"To be safe or not to be safe? That is the question": 9/11

No one in America or the world could have even come close to imagining how much the world was about to change on that sunny, early autumn day in September, 2001. When you ask American's to reflect back on 9/11, none of them say that they imagined that on that day, when they woke up, they would witness right before their very eyes the death of 2977 innocent people within an hour's time, see two buildings that were landmarks of America's capitalism and financial strength topple to ash, fathom that anyone could come close to striking the Pentagon which is quite possibly the most famous symbol of military might in the world,  or months later the United States would begin a war that almost 2 decades later  would still be ongoing. The shock was only increased with the news that a plane had crashed in a Pennsylvania fields killing everyone aboard after its passengers had rushed the cockpit trying to stop hijackers.  Most importantly, Americans couldn't fathom the dark world of polarization, financial despair, and national security policies that would be adopted turning the once "Live Free or Die" mentality of this great land into a land of wire-tapping and violated civil liberties in the name of the "War on Terrorism." After all, these things happened in Tom Clancy books and in Russia, not in the United States of America.  Wrong. 

As the days and weeks progressed following 9/11 there was great "sense" of patriotism.  Americans became proud by each day hearing stories of everyday public service heroes who went up the stairs of the World Trade Center Towers as everybody was frantically going down trying to escape. Stories of phone recordings began to depict the super hero- like actions of the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 who sacrificed their own lives to bring down their hijacked plane thwarting the hijackers plans to crash the Boeing 757 into the White House had everybody all over the country quoting passenger Todd Beamer's famous last words, "Let's Roll." America was on a patriotic "high" and the come down was about to crash not just individuals and American moral but also the economy and very foundation and constitution that the United States was built on.  

Who could forget the famous National Terrorism Advisory System that the newly Homeland Security Department had so miraculously come up with?  American's suddenly felt “safer” glued to their televisions looking for “the color of the day” just like Smokey the Bear warning elementary school children of the danger level of forest fires. Fear had taken over America overnight and invaded homes and lives like a thief in the night stealing any real sense of reality and what being an American was all about. The President was easily given the power to thrust the country into two wars that has already cost American Taxpayers close to $1 trillion and, according to the Center for Budget and Policies, will account for almost half the projected national debt of $20 trillion by 2019.  That's not even the tip of the iceberg.   American citizens stood back out of fear and allowed their elected officials to vote “yes” on the Patriot Act which essentially allowed the government to impinge on god given civil liberties by wire-tapping civilian phones and accessing their public library, medical, and financial records without warrants.  Yes, not only did America allow its own government to spy on them, but they PAID, and continue to pay, them to do it.  

America's dirty little secret is not just the NSA; it's also the fact that the defense division of the government employs over 800,000 employees, most of them private contractors, and those same private contractors not only don't have to answer to Congress, but they also are enticing government employees to work for their firms, and then turning around and "renting" them back out to the same federal agencies they hired them from at 2-3 times the cost. On top of that, it would take all day to explain how the American intelligence world has, currently, 51 agencies that do the same job of federally tracking terrorist's flow of money.  ("The 'Top Secret America' Created by Sept. 11", NPR). No wonder the United States’ government has a problem with oversight of its intelligence community; nobody knows who is coming or going. So why are American tax payers continuously okay with allowing their senators and representatives to write blank checks to the defense departments? It's like giving the wife the Black Card and setting her loose in Barneys during their yearly Christian Louboutin sale:  you just don't do, but America does. 

Some would oppose and insist all the above is to save lives and the future safety of America and subsequently the world.  But is America safer? Are lives being saved? 9/11 cost al Qaeda roughly $500,000 and they killed 2977 people in one day along with another 4340 lives in other attacks all over the world.  What is America’s numerical breakdown on their fight against al Qaeda and terror?  The United States is $3.3 trillion in the hole, all connected to the backlash of 9/11; and the government has instigated two wars that has killed, soldiers and civilians combined, over 140,000 people while, as of 2012,  al Qaeda had lost 50 of its influential leaders.  According to the score board America is not winning, not even close.  

Despite these facts, America is now polarized on the issues more than ever.  Insults are thrown at each other faster than at the family Thanksgiving table when the subject of national security is brought up.  In general, the Republicans will be the first to claim that the above is worth all the costs and the only way to deal with terrorism is to strike first, hard, and aggressively.  Democrats, on the other hand, couldn't agree more; they believe that the course the government has taken in response to 9/11 has cost too many lives, destroyed the country morally and financially, and are not working. Most importantly, Democrats now believe that, if allowed to continue, the Patriot Act will forever compromise the very civil liberties that makes America the beacon of freedom to the rest of the World.  

As America looks ahead to upcoming international affairs such as the Russia/Crimenia/Ukraine controversy, they must realize that things will only get worse unless they commit to moving on using 9/11 truly as a learning experience, which has yet to be done.  Politicians need to stop trying to sway voters by using their fears from 9/11 and insecurity over national security as ways to sway the vote, but citizens must also realize that the true power lies in the constituents.  Conservative or Liberal, maybe it's time to really commit to Obama's plan of alienating al Qaeda from the majority of the Islam world.  The reality is that newly instigated revolutions such as Arab Spring seem to be more of a threat to al Qaeda and their supreme goal of establishing a "caliphate” than any War on Terror raged against them  ("The World After 9/11: Part I", Bruce Riedel; Yale Global online).  Despite what most Americans are lead to believe by the media and political leaders, the Islam world detests extremists; the concept goes against every aspect of their religion and the Koran.  Instead of trying to alienate itself from the Islam world, The United States should recognize that they may quite possibly be its most powerful ally when it comes to fighting and eliminating al Qaeda. 

It is important America looks at the mistakes of the Soviet Union during their war with the Taliban in Afghanistan in the 1980's.  More focus needs to be brought on issues such as the conflicts between Pakistan and India, and the fact that the largest al Qaeda support now lies in the heart of Pakistan and its government.  Iraq needs to be counseled on how to improve Sunni and Shiite relations to avoid further recruitment by al Qaeda of disenfranchised citizens, and focus how civil wars in countries like Syria can be used for recruitment purposes by terrorists.  Hindsight is 20/2 so maybe it’s time to use the past to regain perfect vision of how to better the future.  America must find a way to bring bipartisanship back so the country can confront the one issue that threatens America more than any nuclear weapon or terrorist threat: separation.  9/11 was meant to separate the country as a nation and make Americans prisoners of their own fear, and they have done and become just that while al Qaeda hides behind the chess board screaming, "Check Mate."

The Boston Bombings: Past, Present and Future

I still remember clearly where I was and what I was doing the day of the Boston Bombings, because I had been complaining all day about having to work on Patriots Day, especially since it was such a beautiful, sunny day. I was taking a late lunch-break by browsing through my Facebook page when I saw that somebody had posted that two bombs had gone off at the Boston Marathon's finish line.  Thinking it was a sick joke, I immediately pulled up MSNBC where I was able to confirm the sad and tragic truth.  I immediately knocked on the exam room door and waited for my boss to step out to give him the news. The whole office rushed to the front desk computer and started to look up news feeds to get more information.  More patients started to trickle in for their appointments, one of them even just having come from his home in Copley, and they all had our same reaction: fear and shock. I think we all instinctively were brought back to 9-11 as the initial fear took over us.  I even called my roommate frantically asking her to come pick me up from work in Newton, because I refused to take public transportation home too afraid and sure that the MBTA would also at some point that day be targeted; I was convinced this was not the end of the attacks and surely there would be more.

Looking back, I learned a lot about myself just from my initial reactions of that day.  I learned how fear can easily control us as individuals and make us go against every bit of logic, morals, and values we have.  Taking a look back to a year ago, I am also upset at myself for being so okay when martial law was declared in the pursuit of the Tsarnaev brothers; in hindsight, after reading The Role of Federal Military Forces in Domestic Law Enforcement Title (found with this link : http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/call/docs/10-16/ch_11.asp ), it is clear that this decision by our government officials rode on a thin, dangerous line of what our constitution considers to be  just caus to call in the United States Military to solve domestic issues.  None of us spoke up or even dared to question these decisions, just as we set back and allowed the NSA to violate our civil rights, liberties, and freedoms following 9-11.  Months following the Boston Bombings, I was haunted by my inability to stand up and exercise my rights as an American; rights that people all over the world die and kill for every day while I am afforded the luxury of those same very rights being a birthright. One injustice or crack in the system threatens us all, and at the time of the attacks we all allowed our fears and prejudices to shadow that valuable fact.

How quickly we forget lessons we were supposed to learn in WWII when one crazed, fanatical man who's own insecurities led him to obsessed racism of a whole race of people, and then, through fear, was able to incite the masses to try to eliminate that same group of people off the face of the earth.  One man, who could not accept responsibility for his own failures as a young man, was able to take fear and prejudice and turn it into a hatred and racism that became so radical, extreme, and evil that it allowed a whole country of people to stand back and let more than 7 million people be killed just because of their religious association and declare war that ended up turning the whole world upside down. Yes, Adolf Hitler is the man I am talking about, and yes, he was able to incite World War II by one thing and one thing only: generating fear amongst the masses over an exaggerated threat.  Terrorism at its best.  In Germany the terrorism was not from an outside source, however; it was as terrorism by the people on its own people. The German people became victims of their own fear and despair by not being able to step out from under the cloak of the unknown created by it's misguided leaders to look out and see that, in fact, the Boogie Man was not lurking around the corner; their fear overshadowed the fact that the only danger was conforming and not standing up for what was right  This too goes for America following the Boston Marathon Bombings.

The Boston Bombings have exposed the fact that we, as a county and people, have come to this dangerous fork in the road; the impasse where we must decide if we are going to give into our fears and forget everything our forefathers painstakingly mapped out for this country that Spring day in 1787 during the Philadelphia Convention, or be true Americans by exercising those rights that started on the same day we were celebrating the day of the bombings: Patriots Day.  Patriots Day isn't just a day for us to get a day off of work to veg out and watch the Boston Marathon on television.  It's a day celebrating the Battles of Lexington and Concord. It's not called "The shot heard around the world" for no reason at all.  On April 19, 1775 American colonists gave their lives to begin a battle that would result in a country with a foundation so inspiring, beautiful, and strong, that over 300 years later, people from all over the world would still be continuing to give their lives for just a shot at being a part of that very same country and her ideals .  How dare we jeopardize it all out of fear.

Fear is not a new concept to this country; and fear is not an enemy we haven't time after time conquered as a unified nation. Why start now? We must all learn from this situation along with lessons from the past and stop doing the terrorists' missions for them.  Yes, there is a danger of acts like these happening again, but the acts we should be the most fearful of are the ones we and our government commit against ourselves and the constitution  in the names of "protection' and "safety." We can't allow ourselves to profile one another; we must stay  tolerant towards one another's religious and civil liberties; in fact, it is our DUTY to protect not just our rights but our fellow Americans' rights as well.  How? By using the very tool our forefathers made sure we would have when they wrote that 4 paged document in 1787: our voice.  The minute we stop speaking up out of intimidation, the terrorists and radicals have won.

Our issues are not Islam, Al-Qaeda, or even terrorism; our issue is one another.  We must be careful of who we label our enemies and the power we give up by quickly jumping to conclusions and refusing to look at our own actions as a nation as possible breeding grounds for the very hate that these extremists and ,in the case of the Boston Bombers, criminals are cultivating.  We are the catalyst, and until we accept this fact and work to rectify it, we will continue on the same tragic, torturous path.  The Boston Bombings were not attacks by Islamic radical groups on America and its citizens and residents like on 9-11.  They were acts by two young, confused men, who had no direction or positive figure to turn to.  They were immigrants who came to this country and became citizens with the hopes of experiencing the American Dream only to find out that their adopted land did not consider them a part of that very dream.

Through our ignorance and inability as a country to generally accept and embrace things that are different from us, we took two non-radical citizens and treated them like enemies creating a hate so strong and desperate that they felt the only way to ratify that hate was to kill. Is it a excuse or free get out of jail card for the  younger brother who will now stand trial for these actions? No, but I think it is a valuable lesson we should all take heed to. We must realize that as we speak, there are hundreds more just like the Tsarnaev brothers teetering on the edge of either becoming positive members of our communities or giving into radicalism out of desperation and anger. Are we going to learn from our mistakes of the past caused by our own ignorance and prejudices and make these individuals our friends or enemies? Are we once again going to be that nation that was such a beacon of light and freedom for the world that millions gave up their lives just for chance at being a part of it; just to have those "inalienable rights" that we now are so willing to throw away in the name of fear and ignorance? I hope not.  I hope that we all take a moment to allow the Boston Bombings to allow us to heal, grow, and open our eyes to the world around us, and the next time we get the chance, we do just as is written on the statue of liberty: "Give me your tired your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free.  The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Freedom isn't Free; SuperPACS 101

Almost 6 years after the Supreme Court stated that American corporations have first amendment rights in their controversial 2008 Federal Election Commission decision, America is still very divided on the issue of SuperPACS.  The Supreme Court ruling has thrust the American society into the harsh reality that with the right of Freedom of Speech comes the realization that if we want certain inalienable freedoms, we must also understand that we can't pick and choose who gets to practice or not practice those rights.  In a free society, especially one that is based on a capitalist system, it is all or nothing, and this includes corporations.

If you were to have this discussion with Conservatives, they would tell you that SuperPACS are constitutional, and they agree with the Supreme Court's decision; it's an obvious observation.  Let's look at the La Times Article "Outside Spending Shape 2012 Election;" number don't lie.  Conservatives SuperPACS spent over 30% more in raising funds to run ads opposing Obama.  The numbers at first glance represent an uneven playing field: $87,188,919 spent by Obama supporters opposing Romney versus $288,645,507 spent by by Romney supporters on ads against Obama.  While the numbers can be very staggering, I also wonder if they actually prove the Conservative standpoint that SuperPACS can't sway voters or are a threat to the future of America as Democrats would have the general public believe.  If SuperPacs were so powerful, and so much money was spent by Conservative SuperPACS than Liberals, then why was the 2012 election in favor of Obama? If the Liberals' fear was a true fear, then shouldn't we have seen the votes swing the other way resulting in the election of Romney? The fact is SuperPACS actually create more transparency when it comes to the issue of campaign financing.  It is so much more difficult to hide the misappropriation of large amounts of money that are involved in SuperPACS than lets say small amounts of $100/donor as allowed in the previous system for funding campaigns.  Also, the money provided by SuperPACS are not allowed to be tied to a specific campaign; they must be separate. Bottom line, the conservatives stress that the government can't pick and choose who has the right to freedom of speech, and this includes corporations; they also believe that SuperPACS actually level the playing field when it comes to elections and allows the public to be exposed to information that they may not otherwise get from a biased media.


Liberals, on the other hand, publicly stand strongly against SuperPACS, even though their supporters spent well over $150,000,000 in SuperPAC funding against the Romney Campaign in 2012. Democrats feel that SuperPACS actually violate voter rights laws, because the Supreme Court didn't detail how SuperPacs can't be directly associated to a specific campaign leaving room for interpretation that would ultimately lead to violation of the election laws.  Democrats also fear the repercussions on their actual candidates from ads ran by SuperPACS, because SuperPACS can't work side by side with individual campaigns, they can actually run ads that could actually negatively effect the candidates that they are supporting.  Campaigns have spin doctors for a reason; they are there to protect the campaign and do damage control on any negative media coverage or action done to or by the candidate.  With SuperPACs, the campaign has no control and can't run damage control on the campaign material put out by the SuperPACS.  One bad ad can have the opposite effect on a candidate by in essence destroying his/her election run.  Most importantly, I think Liberals are fearful of how much more control the financial institutions will have on the politics of this country.Now that SuperPACS have been given the same right to free speech as citizens through their money, Liberals have questions of possible corruption and kick back repercussions from allowing contractors and foreign entities to have SuperPACS of their own in our American political system.

In conclusion, I feel that this is the necessary evil that comes along with our constitution.  It is like our judicial system.  Some criminals, unfortunately, have to go free due to reasonable doubt, to protect the sanctity of the system.  One innocent person wrongly accused threatens the whole system more than one criminal being found not guilty.  The same applies for freedom of speech.  Our constitution provides the first amendment right of free speech for ALL. Our founding fathers made no exceptions for a reason; it was intended to be without exceptions.  We also must understands the importance of upholding a capitalist system and the consequences that come along with it.  Nothing is for free.  Our system is a free market system, and our citizens benefit from that every day along with our government, but we can't pick and choose when we decide to be a capitalist society and when we are not.  It's the foundation of our country and constitution. The harsh reality is we are not a socialist society like much of the world.  Because of this fact, we are afforded certain rights and benefits from the fact we are not a socialist country.  People give their very lives to be a part of a capitalist society such as ours.  I am not sure at one point, we as a country lost touch with these facts.  The harsh fact is that it's not all peaches and cream, and we can't have our cake and eat it too.  Regardless if you view corporations as "evil" or not, they are still legal entities protected just like us by our constitution; they are members of our country just as individual citizens are.  You can't deny free speech to any person or entity. Denial of the rights of even one person, is the denial of rights of all of us no matter how much we like it or not.  Welcome to "freedom isn't free 101" America.

The Yankee Who Tried to Make a Liberal Out of Her Belle.

I think in America we tend to take the easy way out and affiliate ourselves with those who we have the most in common with especially when it comes to political party affiliations.  Being a conservative, I actually find that the majority of my friends are Democrats.  Some would ask, "How is that possible?" My response, "Hanging out and trying to relate and bond with those you have differences with is about as American as it gets." To me, that mindset is vital to keeping this country moving forward instead of staying stagnant in a perpetual cycle of bitterness, bias, racial inequalities, and social and economic injustices.  Why do our differences have to be what separates us?  Why can't our differences, in fact, be the catalyst to bringing us together and sparking new idea?  Differences can spark conversations that push us to think outside the box and our own prejudices; they can push us to be better listeners and ultimately better solution seekers to issues that threaten the very well being of our country.

I wanted to pick a subject for my interview who pushes me everyday to question my political standpoint and views.  Yes, I am a proud conservative, but I also think it is silly and dangerous to solidify yourself in one view never open to changing and growing as an individual.  My friend Ashley pushes me to do just that.

We met online over a similar interest.  Both Ashley and I are passionate about dog rescue specifically pit-bull awareness, and the plight of the breed. Ashley was like a pit-bull herself fighting to help raise money for a sweet bully named Sandy who had been starved. A month later, she brought to my attention a dog named Midnight who was up for euthanasia at a high kill shelter in New York.  Ashley helped me to convince a sales rep at my job to foster the animal, but I had to go pick him up from the shelter by Saturday. Because of Ashley and her tireless commitment to doing the right thing, I was inspired to do the right thing as well.  So early that Saturday morning, my sister and I trooped down to New York to save Midnight.  Looking back, I realize Ashley had inspired me to do what is now one of the most life changing things I have ever done; save a life. In that one text on that Thursday afternoon, Ashley helped me to start the process of growing as a woman and becoming a better human being.  Yes, one small action from another person who was so different, yet so similar to me, thrust me into the great school of life.  Together, Ashley and I had embodied the American spirit by working together and accomplishing a goal that bettered the world around us.

Ashley is a fearless, passionate, funny, and  intelligent woman who is strongly rooted in her Italian upbringing in Brooklyn, New York.  She is loyal to her friends and family along with being extremely patriotic. I know in this country there is this common label of Liberals being "less patriotic than Conservatives"; I find that label insulting and far from the truth.  Ashley was raised in a neighborhood where you had African American, Italian, and Spanish families co-existing, interacting, and raising their children together; her grandfather was an Italian immigrant and true American hero who had sacrificed his life to give back to our country by fighting in World War II.  I remember hearing a story about how Ashley would hang out with her grandfather as he made homemade Italian sausages and sauce, and how he worked hard, and how his influence on and love of her helped shape her into the person she is today.  I hear her stories, and the first word that comes to my mind is not "Liberal", instead, I see and hear "American." Outspoken, fearless, proud immigrant background, loyal, belief in equality and doing what is fair and right, and patriotic are the things that to me make Ashley as American as apple pie.

Several times a week,  Ashley sends me links or newspapers articles on current events from all over the world. During the last presidential campaign I think our different party associations actually caused more laughter and giggles than actual arguments due to her texts and fun links to columns and news feeds.  I will also get a link every once in awhile to a Chris Matthews interview, 'The Daily Show', and 'The Colbert Report.'.  Also included are links to Fox News, CNN, and the New York Times proving that Ashley doesn't just pay attention to one point of view when it comes to how she gets her news.  This is one of the reasons why I respect her views so much; she educates herself from all points of views making me more open and willing to listen her argument.   Ashley and I are both lovers of science and medicine, and I will also get links to great articles regarding these subjects. These articles are a great way for us to take our common love of medicine to agree on political matters that involve and effect our current and future careers as healthcare providers.  All of these great subjects spark these amazing conversations between the both of us that are thought provoking, enlightening, and some times life changing.  I am not ashamed to admit that many a times Ashley has caused me as  Republican to scream "Uncle!"  That is what is so awesome about this friendship.  I am forced to open my eyes and listen; I am pushed to see an issue from a different angle, and I am even forced to say I am wrong sometimes. I know, the audacity over the thought that a Republican can actually be wrong, right?

What is even more beautiful about this relationship is that most of the time Ashley and I come to a common ground on the issues.  We are actually able to seek a solution to issues that involve ideals and values from both sides.  I know that today, in America, some people might not be familiar with this process due to our sometimes petty and  stubborn politicians, but we are actually able to COMPROMISE.  Yes folks, a Liberal and Conservative compromising; it is possible.

All these reasons are why I chose to interview Ashley. She challenges me as an individual to be open to the world around me rather it be about political candidates, health care, or gun control; I may not agree with her on these issues, but I have learned how to approach them with a more open and "Liberal" mind.  Our friendship challenges me to not take the easy way out and instead be a critical thinker.  If you were to just look at our physical appearances and how and where we were raised along with being told only one fact , and that fact  being one of us is a conservative and the other is a Liberal, you would think there is no way we would get along.  I love how nothing could be farther from the truth about our friendship. It may not be evident in the interview below, but we are more similar than our political identities would have you think.  Both of us are All American girls who find laughter in our differences, enjoy and respect one another immensely, are strong rooted in our love for the country and belief that there is still hope for this great land, and who, I think, could teach our government a lesson on two on how it is supposed to be done. There are no filibusters in this relationship.

Question 1- How did you vote in the last election?  Why? 

Ashley: "Democratic; I don't relate or agree with any ideals of the Republican Party. If I attempted to vote for an extreme conservative, it would be like the scene in Jim Carey's "Liar Liar" where he attempts to write "this pen writes blue."

Question 2-  Do you think women's rights are still in danger in this country? If so, how; and which party do you feel imposes that threat the most and how? 

Ashley: "Yes, truly they are. The Republican Party is the greatest threat. Roe v wade is a constitutional right that we won and they continue to try and take that right away. Taking away a woman's right to choose or have access to birth control will force unwanted pregnancies and women will return to performing abortions secretively with dangerous objects or causing bodily harm to themselves resulting in infections and even death. This will be a further strain on the economy and tax payers; more mouths to feed; ER visits and hospital stays." 

Question 3-  What life experiences have shaped your political values? 

Ashley: "Growing up poor, with a single, uneducated mother. When we were poor and hungry, we relied on food stamps, Welfare, and Medicaid. My mother was able to go back to school because of a government funded program that gave her an opportunity to make a better life for us (WISH Program- Women In Self Help)."

Question 4-  What key issues are most important to you when it comes to US policy? 

Ashley: "Peace and equality; help where we can."

Question 5- Are you happy with your party? Are there any similarities in your beliefs as an individual that you share with your friends who do not share your same political party association? 

Ashley: "I'm happy with my party to an extent. I wish our voice could be louder. It's loudest in the North East, it's loudest on the west coast; but it can't seem to infiltrate the primarily red states. I think of myself as a direct person. I hold strong in my beliefs no matter who I speak with like minded or not. Who knows? Maybe I can convert a conservative."

Question 6.- What famous member of the party opposite of your political views do you actually agree with on some political matters, and why? 

Ashley: "Chris Christy (who unfortunately may not be relevant any longer); I think he's realistic. He realizes that even though there are a lot of Conservatives, you still need Democrats to get work done."

Question 7- What individual in your life has influenced your political views and values the most?

Ashley: "Hmmm...I'm not too sure. My grandparents are immigrants; my mother and her sisters are uninterested. I think it was just seeing what was needed to make the world turn."

Question 8- Do you think there is such a thing as "too much government?"

Ashley: "My husband is interested in conspiracy theories; he's shown me evidence of things that make me believe that there is much more than what we see. I'd rather say no, there isn't a such thing. If we didn't complain about there being too much government, I think they would be out more in the open." 

Question 9- What is your view on the efficiency of the UN, and that the US troops should submit to UN command when it comes to global conflicts because our military control already is too vast? Do you think the UN in general handles these conflicts better than the US?

Ashley: "We can blame the UN when we don't get to go to war. If the UN didn't stop us, we'd invade every country. I think our military is too vast. We're how many trillion dollars in debt? Yet the largest army in the universe, bases in how many countries that are no threat to us?"

Question 10-  Do you think American media is biased? How much of the media affects your political views? How and why? 

Ashley: "Oh lord! Too many talking heads pit us against each other. They cause hatred between brothers and friends. There are too many people who try to be more shocking, edgy and radical than the person sitting to their left or right. There's still so much racism and bigots, fear mongering extremism  for this world that we live in. Every time I turn on Fox News, the only thing that reminds me that I'm in 21st century is that they're not wearing KKK garb; because their rhetoric is the same."

Question 11- Who do like in the upcoming elections?

Ashley: "Hilary definitely.  She did well running the country for 8 years. This Benghazi nonsense is a witch hunt, and the only thing that can be held against her.  In all politics, she's got the biggest pair of balls."

Question 12- What is your stance on gun laws?

Ashley: "Gun Control...Augh; don't get me started.  I say throw them all in the Hudson.  Law enforcement only." 

'I have been a woman for fifty years, and I've never yet been able to discover precisely what it is I am.' -Jean Giraudoux

I am proudly half Swedish and a true Boston girl at heart, but I have lived all over the country and world including Texas, Sweden, the UK, California  Alaska, New York, and Maine.  I am a lover of learning, music, art, and the sciences; I am majoring in Biology with the ultimate goal of going to medical school and becoming a trauma surgeon.  On the surface, I am a true old fashioned woman; no guest of mine has ever been able to say that they left my home hungry or with a frown on their face.  I proudly still have the same core values that I was born and raised with.

I tend to be too honest and straight forward at times, and I constantly working on my verbal "filter." I love to travel and try new things.  I prefer my television's power button to be on the off position and my bookshelves to be filled.  There is nothing like the feel of an actual book in my hands, and the anticipation of turning its pages and discovering the excitement of the knowledge and stories written on them.   I am terrified of being stuck with a predictable life, and I do not find solace and comfort in the routine country life; I am a true city girl. I want to venture down as many roads less traveled as possible.  I am fierce lover of animals, especially horses and dogs.  I own two rescue pit bulls, and I spend a lot of my time and money fighting breed specific laws bringing positive awareness to the breed and rescuing pit-bulls from kill shelters, fighters, and breeders.  Life without dogs, children, or music to me is just plain unfair.  I have played the alto-saxophone since I was 10, and I am huge lover of all music.  My playlist has been known to go from Pachebel, The Rolling Stones, and on back around to Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash in a matter of minutes.  I have been a ballerina and gymnast my whole life along with a competitive distance runner since high school.  I now spend my time doing yoga, training for fitness bikini competitions, running, reading about the sciences and World War II history, and working full time as a Phlebotomist.

I have no tolerance for bullies, and even though I come from a pretty conservative background, I believe that everybody's voice should be heard and understood regardless if I agree with the message or not.  People who push me to think outside the box excite me, and I love to surround myself with these kinds of individuals.  I have to see Fiji before I die, and I would love to one day live in Paris for a few years.  Ultimately, I want to live and learn.  If I won the lottery, I would go to school for the rest of my life and travel the world.  Meeting new people, exchanging ideas, experiencing new things, and hanging around animals are what I am all about.  So sit down, help yourself to some red velvet cake and Swedish vodka and enjoy my crazy but fun world!