Month: April 2012

Earth Day: A Time For Concern Of Control By Conservatives And Right Wing Christians Denying Reality!

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We will be celebrating Earth Day again on Sunday, first declared by President Richard Nixon in 1970, after promotion the previous year by Democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.

42 years later, instead of dealing with our environment on an emergency basis, instead we have the power of corporate interests, conservatives, and right wing Christians, who deny global warming, climate change, and even the concept of evolution.

This globe is in a growing crisis, but if you look at the Republican Party and conservative talk radio, you would not know it!

Instead of working toward solutions that will preserve the planet for the next century and beyond, we have people invoking God and putting their heads in the sand!

And behind all this is the goal of a small elite, including the Koch Brothers, enriching themselves at the expense of the rest of us.

So while we can celebrate Earth Day, we must realize that we are living in a time of denial and illusion!

What Is Wrong With Mitt Romney? The Bethel Bakery And Liberty University Commencement Speech Controversies

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What is it about Mitt Romney?

Romney has absolutely no sense of propriety, of what is right to do for his own candidacy!

Romney was in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area the other day, trying to relate to “ordinary people” at a gathering, sitting down at a table to have a snack of cookies, provided by a local bakery of reputation, the Bethel Bakery.

So what does he do? He questions whether the cookies are really made by a local bakery, thinking they are from the local 7 11, and thereby insulting the owner of Bethel Bakery, and making the incident yet another embarrassment, and slip up on the part of Romney, who has had so many, it is easy now to lose count! A basic rule of civility is to NEVER criticize food provided by a host!

Heads have to be shaking and eyes rolling over Romney’s ability to self destruct. YES, we are all human and make mistakes, but if Romney can make this many on silly, stupid things, imagine him making decisions on important matters!

Then, to top it off, it was announced that Romney will give the commencement address to the graduating class at Liberty University in Virginia, operated by the son and heir of the dead Christian TV evangelist, Jerry Falwell, the founder of the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition.

Liberty University, now run by Jerry Falwell, Jr, is infamous for condemning homosexuality, and banning any known gay students or faculty. It is also where Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia wrote a masters thesis, condemning “cohabitors, homosexuals, and fornicators”, and also attacked feminists, working women, and contraception by unmarried couples. He also condemned unwed mothers, no fault divorce, the New Deal, the Great Society, and he called for punishment for pornography, homosexuality and drug abuse by the state! This is the man who is Governor of Virginia, and a front runner for Vice Presidential nominee with Mitt Romney!

This is the university that Mitt Romney has agreed to speak before its graduating class! The question is WHY, as this only contributes to putting Romney “in bed” with the extreme right wing Christian conservative fanatics who promote hate and prejudice! Is this the way that Romney wishes to look to the average independent voter, to the average woman, to the average Hispanic or Latino, and YES, to gay men and women, a substantial number who are registered Republican? Is this his way to overcome his Mormon faith, which many right wing conservatives think of as a cult?

What is wrong with Mitt Romney’s head, his thinking pattern, his wife even (who could convince him of the stupidity of doing a commencement speech for the Jerry Falwell school)?

This is why Mitt Romney is going to be a total disaster for the Republican Party in 2012. He makes one long for John McCain in 2008, Bob Dole in 1996, and get this, even George W. Bush in 2000, with his vision of a “Compassionate Conservatism”, before the disaster of the Bush Presidency had a chance to emerge over the next eight years!

So What Else Is New? Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions Blames Barack Obama For Secret Service Sex Scandal!

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The Republican Party in Congress and conservative talk radio and Fox News Channel have proved again and again that they have no limit to their indecency!

It is automatic to blame President Barack Obama for EVERYTHING, including situations that he has no involvement in at all!

So now, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions has blamed the President for the Secret Service sex scandal!

In other words, Obama is supposed to keep track of the movements of all Secret Service agents on and off the job, heh?

The Secret Service is there to protect him, not for him to check on their movements and activities!

What should Barack Obama have done, on top of the “Zillions” of other issues and problems and personnel that he is expected to deal with?

This criticism is totally preposterous, and just demonstrates ever more that there is no limit, no decency, no dignity, on the part of opposition politicians and media!

While they are at it, why not blame Barack Obama for “original sin”, blame him for Adam and Eve eating the apple in the Garden of Eden? Why not blame him for everything that went wrong under George W. Bush and the Republican Congresses?

Oh wait, they already do that, don’t they, acting as if everything wrong began out of the blue, on January 20, 2009!

An Inspiring Moment: Barack Obama At Henry Ford Museum Sitting In Rosa Parks Montgomery Bus

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Yesterday, while campaigning in Michigan, President Barack Obama visited the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, and sat in the seat of the bus that Rosa Parks sat in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the opening salvo of the civil rights movement in America!

It brought back the courage and principle of Rosa Parks, who was arrested, leading to the year long boycott led by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who came from Atlanta, Georgia at age 26 to promote the cause.

This was one of the best photo opportunities involving President Obama in three years plus in public office, and it reminds us that the battle for civil rights is a never ending battle with no final victories, and requires our determination and stubbornness to make progress in the direction of human rights!

Hatred, Resentment, Indifference Toward The Poor: The Sickness In America

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There is a sickness in America, which is growing by leaps and bounds.

That illness is hatred, resentment, and indifference towards the poor!

The ability of most Americans to have compassion and concern for those less fortunate is lacking.

We are a religious nation, with so many claiming to be believers in God, but yet we look down upon the poor, and blame them for their own plight.

It is as if people love to be poor, and are unwilling to do anything to get out of poverty, when it is clear that those born in poverty have an inability to pull themselves out of poverty without assistance from others, as the majority of people in poverty are children.

We have politicians who make a career condemning the poor, and we have radio and cable talk show hosts who live to denounce the poor, and we have religious leaders who claim to be following Jesus Christ, but are not doing so.

We have seen the Social Darwinist theory about poverty arise again in the 21st century, when it was supposed to have died a natural death at the end of the 19th century.

Until we are willing to accept that it is our responsibility as human beings to help lift the poor, we are nothing but religious hypocrites.

Until we stop denouncing the poor for their plight, we are not the shining nation on the hill, offering America as a model for the world.

Our heads should be held in shame until we accept our role to care about and help the poor!

We had wealthy Presidents before who showed concern about the poor, including Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Now we have Mitt Romney, who does not give a damn about the poor! This crisis for America cries out for a change of attitude society wide!

The Death Of Dick Clark: The End Of Teenage Years, Youthfulness, And Innocence

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The announcement at around 4 PM yesterday of the death of music entrepreneur Dick Clark hit like a shock wave to millions of Americans, many of them senior citizens, who “grew up” with Dick Clark from 1956 on, when he became the icon of young America, and somehow, never seemed to age, until he had his stroke in 2004.

His death brought back memories of what it was to be a teenager, a young man, and to focus on the growth of rock and roll and other popular music, which he advertised and promoted for more than 40 years on American Bandstand.

His death made us realize that our youth is past us, and that it will never return, as the fans of Dick Clark age!

Clark gave us the American Music Awards, and many television shows, He won numerous Golden Globe Awards and Daytime Emmy Awards, and introduced us to each New Year through his New Year’s Eve countdown from 1972 through 2011, with the exception of 2004, when he was recovering from his stroke.

He was a wonderful human being, genuine in his warmth and friendliness, and started many careers. He also promoted the development of African American musicians in a time when race still divided the music world, but he made the transition to integration at his Philadelphia and Los Angeles dance crowds on American Bandstand seem natural and normal.

His effect on American culture was massive, and he will always be remembered for his contributions, as one of the most prominent personalities in television history.

We will not see his kind again, and we have lost some of our innocence with his death at age 82. May he rest in peace!

The “Tantalizing” Concept Of Condoleezza Rice For Vice President: A Mirage!

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A CNN poll of Republican and Independent voters as to who they would like to see as the GOP Vice Presidential nominee came up with a surprise Number One–former Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice!

This is a major surprise, as Rice’s name has not been listed as a realistic possibility, and she has not shown any interest in the past in running for public office, preferring to live the scholarly life at Stanford University, after eight grueling years in the midst of stress and tension as a major figure in the George W. Bush Administration.

Having been involved in a rivalry with Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Rice seemed perturbed at the memoirs of both men, and a need to defend her record and stands on issues. To believe that she would wish to get into the political fray is beyond comprehension of any intelligent observer.

But the thought of Rice running is “tantalizing” to many, as there are definite pluses, but also, however, minuses if she ran.

The pluses include:

Rice has broad and extensive experience in all areas of foreign and national security policy, a major plus for Mitt Romney, who has none of it.

Rice is highly intelligent, and would be a great contrast to Sarah Palin, the VIce Presidential nominee four years ago.

Rice, as a black woman, would possibly fill the image of diversity, even though most blacks would not vote for Romney because Rice is on the ticket. Maybe somewhat more women would vote if she was on the ticket, but not very much.

The minuses are:

Rice is a reminder of the George W. Bush Administration, and its failure to prevent September 11, and its long, drawn out wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Rice has no political experience, and has never been involved in domestic affairs responsibility of any kind.

Rice would likely be a problem for many Republicans, because she is pro choice on abortion and open minded on gay rights, two areas that would disqualify her for many hard line right wing Republicans and conservatives.

Rice is a strong willed person, and would not fit well into being a Vice President under a person, Mitt Romney, who seems to have traditional views of the roles of women, which Rice does not fit very well.

So it is interesting to think about the possibility of Condoleezza Rice, but don’t put betting money on the idea that she would indeed run for Vice President with Mitt Romney!

Baptist Pastor Robert Jeffress, The Mormon Church, And Barack Obama

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Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas was very blunt a few months ago, that the Mormon Church was a cult, was not at all Christian, and that he was very uncomfortable with the concept of supporting Mitt Romney for President, since he is a Mormon.

Now, Jeffress has decided to openly endorse Romney, despite his being a Mormon, and despite his discomfort with Mormon beliefs, without convincing anyone of his sincerity.

Instead, it is clear to anyone who wants to be honest, that Pastor Jeffress is backing Romney, because Jeffress is a racist, who cannot imagine himself supporting a black man, Barack Obama, who has made it clear he is Christian.

Pastor Jeffress says it is because Obama has promoted abortion rights, and also has supported advancements in gay rights, which is not part of the Bible, according to Pastor Jeffress, even though many theologians argue that the Bible does not directly address these issues.

But, Jeffress can support a non Christian, as he describes Mormons, who years ago supported abortion rights and gay rights, a man named Mitt Romney, who has conveniently changed his views on every issue imaginable, and who one would think no one could truly believe or trust!

Realize Mitt Romney’s mother, Lenore, ran for the US Senate, in Michigan in support of abortion rights in 1970, so Mitt is even going against the memory and views of his own mother!

And this is a man for a “good, moral” Christian pastor to support? Give us all a break, and accept the fact that, under no circumstance, would Pastor Jeffress ever back a black man for anything, because of the color of his skin!

And Pastor Jeffress is supposed to be a model for tolerance and understanding since he is a pastor, right? What hypocrisy beyond belief!

Women In Congress And Governorships: The Historical Record

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As we celebrate the growing role of women in public life and politics, the question arises as to what is the record of election of women to the two houses of Congress, and to state governorships.

An investigation reveals the following:

All but six states have elected women to the House Of Representatives since 1916, when Montana elected Jeanette Rankin. Those six exceptions are Alaska, Delaware, Iowa, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Vermont. But Alaska and North Dakota have had women in the US Senate, and Alaska, Delaware, and Vermont have had women governors. In Iowa and Mississippi, the highest elected woman has been a Lieutenant Governor.

Of course, to be fair, one must remember that Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota and Vermont each have had only one member of the House of Representatives, due to the small population of those states, offering only a total of four possibilities for election of a woman in each of those states–one House seat, two Senate seats, and one Governorship.

As far as Iowa and Mississippi, there is no such excuse available!

At the same time, right now, we have two women representing each of the following states in the US Senate–Maine, New Hampshire, California, and Washington State–three Republicans and five Democrats!

Gun Rights, Mass Murder, Chief Justice Warren Burger, And The Second Amendment

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The National Rifle Association is riding high, having succeeded in promotion of “Stand Your Ground” laws which has led to the deaths of hundreds of victims in the past ten years, including Trayvon Martin in Florida in February.

The NRA was the host of the rant of Ted Nugent last week, threatening the life of President Barack Obama, and calling for harm on Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Attorney General Eric Holder.

The NRA sat back and had no reaction to the assassination attempt against Arizona Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords in Tucson in January 2011.

The NRA had no reaction to the mass murder of 32 people at Virginia Tech five years ago this week.

The NRA had no reaction to the mass murder at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999, also occurring this week.

The NRA continues to say that guns do not kill people, and that instead, people kill people, but fight against any sensible background checks, or the banning of assault weapons.

They continue to state that the Second Amendment allows uninhibited ownership of guns by anyone who wishes to collect them.

A Supreme Court case in June 2010 in McDonald V. Chicago further cemented their 2008 decision in District of Columbia V. Heller, with the five Supreme Court conservatives deciding both cases, in favor of gun owner rights.

The thought that such an important decision came about by a bare 5-4 vote on ideological grounds is very disturbing, and belies the statement of former Chief Justice Warren Burger, appointed by Richard Nixon in 1969 and serving to 1986.

In 1991, the former Chief Justice stated that the Second Amendment was subject to fraud by special interest groups, does not guarantee the right to have firearms at all, and was designed to provide state militia to promote defense of the state.

But then, as conservative as Burger was thought to be in his tenure on the Court, it is clear that the conservative majority on the Court today is far more right wing than any since the 1920s, a foreboding of the damage they may do in many key cases to be decided and announced between now and the end of June, including the Obama Health Care legislation!