Grrrr...

So Mississippi... like it doesn't have bigger problems right now in the wake of Hurricane Katrina... is thinking of officially banning abortion, following the dubious example of South Dakota. Do everyone a favor and write to the governor of Mississippi telling him what you think of that. For details on the issue and how to help fight it, I'm sure you can find information by going to prochoiceamerica.org . That's where I found out about it. I also recommend writing to your own governor, as well as other state elected officials, saying that you oppose your state doing anything similar... if you indeed oppose such a thing. There are about 10 other states considering banning abortion right now.

Also, 'twas watching Lou Dobbs on CNN (I think it was Lou, although it may have been Situation Room which is on right after) two nights ago and he was talking about the national debt. He or one of his guests said that right now, the national debt is approaching 9 trillion dollars. Seems pretty insurmountable, doesn't it? But they said that that's only about $28,000 for every man and woman (legally) living in the US. It got me to thinking... 28,000 is a lot more manageable than 9 trillion. What if everyone who could afford to do so, paid their portion of the national debt back? And I'm not talking those who think they could afford it, but rather those who actually could. I know that most people would insist that they didn't have the cash, that they were strapped as it was. But for a number of those people who I know would have that reaction, a number of whom I'm sorry to say I've known, it would mean taking the $28,000 and paying back a portion of the national debt for the sake of their children's future instead of buying a new BMW, Cadillac SUV or some other ridiculously expensive automobile to replace the two-year-old one in their garage. They could maybe even do a payment plan or something to pay it off just like they would that damn car! And just to get a bit crazier here, what if the insanely wealthy paid for the portion of the people who couldn't afford it... as much as they could, as a civic project for future generations and the good of the country? I'm sure Bill Gates could cover quite a few people...

You know, the Ancient Romans... and I'm not even talking about the Republican Romans, who were really totally all about living for the good of their fellow citizens, but the Imperial Romans... Wealthy Imperial Romans would actually vie for the right to pay the taxes that the poor of their district couldn't pay. They actually wanted to be allowed to pay the difference between what the tax rolls said should be paid and what was actually paid by the citizens of a particular parish. This could have been astronomical amounts, certainly as much if not more than what would equal $28,000 in today's currency because these guys were ridiculously wealthy from what I understand. The prestige and acclaim they would get from their fellow citizens (and, truth to tell, the favors they could get for it, whether political or social) was more than worth the amount of money they would fork over to the state every year (it wasn't a one time thing, just in case you're thinking that). Apply that to present day for a second. Why don't we do that? Why don't people want to do that? Where has the zealous love for our country gone? If not the actuality of our country, then at least for the ideal of it...?