tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62219199971814520452024-02-19T10:48:16.725-06:00Reversing the HandbasketSky Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11251661769308033884noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-23263032816519076932011-01-09T08:32:00.004-06:002011-01-09T08:36:01.082-06:00Holy Crap, Do You Get It Now?Nothing really new to say about this. But I did add to the comments.<br /><br /><a href="http://reversingthehandbasket.blogspot.com/2010/03/at-what-point-do-you-cross-line-isnt.html">Crossing The Line</a><br /><br />My thoughts are with the victims <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">and</span> their families, as well as the family of the mentally ill man who committed this horrible act.Sky Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11251661769308033884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-53718272599322526762010-12-06T22:36:00.002-06:002010-12-06T23:19:39.969-06:00One Thing I Love About Republicans...<div>One Thing I LOVE About Republicans....</div><div><br /></div>I consider myself a Democrat, even though I would love to have the balls to call myself a true, blue Libertarian/Green Party die hard, (a hippy at heart.) However, I do admire the Republicans. WHY, you say? Well, here it is....not once in the pathetic eight years of the Bush administration, do I remember Republicans outwardly bitching about Bush. Not only that, they wouldn't have been caught dead grabbing pitchforks and declaring "injustice" of their figure head if he had chosen to do something that they even THOUGHT went against their party. I truly believe he could have pissed on the White House lawn, in full view of the media and the party would have found a way to spin it into "giving back" to the Earth. A fiscal conservative Republican who cringed at the idea of racking up a huge deficit by going into what they believed was an unjustified war, wouldn't say a damn word publicly that could damage the beloved leader of their party! Why?...because, apparently, they are having secret meetings and they all understood the power of "party cohesiveness." The power to BE in power lies the groups' unsaid, undying, unyielding power to <i>stick together</i>, through thick and thin....never an ill word muttered.<div><br /></div><div>I love my democratic brothers and sisters...but it feels like we stand on our soapbox and want everything to be perfect..."But he promised"...."But he said he would fix it!" ....we whine with our hippy ideologies of a perfect world.</div><div><br /></div><div>How bout this....if you're going to be on the team, then play the game. We, the big hearted Liberals, have to give up our self-righteous ideals, put a helmet on, on take one for the team. That means standing up for the best you got...because there is no such thing as a perfect politician, but we can't even stand behind the best starting line we've had in years. I'm not going to be a fair-weather voter anymore. I'm going to cheer for my team to the bloody end and not compromise team spirit by bitching about who's starting, who's coaching, or what the odds are....I will, however, bitch about the fans who won't even cheer at the game because the odds are against us. No longer will I be the parent who parent who consoles her child after the game with emotional hugs and encouragement like, "It's not who wins the game, honey, it's how you <i>PLAY</i> the game." You're damn right, it's how you play the game...and it's time we take a page from the Republican play book and play hard!! You can't always change the rules....and I'm freaking sick of losing!!!!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-26436939395840841942010-10-06T17:32:00.001-05:002010-10-06T17:33:42.819-05:00VOTE November 2!!!<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ExzINsaq4LI?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ExzINsaq4LI?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Sky Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11251661769308033884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-44242600365212920512010-09-07T12:02:00.003-05:002010-09-07T12:31:23.445-05:00WHAT DOES 9/11 MEAN TO YOU?Does it hold any meaning? Do you feel anything on the days that lead up to 9/11? <br /><br />I wanted to try something a little different with this post. Let's leave politics alone for a moment and let's get real. What do you feel after 9 years? Are you still angry? Do you feel vulnerable? Do you feel a sense of pride? Are you sad? All of these emotions come in to play with me still to this day.<br /><br />Let's make this about comments and I want to join the mix. Remember, no politics. This is about you and what you are feeling. Begin your comments...now.The Average Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02713917641657376358noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-58429591192544998622010-09-05T08:47:00.000-05:002010-09-05T08:47:25.661-05:00Does Your Butt Hurt When Your Pants Are On Fire Like That?Glenn Beck has stated, and many, <a href="http://reversingthehandbasket.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-am-going-to-give-out-some-free-advice.html">including my esteemed co-writer The Average American</a>, have tried to explain that the recent rally in Washington DC was an apolitical event.<br />
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As usual, Glenn Beck is a liar-liar-pants-on-fire type. But what else is new?<br />
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The event was held in our nation's capital. Were all the less political locations booked?<br />
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Mr. Beck stated the "Restoring Honor" rally was in part to "<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/28/nation/la-naw-glenn-beck-rally-20100829">reclaim the civil rights movement</a>." The civil rights movement was a social and political movement. You don't talk about political movements at your apolitical event. And don't get me started on how racist that statement sounds, that's a different blog post.<br />
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"<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/28/nation/la-naw-glenn-beck-rally-20100829">Today America begins to turn back to God</a>." Hard to discuss an entire country doing something, which a large part of the population has no desire to do, at an apolitical event.<br />
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Mr. Beck <a href="http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-national/video-glenn-beck-admits-to-lying-about-washington-s-inaugural-address-at-restoring-honor-rally">bothered to lie</a> about holding George Washington's inaugural address in his hands. Why talk about the founding fathers and their speeches if you're not trying to fire people up politically? His reason for lying was as old as lies themselves: "<a href="http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-national/video-glenn-beck-admits-to-lying-about-washington-s-inaugural-address-at-restoring-honor-rally">I thought it would be easier</a>."<br />
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And, like a lot of people at political events, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-krauss-crowdcount-20100905,0,5287827.story">Mr. Beck felt the need to tell people how many showed up</a>. He reported 350,000 to 600,000 initially, later settling on 500,000. Crowd photography later revealed something more like 80,000 - 87,000 attended.<br />
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Sarah Palin was there. I don't think of her as a politician. But she thinks of herself that way. <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0810/Palins_Iowa_turn.html">She was in Iowa just this week</a>. And the people who attended the rally think of her as a politician. I bet Mr. Beck does. Why are you inviting politicians to an apolitical event?<br />
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Why does it matter if Glenn Beck lies? What is the point? The Average American says the <a href="http://reversingthehandbasket.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-am-going-to-give-out-some-free-advice.html">left misses the boat</a> spending so much time calling his sorry pants-on-fire butt out all the time. But a <a href="http://reversingthehandbasket.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-am-going-to-give-out-some-free-advice.html">couple of comments </a>from his post sum it up pretty well:<br />
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"Make no mistake, however. Dr. Laura, Sarah Palin, and Glenn Beck are socially dangerous. They preach a hateful (yes, I used the word), divisive message meant to incite groups against non-white, non-Christian, non-conservatives. And they influence people to vote for the wrong reasons with misinformation. It's intentional, and the Republican Party doesn't shut it down or disengage from it because they need the votes. Their influence is scary, as seen on the signs and t-shirts of their followers, many of whom wouldn't know the US Constitution if it bit them on their presumptuous, self-righteous hineys." -- Sky Girl<br />
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"Second, it absolutely matters where the information is coming from. Sarah Palin makes things up. Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh make things up. Simply accepting what they say as truth is ceding reality to people who have absolutely no interest in whether or not they're correct. Calling them out on the statements they make is absolutely legitimate and not at all attacking people. These are the thought leaders of the right. They should be held accountable for their statements, should they not? " -- Nate<br />
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The source of information matters. Like it or not, Glenn Beck and others like him, who readily lie to make their points, have an audience. The misinformation has to be corrected by the more informed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-61572842877732494232010-08-31T12:47:00.005-05:002010-08-31T13:24:58.053-05:00My Gift to the LeftI am going to give out some free advice today. It is my birthday, and I am feeling generous. The left had better wake up and realize that they are fighting a fight that is not winnable. While the right spends all of their time pointing out weak agenda and taking advantage of every misstep made by the current administration, the left thinks that they are taking or making a stand by attacking a private citizen(s) (<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">albeit</span>, high profile citizens). Be it Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Palin</span> or whomever, the left LOVES to point out flaws, or what they view as flaws, in a message given by PEOPLE not politicians. In fact, Beck's message and those who spoke with him, including Martin Luther King, Jr's. niece, was virtually void of any politics AT ALL.<br /><br />Here is the stance of the left, in my opinion: We think the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">messenger</span> is stupid, we think the message is stupid and we think the receivers of the message are stupid for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">believing</span> said message (500,000 people, btw). And if we keep saying it enough, people will think we are smart.<br /><br />Am I the only one looking at the polls? Any polls? Anything that the left is in charge of is in jeopardy of being lost over the next two years. And to say anything otherwise is a joke. Are the majority of Americans idiots or has the left just not done a good enough job of showing them that the the country is actually being run the way that it should be? Because if it is, you should get to explaining the positives before November.<br /><br />This is my gift to you. Now use it.The Average Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02713917641657376358noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-85755966806257726722010-08-27T21:01:00.003-05:002010-08-27T21:03:59.110-05:00SHAMELESS!!! (I'm Talking About Glenn Beck)While I don't agree in full with the <a href="https://secure.colorofchange.org/turnofffox/sticker/?id=2302-940860">Color of Change's Turn Fox Off campaign</a> (after all, even hate-spreading folks like Glenn Beck have 1st Amendment rights), these points they make about Mr. Beck's and Bill O'Reilly's racist rants deserve some reprint here, given that <strike>the nut</strike> <strike>the psycho</strike> Mr. Beck is having a little shindig at the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of one of the greatest civil rights speeches of all time. From a letter circulating the Internet from the Turn Fox Off campaign:<br />
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<em>A year ago, Glenn Beck called the President a racist who had a deep-seeded hatred for White people.1 In just over a week, he says he will "reclaim"2 the legacy of the civil rights movement by holding his "Restoring Honor" rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC — on the same day and place as Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.3 </em><br />
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<em>You can get mad at Beck. You can protest and try to prevent him from stepping on Dr. King's honor for one day. The reality is that the next day — and five days-a-week from there on out — Beck will be back on Fox News, speaking to millions and spreading hate, lies, and fear, as he does every week. </em><br />
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<em>The real problem is Fox News. Fox News gives Beck his platform, and Fox promotes his events — all despite Beck losing virtually all of his major advertisers in the last year. </em><br />
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<em>Fox's rhetoric is not just divisive; it's dangerous. Last month, a heavily armed man got into a gun fight with police after he was pulled over on his way to kill people at the Tides Foundation4 — a non-profit that was little known until Glenn Beck repeatedly demonized it, claiming it to be the center of a great conspiracy.5 Last year, Kansas doctor George Tiller was gunned down while at church6 after Bill O'Reilly called him a Nazi, a "baby killer," and warned of "Judgment Day."7 </em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-49784534657648668172010-08-27T14:42:00.002-05:002010-08-27T14:52:23.949-05:00SHAMELESS!!! (I'm talking about myself)I wrote an article last week that dealt with what I thought about the mosque being built in N.Y. City. I hope that you will listen and call in to my weekly radio show this week when we get deeper into the subject. You can listen on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">KWAM</span> 990 in the Memphis area, or you can listen live at <a href="http://www.kwam990.com/">www.kwam990.com</a>. Every Saturday and soon to be Sunday at 4 o'clock, p.m. I truly can appreciate all sides of an argument, and I think you will find that to be true the more you get to know me.<br /><br />We will also have a live report from the Lincoln Memorial about everything that is happening there tomorrow and we will also pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Speech</span>". I know someone is going to comment "That's not the name of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">speech</span>!" I know, but everyone knows what you are talking about when you say it that way.<br /><br />Join my fan page on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">facebook</span>, The Average American, and remember the Average American is not <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Democrat</span> or Republican, it is YOU and ME. Never be defined by a title.<br /><br />Thank you,The Average Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02713917641657376358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-43045872918660715192010-08-24T17:55:00.001-05:002010-08-24T18:50:11.263-05:00The Founding Fathers and Christianity (or, stop using just another pathetic excuse to try to make me behave like you do)Often when debating our rights to freedom of religion, I run into people who identify with conservative Christianity who want to explain to me what the founding fathers intended. I've heard that the founding fathers never intended this to be anything other than a Christian nation. I've heard that the founding fathers were all Christians.<br />
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Like most things, it's just people repeating what they've been told by their parents, their preachers, or their Fox News talking heads. When you really start to read what Presidents wrote in letters, autobiographies, and speeches, you get a whole different perspective. Let me introduce you to the tip of the iceberg.<br />
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George Washington trusted others of different faiths, so much so that he allowed them to be his employees, and interact at his home, with his family. This included Muslims. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_and_religion">When hiring workmen for Mount Vernon, he wrote to his agent, "If they be good workmen, they may be from Asia, Africa, or Europe; they may be Mohammedans [Muslims], Jews, or Christians of any sect, or they may be Atheists."</a><br />
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He also wrote in a letter to a Jewish community, "<a href="http://wthrockmorton.com/2010/08/17/today-in-history-george-washington-on-religious-freedom/">All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support."</a><br />
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Thomas Jefferson could not have been more clear when he was writing to establish religious freedom for the state of Virginia:<br />
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"<a href="http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/sacred/vaact.html">that our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, more than our opinions in physics or geometry; that, therefore, the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to the offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which in common with his fellow citizens he has a natural right; that it tends also to corrupt the principles of that very religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly of worldly honors and emoluments, those who will externally profess and conform to it; that though indeed these are criminal who do not withstand such temptation, yet neither are those innocent who lay the bait in their way; that to suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles, on the supposition of their ill tendency, is a dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty"</a><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions. It tends also to corrupt the principles of that very religion it is meant to encourage. Which at once destroys <em>all</em> religious liberty.</span> </strong>Pretty powerful stuff.<br />
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James Madison was also very clear on the issue of civil rights and religion, saying <a href="http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06.html">"the civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext infringed.</a>" This was later incorporated into the 1st Amendment.<br />
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Were all of the founding fathers Christians? Would they pass the test by conservative Christians today? Did they believe in the Bible as the literal word of God? Benjamin Franklin, though appreciative of the moral values one can learn from Christian teachings, wasn't even sure that Jesus Christ was Divine: "<a href="http://www.beliefnet.com/resourcelib/docs/44/Letter_from_Benjamin_Franklin_to_Ezra_Stiles_1.html">As to Jesus of Nazareth, my Opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the System of Morals and his Religion as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw, or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupting Changes, and I have with most of the present Dissenters in England, some Doubts as to his Divinity: </a> "<br />
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As it turns out, many of the Founding Fathers were Deists. And Deists aren't even Christians, per se. Note how this definition even lumps Islam in there with Christianity as a faith-based religion, for those who think Islam is not an actual belief system.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism">Deism is a religious and philosophical belief that a supreme being created the universe, and that this (and religious truth in general) can be determined using reason and observation of the natural world alone, without the need for either faith or organized religion. Many Deists reject the notion that God intervenes in human affairs, for example through miracles and revelations. These views contrast with the dependence on revelations, miracles, and faith found in many Jewish, Christian, Islamic and other theistic teachings.</a><br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_affiliations_of_United_States_Presidents">Deism was a religious philosophy in common currency in colonial times, and some Founding Fathers (most notably Thomas Paine, who was an explicit proponent of it, and Benjamin Franklin, who spoke of it in his Autobiography) are identified more or less with this system. Nevertheless, several early presidents are sometimes identified as holding deist tenets, though there is no president who identified himself as a deist. Although George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Tyler, and Abraham Lincoln are often identified as having some degree of deistic beliefs,[6] most of these identifications are controversial; Washington in particular maintained a life-long pattern of church membership and attendance, and there is conflicting testimony from those who knew him.</a><br />
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Another example of a founding father who probably wouldn't pass the litmus test of today's conservative Christians:, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_affiliations_of_United_States_Presidents">John Quincy Adams left detailed statements of his beliefs, showing that he distanced himself from the branch of his church</a>.<br />
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You see, radical right-wing conservative Christianity was never a part of the founding father's plan. They wanted true freedom of religion and expression. It is a more recent phenomenon that has led to conservative Christians thinking that they are somehow entitled to 1) describe themselves as the "vast majority" of Americans, even when it's clear they are not 2) pass laws regulating the behavior of everyone in the country based on their religious values and 3) use hate-based scare tactics to try to limit the civil liberties of everyone not just like them.<br />
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People who belong to this group are as free to hate as the next person. Just stop blaming it on 9/11, or Barack Obama, or whatever, and start calling a spade a spade: if I don't worship like you, you don't think I'm a worthy American.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-45746866854561092952010-08-23T10:59:00.003-05:002010-08-23T11:53:04.236-05:00Why Are Americans So Upset About The Mosque?When I was asked to be a contributor to this blog, I was very excited. On my radio show I try to focus on the things that liberals and conservatives have in common, therefore making it easier to talk about our differences. Now, I am a staunch conservative but I have the ability understand all points of view, whether I agree or not is a different story. That is why I take such issue with the mosque being built NEAR the sight of Ground Zero. Let me make it clear (To steal one of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Obama's</span> favorite lines), I know that it is not AT Ground Zero, but it is too close for comfort for an overwhelming majority of Americans.<br /><br />Let's look at history. The swastika has been around for thousands of years. It has been a sacred symbol to Hinduism, Buddhism and many others. It was used by the Vikings before Hitler's grandfathers grandfather was even thought of. Around 1920 the swastika was adopted by the Nazi party and, therefore, sealed its place in history. Generations later, the symbol is still illegal in Germany even though in its infancy, the Nazi party was only about 3% of the German population. That point is key.<br /><br />Flash forward to 9/11/2001. We all know what <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">happened</span> and how many thousands were killed. We, as average citizens, also know that the attacks were waged by "Radical" Islam and not the religion/nation as a whole. Recent estimates say that the "Radicals" only make up about 3% of the Islamic faith. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hmmm</span>, interesting. <br /><br />It has been said over and over again, and I am one of them, that we are a country that tells <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Wal</span>-Mart where they can and can't build and how they will build if allowed at all. To this day there is not a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Wal</span>-Mart in Manhattan, NY but several mosques. But there is an even deeper point. When American forces took Baghdad in, I believe, 2003, they raised an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">American</span> flag. There was an outcry that started with President Bush and worked its way down. We were not there to conquer, we were not a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">conquering</span> nation, we were there to help the citizens of Iraq. Now, however you feel about the war, that was our stance. We were not going to fly our flag in the face of the people, but that is exactly what is happening to us now. Muslims and the Nation of Islam are flying their flag, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">symbolical</span>, in the face of the victims of 9/11 and of the American People. <br /><br />I feel like I am talking to my kids when I have to say "Why do I have to be the one to tell you that this is a bad idea." Why do we have to be the ones that are understanding and sympathetic. Not one person, with any brains, is saying "You Can't Worship." In fact not one person is TELLING them, Muslims, anything at all. We are asking, pleading, don't do this here. Yes, a lot of people do see Muslims, as a whole, as the ones that attacked us in NY, at the Pentagon and in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Shanksville</span>, P.A. I think that it is up to the Muslim community to make us understand that they are not. Show us some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">compassion</span> and admit that this is probably not the place to plant your $100,000,000 flag. Be understanding that we, and to a greater extent New York, are still raw. We have gotten into the legalities, but there are a lot of things that are legal to do that are not right to do. I think it would go a long way in how Average Americans view Muslims if they just stepped up and said "You know, we have every right, but this is not the place or the time." If they would do this, they would hear a "Thank you" from this American and a million others like me. <br /><br />Thank you for letting me have my say.The Average Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02713917641657376358noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-51617670692629663002010-08-15T11:12:00.000-05:002010-08-15T11:12:40.729-05:00Why You Can't Build A Church Near Ground ZeroLike D, in the post just beneath this one, I am seriously bothered by the slippery slope so many seem to be willing to slalom down regarding a Mosque in Lower Manhattan. Please note, I call it the Mosque in Lower Manhattan because it is not actually to be located at Ground Zero. The media keeps referring to it as a mosque at Ground Zero, leading many to believe that the intent is to build the mosque in the crater where there World Trade Center used to be. This is not so.<br />
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Several folks I love and with whom I usually agree are citing <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/12/AR2010081204996.html">this article, from the Washington Post</a>, by Charles Krauthammer, as their reasons for supporting those who would prevent a Mosque from being built in Lower Manhattan. While the article is thoughtful and a good read, I still disagree.<br />
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Mr. Krauthammer at least expresses his opinion thoughtfully. However, there are many hateful people out there holding up signs saying "Jesus Hates Muslims." If I truly thought the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/08/14/steinhauser.mosque.polls.cnn?iref=allsearch">68% of people who CNN is quoting as not wanting the lower Manhattan mosque</a> had given this much thought tho their opinion, I don't think it would leave such a bad taste in my mouth.<br />
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But I've seen the other stories, like the one about the people who are<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/15/tennessee.mosque.controversy/index.html?iref=allsearch"> protesting a mosque and community center being built in Tennessee</a>. A man there actually said on the national news, "They don't believe how I believe, so I don't want it there." I think there are a lot of people in the 68% who are just bigoted against Islam. I think that's how a mosque being built in Lower Manhattan ended up being described as being "built at Ground Zero." It's not. It's a couple of blocks away. How far from Ground Zero is appropriate? Can they build a project like this 10 blocks away? How about in Tennessee? Who decides?<br />
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It's definitely a complicated issue. But I worry about the fallout when we start telling any religious group where they can build a place of worship. Especially since it's happening to Muslims in more than one state. <br />
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It gives the feel of some people abusing an issue that should be sacrosanct to all Americans, the 9/11 tragedy, to promote the hate of their own agendas. <strong><em>As an American, that offends me to the core.</em></strong><br />
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<strong><em>And by the way, when you limit the religious freedoms of one group, you risk the religious freedoms of all others.</em></strong><br />
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Some are saying that a person associated with the Lower Manhattan community center project made statements indicating that the United States foreign policy may have had something to do with the 9/11 attacks. Well, this is where Christians are gonna roll and tumble down the slippery slope I mentioned. Jerry Falwell described the attack "<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_62019946">as a judgment on America for "throwing God out of the public square."</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_62019946"><br />
</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/15/jerry.falwell/index.html?iref=allsearch">"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America," he said. "I point the finger in their face and say 'You helped this happen.' " </a><br />
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So any Christian who wants to build a church, chapel, place of prayer to a Christian God near Ground Zero? Guess what. By your own flawed logic, you are out of luck.<br />
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Those slippery slopes. They always come back to bite you in the end.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-84805297259613649232010-08-15T00:06:00.004-05:002010-08-15T00:37:07.089-05:00That Whole Ground Zero Mosque ThingFirst of all, let me preface this post by saying that I am writing it while I am also doing a fantasy football mock draft, and I think that's fitting, because this bullshit is not real news. It's not even very good fake news. It is, in all seriousness, some of the most retarded horse shit the media has flung against the wall in my entire life.<div><br /></div><div>And just in case you don't believe me, I offer as proof that this is ridiculous bullshit, exhibit A: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/14/sarah-palins-ground-zero_n_682382.html">It is Sarah Palin's new favorite thing to tweet about.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>No offense to small children and stupid people who actually look up to/care for Sarah Palin, but this asinine faux politician preening and posturing on twitter shit has got to go. I understand that as a citizen of the United States of America, Sarah Palin has just as much right to go on twitter and question the President as any other ill-informed bigot with a laptop and a nearby Starbucks, but come the fuck on. Am I the only person who realizes that this is a stupid argument? Last I checked, this is still America. And if people want to build a place of worship on private property in America, they are 100% allowed to do so, even if their chosen plot of land might piss some people off.</div><div><br /></div><div>The idea that the President of the United States should NOT support the freedom of some Muslim people to build a mosque anywhere they damn well please is scary and idiotic. Of course the President should support the freedom of every citizen, as supported by the Constitution. Isn't that what all these tea party assholes have been <strikethrough>screaming for more than a year now? </strikethrough></div><div><strikethrough><br /></strikethrough></div><div>Of course, that line of questioning/reasoning treats the Tea Party like an actual political movement, and not just a collection of ignorant, racist, old white people who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground, but that's neither here nor there. It's always fun to shine a light on hypocrisy, even when your opponents are all Forrest Gump slowtards.</div><div><br /></div><div>So yeah, my opinion on this is as follows - saying that you can't build a mosque around ground zero because of 9/11 is ridiculous. Is it a great idea to build one there? Probably not. It's gonna stir shit and cause problems, and that sucks. But this is still America, and if someone gets a wild hair up their ass and decides they don't give a shit if they cause a few problems, then by God that's their constitutional right, provided they're not breaking any laws or infringing upon any other freedoms. Let them build the damn thing and then deal with the headaches. </div><div><br /></div><div>But seriously, fuck Sarah Palin and her bullshit opinion that they shouldn't be able to build a place of worship near ground zero because like eight certified psychos flew some airplanes into some buildings. What a fucking asshole thing to say. It is 2010, Sarah Palin. Most of us now realize that not all Muslims are Jihadist freaks. Your shtick is tired. You're not going to be President... not now, not ever. The best you can hope for is a reality TV show, lady. </div><div><br /></div><div>You're not Barack Obama. You're not Oprah. Hell, you're not even Kate Gosselin. You're an older, not blonde Heidi Montag with a white trash family and smaller tits. Shut the fuck up and please go away, you retarded bag of recycled shit.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-26372016109937920802010-08-07T16:51:00.000-05:002010-08-07T16:51:08.426-05:00Conservatives and Women, An Odd CombinationI'll admit, I'm baffled by the women of the Tea Party. Even some women Republicans. The relationship between women and conservative politics never ceases to amaze me. And here's why:<br />
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The blatant sexist language used by the men of these parties whenever they meet a strong, independent woman with whom they do not agree. When the best you can do to disagree with Hillary Clinton is call her a bitch (<a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/200703150011">Glenn Beck</a>), you are scraping the bottom of the intellectual barrel. You are saying there is nothing to really criticize about this person but her femaleness. It's not just Beck who's said it. And Conservative women, why would you stand for this within your own political parties? This degrading a woman by calling her a female dog. Or they go a step further, and start calling women cunts. You know, the folks who brought us the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Commission">ridiculous Supreme Court ruling that corporations have freedom of speech</a>? Citizens United? That group began as an anti-Hillary group called <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/19/msnbc-hosts-founder-of-an_n_87356.html">Citizens United, Not Timid</a>. CUNT. Conservatives use a derogatory word for female anatomy to describe the woman herself. <em>And there are still women out there who choose to align themselves with these men. </em><br />
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Visit the recent comments by <a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/93082/graham-wants-to-deny-american-born-babies-citizenship">Lindsey Graham and others, referring to how women "drop" babies</a>. Comparing female immigrants to farm animals, such as how a cow "drops" a calf. I'm not wanting to start an immigration reform debate here. I'm not even leveling a comment on whether some people come here to have a baby intentionally. I'm just talking about the crude, derogatory language used by conservatives, in this case elected officials who represent other conservatives, to describe women who are doing things they don't like or agree with.<br />
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Add this on to conservatives, including conservative women, who want to traumatize other women for choosing to legally terminate their pregnancy. The conservatives of the Missouri Senate <a href="http://www.senate.mo.gov/10info/pdf-bill/comm/SB793.pdf">want to force women to listen to a fetal heartbeat and view ultrasounds before they make the decision to have an abortion.</a> In other words, they've presented all of their arguments for why they think it is wrong, and if a woman still doesn't agree with their philosophical position and wants to act of her own accord with relation to her own body and health, they still want to traumatize the woman into doing what they want her to do. It's intrusive for any woman to have to worry about what the Missouri Senate thinks when she goes to the doctor. <em>And their are no procedures for males that require this type of government scrutiny or involvement.</em><br />
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For many conservatives, women who speak up are out of place. Women who do what they want are uppity. Women who don't just tow the party line and help the party, in this case the Tea Party or the Republican party, get ahead, are bitches. Cunts. Not as worthy of the same personal dignity and respect as their male counterparts. And some women still allow themselves to be pulled into these movements. Sarah Palin, I'm talking to you. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/30veep.html">John McCain pulled you in like an anatomically correct doll to combat the Hillary factor</a>, and it was a total disaster. And when it didn't work, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/05/uselections2008-palin-republicans">who had all the fingers pointed at her</a>? <br />
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Women need to think harder. Process more. Consider the language. Value yourselves. Stop hanging out with people who use language like "bitch" and "cunt" every time they have a tantrum or disagreement. Either abandon the party(ies) that treat you this way, or demand more from your male counterparts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-26195638341816683742010-08-02T10:55:00.000-05:002010-08-02T10:55:04.390-05:00And Now For Something Completely DifferentYou can't hope the country won't go to hell in a handbasket if you keep taking a polarized position on everything. To that end, this blog was supposed to be about furthering the discussion. It ended up being just another liberal, polarized posting ground.<br />
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To that end, I'm inviting some conservative friends to come write. They can counterpoint my posts, or I can counterpoint theirs. Or we could, and I know I'm stretching here, agree on some things.<br />
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The dialogue in this country has to become civilized again. And we're going to attempt some civilized dialogue here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-78884290201233292212010-07-30T15:39:00.000-05:002010-07-30T15:39:07.208-05:00So, I haven't noticed a big change......in the world since I stopped the daily blogging thing. The Republican'ts are still saying "No." The Dems are still infiltrated by DINOs.<br />
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We might get some reform on Wall Street. At least that's what I'm told.<br />
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The Gulf of Mexico may never be the same.<br />
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Tom Alday is still a loser who shows up to cuss at me periodically, even when I haven't posted in months. Visit his <a href="http://reversingthehandbasket.blogspot.com/2010/04/thanks-for-your-concern.html#comments">comment to the below post</a>. How pathetic.<br />
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I've turned the comments back on, without moderation. I'm going to try to post something at least once a week. I had debated deleting the whole blog, but sometimes I still need a venue to rant. <br />
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Here's a cartoon to start your weekend:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8oKrJitD33Fp37WTBA3y7rmxP06gpW06QeDk2HemRSMN5ZhDf4NRZtshd0PcDDGTds43cLGzR8ZzDg0CjaDBpD6hAmDwEGKkICjebuZdazgBoq6rOLVqp2l6tuwzpKyHuPzqEoy3fDpS/s1600/Language-of-Palin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8oKrJitD33Fp37WTBA3y7rmxP06gpW06QeDk2HemRSMN5ZhDf4NRZtshd0PcDDGTds43cLGzR8ZzDg0CjaDBpD6hAmDwEGKkICjebuZdazgBoq6rOLVqp2l6tuwzpKyHuPzqEoy3fDpS/s320/Language-of-Palin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-42043224474818480812010-04-15T21:44:00.000-05:002010-04-15T21:44:50.796-05:00Thanks for Your ConcernI'm alive and well. Appreciate the questions as to my well-being in the comments (I chose not to post them). It still might be awhile before I'm back to full-posting speed. Peace out.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-27086772399810238082010-04-03T11:20:00.002-05:002010-04-03T11:20:38.061-05:00"Violence is Wrong!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwpj49cpevhfK7of7u7McVwNZVxc4gpgz9DDJDn4YhTeE3nqCIfEdavVJ-1DWM1Vc12BzoNkYzeh-HZEOhcJwdASvQj3tdSf80yk3YgxnJ3oLyUyyeUCsjCkShg6brd7RYNWm-f2UpLSA/s1600/cartoon.violence.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwpj49cpevhfK7of7u7McVwNZVxc4gpgz9DDJDn4YhTeE3nqCIfEdavVJ-1DWM1Vc12BzoNkYzeh-HZEOhcJwdASvQj3tdSf80yk3YgxnJ3oLyUyyeUCsjCkShg6brd7RYNWm-f2UpLSA/s400/cartoon.violence.bmp" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-16046799520840554232010-03-30T18:43:00.000-05:002010-03-30T18:43:12.002-05:00More From a US Marine on Threats of ViolenceI saw this second part of Sgt. C's call for peace over at <a href="http://annette-justmylittlepieceoftheworld.blogspot.com/">Annette's piece of the world</a>:<br />
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<strong><em>A rewrite of a Marine's call for peace and pause that had been reduced into sheer irrelevance....and an apology.</em></strong><br />
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<em>(I want to apologize to all of you who posted your thoughts and feelings regarding the prior article - I de-published the article to rewrite it to this, and it will not re-publish. I understand many people put a lot of effort into those comments, as I put a lot of effort into my replies. If any of the Newsvine community can tell me how I can get the comments back , I will gladly do so. My biggest apology is for my failure as a moderator. I should have done a better part to keep the conversation to the topic at hand and avoid responding to derailing comments.)</em><br />
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<em>This is intended to be a rewrite of the article that was written - because some people obviously DON'T get it.</em><br />
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<em>The article I wrote yesterday was intended to be a call for peace, and a moment for pause. In all honesty, it was merely my venting after reading dozens of headlines regarding the type of violence in the US that I was more accustomed to seeing on the daily intel briefing sheets while in theater. I never expected the response I got, and I must admit while some of the comments that I received were some of the greatest thoughts and words I've ever seen - some were words I'd hope no human being would never utter to another. My family and myself were threatened, if for no other reason than because my opinions differed from someone else's. Obviously, the intent of my message was convoluted and lost. This is an attempt to correct it.</em><br />
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<em>Every service member has sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. There's no grey area to that. It's as black and white as it gets.</em><br />
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<em>I nor any service member wants to combat civilians in this or any other country. I don't know how many times I can reiterate that - we do not want it to happen. Even as we prepare for war, we pray for peace.</em><br />
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<em>We lace up our boots every morning in an attempt to preserve the freedoms that democracy has awarded us. We all love our country, and we would give our lives to protect it and its way of life.</em><br />
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<em>Military members must have faith in the system of Government, or the whole chain of command and system of military discipline falls apart. We are rarely given all of the details of our entire mission, and instead are expected to complete seemingly ambiguous tasks in support of that mission with the belief that we are doing the right thing . When we find an order illegal , we're obligated not to follow it, and report it.</em><br />
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<em>So call me naive, but yes. I do have faith in the Constitution and the mechanisms inside of it to correct itself and removing people unworthy of holding office. If I didn't , I never would've taken an oath to defend it. You just can't defend part of the Constitution, or the parts you agree with. It's all or nothing. I choose to defend all of it ,even the parts I may disagree with.</em><br />
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<em>Probably the most foolish choice of words I chose to use in that article were the words 'civil war' . I just shouldn't have written them. But I could think of no other way to articulate what I felt it would require for the military to become involved. A civilian uprising wouldn't be sufficient, it would require an all out civil war.</em><br />
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<em>Much of the comments reflected on this poor choice of words - and successfully derailed the conversation from a call for peace and to use the democratic system to resolve our differences, to people arguing over who's side would destroy who. I'll admit, I too was guilty in that regard - and my attempt to compare military and civilian life easily came across as boisterous and hostile, even though its' intent was to be succinct and concise. For that, I apologize.</em><br />
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<em>BUT DON'T YOU @!$%#ING GET IT?!? In a war, no one wins. Even if you're not wounded, it doesn't mean you leave whole. The images, the feelings, the thoughts never leave you, they're forever etched into your mind, and they become a part of who you are. It's been said that "the people who die in war are the lucky ones - they don't have to live with the memories of what transpired." As morbid as it sounds, in many cases its true.</em><br />
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<em>And to what end ? What would be left AFTER this 'war' was concluded ? Would anything really change ? Or would we slowly sink back into the quagmire of the status quo, resort back to what's comfortable, and then future generations will be arguing over the very reasoning behind this conflict , just as we now debate the real reason behind the civil war ? What would our children, and their children say when they look back at this point in our history ? Seriously, what does anyone expect to gain from fighting their friends, family, neighbors over a difference of opinion ? That's what this really boils down to - people are screaming for blood because they feel differently than someone else.</em><br />
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<em>If that's not the definition of madness, I don't know what is. It needs to stop. Now.</em><br />
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<em>The senatorial elections are coming in November 2010. Everyone who feels passionately about this country , one way or the other, should get out and vote for who THEY think will best represent them . The same in November of 2012. This is your Constitutional right - this is your step in democracy. You get to choose who represents you and your views in the Government.</em><br />
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<em>If you choose to vote using force instead, not only will you fail in your attempt, but your cause will suffer on account of your actions. You will hurt not only yourself, but also every individual who ever aligns with that cause in the future. Consider that when you're making your decision - our causes are not typically portrayed by our most noble or thoughtful members, but rather the most crude and thoughtless. They forever taint what might otherwise be a worthwhile message.</em><br />
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<em>So once again, I , an NCO of Marines, call on all people both military and civilian to exercise your Constitutional rights and participate in the democratic process. I urge you to stop reacting, and start instead thinking and considering. I urge you not to immediately dismiss opinions other than your own.</em><br />
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<em>I urge you to open your minds and consider that maybe, just maybe, there's not a single one of us who has all of the answers, and that includes myself.</em><br />
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<em>In short, I urge all of you - to treat everyone else as you would want to be treated, whether you agree with them or not.</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-85567849312867005922010-03-28T10:32:00.000-05:002010-03-28T10:32:10.217-05:00At What Point Do You Cross The Line? Isn't There a Line????We all know about the recent <a href="http://reversingthehandbasket.blogspot.com/2010/03/using-healthcare-reform-as-excuse-to.html">violence and threats of violence</a> in the name of politics in recent days. <a href="http://thebeekeepersapprentice.com/">Bee</a> turned me on to <a href="http://www.wkrn.com/global/story.asp?s=12208009">this one</a>. I'm sure there are others. The climate out there has gotten just plain scary.<br />
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What I want to know is, when is using gun-rhetoric and violent language to promote your cause way across the line? When do you have to stop? <br />
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For example, if an Arabic-American who practices Islam posted <a href="http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=373854973434">a list of Democrat politicans on his/her Facbook page with crosshairs</a>, what would happen to that person? What if their post contained the language "<a href="http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=373854973434">it's time to take a stand</a>." Would someone use racial profiling to call this person a potential terrorist? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1Jvxt5-WH498JEWiO9wlVWXjRivYugNZMsE67AlmX-x4t6oeswqo8U6wD-M8qVlBIYLFT0EEnT7BiW27FPzrFDiVYFYiJnwAVyh6hzgbqyeu9EEDEleT_QjfrRgjp4_Sw1tdlo4Qe1NY/s1600/palin.hitlist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1Jvxt5-WH498JEWiO9wlVWXjRivYugNZMsE67AlmX-x4t6oeswqo8U6wD-M8qVlBIYLFT0EEnT7BiW27FPzrFDiVYFYiJnwAVyh6hzgbqyeu9EEDEleT_QjfrRgjp4_Sw1tdlo4Qe1NY/s400/palin.hitlist.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>Can any citizen post this type of statement? Can that citizen then go into the desert, rally a bunch of folks, and refer to his/her rally as a "Showdown?" Can the individual tell people, regarding the recent violence, "<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/health/healthcare/la-na-tea-palin28-2010mar28,0,6491611.story"><em>Don't ever let anybody tell you to sit down and shut up, Americans!"</em></a><br />
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Can any citizen say, of a legislative decision, in a Tweet to thousands, "<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/health/healthcare/la-na-tea-palin28-2010mar28,0,6491611.story">Don't retreat, instead -- RELOAD</a>."<br />
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I guess the citizen can, if she is Sarah Palin.<br />
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Is there not a point at which someone is actually committing a crime here? Is there not a point at which we arrest people for attempting to incite a riot? Palin's recent actions might be considered illegal if most Americans attempted any of them. They might have been interviewed by police to assess the threat. And yet this irresponsible (illegal?) behavior is being tolerated. Palin is dangerous, folks. This is not a main-stream media or a liberal-blogger lie. The woman has no discretion over her actions and is totally irresponsible. When you applaud her, you are complicit in whatever damage may result.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-61408216890225691332010-03-28T09:05:00.000-05:002010-03-28T09:05:51.748-05:00U.S. Marine Sgt. Responds to Threats of ViolenceI saw this first at <a href="http://madmikesamerica.com/2010/03/a-message-from-sgt-c-united-states-marine-corp/">MadMikesAmerica</a>:<br />
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<em>An article I wish I would never have to write — To those calling for a civil war, this Marine wants you to stop, and think…</em><br />
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<em>By Sgt. C USMC</em><br />
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<em>It’s been said that the military is always preparing for war. That is true. We prepare for combat every day. We ran 5 miles today to the rifle range and shot nearly 200 rounds a piece at targets and then ran back. However, we also pray for peace. I would love one day to be completely unnecessary. But alas, I am a realist, and I know that day will never come.</em><br />
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<em>The headlines of the last week have reminded me more of glimpsing at the S2 Daily Briefing Sheets while in theater or the Al-Jazeera than the NY Times or the Washington Post. Think about that for a moment, let it sink in.</em><br />
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<em>Before I get into the main premise of this article — I need to make two statements here.</em><br />
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<em>First and foremost , when it comes to the back and forth of who did what to whom and why — I don’t give a @!$%#. It doesn’t change the action. In life we’re judged by our actions, nothing more, nothing less. One of the greatest things of the military is when it comes to an enemy, the politics behind the situation — don’t matter in accomplishing that mission. For the military , life is simple in that regard.</em><br />
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<em>Secondly, Regardless of your political ideology, you’ve earned the right as US Citizens to say your piece — no matter how wrong it may be. That is your right, and I will give my life to protect it.</em><br />
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<em>But this government of ours is a democracy. We vote for our representatives, and they vote in our interests. Sometimes, the votes don’t go our way. That’s life, better luck next time. Exhaust your legislative options, and then focus on gaining the required votes and/or seats to achieve your desired legislative vote next election time. That’s the way things work.</em><br />
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<em>But the SECOND you start committing acts of violence and vandalism, then you’ve usurped that Constitution. You in a way have assaulted it. And then you and I (I being every servicemember who has sworn to defend said Constitution) will have a MAJOR PROBLEM.</em><br />
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<em>For those of you calling for a civil war, I implore you to stop and think about what you’re saying. Look around your neighborhood and your city. Now imagine using that terrain to survive. Imagine dodging semi-automatic rifle fire as you scramble from cover to cover, dragging your wounded child behind you. Imagine the deafening report of a mortar as it strikes the ground a 150 feet in front of you, the overpressure enough to shatter your teeth and perforate an ear drum. Try and envision a Stryker rolling through neighbor’s front lawn or a F/A-18 making lazy loops over your head in Close Air Support for the troops in the distance.</em><br />
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<em>Now with that vision in mind, stop by your local Marine Corps base, being they will be the first military units you’d face in an all out ‘civil war’ . Look at them for a moment, examine their ‘work environment’ . They’re running the track, they’re climbing ropes, they’re grappelling with each other in mock hand-to-hand combat, and shooting targets while moving in raid lines on a daily basis. Nearly everyone on that base, down to our ‘secretaries’ has a combat award of one type or another, they’ve faced some of the most stressful situations on Earth where succumbing to the stress can get you killed, and they flourished.</em><br />
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<em>Now ask yourselves and be honest — when is the last time you’ve run anything other than late to work, climbed anything other than a flight of stairs, grappelled with anything other than a paper jam, and shot off anything other than your mouth? When’s the last time you were in any situation more stressful than a traffic jam?</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Now I’m not blaming you for your career choice, not in the least. I can’t think of a single job that’s not useful in some way or another. I just want you to simply compare and contrast your work environment with ours and ask yourselves “Who is better suited to win this battle ?” We both know the answer here, and if you doubt that answer, look at the results from Fallujah in 2004. Over 1200 of them ‘lost’ and we ‘lost only 28. That’s a ‘win-ratio’ of almost 60–1, and they’ve been fighting their whole lives.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Put this in another scenario. You and your officemates think your local pro football team sucks , so you put together your own team of the best your company has and challenge them to a game. Even if your team might be good, they’re professionals. This is their job. Your job is to answer phones and type on a keyboard. In short, they’ve forgotten more than you will ever know about football. The result, will be a slaughter for you, and a practice for them. But at least you’ll get a chance to sit at home, ice your wounds and say ‘whew I never should’ve done that!’</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Not so with combat. The results of combat are far…FAR..more permanent. There are no second chances, no time for regrets, and no do-overs. This is not Call of Duty.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Now I ‘d like to disperse a myth here — many of you think that US military would not fight civilians. I can’t speak for all, but in my case — the moment you declare civil war, you’re no longer civilians. The moment you attack the constitution, you’re now enemies of that constitution. And I swore to defend and support and if necessary give my life for that Constitution and utilize every tool, technique, and weapon at my disposal to do so. And trust me, I’m not alone.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>I hope some of you heed my words and cool the rhetoric and focus on achieving your goals diplomatically instead of physically. It would never want to receive a frag order to Maryland, or North Dakota, or Texas, but it is an order I will follow no matter how much it pains me to do so.</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-41726953409457396922010-03-25T19:43:00.004-05:002010-03-28T10:40:44.057-05:00Using Healthcare Reform as an Excuse to Behave Badly: The Violence Has Got To Stop<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/20/tea-party-protests-nier-f_n_507116.html">3/20/10 Members of the Tea Party call House Representatives derrogatory slurs and spit on Representative Emanuel Clever (D). A brick was thrown through the window of the office of Representative Louise Slaughter (D).</a><br />
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<a href="http://reversingthehandbasket.blogspot.com/2010/03/yes-we-did-history-made-as-healthcare.html#comments">3/21/10 The House of Representatives pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 219-212 and the Healthcare and Education Affordability Reform Reform Reconciliation Act 220-211.</a> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/25/congress.threats/index.html?eref=rss_politics&iref=polticker">Representative Russ Carnahan (D) had a coffin placed on his lawn.</a><br />
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<a href="http://reversingthehandbasket.blogspot.com/2010/03/president-signs-healthcare-reform-into.html">3/23/10 President Obama signs Healthcare Reform into law.</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=373854973434">Sarah Palin posts targets of Democrats she wants to replace in Congress with gunsights on Facebook.</a><br />
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<a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/24/fbi-investigating-perriello-incident-in-virginia/?fbid=5pqt9IK9nuT">3/24/10 Someone vandalizes a propane tank at the home of Representative Tom Perriello's (D) brother after a Tea Party activist posted his address online.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/25/congress.threats/index.html?eref=rss_politics&iref=polticker">3/25/10 <strike>Representative Eric Cantor (R) confirms that someone fired a bullet through the window of his Virginia campaign office</strike>. Representative Anthony Weiner (D) confirms that someone sent him a threatening letter in an envelop that also contained white powder.</a> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/25/congress.threats/index.html?eref=rss_politics&iref=polticker">Representative Ginny Brown-Waite (R) received a death threat by voice mail.</a> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/25/congress.threats/index.html?eref=rss_politics&iref=polticker">Majority Whip James Cyburn (D) received a faxed picture of a noose at his home. </a> <a href="http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/Reform/19231">The Senate passes the reconciliation bill 56-43 and sends it back to the House.</a><br />
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LATE ADDITION: Apparently, nobody actually <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hPSXB0pVWgnTggpu-KnVqhophahwD9ELT6600">fired a bullet directly at </a>Eric Cantor's <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/26/851031/-Cantors-campaign-office-isnt-in-his-congressional-district">anything</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-66035196469586901422010-03-25T17:50:00.000-05:002010-03-25T17:50:42.277-05:00Senate Passes Bill 56 -43The Senate voted today on the "fix-it" bill (also called the reconciliation bill, the add-on bill, or the corrections bill) <a href="http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/Reform/19231">56-43</a>.<br />
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The bill now goes back the the House for another vote before returning to the President for his signature.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-84868539336637357262010-03-24T18:42:00.000-05:002010-03-24T18:42:49.081-05:00It's Not A Moose Hunt!Is there anyone that thinks that in this volatile climate this is even remotely appropriate?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH107T2V_2xfNxhOHoRs7hYaoeSvNsrjULoGE2gHyUfqauEAZHLmsTCr-_WhMGtmF8RAy1WXKo-23xF6yJbdX8D4Dg9ufO1oxqXI3tjUio3QP6um24ktc4NoWf07JtFx703J1lPqHTeNep/s1600/moose.hunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH107T2V_2xfNxhOHoRs7hYaoeSvNsrjULoGE2gHyUfqauEAZHLmsTCr-_WhMGtmF8RAy1WXKo-23xF6yJbdX8D4Dg9ufO1oxqXI3tjUio3QP6um24ktc4NoWf07JtFx703J1lPqHTeNep/s400/moose.hunt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><br />
Just Sarah Palin. Here is her “hit list” of politicians who need to be voted out of office.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVR9hHqBBMbUIwXO3jNQ9VdaGjzcihdVBNDC1xX9H2ZNE1JryX2hhGeyINEzjnWq0xkhNTXgBC3dbtCPSqvgxQSFPOWdARTcY-q6HO-cyZKOF6fG62zuv6brV_i8vejAH_JjI-oE4kCvQ/s1600/burn.pelosi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVR9hHqBBMbUIwXO3jNQ9VdaGjzcihdVBNDC1xX9H2ZNE1JryX2hhGeyINEzjnWq0xkhNTXgBC3dbtCPSqvgxQSFPOWdARTcY-q6HO-cyZKOF6fG62zuv6brV_i8vejAH_JjI-oE4kCvQ/s320/burn.pelosi.JPG" /></a>First it's <a href="http://reversingthehandbasket.blogspot.com/2010/03/joann-emerson-waives-kill-bill-sign.html">Emerson out encouraging the over-zealous protestors</a> who spit on Congresspersons, and now it's Sarah Palin, with her violent gun-rhetoric. But then, what do we expect from the party who still thinks it's ok to burn women at the stake?</div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-79283226618594569732010-03-24T13:26:00.006-05:002010-03-24T13:35:01.135-05:00hahaha George W. Bush is an assholeBetween the 0:10 and 0:14 mark, the magic happens...<div><br /><div><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0oHOUnQ0gYI&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0oHOUnQ0gYI&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object></div><div><br /></div><div>Oh man, what a guy. Dubbaya (G-dub to his token black friends) will go down to Haiti for a photo op, but don't ask him to NOT notice how dirty and disgusting Haitian hands are! Come on, everyone! He is <del>the son of</del> a former President and rich oil tycoon! And Haitians are so gross, you don't even know! It's like they don't even shower or something, like they don't have an abundance of clean running water!</div><div><br /></div><div>George W. Bush has the tact and class of a three year old.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221919997181452045.post-20086127618301573052010-03-23T19:00:00.000-05:002010-03-23T19:00:06.534-05:00President Signs Healthcare Reform into Law<object width="480" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/all/modules/swftools/shared/flash_media_player/player.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="282828"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="flashvars" value="file=http://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/2010/March/032310_EastRoom.m4v&path_to_plugins=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/modules/wh_multimedia/wh_jwplayer/plugins&path_to_player=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/all/modules/swftools/shared/flash_media_player&skin=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/all/modules/swftools/shared/flash_media_player/skins/EOP_skin.swf&captions_url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/av_closedcaption/032310_Signs_Health_Reform_Into_Law.srt&image=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/audio-video/video_thumbnail/hcr.jpg&controlbar=bottom&frontcolor=AAAAAA&plugins=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/modules/wh_multimedia/wh_jwplayer/plugins/privacy/privacy,http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/modules/wh_multimedia/wh_jwplayer/plugins/hat/hat,http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/modules/wh_multimedia/wh_jwplayer/plugins/share/share,http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/modules/wh_multimedia/wh_jwplayer/plugins/captions/captions&captions.file=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/av_closedcaption/032310_Signs_Health_Reform_Into_Law.srt"></param><embed src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/all/modules/swftools/shared/flash_media_player/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300" flashvars="file=http://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/2010/March/032310_EastRoom.m4v&path_to_plugins=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/modules/wh_multimedia/wh_jwplayer/plugins&path_to_player=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/all/modules/swftools/shared/flash_media_player&skin=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/all/modules/swftools/shared/flash_media_player/skins/EOP_skin.swf&captions_url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/av_closedcaption/032310_Signs_Health_Reform_Into_Law.srt&image=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/audio-video/video_thumbnail/hcr.jpg&controlbar=bottom&frontcolor=AAAAAA&plugins=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/modules/wh_multimedia/wh_jwplayer/plugins/privacy/privacy,http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/modules/wh_multimedia/wh_jwplayer/plugins/hat/hat,http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/modules/wh_multimedia/wh_jwplayer/plugins/share/share,http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/modules/wh_multimedia/wh_jwplayer/plugins/captions/captions&captions.file=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/av_closedcaption/032310_Signs_Health_Reform_Into_Law.srt&stretching=fill&menu=false"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2