324 Search Results for "vote"
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SECOND APPEAL TO TOM JOYNER
- From: Mliza
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Description:
Dear Mr. Joyner, First of all, Mr. Joyner, I still dearly love and respect you. But again, I have a problem that needs to be addressed by you ASAP: The last time I sent you a question/remark about D. L. Hugley's TV program being canceled, you responded right away. Now that I have written to you about your own "shortcomings" in reference to the Inauguration DAY 2009 website, I get no response at all. This is quite disturbing. Did you not receive it? Do I need to send it again? I do need to hear something from you. In addition, I published the letter on my page of the website so others who are active will know about this initiative. We all need to hear something concrete from you. I realize that you are an extremely hard working man in all that you do -- which is considerable – but it is precisely why we appeal to you for your continued support. Moreover, we believe the site is well worth it. In respect to the detractors you received on the show from the failure of Black voters to participate in the state and local elections yesterday, I did not really blame you as others did -- how could we? But it was nevertheless a reality to observe that you did not bring the strength of your usual impetus to bear upon this election as you did for the presidential one as well as other concerns. Now we can't ignore that fact. You did not send your staff all over the country, as you normally do for these things, etc. But we can still only blame ourselves for our failure to come out in numbers to continue to effect change by participating in the voting process. In fact, to tell you the truth, I myself was so uninterested in the local elections that I did not actually keep up with it, and it was only because of your show’s commentary that I eventually forced myself and get out and vote before the polls closed. But I could only vote for two main positions of my interest because I had no information on the other two, so my vote only “half counted” in a way, and I felt rather ashamed of myself. So you see I do relate to the people who did not go out to vote or thought it was not important at this stage of the game. We just thought that things would take care of themselves. But we were wrong -- AGAIN! Yesterday was INDEED a wake-up call for all of us. But also for you, Tom Joyner. Unfortunately, I have to say that for all of your worth and work, it seems that WE STILL NEED YOU to urge and prompt us to do what we need to do. We have to take our LEADERS wherever we can get them these days, and it appears we have to rely on them until we become leaders ourselves. So please don’t give up on us. We can and still be moved to do the right thing when the time comes – I hope. But often we seem to wait until the last minute to do it. But if you had kept up the interest of the website INAUGURATION DAY 2009 -- or even changed its name to include continual diligence and vigilance on the political forefront, we as a group might have been able to speak out and help in so many ways. PLEASE RESPOND TO MY APPEAL TO YOU FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT. So until I receive a response from you, I believe I shall resend the former message at least once a week until you do. Please understand my concern. And thank you once again.
- Blog post
- 3 weeks ago
- Views: 10
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Republican Sex Scandals
- From: pinkiehot52
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Description:
Republican Sex Scandals
Full list of scandals at Moral Values
2009
Paul Stanley, Republican former member of the Tennessee Sen., resigned from the state Senate effective Aug. 10, after his affair with a 22-year-old intern and a subsequent extortion attempt was revealed to the public. [1][2]
Mark Sanford, governor of South Carolina, disappears during Father's Day weekend, returning to confess an extramarital affair in Argentina.[3][4][5]
John Ensign, Senator from Nevada, refuses to resign after confessing to an extramarital affair with a married staffer, claiming she was trying to extort him.[6][7]
Alan David Berlin, He is an aide for Senator Jane Orie of Pennsylvania. He is also a furry who contacted a fifteen year old boy over the internet, and offered to "yiff" the boy in a panda outfit, while his parents weren't home. The parents discovered the graphic emails on the boy's computer and called the attorney general's child predator unit sometime in May. Police raided his home and discovered various furry outfits such as a wolf costume, as well as a cat outfit; all complete with two holes cut out at the undersides of the costumes. He is now arraigned in Dauphin County jail on a $250,000 bail.[8][9][10][11]
Possibly Chip Pickering and a number of others. [12]
Michael Duvall, California state Representative in September 2009:
- "Graphic sex-bragging caught on tape".[13]
- Then lies and denies it and blames media [14].
- Finally apologizes and resigns[15].
2008
Bruce Barclay, former Cumberland County commissioner, videotaped hundreds of sexual encounters — many with male escorts — using cameras hidden throughout his Monroe Township home.[16]
Matthew Joseph Elliott, former aide to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, was convicted of sexual exploitation of a child.[17]
Vito Fossella, the only Republican member of Congress from New York City, admitted to police to having a child out-of-wedlock when stopped for drunk driving.[18]
Robert McKee, Republican delegate from Western Maryland, announced his resignation after authorities seized two computers, videotapes and printed materials from his Hagerstown home in a child pornography investigation. McKee also resigned his position as executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County.[19]
Daniel Dean Thompson, 31, a Utah retailer of "family-friendly" tapes and DVDs (Hollywood films with the "dirty parts" removed), arrested and booked into the Utah County jail on charges of sexual abuse and unlawful sexual activity with a 14-year-old.[20]
Derek Walker, former Eagle Scout and candidate seeking the GOP nomination in a race for north-central Pennsylvania district, was charged with felony burglary and criminal trespass stemming from an encounter last year with an ex-girlfriend, during which he allegedly broke into her home and used his cell phone to videotape her engaged in an intimate moment with another man.[21]
2007
Robert "Bob" Allen, Florida state Rep. arrested in the afternoon at a Veteran's Memorial Park for solicitation of prostitution from an undercover male officer inside a restroom. According to the papers, Bob "offer[ed] to perform oral sex for $20". Bob later claimed that his offer had something to do with his being afraid of black people.[22]
John David Roy Atchison, Republican prosecutor, was arrested for soliciting sex from a 5-year old girl, then killed himself three weeks later. At the time of his arrest, Atchison was an "assistant U.S. attorney" appointed by President Bush's attorney general.[23]
E. Ozwald Balfour, chairman of the Utah Republican Black Assembly and elected to the Republican State Central Committee in 2007, even though he was awaiting trial on four felony counts of forcible sex abuse dating back to his arrest in February, 2005.[24]
John Bryan, Republican city councilman, killed himself after police began investigating allegations that he had molested three girls, including two of his adopted daughters, ages 12 and 15.[25]
Larry Craig, Republican Senator for Idaho, was arrested on July 11, 2007, by plainclothes police officer investigating complaints of lewd behavior in a Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport airport men's room. On August 8 in Hennepin County Municipal Court in Bloomington, Minnesota, Craig entered a guilty plea and paid a $500 fine.[26]. On September 1st, Craig subsequently announced his retirement from the Senate[27]. Five days later, Craig changed his mind, renounced his retirement and began a battle to have his guilty plea overturned.[28] Craig supported the Federal Marriage Amendment, which barred extension of rights to same-sex couples; he voted for cloture on the amendment in both 2004 and 2006, and was a cosponsor in 2008. However, in late 2006 he appeared to endorse the right of individual states to create same-sex civil unions, but said he would vote "yes" on an Idaho constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages when pressured to clarify his position by the anti-gay rights advocacy group Families for a Better Idaho. Craig voted against cloture in 2002, which would have extended the federal definition of hate crimes to cover sexual orientation.[29]
John R. Curtin, Monroe County state Republican committeeman, was convicted of molesting an underage teenage boy and sentenced to serve six to 18 months in prison.[30]
Richard Curtis, Washington State Rep., resigned from the House after reports of his sexual encounter with a male escort became public.[31] Curtis has an anti-gay rights voting record. He voted against domestic partnerships for gays and opposed a bill prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.[32]
Donald Fleischman, Brown County, WI, Republican Party Chairman, resigned his post after he was charged with two counts of child enticement, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child and a single charge of exposing himself to a child.[33]
Larry Dale Floyd, Republican Constable in Denton County, Texas Precinct Two. Arrested for allegedly crossing state lines to have sex with an 8-year old child and was charged with 7 related offenses. Age 62 at time of arrest.[34]
Ted Klaudt, former South Dakota State Rep., found guilty of four counts of second-degree rape of two teenage foster daughters.[35][36]
Ronald C. Kline, Republican Judge in Orange County, CA, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer after six years of legal wrangling. In 2002, charged with child molestation and under house arrest on federal charges of possessing child pornography, political analysts still gave him a 50-50 chance of winning the March 5 primary for the Orange County Superior Court seat. He lost the election to a write-in candidate.
Joseph M. McDade, 75, was issued a summons on a charge of exposure of sexual organs, a misdemeanor that carries up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The longtime Pennsylvania Republican congressman who served for 36 years in the House and now works for a Washington lobbying firm, has been accused of exposing his private parts to two women at a beach resort on Sanibel Island. [37]
Patrick Lee McGuire, former former Flagler County Commissioner, surrendered to police after allegedly molesting girls between the ages of 8 and 13.[38]
Jon Matthews, Republican talk show host in Houston, was indicted for indecency with a child, including exposing his genitals to a girl under the age of 17.[39]
Joseph Monteleone Jr., Elyria city councilman, was found guilty of fondling underage girls and asking them to have sex with him.[40]
Glenn Murphy Jr., chairman of the Clark County Republican Party and president of the Young Republican National Federation, resigned both posts, after the Clark County Sheriff’s Department began investigating Murphy for alleged criminal deviate conduct. A 22-year-old man claimed that Murphy performed an unwanted sex act on him while the man slept in a relative’s Jeffersonville home. During the investigation, a similar accusation from 1998 came to light.[41]
Armando Tebano, Schenectady County Republican Chairman, pleaded guilty to fondling a 14-year-old girl.[42]
David Vitter, junior Senator from Louisiana, became one of the few high-profile politicians to be implicated as a client of "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey.[43]
2006
Steve Aiken, campaign manager for a Republican candidate for Congress in Arizona, former Quakertown, PA, police officer and self-proclaimed reverend, was convicted of having sex with two underage girls.[44]
Louis Beres, chairman of the Christian Coalition of Oregon. 3 of his family members accuse him of molesting them when they were pre-teens. In August 06, Beres confessed.[45]
Howard L. Brooks, Republican legislative aide and adviser to a California assemblyman, was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography. [46]
Randall Casseday, Washington Times newspaper executive, pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a 13-year old girl on the internet.[47]
Larry Corrigan, Republican operative and Director of Operations and Budget at King County Prosecutor's Office, OR, was arrested for soliciting sex from 13-year old girls.[48]
Carey Lee Cramer Political consultant and anti-Kerry ad producer, tried for molesting two young girls, one of whom lived with him, and was 8 yrs old; the other starred in an anti-Kerry commercial. Diary [49]
Mark Foley, Republican Representative, Florida Sixteenth Congressional District. Resigned after trying to solicit sex from male congressional pages via an instant messenger program. The conversations included his asking a sixteen-year-old "stud" whether his penis was erect and requesting that he take out and measure his penis. The cover-up involved Republican House Majority Leader John Boehner, Ohio Eighth Congressional District and Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Illinois Fourteenth District.[50]
Jim Gibbons, then US Rep. and Republican candidate for governor, was accused by a Las Vegas casino cocktail waitress of grabbing her, shoving her against a wall and threatening her after she rebuffed his advances.[51][52] Since elected Governor, Gibbons is under investigation by the FBI on corruption charges and is embroiled in what looks set to become a very messy divorce.[53]
Ted Haggard, was fired as pastor of the New Life Church and resigned from his position as president of the National Association of Evangelicals in November 2006 after a former male prostitute alleged they had a cash-for-sex relationship. The man also said he saw Haggard use methamphetamine. Haggard confessed to undisclosed “sexual immorality” and said he bought meth but didn’t use it.[54] After the scandal was publicized, Haggard entered three weeks of intensive counseling, overseen by four ministers. In Feb 2007, one of those ministers, Tim Ralph, said that Haggard "is completely heterosexual." As of early 2009, Haggard continues to receive counseling, and now he says that he is a “heterosexual with issues”. [55]
Don Haidl, Assistant Sheriff of Orange Country, in violation of California's rape shield law, led a smear campaign against the child his son poisoned and then violently gang-raped on videotape, adding up to 24 felony counts. He said that his son "acted accordingly" because the child was a "slut".[56][57]
Jeffrey Ray Nielsen, Christian conservative activist and lawyer with close ties to Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and Scott Baugh, head of the Orange County Republican Party, was arrested for having sex with a 14-year old boy.[58]
Jeffrey Patti, local Republican Committee chairman from Sparta, NJ, was arrested for distributing what experts call "some of the most offensive material in the child pornography world" - a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped.[59]
Brent Schepp, Republican County Board Candidate was charged with molesting a 14-year old girl and killed himself three days later.[60]
J.C. Watts, Representative (R-Oklahoma), loud champion of "moral values." Has out-of-wedlock children.
There are a whole lot more I have to continue these on another post
This is the Family Values Party. The Catholic Church and The Republican have a fondness for Kinky, and Homosexual sex while condeming everyone esle. So all the so-called Negro's who are republican share these same family values. WTF. Hey and these are just the ones that have been exposed so far. Oh snap wait I forgot all they have to do is pretend to be a charchter in the bible and it is alright with their GOD, They are suddenly absolved of sin. We need to redefine what we belive to be NORMAL cause the people we have been modeling ourselves after are a whole bunch of crazy and dangerous.
- Blog post
- 2 months ago
- Views: 27
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LET'S TAKE ACTION
- From: pinkiehot52
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Description:
Hello, I am concerned with the very vocal minority that has set out to derail what most of the American people voted for in November when we pulled the lever for President Barack Obama. That was change and get America back on track from the downward spiral it was on under continued illegitimate Republican rule. As we see that CNN refuses to air our ads to rid the network or Lou Dobbs or Fox Networks continued racist and unfair and bias attacks. Then why are we the good people who made our voices heard in November now letting a small and troublesome group continue to hijack the progress we want made to move American forward not backward. How long will we continue to remain passive and quite. They have made their intentions very clear they want President Obama to Fail, They would rather have the country tank then support a Black President or any forward thinking that would move us past such a primitive level as shooting wolves from planes and moving us toward a more humane and intelligent way to deal with our continued time on the plant without destroying ourselves and everything on it.
It is time for those who wanted change take charge and move our movement into the streets and town hall meetings to argue our point to shed light on lies, to get both sides of the story told. To continue our internet assault as well as targeting those who spew lies and untruths by targeting their advertisers. Hitting them where it hurts $$. They plan to stay on this until the elections to defeat the democrats. We also need to be on it to counter their negative assaults on the uninformed. If Corporate America controls the airways then we can control the streets and how our dollars are spent. Now that the blue dog democrats have been outed and targeted then they must also pay the price, we must inform the people of whom they have monetary allegiance to other than the voters.
I feel it is time for the people to speak , if we really want change, if we really want this administration to succeed , if we truly want progress than we the people need to be about the business of getting that across to those who wish to block progress for their own political gain and not that of the people. If not now when. When it is time to vote again after those who wish the country harm have some success or are we willing to invest the time now.
I SAY IT IS TIME TO ACT NOW. STAND UP AND LETS GET INTO THE STREETS ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY AND FIGHT FOR WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHAT WE BELIVIE IN.ARE YOU READY?
EMAIL ME AT nandi459@hotmail.com
let's organize
- Blog post
- 3 months ago
- Views: 71
- Not yet rated
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A bum rap for Joe Jackson
- From: thomastaylor
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Description:
Considering the times the Jacksons were raised and how a lot of us were disciplined, I think this is a long over due perspective. The difference is black and white.
I didn't write this article but do concur. It's rather long but worth the read.
Enjoy
TNT
What Does A Brother Have to Do? In Defense of Joe Jackson
By Michael A. Lowery
In the wake of Michael Jackson’s sudden tragic death and the incessant media over-coverage thereafter, several themes have taken root that I for one am tired of hearing. There is the constant questioning of what will happen to his children, and the state of his finances at the time of his death. It is highly questionable whether these matters warrant such attention from the public or a responsible news media. However, the one subject that I am most tired of hearing about is the criticism railed against his father, Joe Jackson. It’s time for a reality check America. Joe Jackson is a hero who should be extolled as such, and not derided so cavalierly as has been done by media over the last week, and even over several decades
We are living in a time when only three of ten African-American children born are born into married two parent homes. Our social landscape is replete with statistics and evidence of the consequence of missing fathers. Social service networks have been established by federal, state, and local governments, as well as by private endowments to address the consequences of fatherless homes. Then there is Joe Jackson, a man born in 1920’s Arkansas, long before Black was beautiful, and before Brown v Board of Education outlawed legal segregation in America, and long before an African-American was assured the right to vote in this nation. At some point like many men, Joe embarked on his own life and love story. He married Katherine, and they had dreams, and over approximately a 25 year period, had nine children, several of whom would become among the most renown in the world in their field of endeavor.
Like so many African-American men born in the same period, Joe at some point decided that his life chances and that of his family would be better served if he moved from the American south to its industrial north. So, he moved his family to Gary, Indiana, not a place for the faint of heart. Joe took care of his wife and children by working as a welder in one of Gary’s steel mills. In other words, he carried around a torch while working in a furnace to sustain his family.
At some point in the mid-1960’s, Joe discovered that his five sons seemed to possess the vestige of what appeared to be real talent, so he worked them to develop it. Soon thereafter, the world saw what he had seen, and the rest as is often said is history, literally. His children made history. Among their achievements, they were the most successful “child” act in the history of American music, and one of them sold the most albums that any single album ever sold, among his other astronomical achievements, including signing the biggest record contract in the history of the music business. Another of his children, the baby girl, became for a time the most successful female recording artist of her time, and eclipsed her brother in signing at the time the largest contract in music history. This doesn’t happen in a vacuum people. Fathers either make a difference or they don’t America. You can’t have both ways. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s when Gary, Indiana was for several years the murder capital of the United States, Joe Jackson’s children, due in large measure to his efforts, had long since left their native city and its peril and were safely ensconced in Santa Barbara and other parts of southern California, with two of them reigning as the top male and female entertainers in the world.
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In case you think that all of the family success happened due purely to the talent of the children, you should recall that in the mid-1970’s, Motown had all but written the Jackson family off, essentially saying that they had reached their peak and had no more left. It was Joe Jackson, who wrestled with one of the legendary lions of show business and the Motown empire, and moved his still growing children to another record label, Columbia/Epic. There, the success continued for the group and of course for Michael individually. If further evidence is needed of dad’s role in the success of even his most successful child, it is found in a legendary story in music industry circles about events that led to the making of “Thriller”. After Michael had sold an astounding eleven million copies of his album “Off The Wall”, it appeared that Epic still hadn’t seen enough and pretty much discounted him. It was Joe, again wrestling with an industry titan, who went to the top executives of the label and advised them that they had violated Michael’s contract by failing to provide label support as required by the contract and threatened to leave the label. Embarrassed and panicked, label executives scurried to find a way to resolve this potentially disastrous situation. The result was an agreement for the largest pre-release marketing budget the label had ever undertaken, and again, the rest is history.
We’ve heard the stories that raise the question of whether Mr. Jackson’s discipline of his children rose to the level of abuse. However, as it has often been said, “the proof of the cook is in the pudding”. It would appear that Joe’s pudding turned out pretty good. Joe Jackson pushed his children to work, in a period when black children were admonished by wise elders that “you have to work twice as hard to get half as far”. In reflecting on their achievements, his children have been cited in media quoting Joe’s lesson on work ethic, “plan your work and work your plan”. Joe Jackson raised his children when neither America or the world cared much about the fate of little African-American (Negro for accuracy sake) children, the time of “spare the rod, spoil the child”, “ a child left to himself bringeth his mother shame”, and “children should be seen and not heard”. But his children were seen and heard by the world. The wine and cheese set of today can now see the world through enlightened 2009 eyes; but, it was a different world then, and in the face of every conceivable institutional obstacle, Joe Jackson created a family that impacted the world.
Long before “Thriller”, Joe Jackson’s children were heroes when they were still children. At a time when it was rare to see African-Americans on television in any capacity, they made countless appearances on the top variety shows of the time, including the king of them all, The Ed Sullivan Show, and perhaps most impressive, they were presented to the world in a cartoon series in the early 1970’s, even before the iconic Bill Cosby’s Fat Albert. There were no Black children on television at the time, as heroes or otherwise; but Joe Jackson’s children were. They were on television commercials selling cereal, and the lunch boxes that America’s children carried to school. Unlike other major child stars, his children were not in trouble, and did not disintegrate after the prime of their careers. Joe was never a stage father. Over the 45 year period where his children have been stars in the public eye, you rarely, if ever saw him on camera, and certainly did not hear from him. Unlike celebrity parents of today, he did not seek to impose his presence in his children’s celebrity, no celebrity tell alls, no public feuds, no reality show. He has comported himself with honor and dignity.
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In the face of all that we have seen in America about missing fathers, this father achieved miracles, and is still in the lives of his children, most of whom are now over 50 years old. Just prior to his death, Michael Jackson met with concert promoters attempting to resolve a dispute that threatened to stop his London comeback shows. Who was at that meeting with him, his father, Joe. After 45 years dwelling in the highest echelons of show business, dad was still by his side.
America, there are no Ward Cleavers, and the quest for this false image has contributed to an array of social dysfunction over many generations looking for this idyllic father figure. Fathers, like all people are imperfect; but when we find one worthy of praise, we should take note and celebrate. As the world mourns the loss of Joe’s son, Michael, there are two African-American sisters playing each other on center court for the championship of the premier Grand Slam event in tennis for the fourth time. Their father has noted that he was motivated by the success of the Jackson children, and like Joe, saw the potential in his children and worked them to develop it to world class talent. Like Joe Jackson, he too is much maligned. But in part because of Joe, his daughters and other Black children, a fellow named Woods (whose father was also ridiculed) comes to mind, are changing the world. Joe, I salute you. You have helped change the world! What else can a brother do?
- Blog post
- 4 months ago
- Views: 78
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TN Republican Staffer Caught F
- From: pinkiehot52
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Description:
Mon Jun 15, 2009 at 02:35:58 PM PDT
(From the diaries. SusanG)
Here in Tennessee, our politicians (Republican and Democrat) still have not yet figured out that anything they do or say will be subject to scrutiny in the blogosphere, and that nothing they put online is private anymore.
Further adding to the tragicomedy that is Tennessee politics, we are forced to deal with some of the most vicious racism you'll ever see without a white hood. Whether it's implying that African-American Senate candidate is "going to steal all the white women," or implying that your African-American Presidential candidate is an anti-Semitic Muslim (whose middle name, by the way, is "Hussein"), Tennessee Republicans have truly mastered the art of the dogwhistle.
But this new one takes the cake.
Earlier today, a legislative staffer forwarded well-known West Tennessee blogger Newscoma
a picture they had been sent from another staffer. It's supposed to be an "historical keepsake photo" of the Presidents. But no picture of President Obama--instead, just a "spook."Because, haha, in addition to being another word for a ghost, "spook" is also a racial slur against African-Americans! Funny! Not.
The staffer who originally sent around the picture has now been revealed to be Sherri Goforth, an executive assistant for Republican State Senator Diane Black of Gallatin (a suburb of Nashville). When contacted by Nashville Is Talking/WKRN Channel 2 (our ABC affiliate) blogger Christian Grantham, not only did Goforth refuse to apologize, all she could do was claim that she had simply sent it "from the wrong email address. In other words, not sorry that she sent out a blatantly racist email, only sorry that she got caught.
Well, yes, she did get caught. And now it's all over the TN blogosphere, and will be on the news tonight.
For those of you not familiar with her boss, Senator Diane Black, she's a Republican who was the main Senate sponsor of S.J.R. 127, a trigger amendment passed this year that, if passed in one more legislative vote and by a ballot initiative, will allow abortion to quickly be banned in Tennessee should Roe v. Wade ever be overturned. She also rudely cancelled a meeting with GLBT activists from her own district (you know, people she was elected to represent) at the last second by saying that they "wouldn't change her mind" and therefore she didn't even need to hear from them. So in other words, a really charming individual who's doing SO MUCH for the people of her district.
Honestly, everytime I think my capacity to be shocked over the dogwhistle tactics the Tennessee GOP uses to appeal to the worst instincts of their based has been diminished, I quickly realize how wrong I am. What truly pisses me off is not even the racism, it's that this sort of racism is being spread on my taxpayer dime. I'm sure the conservatives are gearing up now to say, "Oh, come on you ultra-PC lib'ruls, it's just a JOKE, lighten up!" But even if this were "just a joke" (which it's obviously not), we the taxpayers are paying you to do the state's business, not to send around racist "jokes."
If you're in Tennessee and want Senator Black to know exactly what you think of what her office is doing on your dime, consider dropping her a line:
5 Legislative Plaza.
Nashville, TN 37243-0218
Phone (615) 741-1999
sen.diane.black@capitol.tn.govUPDATE 1: This story is starting to go national, with The Atlantic and Wonkette both on it. Once again, the TNGOP has made us the laughingstock of the whole country.
UPDATE 2: Tennessee Democratic Party chairman Chip Forrester calls on Diane Black to fire Goforth. Also, visit here to learn about the training sessions the TNDP is planning to conduct around Tennessee to Save Our State from the GOP.
This was in the daily KOS.
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
- Views: 95
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The Exorcism of Mr. Charlie, R
- From: TheSarge1960
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Description:
The Exorcism of Mr. Charlie, Ripples in the Pond, and a Gifted Latina
Ripples in the Pond
Newsflash from the Hooterville Gazette
The era has arrived, the moment has come, and the future has now become the present. Never before in the history of America has it become more apparent to those who identify themselves as “guardians of Aryan purity and Aryan superiority have life in America been more upside down. Sacred members of the old guard (Pat Buchanan, Tom Tancredo and a few other good old boys) that have been entrusted to carry the torch that houses the “eternal flame” of racial intolerance and racial indignation have been insidiously attacked and subdued by race mixing liberals who have forsaken the angelic twang of country music for the synthesized rhythmic beat of rap. Good Lordy Miss Claudey, the Colonel has turned over in his grave! What was once a small ripple in Norman Rockwell’s pond of tranquility has now manifested into a Tsunami of Black and Brown culture. Putting it simply, Mayberry has integrated. Ma, call the National Guard!
The Reality of it all
The first major ripple in the pond occurred on May 17, 1954 when the Supreme Court decided in the case of Brown versus the Board of Education Topeka, that public schools that purposely separated Colored students from White students, were guilty of denying Colored students the same educational opportunities that were afforded to White students. Justices of the Supreme Court liberally articulated this “arrangement” as being an inequity and by a vote of 9-0, public school segregation in America officially ended. Further, the Justices interpreted that racial segregation prevented young Colored minds from receiving the necessary academic and social tools that would enable them to fairly compete with their White contemporaries. (Well ain’t that the point?) Although there were many lawyers who argued before the Court to rip down the “curtain” that provided cover and concealment for those of us who hide behind granddaddy’s window of racial fear, lets take a moment to recognize the emergence of Thurgood Marshall, a gifted young Colored NAACP lawyer, who subsequently, in 1967 would later be appointed as the first Colored Justice to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. Thank you very much President Lyndon Baines Johnson for tossing a stone in Mayberry’s pond, now you know why you and Miss Lady Bird were never invited to our annual fish fry and cross burning gala.
It can be argued that the second ripple in the pond occurred on December 1, 1955 in Birmingham, Alabama, when a Colored woman named Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat, as mandated by the South’s “Jim Crow Law”, to a White man who understood that because he was born White, it was his inherent right to claim the seat that Miss Park was sitting on. This bold (OK, brave) and defiant 42 year old woman was the spark that manifested to liberals the meaning of their rebellion which they now consider to be a righteous cause.
This modern day civil rights campaign which was birthed by Miss Parks, compelled partisans and non partisans of civil rights to re-think and to re-read the words of The American Declaration of Independence which states, “That we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The choice that Miss Rosa Parks made on December 1, 1955, to take a stand against what liberals say was an unjust and an immoral law, defined this stubborn (OK, dignified) woman, before the world, as being the catalyst of a movement that knocked Dixie to its knees. Sacred carriers of the torch that housed the “eternal flame” took notice as the ripples in the pond began to spread.
The third and most heart stopping ripple that tipped over Andy’s and Opie’s fishing boat, occurred on November 4, 2008. This was the infamous date that the Democratic Presidential nominee, Barack Obama, a Colored man of mixed heritage with a funny sounding name, defeated White Republican Presidential nominee, John McCain for the office of the Presidency of the United States of America. We’ve received reports that on that day, White people across America ripped the hair out of their scalp, chain smoked Marlboro Red cigarettes, drank countless bottles of whiskey, beat their children for listening to Jay Z and consequently, bought thousands of rounds of rifle ammunition as they breathlessly awaited for a sign from their local Grand Dragon that the much anticipated race war was about to commence.
And now, adding final insult to our injury, a female Puerto Rican from the Bronx, New York, who also has a funny sounding name, has been nominated to replace albeit a liberal, a White Man, to sit as a judge on the highest court of the United States of America. The ghost of Confederate President Jefferson Davis has just peed on himself.
A Gifted Latina
Sotomayor who?
Sonia Sotomayor’s bio illustrates that she was born June 25, 1954 in the Bronx, New York, from parents of Puerto Rican descent. Judge Sotomayor’s trek through life as a young lady has been marked with both tragedy and triumph. Raised in the tough housing projects of both East and South Bronx, New York (isn’t that the place where there’s a bunch of Yankees?) and forced as an 8 year old to contend with being a diabetic, young Sonia understood early in life the meaning of determination and survival. Her father, Juan Sotomayor, a tool- and- die worker with a third grade education, spoke a limited amount of English and died when Sonia was only nine years old. Sonia’s mother, Celina, a Woman’s Army Corps veteran during World War II, worked as a nurse to support Sonia and Sonia’s brother Juan Junior after the death of her husband Juan.
A condensed snapshot of Judge Sotomayor’s academic accomplishes include being honored as her Catholic High School’s Valedictorian, graduating in 1976 from Princeton University, Summa Cum Laude, and in 1979 graduating from Yale University with a law degree. Acknowledged and admired by past New York Mayors and past U.S. Presidents for her talents as a skilled litigator and arbitrator, Judge Sotomayor has steadily climbed the ladder of professional success and as a tribute to her hard work and experience, was nominated on May 26, 2009, by President Barack Obama, to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. If confirmed by Congress, Judge Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic and only the third woman to be seated as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
The Exorcism of Mr. Charlie
We love Mr. Charlie
It’s been brought to the attention of our newspaper’s chief editor, Mr. Harlan P. Beauregard that liberals have secretly conspired to contact Father Patrick Mahoney, Hooterville’s only Catholic priest, in an attempt to drive away evil spirits from a local resident, who according to those ignorant liberals, goes by the name of Mr. Charlie. Mr. Beauregard has further discovered after reading Hooterville’s white pages, that currently, there is no “Mr. Charlie” that resides in Hooterville; however, because the names, Hannity, Buchanan, Chaney and Limbaugh are always mentioned in conjunction with the anonymous “Mr. Charlie”, we are compelled as God fearing “Real Americans” to contact the aforementioned brethren and warn them that liberals are trying to drive the devil out from them. No sir, if there’s to be an exorcism conducted in Hooterville; it will be performed by the good Reverend Percy T. Williams who is a bonafide Christian and gun shop owner. In our attempt to locate Mr. Charlie and show our support, local volunteers are placing “We love Mr. Charlie” fliers on the windshields of all vehicles parked in the parking lot of the “Galaxy Drive-In Theatre” located on county road 111. If anyone locates Mr. Charlie before we do, please inform him that Reverend Williams will be performing exorcisms after the annual fish fry and cross burning gala.
Quote of the month:
"I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life"
- Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 86
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Who Needs Republicans With Dem
- From: pinkiehot52
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- 6 months ago
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"Democrat Socialist Party" Res
- From: pinkiehot52
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Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has been roundly criticized by members of his party over his first 100 days in office.
A member of the Republican National Committee told me Tuesday that when the RNC meets in an extraordinary special session next week, it will approve a resolution rebranding Democrats as the “Democrat Socialist Party.”
When I asked if such a resolution would force RNC Chairman Michael Steele to use that label when talking about Democrats in all his speeches and press releases, the RNC member replied: “Who cares?”
Which pretty much sums up the attitude some members of the RNC have toward their chairman these days.
Steele wrote a memo last month opposing the resolution. Steele said that while he believes Democrats “are indeed marching America toward European-style socialism,” he also said in a (rare) flash of insight that officially referring to them as the Democrat Socialist Party “will accomplish little than to give the media and our opponents the opportunity to mischaracterize Republicans.”
Read more: "GOP, RNC to rebrand Democrats as 'Socialists' - Roger Simon - POLITICO.com" - http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22445.html#ixzz0FaM02HQH&ATwo other resolutions — to urge Republican lawmakers to reject earmarks and to commend them for opposing “bailouts and reckless spending bills” — are also on the agenda, but language that would have denounced Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican turned Democrat, and Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins for voting for President Obama’s stimulus package has been dropped.
Steele didn’t want the special session to be held at all. The RNC will hold its regular summer meeting in July, and all matters could have waited until then. But the special session is being viewed by some in the party as a “comeuppance” for Steele and an implied criticism of his performance and behavior in his first 100 days in office.
Exercising a rarely used party rule that allows any 16 RNC members from 16 different states to demand a special meeting, conservatives in the party forced Steele’s hand, and now the special meeting will be tacked onto the end of a previously scheduled meeting of state party chairmen that will convene next week at National Harbor outside Washington.
A further comeuppance — a vote of “no confidence” in Steele — is not being contemplated, I am informed, because Steele’s opponents in the RNC have already won a major victory by forcing him to accept greater controls on how he spends party funds.Also, while there has been some talk about replacing Steele, few consider that likely, at least in the near future. “Without a Republican president to decide on that change, that won’t happen,” the RNC member said.
But Steele is not a popular chairman within the RNC, and his recent statements that appeared to attack Mitt Romney and the Republican base have undermined his popularity even further.
Steele was elected to a two-year term as party chairman on Jan. 30 on the sixth ballot, but instead of quietly trying to consolidate power within the party and build up his image, he embarked on a publicity tour that included statements that some in the party considered baffling at best and incendiary at worst.
“He has a tin ear,” the RNC member told me when I asked him to name Steele’s worst problem. “He has a tin ear when it comes to the building (i.e., the RNC staff), the RNC and the party.”
Last Friday, when Steele was guest-hosting conservative pundit Bill Bennett’s radio show, a caller suggested that Romney would have been a stronger candidate against Barack Obama than John McCain but that liberals and the media had pushed for McCain to win the Republican nomination.
The caller was, perhaps, not making the most intellectually rigorous of arguments, but in his answer Steele seemed to outdo the caller.
“Remember, it was the base that rejected Mitt because of his switch on pro-life, from pro-choice to pro-life,” Steele replied. “It was the base that rejected Mitt because it had issues with Mormonism. It was the base that rejected Mitt because they thought he was back and forth and waffling on those very economic issues you’re talking about.”
Steele, who himself has said that abortion is a matter of “individual choice,” was opening old wounds not only by attacking Romney but also by suggesting the Republican base is bigoted when it comes to Mormons.
“His job should be to get everybody to sit down and focus on a message for the party and then get them to be the messengers,” the RNC member told me. “Steele wants to do the right thing, but he is clueless as to how the RNC really runs.”
Roger Simon is POLITICO’s chief political columnist.
Read more: "GOP, RNC to rebrand Democrats as 'Socialists' - Roger Simon - POLITICO.com" - http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22445_Page2.html#ixzz0FaMVZUQ1&A - Blog post
- 6 months ago
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RNC Chairman Michael Steele is teaming up with Rep. Michele Bachmann, asking Republicans for their help blocking public funding for ACORN, the progressive community organizing group.
Bachmann is sponsoring an amendment that would block some $8.5 billion from being made available to the organization, according to a fundraising email from Steele. The group was a frequent target of Republicans during the 2008 election for its voter registration efforts.
"Over $50 million in federal funding money has found its way into the hands of ACORN's leftist activists over the last several years, but now the Democrats are about to make $8.5 billion more in tax-payer funds available to this radical group," Steele wrote to supporters.
The House blocked a similar amendment of Bachmann's just last week, which would have barred groups facing indictment from receiving public funds.
Bachmann spoke out against funding ACORN in a Thursday morning press conference.
"This is about how Congress spends the people's money in our country and its about the bar that Congress sets for accessing federal funding. The question before us is, it a right that anyone is entitled to or is it a privilege that must be earned?"
Steele urged Republicans to talk to their legislators.
"It's time we told Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, and Barack Obama that we won't tolerate using our tax dollars to pay off their electoral support machine. That's why I hope you'll take this opportunity to send Barney and Nancy an eCard to let them know that the Democrats' assault against our free election right to "One Person, One Vote" and the Rule of Law will not be tolerated."
FINALLY DUMB AND DUMBER JOIN FORCES
"You be the man" but there is no MAN there.
Why don't these people just go away!
- Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 89
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Requiem of a House Negro
- From: TheSarge1960
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Description:
Requiem of a House Negro
After hearing Republican National Chairman Michael Steele refer to President Obama as “The Magic Negro” and after reading an Associated Press article that was written in regard to another capitulation by the Chairman to an ever growing number of mutinous Republican National Committee members that have emasculated Mr. Steele by stripping away his control of how he spends money on behalf of promoting the Republican Party, to include forcing Mr. Steele to rehire former RNC Staffer Jay Banning, whom Chairman Steele had once fired, it has been difficult for me to think about anything other than how pitiful Michael Steele and fellow Black Republican Alan Keyes are as Black men. Failed Republican Presidential Candidate Alan Keyes, in his contempt (and jealousy) for President Obama epitomizes the bitterness felt by ultra right wing crazies who hate President Obama for all the wrong reasons. Besides the constant slandering and criticism of President Obama by Alan Keyes, Mr. Keyes is guilty of being “stuck” on promoting and promulgating the lie that President Obama is not a US citizen.
Using pejorative terms to describe two Black men whose ancestors were kidnapped from their ancestral homeland and chained together in the dark and hot bowels of European slave ships while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, packed like little spoons in a kitchen drawer, forced to live in filth, being fed the equivalent of garbage, and then finally to be regurgitated onto a foreign and hostile land only to be desecrated as humans for almost four hundred years (I highly recommend reading Lerone Bennett’s “Before the Mayflower, A History of Black America, 1619-1962”) does not appeal to me as an African American male. However, in the case of Steele and Keyes, I’ll make an exception to my self- imposed rule of not publicly demeaning African Americans by taking a stand against modern day Uncle Tomism and calling them out as the House Negroes that they truly are. In making the allegation that Steele and Keyes are House Negroes and Uncle Toms, let me make this crystal clear, in my opinion, accepting and adopting Republican ideology does not make an African American a House Negro or an Uncle Tom.
In contrast to the Democratic Party, there are only a handful of Black Republicans and by far, the majority of these Americans are honorable people. Former Secretary of State / General, Colin Luther Powell is a shining example. Black Republicans honestly believe that they, like their White Party members, are indeed patriots, and that America is best governed by the ideology of conservatism. In fact, today’s Republicans are quick to point out in their attempt to deflect their Party’s indifference and intolerance to Black, Brown, Red and Yellow issues, ( in reality we’re not minorities when you add our numbers) that the Republican Party is the Party of the much revered Abraham Lincoln. (Although it can be easily proven that Abraham Lincoln was no lover of Black Folk) In rebuttal to Republican claims of inclusiveness via a connecting of dots that lead to Abraham Lincoln, I must say that today’s Republican Party is not the Republican Party that their grandfathers once belonged to, especially, when demographically speaking, the Republican’s small base of power is concentrated in America’s deep south. And I ain’t just whistling Dixie.
In understanding how Uncle Tomism is defined by Black America, I think that it is best that we start with Harriet Beecher Stowe who in 1851 penned the classic novel, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. In Miss Stowe’s novel, the character Uncle Tom is characterized as being a righteous martyr that died at the hand of his master, protecting two run away slaves by refusing to betray their whereabouts. Thus, the “Uncle Tom” that evolved from this classic novel, can be described as heroic. In light of this revelation, I can never imagine Michael Steele or Alan Keyes accepting martyrdom by protecting Black Americans.
The second and most modern definition of an Uncle Tom is a Black person who is perceived by others as behaving in a subservient manner to white authority figures, or as seeking ingratiation with them by way of unnecessary accommodation.
Given Mr. Steele’s and Mr. Keyes’ extreme negativity that is directed towards President Obama and in light of their willingness to promote hate and ridicule towards a President that received 95% of the Black vote during the last Presidential elections, it is clear to me that these two men are totally out of touch with Black America. Additionally, to be continuously mocked and rejected by a Party that has little interest in racial diversity and tolerance, yet remain zealously loyal to that Party, only strengthens my belief that both men have adopted the “House Negro Doctrine” (Kudos to Brother Malcolm X) which ensures them a place in the “Big House”. However, entrance into the “Big House” comes at the expense of each of them having to leave their culture and their people behind. Which apparently, they have no problem sacrificing. (Can anyone imagine Alan Keyes with a James Brown ringtone ?) What’s really sad is that no matter how hard they try to ingratiate themselves as loyal Party members by vehemently denouncing President Obama and the President’s policies, members of the Republican Party who actually wield power and authority will only give Mr. Keyes and Mr. Steele a key to the mansion’s back door. Therefore, both Mr. Keyes and Mr. Steele in my opinion, only qualify to be defined in the most modern definition of the word, “Uncle Tom”.
In closing I see both men in years to come as being old, feeble and tormented. As God finally calls them “home” and people gather to pay homage at the funeral, I envision some confusion as to what song should be sung at the closing of the ceremony, however, due to the fact that they probably won’t be allowed to be buried in the same cemetery of the church that they’ve faithfully attended as good Republicans, I recommend that the church choir perform a song that best describes their disposition in life as Black Folk. And what song is that you ask? Well no other than “The Requiem of a House Negro”.
- Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 121
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Steele Concedes To RNC Foes Gi
- From: pinkiehot52
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Capitulating to critics on the Republican National Committee, embattled Republican Party Chairman Michael S. Steele has signed a secret pact agreeing to controls and restraints on how he spends hundreds of millions of dollars in party funds and contracts, The Washington Times has learned.
The "good governance" agreement revives checks and balances Mr. Steele resisted implementing for RNC contracts, fees for legal work and other expenditures that were not renewed after the 2008 presidential nominating contest.
The agreement, proposed by several current and former RNC officials, goes further, making 33-year RNC veteran Jay Banning, who was fired by Mr. Steele along with his deputy last month, an on-call adviser to the RNC treasurer. Mr. Banning was seen as a trusted liaison to RNC members critical of Mr. Steele's tenure and financial management.
"I regard them - the Steele administration - bound by it," former Republican National Committee General Counsel David Norcross told The Times on Tuesday.
Mr. Norcross, RNC Treasurer Randy Pullen, chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, and former party budget chiefs Ron Kaufman and Alec Poitevint had fought with Mr. Steele over having the 168-member committee vote on restoring the "good governance" guidelines created in 2004 at a special May 20 meeting.
Trevor Francis, the RNC's new communications director, would not comment on the agreement that several of the dissident members said was reached.
"Everything was already in place," Mr. Francis said.
Under nearly constant fire from conservatives since his Jan. 30 election, Mr. Steele last Wednesday accused the resolution's proponents of a power grab "scheme." It looked like an impasse, with a showdown - and a possible no-confidence vote in Mr. Steele - coming at a special meeting called for May 20.
But closed-door negotiations between Mr. Steele and his representatives and Mr. Pullen and the dissident group reached an accord. It represents the first time in memory that rebel members of the Republican Party's national governing body have successfully taken on the party's historically powerful national chairman and his loyalists.
"We have a written agreement with them to accept and operate under terms of '04 Resolution; make Banning available to Pullen; keep [former RNC chief counsel Thomas J.] Josefiak on retainer and available to Pullen; keep Banning's assistant on the payroll and available to Pullen; and to negotiate on [competitive contract] bidding and [chief financial officer] language," Mr. Norcross wrote in an e-mail to another RNC member.
"We think we have the tools to hold them to it. They believe we have or could readily muster the votes to adopt something at the summer meeting," Mr. Norcross wrote.
The written agreement remains in effect until the scheduled July summer meeting of the full RNC, at which time the entire body is expected to vote on the resolution.
The funding fight intensified the open challenge to Mr. Steele's authority. Unhappy RNC conservatives secured the signatures needed to force the committee to convene next month's special meeting to vote on a resolution labeling Democrats as "socialists," despite the chairman's reservations about the political wisdom of the move.
Critics said the "socialist" resolution battle was a sign of Mr. Steele's rocky start as RNC chairman and his continuing struggle to assert control of the party's message since his election in January.
This boy is a Punk in the worst possible way. He can deem to challenge Obama but can not seem to be able to handle the whites in his party. He fired one of them, now the same guy has to ok anything he does on an ON_CALL basis. Just like a HOUSE trigger still a trigger to them, but his love for being a token outweighs any and all self-respect. Did he really think they would let him be involved in handling the money. He wishes he was a magic negro. he has no power, he is a figure head or the blunt of the joke being played on him. He gave in because he knows he does not have long his term will be short. he sells plenty of wolf-tickets but punks out in the end. Malcolm X taught us that (the house trigger worries about the master), is we sick master he says.
the irony is the man's father who surely would have been out in the fields. Son is President of the USA.
"Now who be the Man"
- Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 77
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My Favorite Hate Email From th
- From: pinkiehot52
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Frank Schaeffer
I received this email from a priest. At least it was signed! (The misspelling of the President's name, double question marks, capitalization etc., is in the original.)
Frank, I just read that you are supporting the pro-abortionist Barach Hussein Obama... Now you support a man who is the dream come true of everything ANTI-Christian. Are you no longer Christian?? I was stunned... Please respond, How could you post on the Huffington Post, the most anti-Christian, anti-traditional site?? These people HATE everything Christianity stands for!
In Christ, Father G.Rant starts here: I can only imagine the steady diet of junk ideology that must have been pouring from right wing web sites, evangelical leaders, talk radio and bizarre newsletters into Fr. G's head to have pushed him -- a priest no less, supposedly a confessor, shepherd and comforter -- to put politics ahead of faith and thus berate a complete stranger and question his faith on the basis of who that stranger voted for or what web sites he writes for!
The Religious Right has seduced millions of Americans with titillating hatred and lies, including people like Fr. G. Lies -- the Earth was created in six days and is not warming, Obama is a secret Muslim -- perhaps the Antichrist! -- and wants women to have more abortions, gays are trying to take over America, the United Nations (and/or Obama and/or the president of the European Union) is (also?) the Antichrist, an unregulated free market economy is Christian, guns keep people safe, stem cell research equals infanticide, capital punishment is good, immigrants are the enemy etc., -- are accepted as truth by a whole substrata of "Christians" determined to judge their country as "fallen away from God" because they don't agree with their fellow citizens' politics.Appeals to facts get nowhere with these folks because they don't trust any sources but their own emanating from an alternative right wing universe, so arguments become circular. The more impartial, serious or academic the source, the more suspect it becomes. Propaganda, fulminating (and fund raising), hate of gays, women, our government, big city folks, the educated "elite," everything-not-like-us-"Real-Americans," supplants compassion and even common sense. And one is guilty by association. Write for the "wrong" people -- "these people" in the words of Fr. G -- vote for the "wrong" president, and it's off to the stake.
It's not fair to hold fundamentalists, even ones masquerading as priests -- I say "masquerading" because nothing could be further from the spirit of faith than Fr. G's smoldering email -- to a higher standard than the rest of us. Fr. G's lack of connection to reality, let alone the compassionate tradition of his beliefs (or to simple manners) is a symptom of the larger American entertainment-oriented and compartmentalized moron culture we live in and have all been tainted by.
The late Neil Postman, author, New York University professor and prophet, predicted how and why people such as Fr. G would be living in a half-assed dream world cut off from reality. Postman was best known for his 1985 book about television, Amusing Ourselves to Death, in which he wrote:
Television is altering the meaning of 'being informed' by creating a species of information that might properly be called disinformation. Disinformation does not mean false information. It means misleading information -- misplaced, irrelevant, fragmented or superficial information -- information that creates the illusion of knowing something, but which in fact leads one away from knowing....What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumble puppy.
Postman is not the only person to have accurately predicted where we were headed and the sort of society that our disjointed news media-as-entertainment, texting as "writing," blogging as "news," would produce. RoboCop (1987) was a mediocre (and nastily sadistic) little movie but director Paul Verhoeven got one thing right: the "news" shows on TV in his futuristic dystopia. His parody of glib, cheerful trivia clips as news has come horribly true, even more so with the advent of the ideologically divided web, wherein people have their "information" filtered by like-minded ideologues and rarely encounter views they disagree with. As Postman predicted, Huxley's prophetic vision came to pass: we are "a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies."
We live in the spiritual/political/intellectual equivalent to the 1979 movie Mad Max. Unlike that movie's post-apocalyptic landscape, the external trappings of our civilization are in tact but our intellectual life is running on inertia. Metaphorically speaking, if Fr. G is all of our "priest," then his "flock" is made up of the sorts of people that Jay Leno interviewed on the street in his hilarious (and depressing) recurring "Tonight Show" gag where he used to ask questions such as, "who is the vice president?" or "who was Christopher Columbus?" or "finish this saying, a stitch in time saves -- "and most respondents could not answer.We have become a nation of not terribly bright children who essentially have a collective learning disability manifested by an inability to concentrate or defer gratification, hold one thought long enough to see it through to a conclusion or contemplate making real sacrifices for long term benefits. The Fr. Gs of this world are the result.
Frank Schaeffer is a writer. He is author of the forthcoming Patience With God -- Faith For People Who Don't Like Religion (Or Atheism) and also of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back (Now in paperback in bookstores everywhere).
I appreciate this mans writings. He always sheds light on the innner workings of the souls of these people.
- Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 76
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Your request is being processe
- From: pinkiehot52
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Pat Buchanan acknowledged to MSNBC anchor Tamron Hall on Tuesday that his party is facing a severe "demographic problem" in the years to come -- specifically, the GOP is on its way to becoming an all-white party.
"There's a real demographic problem with the Republican Party," Buchanan said. "It is a heavily white party, quite frankly. And as a share of the electorate, that is diminishing and Hispanics are growing very rapidly, Asians are growing rapidly, and by two-thirds they tend to vote Democratic."
Buchanan told Hall that the party is losing young people as well.
"Young people increasingly are more liberal and more socially moderate, and they move away from the Republican Party," he said. "These things are undeniable, the Republican party ... is in tough shape."
But Buchanan said the party shouldn't be written off just yet, and said Republicans have made impressive comebacks from deep deficits before.
I went though the Goldwater disaster, when we were down to 140 House seats and we were dead forever, and I came with Nixon in '66 and we won 47 House seats and we won 5 out of the next 6 presidential elections. I don't think that's necessarily in the cards, but I think it'd be foolish at this point when Obama is at his peak, really, to write off the Republican party for 2010.
WATCH:
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Become a fan of HuffPost Politics on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.NO ACKNOWLDGEMENT OF BLACK RETHUGS. oH FORGOT THEY DON'T MATTER!
- Blog post
- 7 months ago
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Your request is being processe
- From: pinkiehot52
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A battle over control of the party's purse strings has erupted at the troubled Republican National Committee, with defenders of Chairman Michael S. Steele accusing dissident RNC members of trying to "embarrass and neuter" the party's new leader.
Randy Pullen, the RNC's elected treasurer, former RNC General Counsel David Norcross and three other former top RNC officers have presented Mr. Steele with a resolution, calling for a new set of checks and balances on the chairman's power to dole out money.
The powers include new controls on awarding contracts and spending money on outside legal and other services.
Mr. Steele could not be reached, and a spokesman for the RNC chairman declined to comment on the move.
The resolution prompted a top Steele supporter to issue a scathing attack against Mr. Pullen and his allies after they had asked Mr. Steele to support the "good governance" resolution at a special meeting of the full national committee set for next month. The party spent about $300 million in last year's elections.
"I urge you to reject this hostile attempt to embarrass and neuter the chairman of the RNC," Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus wrote in an e-mail to the 168-member national committee.
Mr. Pullen and his allies need signatures from RNC members from 16 states to force the resolution to the floor for a vote by the full party committee at the May 20 special meeting.
The funding fight comes on the heels of another open challenge to Mr. Steele's authority. Unhappy RNC conservatives secured the signatures to force the committee to convene next month's special meeting to vote on a resolution labeling Democrats as "socialists," despite the chairman's reservations about the political wisdom of the move.
Critics said the "socialist" resolution battle was a sign of Mr. Steele's rocky start as RNC chairman and his continuing struggle to assert control of the party's message since his election in January.
Part 2
Steele backers accuse Mr. Pullen and his allies of trying to undermine the chairman and strip him of his rightful authority to spend donors' money as he sees fit.
"This resolution is an attempt to usurp the chairman's authority in a completely unprecedented and historic manner," Mr. Priebus wrote to the other party chairmen and national committee members from the 50 states and five U.S. territories.
Mr. Priebus, who heads the transition team for the newly elected chairman, also urged the resolution's sponsors "to stop playing political games and begin thinking about what they can do to help our party move forward as we face the elections of 2009 and 2010."
Mr. Pullen gave Mr. Steele the proposed resolution in a private meeting last week. The sponsors argued that it would help Mr. Pullen and other RNC officers identify and head off questionable financial actions and, thus, insulate party officials from any possible federal prosecution for financial misdeeds done under the aegis of the RNC.
Raising and spending huge sums of money - and doing it in accordance with complex federal campaign and disclosure laws - are central to the mission of the Democratic and Republican national party committees. The $300 million raised by the RNC went to Republican presidential, Senate, House and gubernatorial candidates and to state parties last year.
The spark for the clash came when Mr. Steele replaced longtime RNC Chief Financial Officer Jay Banning, trusted by successive national chairmen and RNC treasurers for nearly 40 years.
The Pullen resolution would make it a written rule that contracts of $100,000 or more be open to competitive bidding; that all checks be signed by two RNC officers; that party staff be prohibited from signing on behalf of an officer; and that all contracts be reviewed and approved by the members of the RNC executive committee.
There were signs that Mr. Steele's defenders were rising to the challenge.
"I have confidence in our new chairman and his judgment," said Holly J. Hughes, an RNC member from Michigan, in an e-mail to Mr. Pullen. "I want to give him a chance before second-guessing him. I am sorry, but I cannot support this."
Ginny Haines, an RNC member from New Jersey, wrote, "Were the policies and procedures which you are asking for in this resolution in place before Chairman Steele, if not, why are they necessary now?"
The discord comes as the Republican Party, already on the ropes after defeats in the 2008 elections, was hit with two more blows in recent days - the loss of a close House special election in upstate New York on Friday and the defection of Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter to the Democrats on Tuesday.
Mr. Steele has been hammered recently for criticizing conservative icon Rush Limbaugh's radio show as "incendiary" and "ugly."
He then apologized to Mr. Limbaugh, saying his words came out wrong, but later said such apparent mistakes were actually part of a strategy to get his enemies to unmask themselves.
Mr. Steele also has had to defend himself for having belonged to two centrist Republican groups - the Republican Main Street Partnership and the Republican Leadership Council - before running for RNC chairman as a conservative and a reformer.
Well now is that not some BS. Ahhh but he does deserve the treatment he is getting.
now who would have thought they would treat their new Negro leader that way. SHAME, SHAME Shame on them. is he not a good boy. I thought so when he won he was all for attacking Obama. But PUNKED-OUT on Rush. Go figure. Cause we all know HE BE THE MAN!
- Blog post
- 7 months ago
- Views: 59
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It's All About "The Benjamins"
- From: TheSarge1960
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Description:
I’m starting to believe from what I read and hear, that a very large percentage of us Black folk believe that racial hatred is the primary motivation behind the Republican’s strategy of obstructing President Obama’s attempt to effectively govern this country. With all due respect to those who have that belief, it's more than a racial hatred “thing”. The political tug of war between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party evolves around political ideology. Liberals versus Conservatives, Conservatives versus Liberals. The foundation of the political tug of war is based on their party's core beliefs and core values. The issue of race is injected as a ploy by the Party’s top leaders as a way of tipping the political scale to their party's advantage. We should understand that the Democratic Party when they find it advantageous, will state that the Republican Party is not sensitive to the interests (Present and Future) of Black, Brown, Yellow and Red Americans. (Be it true or false) The Republican Party when they find it advantageous, will spread fear, lies and distrust about non Whites, advocates of choice, and in general whatever “boogieman” that they can conjure (through the use of loyal surrogates) in an attempt to energize a certain segment of their party's base and in an attempt to persuade the “middle of the road” Americans to vote in line of what the Republican core values represent. Most importantly, keep in mind that much of the “war” that we are witnessing between the two dominant political parties is a war based on controlling unimaginable amounts of money and power, which in all honesty, is the “wheel” that turns the secular world that we live in. Look, I would be grossly ignorant if I were to state that racial prejudice / hatred is not a pestilence that adversely effects the minds of the “crazies” who want to see President Obama fail. We must stand firm as Americans against the “crazies” that want to revert to an openness of hate and violence. Too many people (of all ethnicities) have given their lives for us to just stand around and not be vigilant against the hate and ignorance that threatens our opportunity to live the “American Dream” as envisioned by our parents and the parents of our parents. My challenge is for all Americans to see beyond the initial layer of BS that is often camouflaged and packaged by both parties in order to obtain our vote. Let us understand that whether we vote Democratic or Republican, we must hold our elected officials responsible for representing what is best for us and our children. In reality, when all is said and done, the words of Sean “Puffy” Combs (OK, P Diddy- or whatever Mr. Combs prefer) comes into play, "It's all about the Benjamins". Let’s educate ourselves and insist that our children are taught in school the principles of economics, math, history and science. Let’s never lose our faith in God and His love and His omnipotence. In closing, let’s as a people born of royalty, keep thinking and keep achieving. Take care and God Bless. The Sarge
- Blog post
- 7 months ago
- Views: 106
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“Let them eat cake” Or is it d
- From: TheSarge1960
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Description:
“Let them eat cake” Or is it day old bread?
In 1793 French President Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were both beheaded before an angry crowd of disenchanted countrymen and countrywomen. Moments before the guillotine’s blade fell upon their necks; I picture the two disposed monarchs frozen in fear and soiled in disbelief. An untimely and inevitable death was upon them. As they gazed into each others eyes I can almost hear the question that they asked each other, “What was our crime?”
History has proven that the answer to their question was arrogance and indifference.
On February 11, 2009, Representative Maxine Waters (D) of California, asked a group of banking chairmen who were summoned to testify before Congress if their banks had raised the interest rates on most credit card holders and additionally, reduced the lending amounts that the credit card holder once had after their banks had received bail out money from the US Government. Every bank representative who sat before Congress acknowledged that this despicable act had been committed by their banks.
What would make banking CEOs raise interest rates and lessen lending amounts to credit card holders who have good credit?
History will prove that the answer to this question is arrogance and indifference.
During the month of February, it was discovered that several Morgan Stanley executives received over one hundred and twenty million dollars in bonuses. These executives had richly rewarded themselves even though the “ship” that they were responsible for steering, had run aground on a reef and had already sunk. In arrogance and indifference to public opinion, the executive’s boss, Mr. James Gorman, Co-President of Morgan Stanley, informed these bonus recipients not to call the bonuses they were about to receive, a bonus. They were instructed to call the bonuses “retention awards”. You say tomato, I say tomatoe.
Where do you think their bonus money came from and does this particular scenario sound eerily déjà vu?
The month is March and the time is today, most Americans are livid in response to having paid via higher taxes, what appears to be over 200 million dollars in bonuses to AIG executives. In contrast, most Americans cannot get a small loan from their local bank. The hypocrisy of rewarding millions of dollars to individuals who have failed is almost too much for most Americans to understand or digest, especially when most of us are trying to “Rob Peter in order to pay Paul”. Call me a cynic but I think that we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of corporate greed and corruption. Without some sort of rules and regulations that governs big business, crooks like Bernie Madoff begets other Bernie Madoffs.
All of this craziness reminds me of a lyric written by Paul Simon in the 1960s, "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you?" First and foremost, I believe that America will prevail. It’s just that the millions of “have nots” who have bought into the idea of hard work, sacrifice and service to country are the very ones who are being crapped on the most. I truly believe that most hard working Americans yearn for the “just rewards” of their hard labor, which is food on the table, a roof over their family’s head, job stability, and the chance for their children to receive a great education. Unfortunately, it appears that we Americans are living in a perverted alter universe where cheating, greed, intolerance and corruption have taken root in our society and a large percentage of this “disease” lives on a street named “Wall Street’. In retrospect when thinking back to Paul Simon’s lyric of “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns it lonely eyes to you?” my strong belief is that the lyric symbolizes hard working Americans in search of success and happiness which was once promised in dreams by both parent and politician. It is so sad that politics and the quest for money and power have blinded so many to the ill effects of greed and corruption. Personally, I am not a lockstep Democrat nor am I a lockstep Republican. I vote for officials who I believe have the interests of America first. At times I believe that the Democratic Party takes the African American vote for granted and I truly believe that the Republican Party as a whole is clueless to the needs of anyone that isn’t already materialistically wealthy.
Barack Obama was elected as the 44th President of the United States by a majority of Americans who want positive change in America. Positive change in America is one of the reasons why I voted for Barack Obama.
In America, there exists an evil (yes I said it) group of Americans who would rather see President Obama’s policies fail, rather than succeed, solely for the purpose of gaining political “high ground”. I sometimes shutter in disbelief and horror of their ferocious appetite for derailing any ideas put forth by our President. Oh, by the way…Mr. President, please watch your back, there are some Democrats in the Congress and Senate that are more motivated by personal gains then the gains of the American people.
In closing, I ask, am I crazy or does anyone else sees the similarities in behavior and attitude shared by past monarchs (destined to be beheaded) and the gentlemen and gentlewomen who run Wall Street and the Republican Party? I guess it is the good fortune of these people that they aren’t living in France in 1793 especially after suggesting “cake” to Americans who are so financially disenfranchised that they are having problems purchasing day old bread.
- Blog post
- 8 months ago
- Views: 98
- Not yet rated
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WAKE UP AMERICA
- From: blue9399
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Description:
All of the recent news about the bonuses at the bailed out companies have now led me to believe that this is a conspiracy to make sure that our president fails. It appears that the republicans knew what was coming. How often do all republicans in the house and senate vote unanimously to vote no.
This is not just a conspiracy against our President but also against the American People who voted for him. They are saying to us "How dare you put this man in office!" So now, we all must pay and it seems that we are.
America, wake up! Don't just listen to the news. You must filter the news. Obama didn't say take the money and do with it as you will. Remember, he is not a man who believes in the trickle down (republican) theory of economics.
America, we must start to band together to help our president to succeed. We must stand up against these companies. We as Americans can stand up and create our own companies and do things the right way.
Be outraged! Don't loose focus on the prize America. We are up against the riches 1%. Big business who have been ripping us off for a decades. If you don't believe it, look at your credit card interest and how it is compounded. Look at your mortgages. Look at all the extra services in your daily bills!
AMERICA, WE MUST STAND UP!
- Blog post
- 8 months ago
- Views: 68
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The Art of War
- From: TheSarge1960
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Description:
I think of myself in many dimensions. In one light I am a child of God, I’m also a servant of Jesus Christ, a husband, I am a brother, a family member and evidently, in political terms, I am a naïve American. I’m not so naïve in the meaning of being dumb enough to venture down a dark alley way (in the words of the late great comedian, Richard Pryor) upon hearing what I think is the voice of God in that alley, but naïve in understanding that there is a domestic war being waged by an insidious group of Americans whose sole mission and agenda is to obstruct and discredit President Barack Obama’s efforts to fix the mess left behind after eight years of Republican rule in America; all in the name of ideology. I have (or had) a friend who has the persona of being the friendly copying machine repair guy that most office people affectionately know by first name. In truth, my friend is a political assassin. He is just one of a large clan of Republicans that are currently attempting to sow in the minds of Americans, seeds of doubt, fear and apprehension about President Obama and the President’s administration. In lieu of woeful economic times, these assassins know that most Americans (and rightfully so) are fearful of what “tomorrow brings”. Massive deregulation of Wall Street practices, bad banking policies and tax cuts that mostly benefited the rich, have brought this country, as a whole, to the brink of economic disaster that has not been experienced since the “Great Depression”. What my friend the “super conservative” Republican and all his cronies have forgotten (or ignored) is that this “witches brew” of fiscal disaster was largely created by the Republican Party. Now that the leaderless Republicans have lost control of the White House, congress and the senate, a large number of ideological fanatics (I made up the word “ziot” to describe these people) are campaigning “by any means necessary” to obstruct our President’s proactive policies of fiscal and social change. Dispersing hate through negative emails and blogs, to include fabricating outright lies about the President are the ziots main tactic of bringing about helter skelter in this country. The sad fact is that President Obama has been the President of the United States for less than three months and these ziots are beside themselves as they see an articulate Black man leading this country during tumultuous times, times created by their own party’s greed and arrogance. So, beware of smiling copying machine repairmen / repairwomen, who artfully disguise their hatred of President Obama and Democrats by weaving tales of negativity and doubt about “this bill or that bill” as they congenially sip coffee and eat doughnuts in the company lounge. Let’s expose the hate of these naysayers by standing up and saying enough of this anti American rhetoric. Let the ziots know that the American people through the power of the vote, have spoken and their message is loud and clear, “Out” with the greedy and the arrogant, “In”, with leaders who are in tune with the needs of the average American who have been routinely ignored and disenfranchised. Let’s remind them that Americans have elected a new “sheriff” for a town named America and the sheriff’s name is Barack Obama. Besides, tell them that their breath smells like sour grapes.
- Blog post
- 8 months ago
- Views: 147
- Not yet rated
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Bi-partisan votes...
- From: etsaman
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Description:
Does our President really need to work so hard for the Republican legislators votes? Are they needed?
The Republicans are voting against, and will probably continue to vote against any thing and anyone that doesn't fit their agenda for Americans, from Big Business's point of view.
They did not cry for bi-partisan actions when they were in control of the House and Senate, and had a Republican President. Their idea of bi-partisanship appears to be, do it our way or else we'll whine and gritch, and do all we can to sabotage the program.
I hope all of America is wise to their game.
By the way, has anyone seen a survey addressing how the American voters feel about being bi-partisan? I thought our votes spoke to that.
If the choice is between, passing legislation to revitalize our economy, provide meaningful work/jobs/income for citizens, and meet a host of other needs of the people; and having Republicans vote for the bill, I choose, "bump", the Republican votes, if they aren't needed, help the People.
What do you, (anyone reading this), think?
- Blog post
- 9 months ago
- Views: 97
- Not yet rated
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"My Boy" by Helen T Edwards
- From: htedwards
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Description:
Term of Endearment
I heard a newscaster call you “Illinois Favorite son”, but my friends keep calling you “ My Boy”. So I looked into my seventy year old heart wondering where could the answer be, when it dawned on me that the thing had taken place that we thought we would never live to see. Newscasters may claim you Illinois Favorite son, but in the hearts of the descendants of salves you are indeed “Our Boy”.
You are the “Boy” of those who sons were lynched in slavery, those who died over worked from a lack of food and rest, with no medical care, or those who were shot down in Jim Crow law with no trial, lawyer, judge or jury, innocently jailed and imprisoned, or died needless many other ways. When you announced your candidacy tears filled our eyes, our weary hearts leaped high in hope and our time weathered hands clapped in joy. And when fear from past knowledge griped our hearts, we did what we do best; we bowed our heads, bent our knees, and lifted our voices in prayer to God to keep “Our Boy” safely in His care.
For in you lay our hope of freedom from the inferior and less than connotation posed by hand painted “colored water” signs, back door entrances, insincere unearned honor and respect, forced by having to address every white man, woman, boy and girl as Mr. and Miss and yes sir and ma’ am, even to babies while you was changing their diapers, forced in the hopes that if done long enough it would be believed as true. Then you won the nomination and you “Our Boy” became the evident of that truth spoken in the constitution that all men are created equal.
So on November 4th 2008, the right to vote that some fought and died for we came to polling places to exercise. In wheelchairs and on crutches we came, on walkers and canes we came, blind and deaf we came, educated and illiterate we came, old and young we came. We cancelled doctor’s and other long awaited, hard to acquire appointments for many other badly needed services and came. Sick and well we came and we voted. We voted to realize the hope and dream we dared to hold in our hearts so long, for even before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamt his dream, you were “Our Boy”.
So when the votes were counted and the returns were in and you “Our Boy” was declared “Mr. President”, our hearts swelled and burst with pride and joy. Joy in your victory expressed in tears, screams, laughter, hand clapping and dancing, and pride in you as you hushed the mighty excited crowd with the raising of your hands and your calm and confident expression, and your gracious and yes grateful acknowledgment of victory in a resounding and resolved !!YES WE CAN!! Just as we expected “Our Boy”
Know that our prayers will never cease for you. Though less glaring, but still planned by some, you have the long lonely and dark road we traveled to trod but the hills are lower, the rocks smaller and the clods soften by the many bloody foot steps and sweat and blood drenched backs that went before you. And the lights of our prayers shine on the dark places. Now we do not regret and sacrifice we made, or any hardship we bore we would do it all over for you, because you are “Our Boy”.
Mr. President, please forgive how we express our claim to you. We love you more than life itself and mean you no disrespect. You are everyone’s president and we elected you so with joy, you are our president too, but you will always be “Our Boy”.
By Helen Theresa Matthews-Edwards
- Blog post
- 10 months ago
- Views: 92
