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I Hate Lobby Day Traffic in Albany

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Traffic heading downtown on Tuesdays during the legislative session can be sluggish and annoying, even on the bus.

Tuesday is often called “lobby day” in Albany, because tons of cars and buses converge on downtown with citizens eager to lobby their government. That’s their right, and it’s good that people are concerned about the workings of their government.

Traffic Jam

But what sucks is the traffic headaches that lobby day create. Heading into the city most days, except lobby day is never crowded. But when hundreds or maybe even thousands of additional cars converge on downtown, it’s nothing but a headache – even just riding the bus to work. When I drive to work, I always make sure to avoid taking the expressway to work on lobby day.

I Don’t Have to Engage in Blasphemy All the Time

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I'm not really a conservative, but I sure like sometimes challenging the unchecked liberal views of some of my friends.

One of my favorite hobbies is being a contrarian, reading the pros-and-cons of an issue and making up my own mind. Somebody tells me something, I have to question it and take apart the notion, and read what the opposition says.

I am a Democrat. I’ve been one ever since I turned 18. I often hang out with left-leaning groups, and attend there functions. I enjoy arguing with liberals and taking apart their arguments. Not because I’m a dyed in the wool conservative, but because I don’t believe it’s a good reason to take a position, just because it’s popular with my peers.

Some people don’t like to have their ideas challenged. But I don’t believe in self-evident political truths. I know virtually everything can be debated, and with every political position there are winners and losers. There may be a 99% and 1% in the income spectrum, but individuals in both groups are divided on which policies best benefit them. People are different and no single policy will benefit or everybody the same.

Rock Stack

I guess I should just shut up at times, and spend less time challenging the establishment. But it sure is fun.

Tie Voting Rights to Gun Ownership Rights

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There is a lot of debate today on who should have the right:

  • To Own Firearms

  • To Vote in Elections

Obviously, as a democratic society, which strongly believes in the second amendment and the right of individuals to own firearms for personal protection and hunting, as many people as possible should have both the right to vote and own firearms.

vote

Some people argue to prevent future massacres and murders, we need more gun control. And yet others say, we should have more clamping down on elections, to ensure those who shouldn’t be voting, don’t. Dangerous and insane people, after all, could influence close elections, and cause party control to be thrown from one person to another.

Basic fairness suggests that if you are a citizen of a society, you should keep your basic rights. If for some reason, a citizen commits a serious or infamous crime, they should lose all of their rights. Once they have completed their sentence, and are viewed once again to be safe to be returned to the street, then they should have all rights restored – be it second amendment rights or voting rights. Dangerous people do not belong on the street. If somebody lacks the ability to know right for wrong or is morally corrupt, they should either be locked up behind bars or executed by criminal justice system.

A double standard makes no sense.