Third Presidential Debate

This third and final debate between Barack Obama and John McCain is the first in which I saw a clear winner: Barack Obama. I have been wanting to proclaim Obama the winner of the previous debates, but really I felt the previous ones were toss ups. Tonight the continued attacks that McCain launched on Obama and his repeated stories on taxes made me dislike him.

Being an immigrant, one with permant residency and who pays taxes diligently, I don't get a vote in this country until I actually become a citizen, so my opinion may not matter. Still, this is my blog and I will share my thoughts and if I sway one voter, that's great.

One of the questions that keeps bugging me is on McCain's plan for health care. He repeats that he plans to give everyone a $5,000 tax credit to pay for healthcare. That's all great for people who pay taxes, like me, but what about the low-wage earners who pay much less in taxes or the unemployed who pay no taxes at all? How are they going to pay for health care?

To me McCain's health care plan is a clear example on how he will take care of people who already have a good life and can afford healthcare today, it doesn't take care of the people who really need it. The same is true for the plans to reduce or cut capital gains tax, that's not something that will help the poorest people in this country.

It was a heart wrenching moment Saturday when a friend and I were walking down the street in Millbrae and saw an old lady sitting on a bucket on the side of the street, begging for money for food. She reminded both my friend and myself of our grandmothers and seemed truly down on her luck, needing to beg for handouts. We gave her a few dollars, bought her some bagels and a bottle of water. However, she probably could use housing and a solid health care plan much more than that.

Proposition 8

Skipping into the kitchen, holding a children's book, a young girl smiles: "Mom! Guess what I learned in school today. I learned how prince married a prince and that I can marry a princess!"


The scene fades to the background and a man in a suit, Professor Richard Peterson of Pepperdine University School of Law, appears and asks with ominous intonation: "Think it can happen? It has already happened." He then proceeds to talk about how children in Massachussets are being taught about gay marriage since that state allowed same sex unions.


The commercial goes on to state that gay marriage should not be legal because it should be up to the parents whether their kids are taught about same sex marriages in school. In short, whether gay marriage is legalized in California is a parental rights issue, according to this clip.


At risk of making my blog too political, I think this is wrong. The campaign against allowing people who love each other call their union a marriage upsets me and having this commercial and many and others like it pass by on my TV is revolting. I fail to see how same sex marriage has anything to do with parental rights.


A man flanked by his own three year-old girl even came to my door to lobby for proposition 8, which would ban gay marriage in California. Proposition 8 is on the ballot on Nov. 4, the same day people here will elect the next U.S. president. It was put on the ballot after the California Supreme Court decided that same sex couples should be able to marry.


If this is supposed to be the "land of the free" than some people are awfully worried about what others are doing with their lives and what label they get to put on their union. That shouldn't be anybody else's business.


Now, please let me vote to remove those awful ads, funded by some $25 million fund, from my TV. And if you're allowed to vote in California, please vote No on Proposition 8.

Pigeon Point

One of my favorite spots along the nearby coast is Pigeon Point Lighthouse. It is simply a gorgeous place to take pictures and take in the majestic California coast line as well as the Pacific Ocean. I went there again this past weekend with two visitors from Ecuador and discovered a spot I had not been to before. If you walk all the way past the lighthouse, there's a deck built on top of some rocks that lets you walk onto a platform over the ocean, it is truly beautiful and spectacular to look at the waves from there. Bring someone special and your day is just about perfect :)