band going. He's in a good place. I dropped him off at work and told him he's always got a ride in to work, if he wants it, as it's on my way. No sense in standing in the cold, waiting on a TARC.
I turned it over in my head, on the rest of the way into work. It was nice to see Bob. To reconnect. And then I realized, had my car door not been frozen shut, I wouldn't have had to get out of the car. Had the door not been locked at McDonald's, I wouldn't have walked around. Had I not walked around, I wouldn't have seen Bob and had that chance to reconnect.
This isn't one of those "all things happen for a reason" type of things. I mean…it's fairly simple: Had those things all not happened, I would not have seen Bob. There's a stark zen-ness to it.
And, of course, through the magic of thermodynamics (and/or karma, if you so choose), my car door opened fine, once I got to work.
Good things happened, though I thought they wouldn't.
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Javan said:
alright, alright… the ACLU is a joke. Completely. They don't PROVIDE liberties, they TAKE THEM AWAY from the vast majority. Sure, they fight for the little man. I'll give 'em that. But our nation is founded on the principle of majority RULE, minority RIGHT. Not the other way around, mind you.
Thus, I hate the ACLU.
Jen said:
Have you looked at their court cases? If you haven't investigated beyond the 2 or 3 sensationalized fringe stories in the media, please look further, because I used to labor under the same misconception. That's why it took me so long to join.
They even supprted Rush Limbaugh's right to privacy when his medical records were seized unlawfully. Their whole reason for being, their mandate, is to protect our liberties under the Constitutional Bill of Rights. Please look at their site very closely, and read about their many cases, before you judge.
They are currently fighting unconstitutional provisions of the Patriot Act. Please, for that alone, give it a looksee.
m@ said:
javan, i can't even comprehend from where your opinion stems… what makes you think the ACLU is bad? as far as i've ever known, their whole purpose is to protect the rights of minorities and individuals when those rights are threatened. the only negative things i've ever heard about the ACLU have been from reactionaries and those who generally don't respect the ideals of equal rights.
i agree with jennifer, perhaps you should take a closer look at what they do and what they stand for.
Javan said:
it stems from this statement, and the whale of meaning contained therein:
"But our nation is founded on the principle of majority RULE, minority RIGHT!"
when I get some time, I suppose I'll look at the website.
brooksie said:
You're right, Javan. Majority does rule. But someone has to look out for the little guy, because otherwise the majority has a tendancy to steam roll right over them. What liberties do you see as having been taken away by the ACLU ?
m@ said:
yes, the majority does rule. but that is why we have the three layer system we (are supposed to) have. the nation was founded on the ideals of freedom and equality, and it is the duty of the government to make law that doesn't infringe on either. so, basically, the majority is free to rule as long as their rule doesn't consist of making law that makes people less free or less equal. the executive branch sets the tone and establishes the agendas, the legislative branch makes the laws and divvies up the money, and the judicial branch interprets the laws and decides whether the laws themselves are justly defined or applied.
the constitution specifically grants to the people the right to "petition the government for a redress greivances" (1st amendment).
because we now have a government in which the three layers are (or will be, if Bush gets the Supreme Court set up the way he wants it) all controlled by one group, we need organizations like the ACLU even more, because they will have the resources to fight for the public's right of redress.
the majority may rule, but they must do so responsibly.
Paul said:
I just want to make people aware of some crazy numbers at http://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/BOE/results/currentresults1.htm the official website of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. I'm not trying to start something, but it's kind of weird that some districts are showing more votes cast than people registered. So far, there has only been one "mainstream" journalist that I can find that will actually report on this (and he used to be Sportscenter anchor).