On this Memorial Day, I reflect on the liberties and freedoms all Americans are granted

[AZLD4Candidate]

Freedom of speech,
freedom to vote,
freedom to practice or not to practice religion,
freedom to criticize,
freedom to protest things that you do criticize,
freedom to change the government on election day,
freedom to read news that is no censored or filtered by government,
freedom to do on the internet things that are not illegal and not worry about a governmental firewall stopping you,
freedom to choose your life and what you want to do with it,
freedom of economic mobility,
freedom to be who you are which laws forcing you into the closest
freedom of due process of law if accused of a crime

I've lived in countries where some, if not all, of these freedoms are pipe dreams. Malaysia has a national religion (Islam), as does Thailand (Buddhism). To criticize or question them can land you in prison.

South Korea has a been moving in the right direction, but since Lee Myung Bak (who Koreans I knew living there called Lee Myung Bush), the country has been tilting towards making Christianity a state religion.

I will not go into China, since we know none of those freedoms exist there and few people I know there (including my wife) don't see the problem. Judaism isn't one of the six recognized religions, so if I when to the Chabad House in Shanghai, my wife would be forbidden to enter because she doesn't have a foreign passport.

As I reflect on the freedoms I gave up living overseas, I come to realize that while we do have our flaws and problems (as all countries do), I do love my country and what it is supposed to be and stand for internationally. I expect some arguments which I accept, but I truly believe in my heart that we are that example, willing to expose our dirty laundry to the entire world, show our faults and our strengths, and always work to overcome them.

Those we remember on Memorial Day embody that. Those we look to for defense and protection (no, not you police agencies) are truly the ones who are the best among us. We owe them everything and they should be given everything we, as a people, can give because of what they are willing to give up: Their lives.

This Memorial Day, I ask all Americans, to truly dedicate it to those who have served, alive or dead. My brother served for years and lost friends in wars overseas. One of my good friends visited the grave of his son who contracted cancer while on deployment and died fourteen years ago just two months after his 22nd birthday.

These are the true role models. The 58,000 names on the Vietnam War Memorial. The 351,000 lost being the original ANTIFA and fighting Hitler, Mussolini, and Imperial Japan. The 21,000 in Korea. Iraq01. Afghanistan. Iraq02.

We are at our best when those that served and lived are taken care off completely. . .and those that fought and died are honored completely.

Have a great Memorial Day wherever you all live. Thank an active duty GI. Thank a veteran. Remember those who never came home.

Aram S. Katz
Candidate
Arizona House of Representatives
Leglislative District #4.

[onecaliberal]

1. We do not have the freedom to vote.

And so much of the news is Nazi propaganda it should be regulated.

[AZLD4Candidate]

2. I voted in the last election. Absentee at that

I've lived in regulated News countries. Thank you, but no thank you.

I'm sorry. We can agree to disagree.

[onecaliberal]

3. My African American neighbor didn't, she couldn't wait in line for 6 hours.

You can disagree all you want based on your experience. Until EVERYONE who wants to vote can. Your statement is not factual. Voter suppression laws are passing all over the country. Just because you can vote doesn’t mean everyone can.

[AZLD4Candidate]

5. With all due respect, my post wasn't about that. It was about Memorial Day

And you must be fun at a party.

[onecaliberal]

7. With all due respect you said we had the right to vote.

Not everyone has the right.
I’m not at a party and don’t feel the need to call people on this board drunk because I disagree with them. Can you read your own post?

[AZLD4Candidate]

9. Thank you for your opinion.

I am no longer going to dignify it with any more responses.

Please remember to thank an active duty GI or thank a veteran. Please honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Have a good Memorial Day.

[madville]

10. Her only option was to wait in line on Election Day?

In Florida we had a week of early voting and anyone who wanted a mail-in ballot could request one from their county supervisor of elections office. I did mail-in for the primary and the general.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

4. Propaganda is protected under the 1A.

Let me ask you this, would you trust the Govt. to determine what is and what is not propaganda?
Especially if the repigs were in charge?

No thanks, the 1A is just fine as it is.

Think about what you said here.

[onecaliberal]

8. It would be nice to stop airing politicians who still say the election was stolen from trump.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

11. It would be nice, but the 1A absolutely gives them that right,

and we have the right to counter those lies and expose them for the assholes and liars they really are.

[onecaliberal]

12. Yup. That's why 54% of republicans say Trump is still potus.

That counter argument is working great. Not.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

17. So your answer is to shit all over the 1A

Doesn't seem like a very good move.

The repigs would love nothing better than to have that power, you might as well kiss DU goodbye as it would be labeled propaganda and regulated, as in, banned.


Great strategy.

[sarisataka]

13. Interesting...

In order to have a free press we need to regulate the press.

[onecaliberal]

15. Regulate LIES from the press. That why fox isn't aired in Canada.

[sarisataka]

19. Freedom means you get truth with lies

Regulation means you get what the government allows.

I will take the former.

[onecaliberal]

21. That is your opinion.

History has already taught us what propaganda does. Too bad we don’t learn from history.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

23. That's not an opinion,

it's a fact.

[sarisataka]

24. If the government was allowed to regulate "lies"

Who do you thing would have won the election? Would the widespread voter fraud been the "truth" because that is what the news was allowed to report?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

22. I don't much give a fuck if Faux is aired in Canada or not, that's not relevent,

Faux is aired in the US because of the 1A, and I prefer that to a Govt controlled press.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

25. ...

That why fox isn't aired in Canada.

Not true.

https://factcheck.afp.com/fox-news-available-canada

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved the distribution in Canada of the US-based Fox News Channel in 2004 and according to the Fox News website, the channel is currently available through 16 cable or satellite providers, with two also providing the Fox Business channel.

The CRTC’s website confirms this on its list of “programming services and stations authorized for distribution.”

“We can confirm Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct do indeed carry the Fox News channel for customers in Canada,” Chethan Lakshman, vice president for external affairs at Shaw Communications, Canada’s second largest television provider, told AFP in an email.

You want to try again?

[onecaliberal]

16. Stacey Abrams

https://tennesseestar.com/2019/08/19/voter-suppression-worse-now-than-in-the-1960s-stacey-abrams-says/

[madville]

14. Nationwide we have never had more options to vote than we do today

I still remember though what is was like before most places had early voting and strict absentee ballot requirements.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

6. This Veteran greatly thanks you for this thread.

[sarisataka]

18. To day is a day to remember many who were asked to give

Some of them gave all.

The rest of them gave some of themselves and carried burdens until time took them from us.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

20. +100. nt