As most Bolingbrook and Romeoville residents are aware, Debbie Bielawski passed away recently. I cannot say how deeply this has saddened me. Mrs. Bielawski tolerated an impatient and unruly fourth-grade version of me back in the day when she was my Religious Education teacher. I have ridden on the bus to school with two of her children for years. She lives about a block away from my family. When she ran for school board, my parents were among the local citizens who offered advice and support. I privately campaigned for her amongst my friends who were of voting age. She was an ideal citizen, not running for office for power or glory, but because she genuinely wanted to create a better town for her family to live in.
What saddens me most is how stressful and unpleasant these past few months were for her. For a woman who was nothing but selfless in her duty to the community, she sure didn't end up with much to show in return. Bonnie made the connection between her and Roger Claar, as the Mayor had supported her candidacy for the school board, and, failing to find weakness in Mayor Claar's position, she attacked Mrs. Bielawski as his proxy. She worked to turn a woman who had done naught but good for the community into the subject of a state investigation, tainting her name with ideas of corruption.
In the end, the stress triggered yet another stroke, and weakened her immune system, allowing the cancer she had repeatedly beat back to finally overtake her. I must agree with Trustee Mike Lawler in his observation that Bonnie Alicea killed Debbie Bielawski.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thoughts on the Rights of the Vox Populi
As a student at a major university, those hotbeds of youthful political idealism, I hear a lot of talk about the Gay Marriage Debate. I hear about Iowa joining the handful of east-coast states that have legalized it. I hear about Proposition 8, now law, in California. And as most universities are, mine leans liberal, though it is not as bad as, say the University of Michigan. I find many people bemoaning Prop. 8 and praising Iowa's decision. I am in the group who dissents, but I am not in the group seeking the eradication of Gay Marriage as immoral. But before I get to that opinion specifically, I need to lay out the foundation of my reasoning, so that it can be best understood.
The Founding Fathers created our nation with two guiding principles: A guaruntee of certain rights in the Bill of Rights, and the establishment of democracy via the Republican Style of Governance. However, there is a substantial potential for conflict in those promises, arising in the fact that the will of the people may not always align with the values of the Constitution. Effectively, they have created an unstoppable force in the voice of the people, and an immovable object through the inalienable rights guarunteed by the Constitution. As someone must be victor in the event of a clashing between these two if anything is to ever to be accomplished in our government, I have personally decided to pledge my allegiances to the Voice of the Masses.
I have chosen this path as I firmly believe that a nation is defined by its people, and that no matter what laws it sets, as long as there are people identifying as Americans the United States of America will continue to exist. Take, for example, the United Kingdom. The Scots insist that they are independent from England, and have thus maintained all tenants of a nation beyond seperate borders, and even then they have fought fiercely. They are as much a country as France and Poland were during the Second World War. They have citizens who identify as Scots, they have distinct culture, and a political voice, and therefore maintain their status, in my opinion, as a nation, if not a soveirgn one.
Also, I believe that the founding fathers intended for the Constitution to be amendable. That is why Constitutional Conventions are held. If it weren't for the ability to move the immovable object, slavery would continue to exist and women would not have the right to vote. These are the result of the ideals of America's Citizenry, not its Constitution. These actions reflect the will of those responsible for them, and not the ideas of the Founding Fathers, as those men knew full well that without the flexibility to adapt, no form of government could peacefully rule a people.
So, with this knowledge, my decisions about Proposition 8 and the Gay Marriage Ruling in Iowa can be easily deduced. I support Proposition 8 as a movement by the voting majority in California to create an environment in which they are happy. I rejoice for them for their decision to affect their government, and congratulate them on their sucess. In Iowa, a court decision ruled that Gay Marriage must be allowed under state law, and I in no way fault the courts for this decision. I do, however, fault the Iowa Democratic Party for their blocking of a motion by Iowa Republicans to call a Constitutional Convention. If the court ruling truly reflected the Will of the People, the Democrats should have nothing to fear, which leads me to conclude that they are aware that their victory flies in the face of the values of their consituents. This is why I oppose the continued licensing of homosexual couples in Iowa, for it does not necessarily reflect the values of the Iowan Citizenry but the ideas of their representatives, and that is a perfectly acceptable idea in a Republic -- indeed it is the embodiment of the idea of the Republic -- but when some representatives feel an idea is important enough to go directly to the populace for decision, and other representatives deny that option to the populace, the people must demand that reasons outside of partisan politics be given for such blocking actions or for the vote to continue as requested.
This is my opinion, take it or leave it. I have laid out my logic, and presented my conclusions. I side with that which defines America, the unstoppable force that can move the immovable object, and that fuels the very existence of our Nation.
The Founding Fathers created our nation with two guiding principles: A guaruntee of certain rights in the Bill of Rights, and the establishment of democracy via the Republican Style of Governance. However, there is a substantial potential for conflict in those promises, arising in the fact that the will of the people may not always align with the values of the Constitution. Effectively, they have created an unstoppable force in the voice of the people, and an immovable object through the inalienable rights guarunteed by the Constitution. As someone must be victor in the event of a clashing between these two if anything is to ever to be accomplished in our government, I have personally decided to pledge my allegiances to the Voice of the Masses.
I have chosen this path as I firmly believe that a nation is defined by its people, and that no matter what laws it sets, as long as there are people identifying as Americans the United States of America will continue to exist. Take, for example, the United Kingdom. The Scots insist that they are independent from England, and have thus maintained all tenants of a nation beyond seperate borders, and even then they have fought fiercely. They are as much a country as France and Poland were during the Second World War. They have citizens who identify as Scots, they have distinct culture, and a political voice, and therefore maintain their status, in my opinion, as a nation, if not a soveirgn one.
Also, I believe that the founding fathers intended for the Constitution to be amendable. That is why Constitutional Conventions are held. If it weren't for the ability to move the immovable object, slavery would continue to exist and women would not have the right to vote. These are the result of the ideals of America's Citizenry, not its Constitution. These actions reflect the will of those responsible for them, and not the ideas of the Founding Fathers, as those men knew full well that without the flexibility to adapt, no form of government could peacefully rule a people.
So, with this knowledge, my decisions about Proposition 8 and the Gay Marriage Ruling in Iowa can be easily deduced. I support Proposition 8 as a movement by the voting majority in California to create an environment in which they are happy. I rejoice for them for their decision to affect their government, and congratulate them on their sucess. In Iowa, a court decision ruled that Gay Marriage must be allowed under state law, and I in no way fault the courts for this decision. I do, however, fault the Iowa Democratic Party for their blocking of a motion by Iowa Republicans to call a Constitutional Convention. If the court ruling truly reflected the Will of the People, the Democrats should have nothing to fear, which leads me to conclude that they are aware that their victory flies in the face of the values of their consituents. This is why I oppose the continued licensing of homosexual couples in Iowa, for it does not necessarily reflect the values of the Iowan Citizenry but the ideas of their representatives, and that is a perfectly acceptable idea in a Republic -- indeed it is the embodiment of the idea of the Republic -- but when some representatives feel an idea is important enough to go directly to the populace for decision, and other representatives deny that option to the populace, the people must demand that reasons outside of partisan politics be given for such blocking actions or for the vote to continue as requested.
This is my opinion, take it or leave it. I have laid out my logic, and presented my conclusions. I side with that which defines America, the unstoppable force that can move the immovable object, and that fuels the very existence of our Nation.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Bolingbrook Mayoral Election
So while home for Easter weekend, I perused the local papers, and happened upon the local election results. I was happy to see that all but one of the local Republicans were put into office, and that the one who wasn't lost in such a close race that they are recounting to be sure. I was disappointed, however, to find out more about Roger Claar's opponent, Bonnie Alicea and her campaign.
I read that despite losing 75% to 25% in the election, she was calling for a recount due to corruption and tampering on the behalf of Mayor Claar. I then began to look into her campaign, when a friend directed me to http://www.bolingbrookmayor.com/ which is the site Bonnie Alicea and her supporters are using to organize their continuing attacks on Roger. On this site, I found out about the true face of Bonnie's campaign, the face of immature name-calling and mud-slinging, where her non-existent platform goes ignored in light of their draconian zeal to slander Mayor Roger Claar's name.
So I say to you Bonnie Alicea, and to all of your followers: If you sought to change things, you have failed. If you sought to bring light to justified claims of corruption, you have failed. If you sought a change of dominant party in Bolingbrook, you have failed. If you sought to run a legitimate campaign based on real issues, you have failed.
And I say to you, Roger Claar, and all your followers: You have been challenged, and have emerged triumphant. I salute you, for essentially making Bolingbrook what it is today. They have have thrown accusations, run you, your family and friends through a veritable Crucible, and you have stood tall and prevailed. If you learn from this experience, grow in it, then never again will such a campaign threaten you.
I read that despite losing 75% to 25% in the election, she was calling for a recount due to corruption and tampering on the behalf of Mayor Claar. I then began to look into her campaign, when a friend directed me to http://www.bolingbrookmayor.com/ which is the site Bonnie Alicea and her supporters are using to organize their continuing attacks on Roger. On this site, I found out about the true face of Bonnie's campaign, the face of immature name-calling and mud-slinging, where her non-existent platform goes ignored in light of their draconian zeal to slander Mayor Roger Claar's name.
So I say to you Bonnie Alicea, and to all of your followers: If you sought to change things, you have failed. If you sought to bring light to justified claims of corruption, you have failed. If you sought a change of dominant party in Bolingbrook, you have failed. If you sought to run a legitimate campaign based on real issues, you have failed.
And I say to you, Roger Claar, and all your followers: You have been challenged, and have emerged triumphant. I salute you, for essentially making Bolingbrook what it is today. They have have thrown accusations, run you, your family and friends through a veritable Crucible, and you have stood tall and prevailed. If you learn from this experience, grow in it, then never again will such a campaign threaten you.
Welcome to the Ballroom!
Less that 24 hours ago I was discussing my frequent outbursts about myriad events and happenings in the world around me, and she suggested that I start a blog. So while I doubt very many people will read this, at least I will benefit from it.
Also, about the name. I do not consider myself a Maniac, nor do I dance really (though I would like to learn sometime). The name comes from my favorite swing song, "Maniac's Ball" as played by Glenn Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. Look it up sometime.
Also, about the name. I do not consider myself a Maniac, nor do I dance really (though I would like to learn sometime). The name comes from my favorite swing song, "Maniac's Ball" as played by Glenn Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. Look it up sometime.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
