Well guys, here we go. Tis' the season for me to beg for reason. It has already started in one of my now favorite facebook groups Veterans Against Michele Bachmann and it will continue for the next year. I haven't had the words to blog about the debt ceiling (random button mashing does not for a good post make). I have not made up my mind about the presidential race in regard to who I am voting for. I will assume that Obama will be the democratic choice so we can then assume that is who I will vote for (splitting the vote will kill democracy, fair warning). I tell you this while I watch the MSNBC coverage of the Iowa straw poll. All sharp objects and heavy objects have been removed from my seating area, to save my table and my T.V.
I have sat through so many speeches from "less government" republicans that are jumping into the ring that will give them ridiculous salaries, amazing healthcare for themselves and their families, free travel and vacations on my dime, while I am glad that I am online due to my husband's job with the cable company(one of the few perks, free T.V./internet) that I want to scream. I am listening to their twist on reality. I am waiting for the shoe to be thrown, and I am sad that there are so many people willing to ignore reality/policy/history in favor of creating things that hold other people back for no reason at all but a need to feel superior.
I am horrified to see women cheer for the very people that think they don't deserve equal pay (for a second lets just ignore the right to a say over our bodies mkay?). I have ovaries so I don't deserve the same money for doing the same job? Bite my uterus.
Now having gotten that out of my system lets get on with the sheer stupidity statements shall we?
Perry, (R) Gov Texas spent a bit of time trashing Obama about the budget. He then bragged about how they cut cut cut in TX and got their budget balanced. "Turns out Texas was the state that depended the most on those very stimulus funds to plug nearly 97% of its shortfall for fiscal 2010, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures." Oh, wait. Not so much.
Next: Perry has created strong huge amounts of jobs in Texas (or some such bullshit blah blah). Well lets see Governor... Among hourly-paid workers in Texas, 550,000 had earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour in 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hmmmm. Not so much.
Ron Paul, (R) Texas congressman. Am I the only one that see's him and thinks "oh, that's Frasier's dad!"? Nope, not him. Instead he's the good old boy that spent his straw poll time going on and on and on and on about abortion. Unsubstantiated stories intended to horrify his voting base to show them how anti-death he is. Wait, that's lock step with all the other republicans that are anti death until birth, then they are all good with starving homeless children to death to avoid socialist programs like food stamps and housing. If they survive that then lets under educate them and teach them that Adam and Eve played with deno the dino, after that lets draft them into wars we don't need to be in so we can kill them off. If they don't go into the military lets put them on trial and don't worry about things like dna, if we can convict them and put them on death row lets kill em quick! Ah Texas, that awesome state of anti. Sadly I was born in Texas, I'm not sure how much longer I will be willing to say that.
Santorum, google it. Enough said.
Michele Bachmann, (R)Minnesota, Shudders abound. Avid anti government, Anti woman, Anti gay, I'm not sure what she is really for other than getting all of the things she wants to deny anyone else. "Bachmann’s financial disclosure forms indicate that her personal stake in the family farm is worth up to $250,000. They also show that she has been earning income from the farm business, and that the income grew in just a few years from $2,000 to as much as $50,000 for 2008. This has provided her with a second government-subsidized income to go with her job as a government-paid congresswoman who makes $174,000 per year (in addition to having top-notch government medical benefits). “If she has an interest in a farm getting federal subsidy payments, she is benefiting from them,” Sandra Schubert, director of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, told Gannett News Service in 2007, when the subsidies to Bachmann were first publicly disclosed." (Michele Bachmann: Welfare Queen)
"Republican presidential hopeful Rep. Michele Bachmann has decried Medicaid for swelling the “welfare rolls”, and charges that President Obama wants to bankrupt Medicare to force seniors onto “Obamacare.”
But a “quality Christian counseling” clinic run by Bachmann’s husband has collected more than $137,000 in Medicaid payments for treating patients over the last six years, according to an NBC News investigation." (Bachmann’s hubby – $137,000 from Medicaid)
"Their residence was defined as a treatment home, and according to a June 21 story in the New York Times, that "offered a higher level of reimbursement." Though it wasn't reported how much the Bachmanns were paid in the 1990s, the current reimbursement rate is $47 per day, according to the Times story." (Answer Man: Bachmanns were paid for foster care services)
Most awesome foster mommy, unpaid worried about the little guy woman not getting any government money? Not. So. Much.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Monday, September 6, 2010
From Christian to Deist
I am on a journey. I have been from about the age of 10 when my (I think) non believing parents answered my request to attend Catholic church with a little friend with a "sure, if you want to." and little to no follow up questions about the experience.
The experience was in fact slightly terrifying for me. I can toss in confusing, physically uncomfortable, and down right awkward as well. Terrifying because the message I received was that I was going to hell. Confusing because at 10 my parents assured me that I was a good kid, without conferring a sense of a mysterious being approving of me (at 10 leaving it at that was just fine with me!). Physically uncomfortable because I didn't understand the need to be kneeling so much on uncomfortable bars that were to small in my mind to be of any use in a service that took forever and was mostly in a language I had never heard. Finally awkward because I was for some unknown reason invited to partake in communion. The message I received grossed me out but mom & dad taught me to be polite even if I was told (after the drink) that I was eating an unknown man's flesh, then (again after the fact) that I was drinking his blood. Gross!
We spent a lot of time praying to a woman to ask her son to ask his dad to forgive us for our sins. I didn't know I had sinned and no one enlightened me on how I had done so. All in all a very unsatisfactory experience.
Move on to Jr. High. Again I visited a church with a friend. This time it was a Christian church, I'm not really sure what denomination as it didn't leave much of an impression on me. I remember that we went through brief prayers, some lovely songs, and a snacky meet and greet. All of which left me rather deflated.
I went home and had a discussion with my dad and he said something that later in life struck me as profound but took me quite some time to realize it as such. He said "Kiddo, I don't need 4 walls and a roof over my head for me to talk to God, I talk to him when I'm fishing in the most beautiful cathedral he ever built." It took me a while.
I rebelled when I was a sophomore and moved out of my parents house, several hundred miles away and continued to rebel for quite a while. I moved in with a much older guy that lived with his parents who were Jehovah Witness'. The violence I saw in that home (and received) is another conversation all together, but the clincher for that religion was the agreement that the leaders of the church gave to that dad for "teaching" his wife that God demands obedience. I'm sure that most branches will disagree with his stand, but for me it stuck.
I got pregnant at 18 and again went looking for religion to answer some questions for me. I attended a youth group and within a month was told by the leader that God told him I was suppose to give him and his wife my baby. Ya. No. Moving on.
I finally came to the conclusion that dad was probably right. Outside, loving the earth, and communing without others opinions was pretty sweet. That was confirmed in a large variety of ways, from attending churches that encouraged laying on of hands, to speaking in tongues, to faith healing, all the way to a friends wedding that made me cry. Now your thinking "But every woman cries at a wedding!". Sure we do, when it is a beautiful thing. I was in a Baptist church, and the bride walked down the isle, love shining out from her while her groom, equally shiny, waited for her. They get to the front, the minister gives his prayer and then says "at this point I would usually tell you ____'s father would put her hand in mine and I would place it in ____'s symbolizing the passing of her from Father to Holy spirit to Son. ____ & _____ have been living together outside of marriage so we will be skipping that." Can you HEAR the screeching breaks?!?!? OH I could! I'm thinking to myself "hea! Back that bus up. What the hell did he just do to them in the middle of their WEDDING?!?!". She was crushed. What do we most remember about that day? Just that. I don't remember her cake, decorations, or anything else. I do remember thinking that I was done with this crap.
I have spent a lot of time simply believing. I was okay with that and I gave my kids information about God and I too let them explore what is out there. I did talk with them after the fact and got their take on it to ensure they had good experiences, unlike my own. They mostly had fun in the school version of church which was good.
I became a rabid fan of George Carlin and when I saw his break down of the 10 commandments it struck a cord. It all really did boil down to "be nice."! Yep, that works for me. I coasted on that for several years. I don't like hurting people. I do like feeling like I have made life better even if for a moment for some.
Then we moved into the last election.
I listened as people I thought I knew screamed out their religious beliefs with spittle flying. I listened as they banged their fists and tossed around Kenya, Muslim, and birth certificate. My stop point was when they repeated (with a fire in their eye)that our founding fathers were all Christians and that they made this country for Christians. Stop point. No argument. Suck it up lady your Stalin in a dress.
Hmmmmm..... Time to do what I do, which is read. A lot.
I went looking to see just how much religion was written in my constitution. The answer? Not much. Religion makes only one direct and obvious appearance in the original Constitution That appearance is in Article 6, at the end of the third clause:
[N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
Move on to the 1st amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
Both of these told me that the great founding fathers were trying to ensure that religion DIDN'T get into politics. So, thinking that I moved on to their religion.
There was my AHH moment because I found numerous references to something called Deism. I found statements from their pastors that stated they were in fact Deists. So I did my due diligence and argued this point and still do.
I offer you my latest ahh moment on Deism in the group I have found that finally makes sense to me without offending my faith that there IS a God, but agrees that He isn't stirring His finger around deciding who has been pious enough to have Him grant him good things in life. The definition: Deism is the recognition of a universal creative force greater than that demonstrated by mankind, supported by personal observation of laws and designs in nature and the universe, perpetuated and validated by the innate ability of human reason coupled with the rejection of claims made by individuals and organized religions of having received special divine revelation. The link: World Union of Diests
I do hope that with logical thought some might come to see reason before the world is brought down by yet another crusade.
Much love
The experience was in fact slightly terrifying for me. I can toss in confusing, physically uncomfortable, and down right awkward as well. Terrifying because the message I received was that I was going to hell. Confusing because at 10 my parents assured me that I was a good kid, without conferring a sense of a mysterious being approving of me (at 10 leaving it at that was just fine with me!). Physically uncomfortable because I didn't understand the need to be kneeling so much on uncomfortable bars that were to small in my mind to be of any use in a service that took forever and was mostly in a language I had never heard. Finally awkward because I was for some unknown reason invited to partake in communion. The message I received grossed me out but mom & dad taught me to be polite even if I was told (after the drink) that I was eating an unknown man's flesh, then (again after the fact) that I was drinking his blood. Gross!
We spent a lot of time praying to a woman to ask her son to ask his dad to forgive us for our sins. I didn't know I had sinned and no one enlightened me on how I had done so. All in all a very unsatisfactory experience.
Move on to Jr. High. Again I visited a church with a friend. This time it was a Christian church, I'm not really sure what denomination as it didn't leave much of an impression on me. I remember that we went through brief prayers, some lovely songs, and a snacky meet and greet. All of which left me rather deflated.
I went home and had a discussion with my dad and he said something that later in life struck me as profound but took me quite some time to realize it as such. He said "Kiddo, I don't need 4 walls and a roof over my head for me to talk to God, I talk to him when I'm fishing in the most beautiful cathedral he ever built." It took me a while.
I rebelled when I was a sophomore and moved out of my parents house, several hundred miles away and continued to rebel for quite a while. I moved in with a much older guy that lived with his parents who were Jehovah Witness'. The violence I saw in that home (and received) is another conversation all together, but the clincher for that religion was the agreement that the leaders of the church gave to that dad for "teaching" his wife that God demands obedience. I'm sure that most branches will disagree with his stand, but for me it stuck.
I got pregnant at 18 and again went looking for religion to answer some questions for me. I attended a youth group and within a month was told by the leader that God told him I was suppose to give him and his wife my baby. Ya. No. Moving on.
I finally came to the conclusion that dad was probably right. Outside, loving the earth, and communing without others opinions was pretty sweet. That was confirmed in a large variety of ways, from attending churches that encouraged laying on of hands, to speaking in tongues, to faith healing, all the way to a friends wedding that made me cry. Now your thinking "But every woman cries at a wedding!". Sure we do, when it is a beautiful thing. I was in a Baptist church, and the bride walked down the isle, love shining out from her while her groom, equally shiny, waited for her. They get to the front, the minister gives his prayer and then says "at this point I would usually tell you ____'s father would put her hand in mine and I would place it in ____'s symbolizing the passing of her from Father to Holy spirit to Son. ____ & _____ have been living together outside of marriage so we will be skipping that." Can you HEAR the screeching breaks?!?!? OH I could! I'm thinking to myself "hea! Back that bus up. What the hell did he just do to them in the middle of their WEDDING?!?!". She was crushed. What do we most remember about that day? Just that. I don't remember her cake, decorations, or anything else. I do remember thinking that I was done with this crap.
I have spent a lot of time simply believing. I was okay with that and I gave my kids information about God and I too let them explore what is out there. I did talk with them after the fact and got their take on it to ensure they had good experiences, unlike my own. They mostly had fun in the school version of church which was good.
I became a rabid fan of George Carlin and when I saw his break down of the 10 commandments it struck a cord. It all really did boil down to "be nice."! Yep, that works for me. I coasted on that for several years. I don't like hurting people. I do like feeling like I have made life better even if for a moment for some.
Then we moved into the last election.
I listened as people I thought I knew screamed out their religious beliefs with spittle flying. I listened as they banged their fists and tossed around Kenya, Muslim, and birth certificate. My stop point was when they repeated (with a fire in their eye)that our founding fathers were all Christians and that they made this country for Christians. Stop point. No argument. Suck it up lady your Stalin in a dress.
Hmmmmm..... Time to do what I do, which is read. A lot.
I went looking to see just how much religion was written in my constitution. The answer? Not much. Religion makes only one direct and obvious appearance in the original Constitution That appearance is in Article 6, at the end of the third clause:
[N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
Move on to the 1st amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
Both of these told me that the great founding fathers were trying to ensure that religion DIDN'T get into politics. So, thinking that I moved on to their religion.
There was my AHH moment because I found numerous references to something called Deism. I found statements from their pastors that stated they were in fact Deists. So I did my due diligence and argued this point and still do.
I offer you my latest ahh moment on Deism in the group I have found that finally makes sense to me without offending my faith that there IS a God, but agrees that He isn't stirring His finger around deciding who has been pious enough to have Him grant him good things in life. The definition: Deism is the recognition of a universal creative force greater than that demonstrated by mankind, supported by personal observation of laws and designs in nature and the universe, perpetuated and validated by the innate ability of human reason coupled with the rejection of claims made by individuals and organized religions of having received special divine revelation. The link: World Union of Diests
I do hope that with logical thought some might come to see reason before the world is brought down by yet another crusade.
Much love
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The first step on the long road of Prop8's illegality
Today a judge took a legal step that is sadly a big personal leap for him. Legal? Yes. Scary as hell personally for him? I'm assuming so. I would be scared as hell and every personal protection I could buy would be within reach tonight if I were him. I classify him as an honorable and brave man. The haters will classify him as a public enemy.
This judgment is sound legally. Prop 8 gave the majority the vote over the minority - which is wrong to do. Using a bible or personal fear to rule out the right for over 100 legal rights for people is wrong. This country is listening to a minority of a new religious group I call "Selective Christians" that cherry pick the bible to justify their fear, hate, and wish to control. They are loud. They are scary. They are out to convince you that people like me are out to take everything you own while I fornicate on your Sunday sofa in front of your kids.
Okay, back from my random and on to my rumble.
I have on my little laptop, a full copy of the findings by the United States Court For The Northern District Of California. I strangely like reading these things. It is just fact. No commentary from a pundit. No snippets that barely brush fact just to rile me up. Best of all when I'm attacked in a forum or on a post I can directly quote the correct information in response.
The first thing that struck me was the number of applications for marriage that California received from June 17, 2008 to November of 2008 when prop8 passed. Are you ready for this? 18,000. That's right folks. 36,000 gay people applied. That's just the people that want to marry. That's a pretty good indicator that there are a lot more gays than the Selective Christians want you to believe are Americans, because if you extrapolate out to the gays that aren't interested in marriage and single gays just in Ca. then say we have at least 3/4 that many in each of the rest of the states then I'm thinking there is more than a handful. Then we can factor in the bi's. Just thinking about the numbers should be making those SC's shudder! (Yes as a matter of fact I am giggling right now!).
The brave plaintiff's challenged prop8 under the 14th amendment. Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
The 14th amendment came about because of the Dred Scott decision. That decision held black people were not, and could not become, citizens of the United States or enjoy any of the privileges and immunities of citizenship. In short the amendment was created to give equality to all Americans.
I quote the decision "Plaintiffs filed their complaint on May 22, 2009, naming as defendants in their official capacities California’s Governor, Attorney General and Director and Deputy Director of Public Health and the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk(collectively “the government defendants”). Doc #1. With the exception of the Attorney General, who concedes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, Doc #39, the government defendants refused to take a position on the merits of plaintiffs’ claims and declined to
defend Proposition 8. Doc #42 (Alameda County), Doc #41 (Los Angeles County), Doc #46 (Governor and Department of Public Health officials).
They wouldn't defend prop8!! In step the zealots to defend their bill of hate.
Passages follow that to me are infuriating, to you they may be dry. What it boils down to is plaintiffs are stating that it's unconstitutional, defendants are stating that marriage is for procreation and the gays are going to infiltrate the schools. "During closing arguments, proponents again focused on the contention that “responsible procreation is really at the heart of society’s United States District Court For the Northern District of California interest in regulating marriage.” Tr 3038:7-8. When asked to identify the evidence at trial that supported this contention, proponents’ counsel replied, “you don’t have to have evidence of this point.” Tr 3037:25-3040:4.
A favorite point in the decision for me was this: defendants "failed to build a credible factual record to support their claim that Proposition 8 served a legitimate government interest.".
This thing basically boils down to marriage = kids. That is their defense. They refuse to take seriously that procreation happens outside of marriage, that divorce weakens marriage, that infertile people marry, and that old people marry. The judge did take that into account. He also took into account that this was not an issue that the government had a right to segregate to only straight adults. Any more than it had a right to segregate to only one race.
Bravo to the plaintiffs and Bravo to Judge VAUGHN R WALKER
"California is able to issue marriage licenses to same-sex
couples, as it has already issued 18,000 marriage licenses to same sex
couples and has not suffered any demonstrated harm as a result,
see FF 64-66; moreover, California officials have chosen not to
defend Proposition 8 in these proceedings.
Because Proposition 8 is unconstitutional under both the
Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses, the court orders entry of
judgment permanently enjoining its enforcement; prohibiting the
official defendants from applying or enforcing Proposition 8 and
directing the official defendants that all persons under their
control or supervision shall not apply or enforce Proposition 8.
The clerk is DIRECTED to enter judgment without bond in favor of
plaintiffs and plaintiff-intervenors and against defendants and
defendant-intervenors pursuant to FRCP 58."
This judgment is sound legally. Prop 8 gave the majority the vote over the minority - which is wrong to do. Using a bible or personal fear to rule out the right for over 100 legal rights for people is wrong. This country is listening to a minority of a new religious group I call "Selective Christians" that cherry pick the bible to justify their fear, hate, and wish to control. They are loud. They are scary. They are out to convince you that people like me are out to take everything you own while I fornicate on your Sunday sofa in front of your kids.
Okay, back from my random and on to my rumble.
I have on my little laptop, a full copy of the findings by the United States Court For The Northern District Of California. I strangely like reading these things. It is just fact. No commentary from a pundit. No snippets that barely brush fact just to rile me up. Best of all when I'm attacked in a forum or on a post I can directly quote the correct information in response.
The first thing that struck me was the number of applications for marriage that California received from June 17, 2008 to November of 2008 when prop8 passed. Are you ready for this? 18,000. That's right folks. 36,000 gay people applied. That's just the people that want to marry. That's a pretty good indicator that there are a lot more gays than the Selective Christians want you to believe are Americans, because if you extrapolate out to the gays that aren't interested in marriage and single gays just in Ca. then say we have at least 3/4 that many in each of the rest of the states then I'm thinking there is more than a handful. Then we can factor in the bi's. Just thinking about the numbers should be making those SC's shudder! (Yes as a matter of fact I am giggling right now!).
The brave plaintiff's challenged prop8 under the 14th amendment. Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
The 14th amendment came about because of the Dred Scott decision. That decision held black people were not, and could not become, citizens of the United States or enjoy any of the privileges and immunities of citizenship. In short the amendment was created to give equality to all Americans.
I quote the decision "Plaintiffs filed their complaint on May 22, 2009, naming as defendants in their official capacities California’s Governor, Attorney General and Director and Deputy Director of Public Health and the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk(collectively “the government defendants”). Doc #1. With the exception of the Attorney General, who concedes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, Doc #39, the government defendants refused to take a position on the merits of plaintiffs’ claims and declined to
defend Proposition 8. Doc #42 (Alameda County), Doc #41 (Los Angeles County), Doc #46 (Governor and Department of Public Health officials).
They wouldn't defend prop8!! In step the zealots to defend their bill of hate.
Passages follow that to me are infuriating, to you they may be dry. What it boils down to is plaintiffs are stating that it's unconstitutional, defendants are stating that marriage is for procreation and the gays are going to infiltrate the schools. "During closing arguments, proponents again focused on the contention that “responsible procreation is really at the heart of society’s United States District Court For the Northern District of California interest in regulating marriage.” Tr 3038:7-8. When asked to identify the evidence at trial that supported this contention, proponents’ counsel replied, “you don’t have to have evidence of this point.” Tr 3037:25-3040:4.
A favorite point in the decision for me was this: defendants "failed to build a credible factual record to support their claim that Proposition 8 served a legitimate government interest.".
This thing basically boils down to marriage = kids. That is their defense. They refuse to take seriously that procreation happens outside of marriage, that divorce weakens marriage, that infertile people marry, and that old people marry. The judge did take that into account. He also took into account that this was not an issue that the government had a right to segregate to only straight adults. Any more than it had a right to segregate to only one race.
Bravo to the plaintiffs and Bravo to Judge VAUGHN R WALKER
"California is able to issue marriage licenses to same-sex
couples, as it has already issued 18,000 marriage licenses to same sex
couples and has not suffered any demonstrated harm as a result,
see FF 64-66; moreover, California officials have chosen not to
defend Proposition 8 in these proceedings.
Because Proposition 8 is unconstitutional under both the
Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses, the court orders entry of
judgment permanently enjoining its enforcement; prohibiting the
official defendants from applying or enforcing Proposition 8 and
directing the official defendants that all persons under their
control or supervision shall not apply or enforce Proposition 8.
The clerk is DIRECTED to enter judgment without bond in favor of
plaintiffs and plaintiff-intervenors and against defendants and
defendant-intervenors pursuant to FRCP 58."
Friday, July 23, 2010
My question of the day: How can you both decry the fringe element and boast about the memership numbers?
There is a lot of discussion this week about the tea party (I must point out, it isn't really a party, anymore than the coffee party is one). Mark Williams was finally outed and ousted for his racism. Andrew Breitbart was busted for a severely truncated video of Shirley Sherrod, a U.S. Department of Agriculture employee, that created an uproar over supposed reverse racism when it was in all actuality a lovely speech about inclusion.
This brought out the black spokesperson for the umbrella tea group the "tea party express" that of course showed us that they aren't racist - not one single one of them.
Now I don't really believe that all tea party members are racist. I know there are some perfectly nice people that are members. I also know that a mass majority of them have been led to believe that anyone saying that we have a competent WH is lying. No matter the proof on any issue the fear that has been shoved into these good people is there to stay.
They really do believe that my liberal self is intending on invading their home, intending to take what they have worked for, and intending to hand it out to the "filthy" illegal immigrants that have supposedly taken all of their jobs. I really would rather have the money taken from me by the last administration and it would be great if they would have 1. Saved our solders and 2. set up the treatment and care they and their families needed. Neither of those things will happen, but I would like to see equality and healthy Americans that can work to pay into your social security. Ya I know it won't be available to me when it's my turn I get it, but really those that have retired and are using it worked their butts off for me to have a country to live in, so I'm all good with paying in because you deserve it. I just want a group I can afford to pay into to stay healthy so I can work that won't sue my state so their CEO can have yet another damn yacht and a fall house to move to when summers over.
Back to the tea party race issue:I have not met a black member yet, I am actively looking. I have met some people that are white. They use to be middle class, and will admit that they stopped being middle class right around 4 years ago. They admit it before they catch on to who was in office when their monetary decline began. They also tell me that they are absolutely not - in any way - racist. This said after forgetting the comments made to me personally about the Somali immigrants that have "invaded" our community.
I say that not to say they are actively anything like KKK members, but to point out that the seeds are there and easily grown by the miasma of crap batshit crazy information that is poured into their minds on a daily basis. This happens while they sit and watch the things that Andrew Breitbart snips and clips, that Glenn Beck diagrams and circles and crosses out while he cries about how scared he is that war is at hand. While this pours in one ear Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly and Sarah Palin pour mistrust of any other source of information or fact into the other ear.
Back to my question though. How can a group boast about being x amount of members strong, while claiming the same people in that count aren't really members because they are an admittedly racist fringe claiming inclusion? Along side that, why are members really members until someone calls them out on their hate speech and sedition? Last question for the moment goes to the people that thought the way a customer of mine thought: You said (2 years ago) that no one should speak ill of our president, that it was disrespectful to a country that should be honored at all times and to do so was the most disgusting thing you could think of. Why did I not have the right, but you now do?
This brought out the black spokesperson for the umbrella tea group the "tea party express" that of course showed us that they aren't racist - not one single one of them.
Now I don't really believe that all tea party members are racist. I know there are some perfectly nice people that are members. I also know that a mass majority of them have been led to believe that anyone saying that we have a competent WH is lying. No matter the proof on any issue the fear that has been shoved into these good people is there to stay.
They really do believe that my liberal self is intending on invading their home, intending to take what they have worked for, and intending to hand it out to the "filthy" illegal immigrants that have supposedly taken all of their jobs. I really would rather have the money taken from me by the last administration and it would be great if they would have 1. Saved our solders and 2. set up the treatment and care they and their families needed. Neither of those things will happen, but I would like to see equality and healthy Americans that can work to pay into your social security. Ya I know it won't be available to me when it's my turn I get it, but really those that have retired and are using it worked their butts off for me to have a country to live in, so I'm all good with paying in because you deserve it. I just want a group I can afford to pay into to stay healthy so I can work that won't sue my state so their CEO can have yet another damn yacht and a fall house to move to when summers over.
Back to the tea party race issue:I have not met a black member yet, I am actively looking. I have met some people that are white. They use to be middle class, and will admit that they stopped being middle class right around 4 years ago. They admit it before they catch on to who was in office when their monetary decline began. They also tell me that they are absolutely not - in any way - racist. This said after forgetting the comments made to me personally about the Somali immigrants that have "invaded" our community.
I say that not to say they are actively anything like KKK members, but to point out that the seeds are there and easily grown by the miasma of crap batshit crazy information that is poured into their minds on a daily basis. This happens while they sit and watch the things that Andrew Breitbart snips and clips, that Glenn Beck diagrams and circles and crosses out while he cries about how scared he is that war is at hand. While this pours in one ear Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly and Sarah Palin pour mistrust of any other source of information or fact into the other ear.
Back to my question though. How can a group boast about being x amount of members strong, while claiming the same people in that count aren't really members because they are an admittedly racist fringe claiming inclusion? Along side that, why are members really members until someone calls them out on their hate speech and sedition? Last question for the moment goes to the people that thought the way a customer of mine thought: You said (2 years ago) that no one should speak ill of our president, that it was disrespectful to a country that should be honored at all times and to do so was the most disgusting thing you could think of. Why did I not have the right, but you now do?
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The first one is the hardest
Well. I created the blog, tweaked the settings and design, got to the new post page and thought "Let's go!". Then I stumbled. Where to start with this? There are so many things to discuss. I'll warn you now I have two biggies that will be a constant and recurring theme: Equal rights and politics. All of my friends are now nodding their heads and saying "Wow, I'm so SHOCKED that her blog would include that!". My problem really is where to start. I'm an avid reader, I love Huffington Post but I balance it with a little MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and yes I do pay attention to fox. I have to warn you about the last though, I frequently refer to them as faux simply because you can discredit the majority of their discussions by doing a search that will cost you less than 3 minutes of your day.
I think Sarah Palin is a brainless piece of fluff that is dragging out the women of the world that want to feel empowered without having to actually think or do anything to be so. I think Rush Limbaugh is a pompous ass that is far more concerned with peoples opinions of him than ever touching the truth. I think Sean Hannity thinks he's the captain of the football team and is more concerned with getting a cheerleader and fluffing his hair than the lies he spews and how they affect the un-thinkers he spews them at. Last but in no way least, I think that Glenn Beck is the moron's god of the faux viewers. He is one of the best snake oil salesmen I have ever had the disgust to watch. He knows your fears, he loves your fears, and he plays on your fears to gain your viewership. Said viewership gains him the money he craves and the notoriety he cannot live without.
I will be discussing this mangy group often and at length. If you choose to disagree with me feel free, comments are open, but keep in mind this is my space and I will delete threats or serious hostility. Be sure your bringing your A game along with verifiable proof of your arguments to back your opinion up.
That said, welcome to my space I hope you enjoy the ride. I'm off to juggle the current news and opinion so I can talk about it here!
I think Sarah Palin is a brainless piece of fluff that is dragging out the women of the world that want to feel empowered without having to actually think or do anything to be so. I think Rush Limbaugh is a pompous ass that is far more concerned with peoples opinions of him than ever touching the truth. I think Sean Hannity thinks he's the captain of the football team and is more concerned with getting a cheerleader and fluffing his hair than the lies he spews and how they affect the un-thinkers he spews them at. Last but in no way least, I think that Glenn Beck is the moron's god of the faux viewers. He is one of the best snake oil salesmen I have ever had the disgust to watch. He knows your fears, he loves your fears, and he plays on your fears to gain your viewership. Said viewership gains him the money he craves and the notoriety he cannot live without.
I will be discussing this mangy group often and at length. If you choose to disagree with me feel free, comments are open, but keep in mind this is my space and I will delete threats or serious hostility. Be sure your bringing your A game along with verifiable proof of your arguments to back your opinion up.
That said, welcome to my space I hope you enjoy the ride. I'm off to juggle the current news and opinion so I can talk about it here!
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