Blogs > It's Time To Take A Stand

Being a business theatre producer has allowed Brian the opportunity to meet and work with some very fascinating people from a variety of backgrounds which, in turn, has helped shape his knowledge and his opinions. His blog will not always be political, it will be about a lifetime of subjects, and nothing is off limits. “Few people have original thoughts, we are shaped by the people we know and meet” he says.



Friday, August 27, 2010

Driver's Licence, Michigan Style

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get a driver's licence in Michigan?

While recently transferring a car registration at the Secretary of State Office in Wixom on a Wednesday night, they are open until 7:00 pm, I was waiting for my number to be called. One of the employees was attempting to prescreen the people in order to speed up the process and make sure everyone who was waiting had the right paperwork. Listening to this employee speak, I was somewhat surprised to hear what was required to obtain a driver's licence.

The conversation went something like this:
SOS employee: "What are you here for?"
Customer: (in very broken English): "Want driver's licence."
SOS: "Do you have two pieces of identification?"
Customer: "No, nothing."
SOS: "Do you have any bills with your name on them? Maybe a phone bill or a utility bill with your name and address on it? Maybe a gas card invoice with your name on it?"
Customer: "No, I don't think so."
SOS: "Do you have any at home, where you live?"
Customer: "I don't know, how do I find out?"
SOS: "Go home and find a bill or even a letter addressed to you at that address. Do you have a bank account with your name and address on it?"
Customer: "No, I come with nothing."
SOS: "OK, here is what you need to do to get a driver's licence. Maybe open a bank account, you don't have to put much money in it, when they send you a statement, you will have one piece of ID. Or apply for a gas card. You just need two pieces to get a driver's licence. Find someway to get another piece of ID and then come back."

I sat there with my mouth open. It is that simple to get a Michigan driver's licence. The guy next to me was just shaking his head in disgust. You can use any name as long as you have two pieces of mail with a name and address on it. She didn't ask for any proper ID or if she was in this country illegally. She just wanted two pieces of very poor ID. If your licence has been revoked, you just pick up anyone's mail from his or her mail box and bring them to the local SOS office and voila, a Michigan driver's licence.

It is time we enforce our laws or change them to have a common sense approach to proving who you are. With a driver's licence, you can get a voter's registration card, collect welfare, get a SS card, credit cards (well maybe not credit cards, most people can't get them these days).

Where does it stop? We need new requirements for licences. Tat s my stand, what's yours?

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Difference between Canada and U.S.A.

During the recent Winter Olympics, I tuned into CKLW radio (Canadian radio station) to catch some of the action when I couldn't watch it on television. While listening to Canadian radio, I realized that our political situation with government ineffectiveness, inefficiency and corruption is more common throughout the world.

If you want a different take, listen and watch Canadian radio and television. Our friends north of the border seem to be complaining about Canada's government being bloated while wasting millions of dollars. And that is the difference, while Canadians talk about millions of dollars being wasted, we talk about billions and trillions. When you consider that their total population is only around 35 million and ours is closer to 10 times larger with around 350 million people, take away the estimated 40 million illegals, the problems are pretty much the same.

Their politicians don't listen to them either. Their politicians think they know better as well. Their politicians are all experts or at least claim to be and were elected by making promises that they had no intention of keeping. As Rodney Dangerfield used to say, "Their politicians don't get any respect" nor do they deserve it.

One of the differences is in what they call themselves. They have the Liberal Party (founded in 1867 as a liberal movement), the Conservative party of Canada (formerly the Progressive Conservatives and relabeled when merged with the Canadian Alliance party in 2003 as conservative) and the New Democratic party (a social democratic party founded in 1961) and the Bloc Québécois party, (founded in 1991 as a social democratic, Quebec nationalist organization).

Stephen Harper, is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada, and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became Prime Minister after his party won a minority government in the 2006 federal election. He is the first Prime Minister from the newly reconstituted Conservative Party, following a merger of the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties.

The bottom line is that Canada is struggling with the same problems we are facing here in the U.S., just on a smaller scale but real none the less. For a long time, they struggled with the two party system but frustration over government policies lead to the formation of new parties. Canada seems to face many of the same circumstances as we face here when dealing with their respective political parties.

Canadians originally didn't think a third party would have a chance for survival but they are and continuing to grow in numbers because Canadians feel they are not being properly represented in government. Sound familiar? Maybe it is time for a major third party in the U.S.

Do yourself a favor; listen and watch Canadian television to get a different perspective of the world around us.

You might find views that are much more worldly and less just the U.S.

That's my stand. Let's hear your opinion but not before listening Canadian radio and television.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Obama Family Vacations

I don't know why everyone is so upset with Michele Obama going to Italy and bringing many of her friends with her. She doesn't have another vacation scheduled for another week. You would think that the American people were paying the in-excess of $250,000 (for security) out of their own pockets. To these people, I say, "RELAX".

OK, when you add in Air Force II, advance security teams, chase planes, ground transportation and local support costs, the actual cost may be between $1 and $2,000,000.00

So RELAX, it is not your money, it is only tax dollars! And nobody in Washington seems to care about tax dollars being spent, just tax dollars being collected.

That is my stand! Sad isn't it?

Sunday, August 1, 2010

In God We Trust...

I am not considered a very religious man, although I go to service most Sundays. My wife and two daughters are avid church goers and true believers, so I used to go to keep peace in the family by accompanying them but it didn't have much meaning for me.

Being raised Catholic in Canada was an experience unlike any because I was always taught that you would go to hell if you missed going to church on the first Friday of every month or on Sunday. When I moved to the U.S., I stopped going to church because the threat no longer existed from my mother.

However, I have been watching the U.S. liberalism, the ACLU, the atheist movement among others corrode the effect of God in our daily lives.

First, they allowed the removal of the Pledge of Allegiance from schools because it said, "...one nation, under God..." Then they wanted to remove it from the Pledge completely. Life started to change. It seemed people became less respectful of one another. People started calling each other names. Our politicians are the worst offenders of name calling.

Politicians continually refer to each by very disgusting descriptions. Both Democrats and Republicans are to blame for this. If I had my way, I would take them out to the wood shed and tan their hides bright red or wash their mouths out with soap.

They want to take God off of our money. "In God We Trust", all others pay cash!

They have taken prayer out of school, out of football games, out of the locker room, hell, you can't even say, "Bless You." to someone when they sneeze for fear of some wacko being offender.

The minority has taken over because they are louder than for the majority. This is totally wrong. It is time that we stand up to liberal ACLU loving atheist wackos and put God back into our lives.

In God We Trust...One Nation under God...God Bless You...A Christian Nation.

Time to take back America from the liberals and stand up for our real God fearing values. We may have a Muslim raised President but by God he is not going to get away with turning us into a bland socialist country.

That is my stand and I am sticking with it. If you don't like it, tough!