Joe the Plumber

I can honestly admit that I am not the most educated person when it comes to the presidential election and by no means do I know everything each candidate is fighting for. I have not watched all the presidential debates but I decided to watch the final debate between McCain and Obama so I could learn more about each of their ideas for the future of America. I began watching about 30 minutes into the debate but the moment I tuned in they were talking about Joe the Plumber. When I first heard both McCain and Obama mention his name I thought he was a hypothetical character they were referencing relating to their fundamental beliefs about taxes. But I soon found out that he was an actual man that Obama had met during one of his campaigns in Ohio. Apparently Joe the Plumber had raised a lot of questions about Obama’s tax plan and the negative effect it would have on all of America, even though only the upper tax bracket would face an increase in taxes. But the day following the debate I saw a video on Yahoo where Diane Sawyer was interviewing Joe after his named was mentioned 23 times in the presidential debate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeX3zfvIwAA. 

During the interview, it immediately became apparent that Joe was not in the tax bracket that would be affected by higher taxes when Diane Sawyer asked if he was making $250,000+ a year and he laughed at the notion. So she continued to question him about why this was such a troubling issue for him if it would not affect his personal income. Joe responded by saying that “why should they [people who make more than $250,000] be penalized for being successful.” He also stated that one day he hoped he could start a business that would earn that much money but higher taxes threaten all upcoming small businesses. When taxes are increased, businesses usually decrease the number of jobs because they have to give up a large portion of their earnings to the government. So even though those who do not make $250,000 are affected by higher taxes because there is potential many small and large companies will reduce their number of employees. During the interview Joe also said, “What if he [Obama] decides well $150,000 you’re pretty rich too, lets go ahead and lower it again, you know it’s a slippery slope. When is it gonna stop?” The basic point Joe is trying to make is that taxes will always be necessary but the government does not need to make taxes increasingly higher on those who have high incomes.

I completely agree with Joe because if people are willing to work hard for their income they should not have to see their salary stripped away. I know taxes are necessary for all people because the government needs funding to operate. I also understand that those who make make more money can afford to pay more taxes than those who do not have as high of salaries, but only to an extent. The idea of taking a large sum of the upper classes money away to “distribute the wealth” to the lower classes is bordering socialist beliefs even though we live in a democracy. Obama’s tax plan has varied over the campaign because earlier this year I heard that he wanted the upper tax bracket to pay as high as 45% of their income to the government through taxes. Whether it be a 3% increase or a 9% increase, raising taxes ultimately threatens the entire economy. Our economy depends on the people spending money in markets, but when more of the money is taken out of a workers salary the less they will be willing to spend in American markets. Raising taxes would also affect the American economy because, as I said before, fewer job opportunities will be available because those individuals and companies will have to take more money out of their salary and they will not be able to afford as many workers as they had when taxes were lower.

A Common Trend

I was only nine years old when I witnessed my parents first fight. I was outside with one of my closest friends enjoying the beautiful summer day. It was one of those images that I can never seem to escape even though it happened so long ago. My friend asked whether I heard someone yelling so, assuming my mom wanted me, I went inside to see what she needed. When I got into my kitchen I saw my parents in a huge struggle over a stupid set of car keys. The fight ended with my dad shoving my mother on the unforgiving tile floor and storming out of the house with no explanation or apology. I was in a complete state of shock watching my mother crying profusely and having no idea what even sparked the argument. I teared up but I was very shy so I went to the bathroom and made sure I looked composed before going back outside to continue to hang out with my friend. 

After that dispute, I rarely saw my dad for the next few years, and when I did see him a fight between him and my mom always occurred. About a year after that event my mom told me that she and my dad were getting a divorce. When she told me this I was so confused because I did not even know what a divorce truly was. She painfully explained it to me but I was convinced this was all an act my parents were playing on my brother and me that was supposed to teach us a lesson about the importance of family. I made this ridiculous scheme up because I did not want to believe that my family would never be a family again. But I quickly learned that that was not the case so I accepted it and acted like I was not affected by this traumatic event. 

I had honestly never heard of divorce when my parents went through that terrible process but now it seems like such a common trend. Divorce has almost become an accepted ritual today and so many marriages end in divorce. The statistics vary quite a bit from source to source but on one website I read that as high as 49% of marriages ultimately end in divorce (Divorce Magazine). This is very upsetting to me because I personally know the tribulations both the children and the spouse, who may or may not want the divorce, are forced to endure. I remember my mother thought it was imperative that I go to see a psychiatrist following the divorce. Being that I was very shy, I was too embarrassed to tell people that I was leaving school early to see a psychiatrist, so I told everyone who asked that I was going to the dentist. (Which at the age of ten seemed like a good excuse, but the probability that I went to the dentist twice a month is quite unlikely.) Although my embarrassment over a “shrink” was not the worst thing in the world, I became an extremely introverted person who closed myself off from the world because, for lack of better word, I was ashamed of the situation I was experiencing. I always heard people talk and sometimes even complain about activities they did with their families and I just longed for a civil encounter between my whole family. My family stories consisted of my parents getting in arguments over the most unimportant things that would always turn into vicious fights, ultimately leafing to my mother in tears and my dad storming off and not hearing from him for weeks. 

My point is simple: marriage is a beautiful sacrament and it should be respected and treated as a sacred blessing that lasts forever. Sometimes divorce is inevitable, such as in my parent’s situation, but in some cases I think it could truly be avoided. Lately people either rush into marriage without truly knowing their spouse and a few years into the marriage they may find it hard to tolerate each other. But I think sometimes, since divorce is so common nowadays, people are willing to give up when times get tough in a marriage and opt for a divorce because it is easier to follow the trend than fight to make a relationship work. I do not mean to offend those who get a divorce because, as I stated earlier, that sometimes relationships just do not work and a divorce cannot be avoided. But it is my sincere hope that one day divorce will not be viewed so lightly and that more people will have lasting and successful marriages. Since I was a young girl I have always wanted a happy family but since the chance of a successful marriage is only 50%, I have doubts I will ever attain the utmost desired “happy ending.”

Here without my Horse

When I left for college I thought I the hardest part would be leaving my family and friends behind. The absence from my family has been hard on me but I grew comfortable with my surroundings very quickly making the transition relatively easy. The one aspect of my life that I miss the most is horseback riding. I have been riding horses for nearly eleven years now so the absence of riding is so unfamiliar and strange that I do not know how to handle it. I am not saying that I miss my horse more than my family and friends, but I can talk to them whenever I like on the phone but I obviously cannot ride my horse from 250 miles away. I feel like I have had to go cold turkey from riding which has been extremely hard on me. Horseback riding has always been an activity that I can turn to when I am bored, upset, stressed, and even sick to make me feel better for that hour while I am on my horse. Not only is it hard not to ride because riding is my favorite thing to do, but I also miss my horse more every week. My horse, Ortiz, is my baby and my protege. Most kids grow attached to a small dog or stuffed animal, but I grew attached to a 900 pound horse who was deemed crazy by most people. He was literally scared of shadows and definitely afraid of jumps, but after many years he is now a confident jumper. The reason I love my horse so much is we were both able to improve together. I was able to become a more confident rider and also a more determined person and he became a talented horse that people now actually admire. Hopefully in time I will get to bring my baby up to Dallas so I will get to ride him more than a few time a year. Now more than ever, as the assignments and stress are piling up, I just want be able to escape for an hour and have a completely enjoyable and carefree ride on my horse.