Young People

As Rosa Parks Statue Is Unveiled In The US Capitol, Voting Rights Act Comes Under Review By Supreme Court!

Ronald 7 Comments

This morning, a 9 foot statue of Rosa Parks, the “Mother” of the Civil Rights Movement, for her heroism in allowing herself to become the center of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-1956, was unveiled in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol Building.

This is a wonderful event to commemorate the greatest human rights movement in American history, and the excitement over how far we have come, with President Barack Obama leading in commemorating the event, and the feeling of satisfaction that we have gone far enough in the half century since 1955, that we have an African American President in his second term in office!

But at the same time, ironically, a challenge by the state of Alabama, which arrested Rosa Parks for refusing to change her seat on a bus in Montgomery, is arguing a case before the Supreme Court today, which if successful, will negate Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which requires nine Southern states and portions of seven other states, which have been shown to be discriminatory in voting regulations in their past, to have to submit any voting law changes to the Justice Department before they can be put into effect.

The argument is that the law is outmoded and no longer necessary, but that is not the case, as last year, there were attempts in many states to make it more difficult for African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, young people, the elderly, and the poor to be able to register and or vote, plus restrictive days and hours of voting, designed to help Republicans and Mitt Romney gain an unfair advantage in the elections.

Just because Alabama claims the law is no longer needed is belied by history and recent events, and the Congress has renewed the Voting Rights Act multiple times, and it should not be the right of the Supreme Court to repeal a law in effect for nearly a half century!

But this conservative Court just might do that, which would be a miscarriage of justice, and another example of how the Court has started to get out of control of promotion of true justice! Their decision on this case, along with the move to make Citizens United just the beginning of special interest investments to fix elections, and the gay marriage case, will make the Court’s decisions in the next few months extremely significant, and worrisome for those who believe the John Roberts Court is reckless and dangerous, with its conservative majority put on it by Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush!

Poll On Republicans: 26 Percent Positive, 49 Percent Negative

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A new poll shows Republicans at a low point in popularity, only gaining 26 percent support, while 49 percent see the party as negative.

Also, 64 percent of Republicans believe Barack Obama is hiding his past, with many believing the “Birther” theory that he was born in Kenya, and is not an American citizen. Also, 19 percent believe Obama stole the 2012 election.

What can one say after hearing these poll numbers? The Republican Party has become so right wing, so out of touch with reality, that it will believe anything negative about Obama, and has made clear that they will do everything possible to block any successes by the President on any subject, including the economy.

With their inability to gain majority or near majority support of women, Hispanics and Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, young people, gays and lesbians, labor, environmentalists, and of 60 percent of the electoral votes of the nation, the Republican Party needs to change its tune, but looks as if they are doubling down on their obstinacy, obstructionism, and negativism.

This means further defeats, and possible dissolution of the Republican Party after 160 years of existence, including glorious times, sadly now a faint memory!

A Day To Celebrate Promotion Of Human Rights: 150th Anniversary Of Emancipation Proclamation!

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Today marks the most momentous day in all of American history, regarding the promotion of human rights! It is the 150th anniversary of the issuance by President Abraham Lincoln of the Emancipation Proclamation!

Lincoln had issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, five days after the bloody Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in the Civil War. His entire cabinet was opposed to what he did, and had doubts about the final issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation 100 days later.

But Abraham Lincoln had the guts, the courage, the conviction that ending slavery was an essential part of the advancement of American democracy, and would help promote the victory of the Union forces over the Confederacy.

Lincoln knew that the Emancipation Proclamation was only a pledge to end slavery, and that the only true way to bring it about was military victory, and the passage two years later of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, an event excellently portrayed in the movie LINCOLN, with Daniel Day-Lewis portraying the events leading to the passage of that amendment by the House of Representatives.

Slavery’s end did not mean an easy time or adjustment for African Americans or the nation, as racial violence and discrimination would be a sad part of the future, but it was a necessary step forward on the march of human rights, including later passage of the 14th Amendment, the 15th Amendment, the 19th Amendment, the 26th Amendment, the various Civil Rights Acts (1866, 1875, 1957, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1968), and significant Supreme Court decisions on civil rights of women, minorities, labor, young people, and gays and lesbians.

The march of time has been toward the granting of greater human rights, but it all began with Lincoln’s courageous gamble, 150 years ago today, and for that, as so much else, all Americans should salute him today!

And it is inspiring to see massive lines at the National Archives in Washington, DC, as the Emancipation Proclamation is on view for a limited time to celebrate the event, but with the need to preserve a document which is in fragile condition after a century and a half of existence.

What Lincoln did in 1863 is connected to the whole long range story of American history, the expansion of human rights for all, and this is what draws foreigners to wish to come to America, the land of liberty and opportunity!

Retreat Of Right Wing Tea Party Types: A Good Month For Progressives And Democrats!

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One month since the Presidential Election of 2012, and we see the following:

Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, leader of the Tea Party Caucus in the Senate, resigns and goes to the right wing think tank, the Heritage Foundation.

Grover Norquist, head of the Americans For Tax Reform, witnesses Republican members of Congress repudiating their tax pledge to him, and say they are willing to support tax increases.

Dick Armey, former House Majority Whip, leaves Tea Party backed organization Freedom Works over disagreements on policy and strategy.

Karl Rove, the “brains” of the George W. Bush election victories, flops badly with his superPAC, Crossroads GPS, and loses all credibility with his behavior on Fox News Channel.

Mitt Romney repudiates all involvement in the Republican and American future, preferring to stay in isolation and make yet more money.

Republican officeholders fall over each other trying to stand out as standing for different values than the losing Romney campaign promoted, on women, immigrants, gays and lesbians, and young people, the groups that will determine the political future of America.

YES, this has been a good month for progressives, liberals, Democrats, and forward looking people, as the Republican Party and conservative movement “purges” itself!

Mitt Romney Lacks Dignity And Class, Proving He Is The Worst Republican Nominee For President Since Barry Goldwater In 1964!

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Former Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney has managed to reach a new low, in stating that Barack Obama won the election because of “gifts” to African Americans, Hispanics, women, and young people.

What gall and nerve this man has, and it proves he is a sore loser, as much as his running mate, Paul Ryan!

Romney was very willing to give “gifts” to corporations and wealthy people, had he been elected President. He had no shame in condemning the “47 Percent” in his Boca Raton statement, unaware that it was being taped. He later apologized for it, but now we know it was a false apology.

So Romney, again, proves he is a damned liar, a phony, a person who has no concern for anyone unless they are rich and powerful. He was not running to do what was best for the American people, but instead for the chance to add to his wealth, and have power to further promote the plutocracy, which already has too much power in this country!

Mitt Romney lacks dignity and class, and is, without doubt, the worst Republican nominee for President since Barry Goldwater in 1964!

And even Goldwater, at the least, had PRINCIPLES, while Romney has none, except his own aggrandizement!

If Obama Loses, We Lose MUCH More Than He Loses!

Ronald 4 Comments

President Obama has made the statement that were he to lose the Presidential Election Of 2012, he and Michelle would do just fine, and that is certainly true.

After all, he has been President, will go down in history as a President who had some positive effects on the nation, and will be able to spend the rest of his life with great earnings potential, and rising popularity over time, and would be mourned when he dies, with a state funeral, and always be part of the story of American history.

Being a one term President, he would be likely to have a lower ranking in the list of Presidents, as Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush have had, along with William Howard Taft, Herbert Hoover, and Gerald Ford, the five Presidents of the 20th century who lost reelection.

Obama has had a record deserving of being listed higher, but he needs a second term to reach the ranks of the more outstanding Presidents.

But, ultimately, the biggest loser if Obama is not reelected, are:

Women–who will see their movement toward equality and dignity stalled or reversed in massive ways.

Gay men and women–who will likely lose the advancements on gay rights and gay marriage, and true equality in all ways.

Hispanics and Latinos–who will see more anti immigrant backlash, and will lose the advancements for young Immigrants under the proposed DREAM Act.

African Americans—who will see greater racism and discrimination, and setbacks in the promotion of equality and fairness of treatment.

Labor–who will see more attacks on workers rights, favoritism toward corporate employers, loss of collective bargaining rights, and setbacks in the lives of ordinary, struggling Americans who have no union representation.

Environmentalists–who will see more oil drilling, air pollution, refusal to understand the dangers of climate change, and allow economic development that endangers the health of millions of Americans, all for the motivation of profit over health concerns.

The poor–who have rough lives, will see a lack of concern or action to deal with the reality of child poverty, homelessness, hunger, the lives of single mothers, and further condemnation of the poor, reminding us of the Gilded Age and Social Darwinism.

The Middle Class–who will suffer further degradation, loss of opportunity to advance, and the potential for their children to succeed being lessened dramatically.

Young People–who will have fewer opportunities to advance in education and work, and will be embittered and disillusioned about the American Dream, which will be unfulfilled for millions.

Senior Citizens–who will have to live in fear of dangers to Social Security and Medicare, and will lose the sense of security and contentment in their older years.

The Disabled—whether young, middle aged, or old, who will see a loss of concern and support, as through Medicaid and other government programs.

Civil Libertarians–who will see further erosion of the Bill of Rights, and the promotion of narrow minded views of Muslims and Hispanics-Latinos by government policy.

The Peace activists–who will see America engaged in more wars, because of the power of Neoconservatives who will promote further foreign adventures.

Military Personnel and Veterans–who will see more soldiers killed in the future, and more ignoring of the needs of veterans who are fortunate enough to come home alive.

Educators and Intellectuals–who will be less appreciated and admired, and will be labeled “Communists, Socialists, Terrorists” by people in the Republican Party, who will do everything they can to attack education and freedom of thought, and call critics “unpatriotic”.

So Barack Obama will do just fine if he loses, but we, the American people, will lose so much, and it will transform our lives in so many negative ways that most people cannot conceptualize or imagine!

The Growing Arrogance, Cockiness, And Delusional Nature Of Mitt Romney!

Ronald Leave a comment

Despite the fact that all of the polls show a widening lead for President Barack Obama over Mitt Romney, the Republican Presidential nominee has demonstrated a belief that he has nothing to worry about regarding the election.

Dismissing Republican and conservative criticism, Romney says he does not need to change his staff and advisers, or change strategy in any form, as he knows he is going to win the Presidency six weeks from now!

Despite his many gaffes, and his statement about the “47 percent”, and his manipulated 2011 tax return, Romney is being extremely arrogant and cocky, and showing signs of delusion of grandeur!

This man is so accustomed to getting what he wants, and having everyone serve him, that he cannot comprehend reality, and is clueless to the fact that he is antagonizing women, Hispanics and Latinos, senior citizens, young people, and even white working class people in the Midwest, who are angry over his willingness to abandon the auto industry in 2008-2009, while Barack Obama saved this important industry and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that, had they not been saved, unemployment would be so much higher today!

Some would argue that white working class men, in particular, might not be thrilled about voting for an African American President, but are more irritated that a rich white guy, such as Mitt Romney, who has no conception of what their lives are like, was ready to abandon the Midwest to depression conditions!

So, as stated recently, Romney looks more than ever like Thomas Dewey, the GOP Presidential nominee in 1948, who thought he was going to defeat President Harry Truman.

However, the difference is that the polls showed Dewey constantly in the lead until the election, so it is understandable that Dewey might have that delusion.

Romney has not been ahead, and is falling further behind, a totally different circumstance, so Romney may very well need a mental examination as to his sanity, if he can be so overly confident that he is going to win!

Either that, or Romney is lying to us and himself, something he has been doing ever since he first decided to run for President in 2007!

The Growing Possibility Of An Electoral College Landslide For Barack Obama!

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With the “47 Percent” statement of Mitt Romney plaguing him, and causing many Republican candidates to repudiate his assertions, as an attempt to save their own skins, and with polls showing a growing lead for Obama in all of the “swing states” except North Carolina, some observers are starting to wonder if we are at the beginning of an electoral vote landslide in 46 days!

Barack Obama won 28 states in 2008, and is now favored to win all of them except Indiana and North Carolina, but both of those states are now seen as possibly going his way, as they did in 2008.

Additionally, four states—Missouri, Arizona, Montana and Georgia—are thought to be prime Democratic territory in future Presidential elections, as their mix of population favors them turning “blue”, but some wonder if they could be swayed by Romney’s statement–alienating young people, senior citizens, women, labor, veterans, and African American and Hispanic-Latino voters– to come out in droves and turn those states prematurely Democratic.

All this–the potential for 32 states and the District of Columbia to vote for Obama–has already been stated by this author as conceivable, if not likely.

But now, the thought even goes further, as a contribution by someone on this blog believes it is possible to have an even greater landslide, with the potential, in this person’s mind, for Obama to win 44 states as the 44th President, matching electoral landslides for Presidents including Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan!

This person feels only six states are safe for Romney–Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho.

This author feels that this belief is too optimistic, and would add West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Nebraska , Kansas and Alaska to this list—making only 13 states truly safe now for Romney!

So this author would say that 37 states are possible–adding South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, North Dakota, and South Dakota to the potential list, due to the events of the Presidential campaign!

So were Obama to win all but the 13 states mentioned above, he would have a grand total of
462 electoral votes to 76 for Mitt Romney!

This is not likely, but it is possible, so stay tuned!

The “Safety Net” In Tatters If Republicans Win Total Power

Ronald Leave a comment

The “Safety Net”–what makes a society human and compassionate–is in danger IF the Republicans were to win the White House and control of both houses of Congress.

The war on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Housing Assistance, and Pell Grants would be full scale, leaving poor people, young people, children, single mothers, senior citizens, sick and disabled people in a situation which could lead to greater hunger, homelessness, and major health issues that would not be dealt with, except by charity agencies and religious institutions.

But without government, these charitable and religious agencies would be unable to master the crisis that would evolve.

A society which would allow such abandonment is a society that would be going back to the Gilded Age of the late 19th century!

It would be a nation which, already behind in its “safety net”, as compared to other industrial, advanced societies in Europe and Japan, would no longer be a model for the world as a place of humanity and decency about the value of human existence!

This is a spiritual crisis of massive proportions, the concept that millions of our fellow citizens would be abandoned to shift by themselves, something that would lead to mass death and suffering, which would stain America forever!

The Romney-Ryan Ticket As Seen By African Americans, Hispanics-Latinos And Women: Worst Since Polling Began!

Ronald 1 Comment

The Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan Presidential ticket is in deep trouble, as polls demonstrate the unbelievable gap that they face gaining support among African Americans, Hispanics-Latinos, and women.

In one poll, Barack Obama leads Romney 94-0 among African Americans! Did you see that, ZERO for Romney, a stunning figure!

In one poll, Barack Obama leads Romney 63-28 among Hispanics-Latinos, a 35 point gap!

And among women, Barack Obama, in a recent poll, leads 54-39 percent, a 15 point gap!!

With absolutely ZERO support among African Americans, 35 points behind among Hispanics-Latinos, and 15 points behind among women, the Romney-Ryan ticket is on the road to total disaster, as they are also behind among labor voters, Jews, young people, moderates, Independents, and also behind Obama in all “swing” or battleground states except North Carolina, and almost even in Colorado.

Although they will win more states in the “heartland”, and therefore more electoral votes than Barry Goldwater did in 1964, they are on the way to a worst defeat than any GOP loser—Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole or John McCain–since a half century ago!