State of the State

We, the good people of Michigan got to hear from our Socialist royalty last night, also known as our Governor. I am talking about the State of the State. Instead of attacking the crux of her address last night, which would be way too much work and I probably couldn’t do justice to, I am going to remark upon a few sidenotes. First, the only real joke she made all evening was so corny that even my staunchest supporters would have groaned had I made it. “We are the state that put America on wheels – the state that put the “car” in NASCAR.”

First, this self-avowed Catholic said she wanted to end the ban in Michigan on stem-cell research. As the priest of the parish on Mackinac Island told the congregation one morning (the morning that all the Democratic bigwigs were on Mackinac for the Democratic Leadership Conference and many of them attended church that morning) “If you obey your party line more than you do what your pope says, you are not a Catholic.” MIRS also had a bit to say about it

Just about the first item Granholm mentioned in tonight's speech challenging the GOP-controlled Legislature to do something it almost certainly won't do, was removing limits on stem cell research. "If we are truly serious about improving both the cost and quality of health care in this state, we must tap the full power of modern science to combat life threatening illnesses," Granholm said. "Imagine having to watch your child suffer with juvenile diabetes. Imagine watching your wife lose her ability to speak, and walk, and even eat, as her Parkinson's worsens." Following these lines, the Governor called on the Legislature to pass a bill sponsored by Rep. Andrew MEISNER (D-Ferndale) to remove the limits on stem cell research. The Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) fired off a response that called on all politicians and policy makers to "immediately halt any rhetoric that offers false promises to those families who are suffering." "Governor Granholm irresponsibly told thousands of Michigan families in her State of the State speech tonight that repealing the state's law prohibiting human cloning and embryonic stem cell research will lead to some sort of miracle cure," said MCC Vice President for Public Policy Paul LONG. "Governor Granholm is misleading these suffering families into believing that such 'clone and kill' legislation will alleviate the debilitating diseases that ail humanity. The facts are that scientists have been performing stem cell research on embryos for over 30 years, and to date have yet to produce any miracle cures for which the Governor has spoken." In closing, the MCC called on the scientific community in Michigan to continue supporting ethical adult stem cell research. According to MCC, this research does not involve embryos and is currently treating some 65 diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, heart damage and spinal cord injury.

Granholm was also pretty insulting, I thought, to the American Dream. “This plan is about fighting to protect your opportunity for that middle class way of life. It’s our Michigan version of the American dream.” Apparently the Michigan version of the American Dream is to settle for mediocrity and be happy so long as we’re comfortable and have our plasma tv and X-Box.

“This is about a dynamic Michigan whose ancestors were not afraid to believe that one day there might be a Mustang on four wheels, not four hooves.” That’s right! Our forefathers were all psychic prophets who knew that we would eventually all drive cars, and before they were even INVENTED or conceived of by normal humans! They all had the powers of Nostradamus! And when Henry Ford was putzing around in his Model T he was thinking, “Yes, someday there’ll be a really sweet version of this and I’ll paint it red and call it “Mustang.” I’m sure.

And lastly in the just plain horrible quotes category: “The foundation of a good life, of course, is a good-paying job.” Yes, of course. All you need in life is lots of money. Of course, if the Michigan version of the American Dream is to be middle-class, then I guess that makes sense. Mediocrity and comfort are the foundations of a good life. What a far cry from the ideals of such apparently duped figures such as Socrates. We know that Socrates, through the writings of his pupil Plato, was very interested in what made up “The Good Life”. As one college website puts his philosophy, “The good life is a life that questions everything; it is a life of doubt, of self-awareness, and of ever more refined understanding. The good life is the life of an active and inquiring mind.” And from what I remember of my college English and History classes, Socrates believed that “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Apparently, here in Michigan we believe, “The life without plenty of money and comfort is not worth living.” What an insulting view our Governor takes of us, the people of Michigan, and shame on us if this is really true. I am not saying I believe everything that Socrates did, but he at least had a far higher-minded philosophy than our current governor apparently thinks we do. I would say that “The Good Life” would have something to do with loving God, serving Him, and loving and serving others. These things, I believe, do not have to contradict an active and inquiring mind and the examination of the world around me and my internal beliefs and thoughts, but their importance, I believe, far outweighs a mind that is just active and inquiring. However, if the people of Michigan are stuck with the “Good Life” just being one that is comfortable and mediocre, then maybe our unexamined lives AREN’T worth living.

Of course, I could be all irate just because she’s a Democrat. This is an interesting study of the findings of scientists on the internal thought-lives of politicians.