What's more important: Security? or Convenience?

In response to Nisha's editoral, Airport security : Issues on pat downs and the OL dreaded scanner, I would like to add that airport securities have been more strict since the 9/11. At least this is not only my opinion but my experience as I have been the "random" selected individual 75 percent of the time I travel domestic and/or international. To me, it's not the inconvenience that concerns me. It's the security that protects me.

Few may feel that we are receiving prejudice from TSA due to race, color, gender, or ethnicity. However, it is not the case most of the time. It's not the security systems that bothers the Americans. It's the inconvenience that we are feeling getting pat down more often.

An incident where an elderly patient getting soaked in his own urine because of pat down security check may have been a huge mistake or an immoral offensive behavior on TSA's behalf. It's quiet fascinating that it catches media's attention more than TSA's effort to prevent terrorism acts last Christmas.

I agree with Nisha that TSA should better train their staff to leverage the security system more precisely and assist random selected patted down travelers with their specific needs.

Is Palin fit for the National Office?

During an interview with New York Times, Sarah Palin made firm implications about running for 2012 presidential election. Palin’s indicated that not only she considers running for a president but she confirms victory over Barack Obama. Despite all the criticism that a president receives for handling specific issues, Sarah Palin has been in spot light since 2008 and continues to receive many criticisms involving her creditability to govern a state or whether or not she expands her policy portfolio.

Palin’s discipline to govern a nation is not so stable as she continues to get challenged by negative speculations. Nonetheless, her celebrity life as hosting her own show and her daughter shaking her stuff on television does not really suites her character as a president. Not to mention when Palin was challenged by the speculations about ethics as running for VP she resigns from her position as a Governor of Alaska.

Another question that arises is where does Palin stand on her policies? Recently, Palin weighed in on the Federal Reserve’s action to print more money into the economy and mistakenly commented that inflation has been high where the truth is actually the opposite. When there is uncertainty in her statement and the fact it really questions her ability to be in the politics. I think she is more fit for authoring more books talking about things like “American Idol” than for a president.

America does not need a challenged fellow rather a challenger to run the nation. Not a celebrity who people care about its issues but a leader who cares about its people issues. We need the one with the confidence and deliberately decisive in nation's issues. Even if the media spotlight is on Sarah Palin’s consideration running for presidential election in 2012 I believe she has a better chance hosting more shows and not to worry about nation’s issues that she is not even deeply concerned about or even have a sense to comprehend the root of them.

Get Down To The Earth!

In response to Samantha Johnson’s post “Going Green”, I would like to add that we as a society are not taking initiatives to gather the crowd and focus on resolving this issue as efficiently as it can and must be done. If further neglected and or procrastinated the consequences that our future generation face will be devastating.

Before any issue possibly be considered imperative to respond to in a society, most of the time the question is what benefit one may receive for taking initiatives to act on resolution. As much as I’m in agreement of reducing our carbon footprints and saving energy, I have to disagree that we as society have even taken significant initiatives to draw more attention and /or show any short-term and long-term incentives to enforce “Go Green” acts. For instance, if plastic bags at a grocery store are still available at no cost what incentives do we get purchasing a re-usable cloth bag? To the date I still see more media advertising gas gushing trucks than the Hybrids or rechargeable battery operated cars. Not to mention that the cost to acquire a hybrid vehicle is inconveniently high priced than some of the new cars one can purchase for under $10K.

If giving away some coupon incentives to use cloth-bags at a grocery store or even purchasing hybrid or electric cars becomes affordable, our society will likely to be more engaged in “Go Green” acts and fostering eco-friendly system. Another way to strategically save trees is by actually using the electronic medium to process transactions in businesses and households. Utilize the Internet technology to send or receive receipts via email or to sign legal documents over secured encrypted databases than printing papers use electricity, trees, and improperly discarding toners in a land field.

Personally, I believe that there are far more complex issues that our society have faced and overcome before. A simple but yet very important issue such as reducing carbon footprints and changing our attitudes toward using renewable energy resources will be better pay off economically and environmentally. As much as we all talk about going green it is incumbent upon us to really act on it TODAY! It is our sole responsibility to adapt the eco-friendly environment today and get down to the earth!

Does America really support its troops?

In an article, Most US troops, families say gays OK, author Anne Flaherty states that according to an internal Pentagon study, most U.S. troops and their families do not support "Don't ask Don't tell" policy and favors rights to the gay military personals. Not to mention a significant cost of survey was $4.5 million that shows no or very little evidence of methods Pentagon used in conducting this study.

Although I'm a firm believer of everyone is created equally but it's hard to believe that the Pentagon conducted survey depicts the true results and the voice of the whole nation rather just the opinions of troops and their families. An issue pertaining to racial profiling is such a controversial topic that requires an extensive research on conducting survey that includes but not limited to random selection calling, diverse age groups selection, and avoiding any bias questions supporting one belief over another.

Another concern that arises from the Flaherty's article is, that why is our nation as well as national government relying on surveys to value each other’s rights and accepting everyone's beliefs even if it's against one owns. A hetrosexual person seeks for his/her rights but forget to give gay's theirs? No one is perfect and holds the title to pass their judgment, but hetrosexual public is perceived to be so perfect that they can say it's wrong for the homosexual military personals to be attracted to same sex gender?

So let's ask us we honor, respect and support our troops but not the ones that are gay? Their lives, beliefs, values, and morals are just as precious as any other hetrosexuals but we as a nation really needs to think deeper and ask do we support all of our troops? Do we need to give them their rights as they are protecting ours endangering their lives in combat?

Stimulus checks to dead and incarcerated: Where is the accountability?

Louise Radnofsky, a blogger at The Wall Street Journal entices concerned citizens’ attention giving facts on Stimulus Checks Sent to the Dead and incarcerated. According to a recently released Watchdog report, 89,000 stimulus checks of $250 each were sent to beneficiaries that were either dead or incarcerated. The stimulus checks were the part of the economy recovery program under Obama’s administration. Despite the criticism that our government receives developing stimulus program, it is very imperative to issue the amount to the people who can benefit from it to avoid defeating the sole purpose of the aid.

What caused the Social Security Administration to send payments to dead and imprisoned is a burning question? Radnofsky elaborates the furious answer that 72,000 checks were electronic-transfer to qualified people – had they still been alive. 55,000 out of all the dead beneficiaries were not even the records as deceased. The Social Security Administration did not record the other 17,000 deceased properly. The combined significant amount of $22.3million that was mistakenly sent out is not retrievable according to SSA failed to provision such act in stimulus program. In response to this issue the SSA is proud to announce 99.8 percent accurate payments were sent to 52 million beneficiaries.

My personal question would be when is the government’s planning to acknowledge that significantly $12 million that is yet to retrieve is due to lack of accountability? I guess the follow up question is going to be how are we going to get it back what is untouched in the bank accounts of deceased people? What happens to the money sent to imprisoned beneficiaries? Is the institution like the Social Security Administration operating with zero or less than 100 percent accountability? How is the SSA going to address these issues and assure to prevent such losses in the future? When there are many more burning questions like these come to the general public’s minds and the precise answers are no where to find, how should we have the confidence in our government allocating scarce aid to the right individuals.

In tough times like now, abusing government funds due to record errors or fraud is never tolerable. Radnofsky states our national deficit is closing on $13.5 trillion and these errors that can cost millions are just a pure example of disregarding accountability lacking ethics in operating government institutions. Despite the cause of any error any firm or government institution must implement 100 percent accountability and measure it daily to prevent any harm to our nation’s future.

What really helps the economy is still a question.....?

An editor at CNN, Diane Lim Rodgers, argues in "Tax cuts not the way to fix economy" that recent Obama's proposal letting Bush tax cuts expire for wealthy is unfair and doesn't help the economy in long run. In contrast, Obama supports the extension of $2.2 trillion tax cuts for "middle class" is going to hurt the economy even more. What favors Obama's proposal toward the Bush tax cuts to expire is the hope that individuals getting the tax cuts would seek investment as an option to stimulate the economy. Rodgers opposed the actual reasoning behind the tax cuts.

She argues that Obama expiring $700 billion tax cuts for wealthy is a proposed solution to fix the economy but extending $2.2 trillion tax cuts for "middle class" is yet another deficit for a long term. In a short term it's a bit unhealthy to raise taxes on poor when the income is declining but taking money from the rich is just as unhealthy and discriminating.

I am somewhat in agreement with Rodgers that proposed tax cuts isn't going to help much in fixing the economy for long run but my reasoning is that rather give poor tax breaks government should implement a system to use the tax cut money for the sole purpose of investment to help stimulate the economy. My proposal is to create a system that enforces the money from the rich to be used to create more jobs. I totally opposed the discriminatory tax cuts among the rich and the poor but a system to enforce rich create more jobs for poor is helping the society as a whole thus; it is not a discrimination.

Thoughts on Afghans Protest Quran Burning Plan, Torch US Flag

I came across reading this article explaining the rising tensions in Afghanistan in response to a planned Quran burning practice by Florida pastor. Burning Quran to celebrate 9/11 anniversary has been all over the news condemning this act. What may have caused Terry Jones, Florida pastor, to construct a plan to burn copies of Muslim's sacred book is still a question in my mind? I would say it's the lack of education about Islam.

First, I would like to agree with Jones apposing the construction of mosque near ground zero. Despite the fact that we all have the right to practice freedom of religion but building mosque near ground zero could offend as it did some Americans. A threat to burn Quran in response is not helping the situation. Let us ask ourselves, how could burning holy book or flag possibly make the situation any better?

The tragedy of 9/11 was indeed a terrible and immoral act. To justify the act, the non-believers as known as the Islamist Extremist, distorted the Islam. In my understanding, terrorists have no religion. They can take any form and label themselves whoever they want. They can say Islamic or Christian act of killing others. Just as Christians or any other world's religion despise the Nazi's, Terrorists are just as bad or even worse that no religion supports such organization.

Countries overseas like, Afghanistan is yet to develop an education system to equip themselves with the knowledge that is necessary to accept others' beliefs. Are we as The United States maintains the same level of religious education as undeveloped, corrupted and illiterate eastern countries? Let's ask ourselves a question, what has changed after burning the U.S. flag in response to a Quran burning threat? It only increased more hatred between the two.