Moved it over here because it has taken on a different tone.

In 1996, I ran for the State Legislature because the YA-HOO in my district voted to give a bunch of rich jerks taxpayer money to build a baseball stadium and to make it property tax exempt and to pay the district that runs it with taxpayer money

I outspent my opponent about 3 to 1 and lost the election about 10 to 1. I was called unpatriotic, a hater or mother and apple pie by people who were too niave to see how they were being abused. I was voted against by people who said "You are no different than what is already in office, because once you get in, you will do the same thing just to stay in office, so why bother to vote for you". I spent $6,000.00+ of mostly my own money (You don't get many contributions running against a 16 year incumbnent.) to try and make a difference.

Wal-mart succeeds because our legislatures and those in moneyed positions want them to succeed. If you really want to stop corporate abuses, fight the power structure within your systems first and always. Buying at wal-mart gives me the ability to do what the Vietnam veterans had to do when the early M16's were jamming left and right in combat; PICK UP THE ENEMIES WEAPONS AND FIGHT WITH THEM until you get your own weapons working (For those of you that don't know, a lot of good men died because of problems with the early M16's in Vietnam. Soldiers wrote home for handguns and shotguns because their issued rifles were failing on them so often.).

The money I have left over will continue to be used to attempt to unseat politicians who created unfair trade practices, high gas prices, and job outsourcing. Running around feeling personally good about not buying at wal-mart is not going to help as much as using the money I save to run for office, get good people elected, and support causes that benefit America.

By the by, in my block of homes with the American flag hanging outside, I am the only one on the block who knew and respected the practice enough to fly my flag at half-mast out of respect for President Ronald Regan who passed away yesterday.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />


Edited by bountyhunter (06/06/04 11:21 PM)