What I Believe
1. I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, shot and killed President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
2. I believe that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had no advance knowledge that there was going to be an attack on American installations on the Hawaiian island of Oahu on Dec. 7, 1941. I also believe that FDR did not “sit” on any intelligence reports that a Japanese fleet was on its way to Pearl Harbor so that American forces would be caught by surprise and thus enable FDR to drag the nation into World War II.
3. I believe that the Holocaust – the attempt by Nazi Germany to exterminate the entire Jewish population of Europe – did happen, no matter what David Irving, that bizarre Catholic Bishop Williamson, the President of Iran, and many Holocaust deniers claim.
4. I believe that President Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and is therefore a legal citizen of the United States of America, no matter what some nuts out there (including, for Pete’s sake, a Democratic lawyer!) think.
5. I believe that though the war in Afghanistan was and still is a very legitimate military component of America’s war on terror, the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003 was a costly and unnecessary blunder.
6. I believe that American astronauts did walk on the moon between July 1969 and December 1972.
7. I believe that true peace in the Middle East, while not exactly an impossible goal, will not be achieved during this decade.
8. I believe that denying gay or lesbian couples the right to marry is as un-American as denying civil rights and equal opportunities to African-Americans.
9. I believe that the Republican Party has focused too much on ideology and its insistence that government should have a small and limited role in people’s lives while lowering taxes for the wealthy. The GOP has been hijacked by two different groups - the Religious Right and the Big Money folks - and its biggest mouthpiece – Rush Limbaugh – is an insensitive and boorish jerk.
10. I believe that all friends – online as well as “in real life” ones – are human beings who not only need to be given friendship, support, and loyalty, but also treated with dignity and compassion.
11. I believe that anyone who goes online and “borrows” someone else’s articles, reviews, essays, poems and other works and claims them for him/herself is a plagiarist.
12. I believe that the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, for all its flaws (perceived or real) is not as horrible as many people say it is.
13. I believe that a true test of friendship isn’t how one acts towards friends in the good times, but when one’s friends are having a hard time or need help, be it financial, physical or emotional support.
14. I believe that one’s bad actions – online as well as in real life – can and often do hurt other people.
15. I believe in the concepts of forgiveness and giving people second chances. However, I also believe that self-respect and personal dignity do matter, so if people do not respect you after several attempts to get the offensive person or persons in your life to treat you right, you’re entitled to X them out of your life…permanently.
16. I believe that the Democratic Party also needs to become more centrist.
17. I believe in a woman’s right to choose.
18. As a corollary, I also believe in equal pay for equal work.
19. I believe that we Americans have become too celebrity obsessed and far too interested in vacuous entertainment. It’s all right to seek out escapism and fun…I do it all the time ….but when more people know (and care) about Britney Spears’ personal life than they do about big issues (global warming, Muslim fundamentalism, or the leftward veer being taken by many Latin American nations), we’re in trouble. Ignorance, sadly, is not bliss.
20. I believe that classical music still has a place in American culture.
21. I believe that friendship is one of the most important things in one’s life. I would like to be financially well off, yes, but I wouldn’t want to be rich and bereft of friends.
22. I believe in the Golden Rule – Treat others as you yourself want to be treated. Kindness and compassion are still important; if you treat other people like crap because you can’t handle stress or feel that life is unfair to you, don’t expect to have a huge Rolodex or online buddy list of friends if that is your dominant behavior trait.
2. I believe that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had no advance knowledge that there was going to be an attack on American installations on the Hawaiian island of Oahu on Dec. 7, 1941. I also believe that FDR did not “sit” on any intelligence reports that a Japanese fleet was on its way to Pearl Harbor so that American forces would be caught by surprise and thus enable FDR to drag the nation into World War II.
3. I believe that the Holocaust – the attempt by Nazi Germany to exterminate the entire Jewish population of Europe – did happen, no matter what David Irving, that bizarre Catholic Bishop Williamson, the President of Iran, and many Holocaust deniers claim.
4. I believe that President Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and is therefore a legal citizen of the United States of America, no matter what some nuts out there (including, for Pete’s sake, a Democratic lawyer!) think.
5. I believe that though the war in Afghanistan was and still is a very legitimate military component of America’s war on terror, the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003 was a costly and unnecessary blunder.
6. I believe that American astronauts did walk on the moon between July 1969 and December 1972.
7. I believe that true peace in the Middle East, while not exactly an impossible goal, will not be achieved during this decade.
8. I believe that denying gay or lesbian couples the right to marry is as un-American as denying civil rights and equal opportunities to African-Americans.
9. I believe that the Republican Party has focused too much on ideology and its insistence that government should have a small and limited role in people’s lives while lowering taxes for the wealthy. The GOP has been hijacked by two different groups - the Religious Right and the Big Money folks - and its biggest mouthpiece – Rush Limbaugh – is an insensitive and boorish jerk.
10. I believe that all friends – online as well as “in real life” ones – are human beings who not only need to be given friendship, support, and loyalty, but also treated with dignity and compassion.
11. I believe that anyone who goes online and “borrows” someone else’s articles, reviews, essays, poems and other works and claims them for him/herself is a plagiarist.
12. I believe that the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, for all its flaws (perceived or real) is not as horrible as many people say it is.
13. I believe that a true test of friendship isn’t how one acts towards friends in the good times, but when one’s friends are having a hard time or need help, be it financial, physical or emotional support.
14. I believe that one’s bad actions – online as well as in real life – can and often do hurt other people.
15. I believe in the concepts of forgiveness and giving people second chances. However, I also believe that self-respect and personal dignity do matter, so if people do not respect you after several attempts to get the offensive person or persons in your life to treat you right, you’re entitled to X them out of your life…permanently.
16. I believe that the Democratic Party also needs to become more centrist.
17. I believe in a woman’s right to choose.
18. As a corollary, I also believe in equal pay for equal work.
19. I believe that we Americans have become too celebrity obsessed and far too interested in vacuous entertainment. It’s all right to seek out escapism and fun…I do it all the time ….but when more people know (and care) about Britney Spears’ personal life than they do about big issues (global warming, Muslim fundamentalism, or the leftward veer being taken by many Latin American nations), we’re in trouble. Ignorance, sadly, is not bliss.
20. I believe that classical music still has a place in American culture.
21. I believe that friendship is one of the most important things in one’s life. I would like to be financially well off, yes, but I wouldn’t want to be rich and bereft of friends.
22. I believe in the Golden Rule – Treat others as you yourself want to be treated. Kindness and compassion are still important; if you treat other people like crap because you can’t handle stress or feel that life is unfair to you, don’t expect to have a huge Rolodex or online buddy list of friends if that is your dominant behavior trait.
© 2011-2012 Alex Diaz-Granados. All Rights Reserved
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