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Paul Ryan Self Destructs Any Chance To Run For President!

Ronald 10 Comments

Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, who this blogger spent a lot of time working to undermine his Vice Presidential candidacy in 2012, and got blasted for it by right wing websites and bloggers, has again shown further evidence of what a terrible choice Mitt Romney made in his Presidential race, in selecting Ryan to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency!

Ryan, who knows nothing about budgets, except that the poor, the elderly, the disabled, veterans, and the young should see cuts in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and other social programs; and there should be no extension of unemployment compensation for desperately unemployed people; and there should be no rise in the minimum wage, now has gone off the “deep end” with his assertion that those who live in the “inner cities” have no sense of the importance of work, and have not worked for generations!

This is a direct and racist assault on African Americans in particular, but also on Hispanics and Latinos, who are a majority of the poor in the urban areas of our nation.

But Ryan acts as if it is only minorities who are poor, and are unemployed, and in some cases, have not worked in a long time. From this statement, one would think that whites are not poor, that they all work, that they all have a heritage of understanding the point of work, and nothing could be further from the truth!

It is a fact, and always has been, that the vast majority of the poor do not live in cities, and are not minorities, although one would think so from a stereotype!

The fact is that there are millions of whites who live in the rural and suburban areas of the nation, and many are them do not work, have no hope of work, and live in depressed conditions often worse than urban slums. Many of these people are living in “Red” states, where Republicans vote to hurt their own constituents, while making it seem as if only minorities do not work, or have no work ethic. They live in Appalachia, the Great Plains, the Rockies, in comparatively sparsely populated areas, as compared to the urban areas on the East and West Coasts.

More whites receive food stamps, and the level of poverty percentage wise is higher in such places as Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Alaska.

It is the lack of education; the tendency to have large families which are also dysfunctional; the reality of drugs and alcohol; the refusal of these state governments to give a damn about their white poor, along with minority poor; and the tendency to turn poor whites against poor minorities so that the GOP can keep power in the House and in the state legislatures, which is destroying generation after generation of deprived people of all races!

Only when there is a REAL war on poverty, instead of exploiting the issue based upon race, as Paul Ryan has now done, will we ever be able to guarantee a good future for millions of whites, as well as African Americans and Latinos!

And Paul Ryan, your potential Presidential candidacy is dead in the water, and while you might run, you have forfeited any realistic chance to be President of the United States, but that was clear, anyway, in 2012!

Barack Obama On Race, Football, And Marijuana

Ronald 2 Comments

Barack Obama has been very cautious and careful about speaking out on controversial issues, but now, as the fifth anniversary of his accession to the Presidency takes place, he is becoming more open, and it is very refreshing, and really, about time to do so!

Sarah Palin and other right wingers can claim all along that Obama plays the “race card”, when he has never done so in reality. They would love him to play the role of the “angry black man”, so they can further condemn him, and denounce him in the worst possible language!

Instead, Obama frustrates them by his refusal to talk much about race until now, and to reject being the “angry black man.” Rather, he has been dignified, classy, judicious, and respectful toward people he should have long ago rejected in no uncertain terms, and should have denounced them in strong language!

This author would not have the patience and ability to ignore insults that our 44th President has had, and even now, when he starts to speak up openly, he is still graceful and gentlemanly in his language.

So he tells us that he knows some people (actually a lot) dislike him because he is black, and that others like him because he is black! This makes total sense, and there is no debate about that!

He also tells us that if he had a son, he would not let him play tackle football, as too dangerous to the head and neck, and leading to concussions. In this, the author agrees, as no sport is worth one’s health being affected long term. Football may be a popular sport, but it is a vicious, dangerous sport due to the aggressiveness of tackles and other football players, for whom victory is all that matters, and the helmets that are used encourage larger and heavier players to do harm to others, rather than be good sports while playing.

The sad part is how some fans do not give a damn, as long as they can see blood and gore on the field, which pleases their lust for violence. It is as if this is ancient Rome and the gladiators, where spectators did not give a damn about the health, safety, and lives of the participants.

And the fact that the vast majority of players are black, sadly, also promotes a lack of concern by some fans who want the players to be there for entertainment, but no real concern about their long range health and safety long term. If the majority were still white, as decades ago, there would be a greater uproar by fans, and also by team owners and coaches about this health and safety issues, but heck, who seems to care about players of the race that some fans would still not allow in their homes for dinner or social interaction! Face the facts, this is the truth, whether some are willing to say so or not openly!

And Obama speaking up on the effects of marijuana as compared to tobacco and alcohol, that it is far less dangerous than those two drugs, is certainly true, as there is no record of the kind of long range damage of marijuana as compared to tobacco and alcohol. This is not an endorsement of anyone using marijuana, but simply the truth, as Obama makes clear, and ideally, no young person should feel a need to use marijuana, anymore than tobacco or alcohol, as it is not good for one’s health.

Let this author make it clear that he has never used tobacco or marijuana, and rarely drinks alcohol, and has never been drunk, as he prefers to face reality, and does not wish to be under the influence of any of these drugs. It is best for anyone to avoid these different drugs!

But certainly, to have people in prison for marijuana leads to many more blacks than whites, and that is wrong, and reform of sentencing, and release of those in prison for marijuana possession or sale, needs reform immediately!

It was wonderful that Obama opened up on these issues, and it allowed this author to state how he feels about these matters as well, and hopefully, Obama will feel liberated and speak more openly about how he feels, and the critics be damned!

Is America So Uncaring About Children Elsewhere, Or Is It The Same As Attitude Toward Children In America?

Ronald 9 Comments

The future of any nation and of the world is in our children, whether they are Americans, British, Japanese, Nigerian, Brazilian, Syrian or whatever nation.

And yet, for many politicians, and for many Americans, the future of children is insignificant, unless it is THEIR children!

So we see many Republicans and conservatives, and even so called “religious” people in America, who have no problem with cutting health care coverage, food stamps, housing assistance and other “welfare” benefits for children who are members of poor families, whether white, African American, Hispanic-Latino Americans, Asian Americans, or Native Americans. But of course, all children must be born, but then it is not the job of government, according to these groups, to insure a decent childhood for those poor children!

And for many, whether libertarians like Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, or Democrats such as Congressman Alan Grayson of Orlando, Florida, and many others in between, the fact that the majority of the victims of the chemical warfare attack last month, and of the two and a half year history of the Syrian Civil War, are children, does not phase them one iota!

Also, half of the people in refugee camps in nations surrounding Syria are eleven years old and younger, and that means that a vast majority of the entire refugee population are children under the age of 18. But this does not affect the conscience of Paul, Grayson, or others, because they are not Americans, so who cares about their fate?

This is, indeed, a sad state of affairs, when the future of the world, children, are looked at, whether American or foreign, as dispensable human lives!

In fact, it is totally DESPICABLE and REPREHENSIBLE!,

It is also immoral, unethical and reflects poorly on those who do not give a damn about the most vulnerable among us, children!

More Republican Lies: They Claim They Were Not Invited To Speak At March On Washington Event!

Ronald 2 Comments

The Republican Party and the conservative movement did not want to be involved in the events commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington yesterday, and, they had the gall to lie and complain that they were not invited!

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor preferred to be in North Dakota, talking to oil lobbyists; and Speaker John Boehner had excuses that he was too busy! That is pure bull, as anyone can rearrange his schedule if one wishes to attend an event! George W. Bush could have shown up, even if not speaking since he had recent stent surgery on his heart. All he would have had to do is wave to the crowd and pose with Presidents Obama, Carter and Clinton. Republicans did not want to be associated with this event, clear and simple, and this includes Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell!

The only African American Senator, conservative Tim Scott of South Carolina, was also invited, but turned down the offer, and yet, conservative talk show hosts complained that he had not been invited!

Are the GOP leaders and conservatives ever capable of telling the truth—that they do not give a damn about minorities, African American, Latino, Asian American—and still, somehow, think the long term future of their party is to get an all white backing as the percentage of white population continues to decline?

That strategy is a failing one, and one wonders when the GOP will finally come to grips with reality!

The Republican And Conservative Attack On Single Mothers, Particularly Minority Mothers: Failure To See Their Sacrifices And Heroism!

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America is living through a very sad time, when we see Republicans and conservatives, including those on talk radio and Fox News Channel, constantly on the attack against single mothers, and particularly minority mothers, failing to see their sacrifices and heroism!

Comfortable middle class and upper class whites who have a stable family structure and adequate financial resources have no clue as to the life of those single mothers, whether white, African American, Hispanic and Latino, Asian American, or Native American.

Instead of realizing that it is men who helped to contribute to this problem of single motherhood, but that it is these single women who have devoted their lives to bringing up their children under dire circumstances, and that they should not be condemned, and denied basic government assistance to make the lives of their children better, we have the spectacle of ridicule, lack of respect, and lack of understanding just how complex and difficult being a single mother really is!

They need to be given the credit and dignity that any mother is given, who happens to be more fortunate in financial and personal life matters, as being poor is far more a challenge than the issue of how much materialism and greed can be promoted in those families which have no struggle on a daily basis!

Single mothers should not be subjected to racism or misogyny, and we have a lot of work to do in this nation to overcome the hate and the prejudice unfortunately visited by right wing forces which have no interest in improving the lives of women and children!

The Florida “Stand Your Ground” Law, George Zimmerman and Marissa Alexander

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Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law was used to justify what George Zimmerman did, the killing of Trayvon Martin.

But the same law was used to justify the 20 year prison term of a black woman, Marissa Alexander, who fired a warning shot into the ceiling to ward off the threat of a beating by her husband, who had already been cited for abuse of Alexander.

Marissa Alexander did not kill anyone, only used a gun to threaten a husband who was threatening to her, and how can anyone see this as fair, to give her 20 years without parole possibility, and have her child conceived with this husband brought up by him, with her having little or no contact with her own child?

How can anyone NOT see the injustice in this, and the fact that the jury in her case only took 12 minutes to convict her? Is it any wonder that African Americans see this as open season for whites who are racists to fire guns on blacks and get away with it through the justice system?

Is it any wonder that the offices of Governor Rick Scott have faced sit ins, insisting that the Governor and the legislature do something about Marissa Alexander? Should not this law be repealed, as Attorney General Eric Holder declared yesterday? Should not Jeb Bush, the former Governor, and brother and son of two Presidents, explain how he can justify this law he signed in 2005, and should he not be expected to lead the fight to have this unjust, discriminatory, and dangerous law repealed?

And should not “Stand Your Ground” laws be reviewed as dangers to the civil rights of minorities, giving whites open season for a new, different form of lynching, as in the Jim Crow Era of Segregation?

At the least, Marissa Alexander needs to be released immediately, have her child given back to her with the father not allowed to have contact anymore because of his abusive behavior, and compensation paid to Alexander for her unjust conviction and time in prison!

Most Endangered Species In America: Young Black Males!

Ronald 1 Comment

No matter what the result of the George Zimmerman trial for the death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, it is clear that the most endangered species in America are young black males between the ages of 14 and 35.

Hate crimes of whites against blacks are, according to one study, 28 times that of blacks against whites. According to FBI statistics, one out of five hate crimes are against whites, with the vast majority of the remaining 80 percent being against blacks, and to a lesser extent, Hispanics and Latinos.

When one realizes that the majority of crime is black on black crime in the city ghettos, and then add the fact that white crime against blacks is the above stated 28 times as much as blacks against whites, it is clear that any African American mother or father must live in fear that his son of high school or college age or the ten years beyond, is threatened with violence, often leading to death, whether in his own neighborhood, or out in society, because his presence and appearance makes many men and women nervous, and suspicious of his intentions, much like Trayvon Martin was profiled by George Zimmerman.

Add to that the reality that many businesses in shopping malls and elsewhere tend to profile young black men as potential criminals, who will steal if given the opportunity to do so.

So therefore, fear and insecurity is clearly the reality of life in America for people, who because of their darker appearance and the continued presence of stereotyping and profiling, makes their lives very difficult to live in a relaxed. confident manner. Even with the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency, there is still too much distrust and suspicion regarding the issue of race in America!

The Republican Delusion That They Can Win The Presidency And Majority Status Just By Having More Whites Voting!

Ronald 6 Comments

The Republican Party is truly delusional in their belief that they can win the Presidency and majority status in the future as long as they can convince more whites to vote, than did so in the Presidential Election of 2012.

With the percentage of whites in the population declining, and with the reality that it will continue to decline, this is a losing strategy in so many ways.

Not all whites would vote Republican, even in the South and Great Plains and Mountain West, GOP strongholds, and certainly NOT in the Northeast, New England, Midwest, and Pacific Coast, and in parts of the Mountain West.

Not all whites would wish to back the right wing policies of Republicans toward women, minorities, labor, and on other issues, such as the environment and science.

Not all whites would endorse the social conservatism of the religious right, particularly with a decline in religiosity among younger whites and voters generally.

A majority of whites who vote Republican are old, and once they pass the scene, many younger whites will have a greater influence on elections, and combined with those who are social liberals, female, and minority background, will NEVER vote Republican because they know that the Republicans are trying to ignore them, if not undermining their right to vote!

With their backward, regressive, vindictive policies toward the middle class and the poor, along with their anti women, anti labor, anti environment, anti minority viewpoints, the GOP will insure that they will be dinosaurs, looked back upon as a historical curiosity as to the issue of how they self destructed despite many warnings as to their self suicide by refusal to adapt!

Republicans And Food Stamps: “Red” States Are The Major Beneficiaries, And Their Supporters Seem Unaware What Republicans Are Doing To Them!

Ronald 12 Comments

The Republicans have declared war on “Food Stamps”, and have called Barack Obama the “Food Stamp” President!

While promoting all kinds of support for the corporate world, Republicans are out to promote massive cuts to people who are expected to feed themselves in a way no civilized person in America would want to be faced with! To hell with a balanced diet and nutrition, and therefore the promotion of bad health habits, which lead to medical problems, for which many will not have health coverage if one leaves it up to the Republicans and conservatives!

So people should starve, because they are “bad” people for being poor, and their children should do without adequate nutrition, which is impossible on the present Food Stamp benefit, before any further cuts!

But this is all veiled by the belief of conservatives that MOST of the recipients of food stamps are African American, Hispanic and Native American, and are located in “Blue” Democratic states in the major urban areas of the nation.

The facts are otherwise, as the vast majority of people on Food Stamps are white, are single females and their minor children, and live in Republican “Red” states in the South, Great Plains and Rocky Mountain areas of the nation!

So it is the “Red” states that are the real “welfare” states on Food Stamps and other benefits for the poor, and it is in these states that ignorant, uneducated, and clueless people vote Republican, without awareness of what the GOP is trying to do—make the lives of poor women and children, as well as elderly and disabled, heavily white populations ever more difficult!

This is all mind boggling, and one wonders when these poor whites will get the message as to what the party they vote for is doing to them and their children’s future!

College Graduates Now One Third Of Those Ages 25-29: The Highest Percentage Ever

Ronald 37 Comments

Higher education has reached more and more Americans over time, and now among those 25-29, one third have at least a four year undergraduate degree.

More Americans have started and graduated college in recent years, spurred on by the Great Recession, and the recognition that unemployment levels among college graduates is 3.3 percent for those ages 25-34, compared to 11.8 percent for high school graduates.

Still, too many students fail to finish a four year, or even a two year degree, and in many states, the graduation rate is much lower than in others, with the trend being that the “Blue” states have higher graduation rates than the “Red” states, another indication of two Americas in our midst, one in the 21st century, and the other moving back socially to the 19th century in many ways, sadly!

And low income American families still see only about one out of ten of their children going on to college and graduating in a six year period, while high income families see seven out of ten children gaining a college degree.

And women are graduating at higher rates than men, another disturbing issue regarding the emotional maturity of young men, many seeing just having any job as enough, making more women more highly educated than men, and in many cases, choosing not to marry someone of lesser educational attainment.

And Asian Americans continue to have higher percentages of college degrees, followed by whites, blacks and Hispanics, respectively.

The road to the future in a technology based and digital economy is higher education, so those not attaining that goal are at a long range disadvantage in the American economy of the future.