Our Government isn’t the Problem, we are.

So I know I am a little behind with this whole election thing, but after all the post election reaction I feel this must be said. Depending on which side of the political fence you sit, you are either extremely happy or angry. At least that is what all the comments that I have read on social media and the blogosphere are telling me. The Republican party is now the majority in Congress so it’s no surprise that the Republicans are ecstatic and the Democrats are disappointed. What is surprising is how the people that make up these parties have responded to the win or loss. Republicans everywhere are gloating after their victory like children do when they get the best of their younger sibling. Likewise, Democrats are sulking like said youngster that had its favorite toy taken away. When did an election become this type of trivial win/loss scenario? Better still, why are we still putting the blame on the political parties instead of the people who put these politicians in office? Us.

The two party political system is broken. The general concensus is that politicians are corrupt and that’s why we are where we are today. Big business funds the campaigns and whoever raises the most money has the best chance to win. Then, if they are elected, return the favor to big business by altering policies to benefit the campaign contributor.  Does this story sound familiar? We’ve all said it, thought it, or at least heard it. The big question is: how do we stop it? In my opinion, the answer is easy. If something isn’t working, you have to change it. Albert Einstein defined insanity as “Doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.” Isn’t that we are doing every time we vote strictly Democratic or Republican?

Most people have a political party based on the one that most aligns with their views. What I mean is, they are choosing the lesser of these two evils. I know very few that align themselves outside the two party system because we have been conditioned that one of these two parties is our only option. It starts in school and continues through the news and people we know and trust. The troubling thing about all this is that there is no excuse for this. We live in age with information at our fingertips so researching a candidates’ voting record and views shouldn’t take more than a few hours. The vast majority don’t do this and go on voting for “their party”.

The only people that can fix our country is us, because we broke it. We listened to people that had our best interests at heart, and followed their lead. The only problem is that they didn’t have all the information and just did what they’ve always done. Change cannot happen by voting in the same parties year after year when they are the ones who have led us here. So I urge you to consider not being a part of a political party and do your research before we vote again. Show big business and the two “big guns” just how badly we want change. Also, consider abstaining your vote if you don’t like what your research says. If enough people did that, we would have to be provided new candidates. What kind of statement might that make? So let’s be the generation that killed the two party system and starting repairing America. Your kids (and grandkids) will thank you for it.

“The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there.” -Vince Lombardi

Vaccinations: Helpful or Harmful?

There have been numerous posts on the internet about vaccinations for the past few months and it seems as though this trend is not letting up, especially since this is flu season. Many people in my personal life have been talking about this issue and it has begun to create controversy, particularly in regards to children’s vaccinations. More and more parents are concerned about what they’re putting in their child’s body and whether or not vaccinating is worth the potential risks. There is even a strong celebrity presence debating this issue, with some even swearing off vaccinations as a whole. So I pose this question to you: do you vaccinate or do you choose natural immunity? Why?

My wife and I have always chosen to vaccinate our children and ourselves. We have weighed the risk/reward scenario and have decided that the reward far outweighs the risks. Also, in our experience, no one in our family has had any adverse reactions to any vaccines we have received. I am immune deficient because I have no spleen which makes it hard for me to fight off infections. As a result, I receive the flu shot annually as well as getting a pneumonia vaccine every five years. I have been doing this for the past ten years and have never gotten the flu or pneumonia. In the years before starting this routine, I got the flu almost every year and had pneumonia 3 times, so obviously the vaccinations have improved my health. I would also like to add that none of my family members have gotten those two illnesses while we have been vaccinating. In my opinion, based on these experiences, vaccination is a no-brainer.  So, besides my experience, why should someone vaccinate?

The answer is simple and complex. The simple side has already been answered: to avoid illness. However, some believe that because the flu virus changes each year that the risk isn’t worth the reward. This point is true, however, the flu vaccine changes each year as well and is created based on which forms of the flu virus will likely be most common. So what are these side effects that have people so scared? Most side effects are very minor such as: low grade fever, soreness, redness and swelling at the injection site, headache, dizziness, fatigue or loss appetite. Most of these side effects are very preferable to getting the flu. The more severe (and very rare) side effects are: severe allergic reactions (usually caused by an egg allergy) or a neurological side effect such as a seizure. The severe side effects are scary but they are so rare that I’m not sure why people are so worried about the flu shot.

Now for the complex answer to the above questions. Children who have received all their school required vaccines have been vaccinated against diptheria, measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, polio, tetanus and whooping cough. These diseases are very uncommon and there’s a good reason why. The vaccines are doing their job. A natural infection DOES provide a more complete immunity than any vaccination but that risk is far greater than the reward. Did you know that a natural chickenpox infection can lead to pneumonia? As a child, this very thing happened to me and I was hospitalized as a result. A natural polio infection can result in permanent paralysis, just as mumps can lead to deafness. These side effects are much worse than the side effects caused by the vaccinations. Let’s look at this from a more societal point of view. If the majority of people stopped giving these vaccinations, then it is more than likely that these very harmful (and sometimes fatal) diseases would return. I, for one, hopes that never happens. There also reports that vaccines cause autism. That is simply not true. According to http://www.mayoclinic.com: “Vaccines do not cause autism. Despite much controversy on the topic, researchers haven’t found a connection between autism and childhood vaccines. In fact, the original study that ignited the debate years ago has been retracted. Although signs of autism may appear at about the same time children receive certain vaccines — such as the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine — this is simply a coincidence.” Given this information, it is hard for me to understand why it is such a controversial topic.

As a parent, it is our job to protect our children and keep them safe. Although vaccinating is only a very small part of what we can do as parents to protect our children, it is my opinion that it is still very important. I also believe it is up to each parent to decide what is best for their children, so even if you don’t agree with my view on this subject I would like to know your thoughts. I look forward to hearing each and every one of your opinions, and I’m sure this spark much debate. Just remember to keep it PG and that everyone’s opinion is valued and valid. That is why it’s called an opinion.

“Sometimes you have to stop thinking so much and just go where your heart takes you.” -Unknown

Welcome to my blog!

This is my first entry to this blog and as such, it is my first blog entry EVER! It is a bit unnerving, albeit exciting to start this journey. I have been considering doing this for awhile now but I was unsure where or how to start. I finally decided to just start and see where it goes. As I move forward, I will cover many topics, which is why I titled this blog the way it is. A Renaissance Man is someone who has expertise or knowledge in several areas. I feel this describes me quite well and thought that would be the best way to start, by covering the many areas that I’m passionate about. Some topics that will be covered will be because it’s an issue on my mind at that time, some will be pulled out of thin air as my mind wanders, but the rest will be reader requests that i find compelling. In that sense, my readers will be as much a part of this blog as I am. I am hopeful that this blog will touch, entertain and incite thought and possible changes in my readers, just as it will myself. Thank you for being a part of my journey.

Before I begin, I would like to establish a set of guidelines that I believe will make this blog successful, fun and most importantly, family-friendly. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but i ask that everyone keep it PG rated. What that means is no bad words, no belittling statements and no name calling. No racial slurs or sexist comments will be tolerated. I, as the blog owner, will reserve the right to delete any or all statements that are not conducive to a PG Rating. With all that being said, I encourage all to express well thought opinions that inspire debate. I want this to be a forum that people can discuss these topics with each other and have a great time doing it.

Now that the boring part (the rules) is out of the way, I would like to start by asking a question. What are some of your favorite inspirational quotes? I will try to end each post with a different quote, so make sure you post who is credited for saying the quote. This is my first of (hopefully) many posts, so I will end with this quote: “Success is determined by the person achieving it.” -Billy Payne