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Q-Line: Looking deep

November 23, 2012 12:24 PM

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With Thanksgiving upon us, we were feeling a bit introspective.

So, this week’s Q-Line question asked:
What are you thankful for and why?

Here are your responses:

“I am thankful for electricity and the electric light, for in-door plumbing and the toilet. I am thankful our country is still, though barely 50 percent voting, a constitutional republic and not, at least for awhile anyway, a banana republic. I am thankful that there are still many patriots who love this country’s founding principles of individual freedom and responsibility. I am thankful that half of the country does not believe in the Santa Claus of big government. I am thankful that karma is a divine force that ferrets out the just and unjust, the self lover or lover of country, the individual against Big Brother, the deceit of political Socialist free-lunch theory against responsibility. I am thankful for a marketplace of ideas that your paper provides. Happy Thanksgiving.”

“I am thankful for living in the best country in the world, the best city in the country and best state in the country. I am also thankful for the fact that Barack Obama was re-elected president; not that Romney was that bad but the Republicans are going crazy now. They want to take us back to the fifth century or even before that. They worry about Muslim Sharia law, well they want to put in Christian Sharia law. Women are the main issue. They can’t take abortion rights away from women or birth control rights. Who knows? They are going crazy. I’m also grateful that this is the greatest country in the world. I am not grateful for the decision on the nativity scenes. I am Jewish but used to love to see those nativity scenes. It’s not about religion per say. It’s just a beautiful thing to see.”

“This year I am grateful for my family, church family and my friends. I am happy to be in a country where we have so many freedoms and blessings, but I am saddened by Santa Monica not allowing the nativity scenes, which our church has participated in for the past 60 years. And I am saddened also that this was so much bother to non-believers that they had to rally against it instead of just allowing it to be.”

“I am thankful the Rent Control Board keeps rents low for high-income renters. I am thankful the litmus test for the endorsement from Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR) for candidates for City Council, the school district and the college Board of Trustees is a pledge to support the development of thousands of low-income rental housing units to expand SMRR’s voter base, and support for massive commercial development which increases traffic congestion, but also generates money to expand regional social service programs for the homeless and mentally ill. I am thankful Santa Monica’s regional social service programs continue to be a magnet for the homeless and mentally ill to move to this city. I am thankful the SMRR-controlled City Council put their political agenda first, spending $150 million of our property taxes to develop hundreds of low-income rental housing units, and not spending the property tax money to rebuild our schools. Now, with the approval of another school bond, taxes and rents will increase.”

“I’m thankful that as bad as things are with the economy and the Republicans trying to make it worse, we still have the right to point that out. For now, anyway.”

“I am thankful that I live in such a beautiful city as Santa Monica. I know there are plenty of problems we could focus on, like traffic, the increase in parking costs, the seemingly ever increasing population of homeless, mentally ill and drug addicted, the increase in development. But I want to focus on the positives, like a community that is progressive enough to tackle the tough issues like smoking in apartments or banning plastic bags, or providing services to those who are less fortunate. I am also thankful that I have a job when so many others do not, a roof over my head, friends, family, good food and drink. Enjoy the simple things and then get ready to focus on the larger issues come the New Year. Let’s just enjoy the holiday season and not get too bummed out by what’s wrong, and celebrate what’s right.”

See this story as it appeared in the paper

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