rights (3)

Something that is really irritating me lately is the debate, especially in the U.S., regarding who deserves what, and what has occurred to me is that with regard to human rights the idea of deserving is completely irrelevant. The second amendment in the U.S. Constitution grants freedom of speech, there is no clause on their stating that you can't say what you want if you are a bigot, or insane, or just an awful person etc... etc...

While his name escapes me at the moment, the fellow from Duck Dynasty has been the latest magnet for this topic, I really don't care about what he has to say anymore than anyone else I disagree with on such a fundamental level, but I'm glad he can freely speak his mind. That way I know that such foolishness, in my opinion, exists and don't have to wonder about what hateful things people believe. Frankly I think Christian conservatives are perverts, not that there is really anything wrong with that, but it is the hypocrisy of their perversion. Christian conservatives believe that it is okay to be concerned with the sexual interactions of others for the purpose of condemnation, but that to be interested in the sexual activities of other because what they are doing might be pleasurable, and something you might also want to join in on, is not acceptable. WTF????

There is also the right to healthcare, in the U.S. we have the obligation to pay for health insurance, but there is no guarantee of uniformity or quality of coverage. Most people are unaware of how few choices we have for healthcare in the U.S. because we are all too busy passing judgment about who should have access to healthcare. We in the U.S. have the obligation to pay private industry for insurance but few guarantees of the level benefits we will receive.

In general here in the U.S. we are all in support of other people rights as long as the rights of others don't cost anything monetarily or conflict with our own personal brand of superstition. Put simply if you are Christian and rich, life is just peachy, but if you are poor and or not prone to the Judea Christian brand of superstition then you are going to have problems. The right to espouse about your Christian beliefs and the right to make money at the expense of others is king in the United States, and you are a stupid socialist/communist if you believe anything else. I guess that is what makes me out-of-place.

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Voter Rights

The links that follow are mostly California-specific, so if you are in another state, check with your Secretary of State for addresses of offices and specific policies or forms.Hours of operation: The polls are open from 7am to 8pm. If you're in line when the polls close, you can still vote.Time off to vote: Employers are legally obligated to allow you time off from work to vote and in fact, to inform you of that right. If you do not have the time outside of working hours to make it to the polls, or if your shift covers the entire time the polls are open, the time off can be paid. If this is the case, you have 2 hours max of paid time to vote.Vote-by-mail: This is what was known as Absentee voting prior to 2007. If you haven't received your absentee/vote-by-mail ballot yet, go to the polls or an early voting location in your county and vote by provisional ballot (see below). You should not need ID to vote provisionally if you've voted before. If your entire city is vote-by-mail, try another area in the same county. You should be able to vote at any polling place within the county you're registered in. The League of Women Voters is a nonprofit nonparisan organization that has information about voting in person and by mail.If you haven't mailed your vote-by-mail ballot by now (the guaranteed date was Oct. 28th), drop it off in person or priority mail it to be on the safe side. The deadline is 8p on Nov. 4th, and it is not a postmark deadline! If it arrives after 8p on Tuesday, it will not count no matter when you dropped it in the mail. Drop it off instead at your local polling place on election day, or your local county election official's office anytime beforehand. Remember to sign the inside flap (not the spoiled ballot form on the outside flap!) of your ballot envelope or your vote will not count!Provisional ballots: The Voter Bill of Rights gives you the right to cast a provisional ballot if your name is mistakenly not on the rolls or if you have moved within your county and did not re-register. You can also vote provisionally in person if you mailed a vote-by-mail ballot but are unsure it will arrive on time. If it does, your provisional ballot will not count, if it does not, your provisional ballot will count. Do not turn away if you're registered but they can't find you! For more details, read about provisional voting.Mistakes, assistance: You can ask for help in filling out your ballot, and if you mess up, you can ask for a new ballot. If you've messed up your vote-by-mail ballot, do not send it or turn it in - you can exchange it for a new one at your polling place or county election office. Initialing changes on the ballot invalidates your vote.First time voters: Bring your ID! You need it the first time you vote.No campaign paraphernalia: You can't vote with campaign stickers or t-shirts on since campaign materials are prohibited within 100 feet of the polls. Someone will stop you, so cover up or take it off!Fraud, intimidation: If you think you've witnessed election fraud or voter intimidation, there's an official complaint form you can file. The Sec. of State also has a voter fraud pamphlet (PDF) to give you some idea of what practices are kosher and what aren't.
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