For Whom the Bells Toll

Ok.  So today I am feeling a little apocalyptic.  I have already been told (affectionately) that that is no new occurrence but rather that I am always like that…maybe so…but I have reason to feel this way today.  I know I tend to be partisan…I kind of grew up that way.  You think I am a rabid Democrat…you should have seen me as a Republican several years ago!  I have been really working hard at being “statesman” like.  I have worked hard at trying to see the gray in the world around but to be honest I suck at that.  I grew up in a world of black and white.  While I do see shades of gray sometimes it really comes down to black and white for me.  It is a failure of mine.  One I try to change.

The situation I am living in is one that encourages me to seek that balance and to seek out the gray.  Mandy, her mom and brother are all adept at that.  For them the world is all gray and there are very few (and I do mean VERY few) things that are simple black and white.  It is a trait I attempt to emulate but I fail miserably sometimes.  Today is one of those days for me.  I look at the election and to me I see the beginning of the end.  Mandy just smiles, shakes her head and I think mentally pats me on the head! Lol  I am passionate about some things.  And my utter despite that I have for the current crop of tea party right wing nut job Republicans is one of those things I am passionate about.

Now I know that this will just get tossed into the pile of ridiculous partisan bullshit and ignored.  That is fine.  Given my past writings I can’t say I blame you.  But I do want to clarify that my problem is not with the actual party of the GOP/Republicans.  My problem is with the current crop of Republicans.  The rabid homophobic, xenophobic, God Fearing, gay bashing, religious purists, racial profiling, civil rights allergic tea party Republicans are, at least to me, a terrifying group of people.  I am terrified that at the end of today, the Sarah Palins, Glen Becks, Rush Limbaughs and Jim DeMints will be fist pumping in elated victory.

So yes, I am feeling VERY apocalyptic.  Today I hear the voice of the American people.  And make no mistake; it is the voice of the American people.  That is something I understand.  It doesn’t matter that they were lied to.  It doesn’t matter that they were incited by the basest and ugliest of human emotions.  None of that matters.  The voice that spoke the loudest spoke at the polls.  Because THAT (Mr Boehner), in the voting booths across this nation, is where the voice of the American people is heard.  Not rallies, not polls and not threatening riots and filibusters, but rather at the polls.  That is where the American people spoke in 2008 when the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA , (not enemy of the state number one) was voted into office by a resounding voice.  So today the voice that spoke the loudest was heard, and in it I see the beginning of the end for us all.  See?  I warned you I am feeling apocalyptic.

 So for whom do the bells toll?

 (1)       For human rights

The current crop of GOP politicians are a group of righteously indignant radicals.  They attack the rights of gays, of Muslims, of Latinos among others targets with impunity and without remorse.  Human rights mean nothing to these people.  The tea party has demonstrated time and time again that they are racist, that they have channeled their anger into a movement that is giving them what they want an outlet for their hate and their fears and their homophobia and xenophobia.  When they rally around the Confederate Flag in backwoods Georgia, people, I lived there; they are not rallying around “history”.  There is a reason people of color and other races don’t dare show up at these rallies; and that reason is simple…WE DON’T FEEL WELCOME.  For the first time in my life I am afraid of what my Hispanic name can cause.  Now for those that judge me for how I feel, for how passionate I am about these things take into consideration this question…when is the last time you went into someplace, called someplace, went into a bar or in any other situation felt the need to refer to yourself by your initials rather than your given name?

The GOP attempted to make much of the President referring to them as the enemies of the Latinos in this country.  Well news flash…I am an atheist, I am Hispanic, I support gay rights…guess what?  They treat me as the enemy.  Not only THEIR enemy but they treat me as an infiltrator, a hater of this great country and a traitor.  To them, my defending my rights from being racially profiled, my defending my right to NOT worship their God makes me an America hater, a traitor.  I have felt targeted by the Republican party, I have felt intimidated and bullied by the “angry white man” that the GOP has stirred up to win this election.  Whether you agree or not, you cannot change how some of us feel.

(2)   For Civil Rights

The bells toll for civil rights.  Do you understand how this group of people actually feel about civil rights?  Do you understand that Rand Paul believes parts of it should be repealed?  Do you understand that helping our fellow man in a tough time is considered a crime, is considered socialism, is considered a destructive force in this country.  Do you understand that these people are against equal opportunity employment?  Do you understand that they are calling for the changes to these bedrocks of our country?  Do you understand that the Republicans are running against each other, trying to make laws intended to curb the immigration problem, a problem they are blowing out of proportion so as to excite the fears of the voter, laws that blatantly disregard the dangers of racial profiling?

(3)   For our economy

All I can say is I hope I get on full time where I work before the “euphoria” of the Wall Street fat cats wears off and the economy takes its double dip into the recession…going even further into a full out depression.  Look.  I don’t agree with Republicans and Tea Party radicals.  That much is obvious.  Studies show a decade of trending where the income gap favors the wealthiest 5% of this country.  Their income is going up and for the rest of us it is going down.  They make more, on the backs of the hard working Americans, and thanks to a conservative activist Supreme Court can influence the idiots that slave away making them richer.  All the while, as they get richer, we are told over and over how we have to give them more money, they should have to pay less, because THEY are the job makers in this country.  Really?  At almost 10% unemployment you want to talk about the job makers???  I quit believing in the trickle down myth a long time ago.  Well, now the fat cats on Wall Street and in the Insurance industry can get back to business as usual, because they have people watching their back and the rest of us be damned.

Furthermore, the downfall of this economy is necessary for Republican aspirations.  Make no mistake, 2010 was merely a stepping stone.  They want 2012, they want the White House.  Call me cynical but a successful economy means they lose the White House in 2012.  They won’t take that risk.  You and I must fail for them to succeed.  And that is all that matters to them.

(4)   For Religious freedom and rights

The Republicans of today are religious purists.  There is only one faith that has any rights…their own.  If you are a Muslim then you are an enemy of the state.  If you are an atheist, then you are an enemy of the American way.  These are no grays for these people.  It is black and white for them and if we give them the power then the world will be the world they legislate into place.  There is no room for backing down from them anymore.  Make no mistake, they have made it clear where they stand.  A recent communication to the tea party faithful singled out a congressman for no other reason than he was Muslim.  Do you not understand the danger these religious purists present.  The distance from them to Milosevic is access to mustard gas and freedom to eliminate and chase out those of a different faith.  That may sound extreme, but that is the thing people are not getting…These people ARE extremists.  We are talking of people who have no problem talking about mine fields at the American-Mexican border.  We are talking of people who have talked about armed uprising and civil war with the carelessness of a child talking about the weather.  These people ARE violent.  These people ARE extremists.

I am not saying that all Republicans or people that claim to be Tea Party members are violent and hate filled.  I simply mean that the voices that are being heard, the people that are being voted into office…the people that will be making the rules are the ones that are talking this craziness.  We are NOTHING to them.  We are the enemy.  They are true Americans and patriots…we are traitors.  

(5)   For we the People

I hate that people I love and respect will read this, and will just shake their head and think I am going over board, that I am an alarmist or that I am maybe a little crazy.  I guess only time will prove the point…sadly.  This is history repeating itself.  We will not always be the great super power we are people.  Like it or no, history is scattered with the ashes and ruins of the Roman Empire , The Babylonians, The British Empire, and many many other super powers.  Our economy is our strength in this world right now.  China is working hard at catching up.  If our economy falters again we may never recover.  Already this afternoon the world looks at us and is afraid at how the republicans and their policies will affect the global markets.  Sure our markets jump with glee, the Wall Street fat cats got what they wanted.  But abroad, the people we owe money to, those people are losing faith in us, and it is already expected the dollar will weaken.  Don’t believe me? Read it here on yahoo. 

Remember, remember the 2^nd of November…(and yes I know it is a misquote and is supposed to be the 5^th but hey…I am adapting it…it fits my mood…)

P.S. I wrote this yesterday, November 2^nd and am posting it today.  Since then I found out that my job is being eliminated and replaced by a computer program.  So let’s see if ANY of these idiots…asses AND elephants can do something…because while they are manipulating the system, while they are building empires and plotting take overs…we are hungry.

Tea Party Crackpots Strike again...

Shall we start talking about "Radical Leaders prey on the fearful & naive"? I am too angry to even begin on this one...

"W" ring a bell? You don't even WANT me to get started on King George. Now THERE was a radical leader that was a MASTER at preying on the fears and naiveté of the American people.

How about the leaders, from BOTH parties, that sold our rights down the drain (Patriot Act ring a bell?) for the illusion of security?

How about the Republicans feeding the xenophobia, racism and white supremacy as they do their best to set this country back 50 years in civil rights race baiting and setting Americans against Americans, feeding on their fears and naiveté? Or how they took the balanced budget of the Clinton years and turned it into an unbelievable debt that they are trying to pass off on Obama while their brain child, the Teabaggers, turns on them and bites the hand that created them.

Do we REALLY want to talk about radical leaders preying on the fear and naiveté of the people they want to rule?

To compare Obama to Hitler, a man that murdered millions of Jews or Lenin that instituted one of the cruelest regimes of modern history while ignoring and defending Jan Brewer and the State of Arizona that wants to turn it into the "Show me your papers" state which just happened to be step number one of the Holocaust is grossly irresponsible and hypocritical. But then irresponsibility and hypocrisy are the calling cards of the Tea Party anyway...along with hate, racism and ignorance.

I don't even know how to end this so I am going to just stop here and continue muttering the rest of the day....

"Gotcha" ya idiot...

So there is a fad going around with the new crack pots of the tea party patriots. The candidates the media love to promote and love to interview because the gems of idiocy these people give up as offerings to the media are really just too good to be true! Of course it is NOT the fault of the candidate being interviewed...it is the fault of the one doing the interview. So let us for a moment look at a few things about this....

1). Their Terminology

I find the way they refer to the media humorous. They have several terms when referring to any media that is not radio talk show hosts and Faux Noise (FOX News)that are quite funny...and curious. For instance the reference to the Media as "Big Media" (as opposed to big business and big oil?) the Elite Media (as opposed to crude, rude and fear mongering right wing nut jobs like Rush Limbaugh and Hannity) "Gotcha Journalism" (as opposed to their patsy on the radio waves that actually agree with their radical ideas and cover for them.) These cracked tea pots cater to the hate and the fear mongering of the racist, neo nazi, theocratic extreme right wing that seem to fail to understand that freedom of speech is also accompanied by freedom of the press...which means if you say something stupid on Sunday...you can bet the whole country will hear of it by Monday.

2). Their Ideology

Here's what gets me. Where does personal responsibility come in? Think about it for a minute; the media is SUPPOSED to ask tough questions. How do you think Watergate came out? How do you think the right got all of their ammunition for Monicagate? How do you think these things happen? The media is SUPPOSED to ask tough questions. It is their job. And the conservatives were not talking about "gotcha journalism" when THAT was all going down. The media asks their questions and the politician answers them. So who, in fact, is responsible for the answers? I agree that taking statements out of context is wrong...like when the radical right was going around saying that President Obama was saying that "America is not a Christian nation" (which is of course the truth but that is another blog post) when in reality what he said is that America is no longer a Christian nation-only...it is also a Muslim, Jewish, and a nation of non believers. But the wording made it convenient to cut off the only and everything that followed. THAT is "gotcha journalism". But asking a question, even a tough question, that elicits a stupid, radical and unpopular answer from an obtuse moron is not the fault of the person asking the question but rather of the person giving the answer.

The point is that for a group of people that want to talk about personal responsibility and accountability, they have a very hard time being personally responsible and accountable for their answers and their idiocy. They solve this dilemma by avoiding the media, shutting them out, only allowing their right wing nut job buddies in, people that won't ask them the questions that show they are out of touch with the majority of Americans and will reveal their looney policy ideas. They answer the criticisms with pouting, whining and accusations. It boils down to this...like it or not...regardless of WHAT the political leanings of the reporter...if you can't answer the question of an insignificant peon from CNN or the Washington Times...then what makes you think you can answer the questions of the President of France, the President of Russia or the leaders of Iran, Iraq and a dozen of other nations that hate us and are always trying to trap us in some moral dilemma that will put us in trouble with the rest of the world. What will they do when they walk down the steps of the Capitol and the media is waiting for them? Or when they are in the Rose Garden?

3). The Cracked Tea Pots

SO just a couple of comments on the poster children of the crack tea pots.

Sarah Palin...Seriously...the queen of idiocy...the half term governor that would be queen. She seems to still be under the delusion that she can win the presidency. The woman who made even Bill O'Reilly roll his eyes at her stupidity and empty headed dribble manages to keep herself in the news...all the while bashing the Elite Media. FOX News, the fair and balanced idiots and pawns of the movement they created, just sucks on the crotch of this woman's panties! I mean excuse the vulgarity, but seriously...Fox makes no attempt at fair and balanced when it comes to Palin and her crackpot ideas. They just nod their heads all intellectual looking like, like she really makes sense, and why can't ALL of America see the absolute brilliance of this nut job that can't even finish a full term as governor of a half empty state but thinks she can be the leader of the free world.

Sarah Palin's run ins with the media are well documented. Ever since that fateful interview with Katie Couric, in which the Elite Media were out to get her by asking her questions...gosh durn it...how dare they ask her questions!!!!! Since then she has waged a war with the media...and the funny thing is she really thinks she can win. Sure there is a level of distrust from the American people when it come to the media, but can you imagine what George W. Bush would have been able to do if the media was not watching him like a hawk? Hell...look at what he DID get away with!




Michelle Bachmann....this woman has the intelligence of Palin with the charisma of Perot. She really is a scary sight to see. This woman is the personification of Forest Gump's motto...Stupid is Stupid does. This is the woman that accused "libruls" and President Obama of "celebrating" 9/11 because he referred to the "anniversary" of that infamous day. If she thinks that the word "anniversary" necessarily means a celebration...then she must have never been married! This woman has appeared beside Palin so many times that even Hannity, bless his limited intelligence, referred to a Palin-Bachmann team...of course...the only question is who gets to be on top!















Rand Paul...The boy who would be king. This guy has managed to give us the picture of the future of America under the rule of the Tea Party. An America where the White Supremacists rule, the Civil Rights Act is removed, handicapped people are back to being a bother to society and not treated with decency and respect. A world where God is ruler, the Bible is the law book and bigoted Christians determine who can be married, who can be leaders and who has any right to control their bodies. An America where our elderly can be treated with indecency and lack of respect, back at the mercy of family that don't want to pay or are incapable of paying for proper care and medication and the government takes the money that they have given and invest it in war and bloodshed. A world where big business and big oil run everything under some pretense of free market. A world like the one we already live in...only worse.






Sharron Angle...Harry Reid's opponent in Nevada is another perfect example of the idiocy and the totally out of touch lunacy that seems to be such a huge part of the tea party. A woman that advocates doing away with Social Security, advocates the USA walking away from the UN and also said that the purpose of the Second Amendment is to arm the citizens so they could throw down out of control government and then added the words, "if Congress keeps going the way it is going..." as though it would justify an insurrection in our country.







The funny thing is...The Republican Party and FOX News, created a monster they can't control. The media is biased be it for the right or for the left. They purposely ask questions to corner the opposing candidate. It is what happens in politics. It dates back through our entire history. It is only "gotcha" journalism when you they "getcha" or get your your opponent. In the mean time, if you do not want to be in the fish bowl, do not want to be asked the hard questions and do want to trouble yourself with facts, logic and reality...then stay the hell home.

A Progressive's Coming Nightmare (In the middle of living the dream)

So this year has already been a year of big changes, and there are many more to come. I began my year with the following resolution: Live, Laugh, Love and Learn. I feel like this year has already been a better year than last year. I met a wonderful lady that I have grown crazy in love with. (I always hated the phrase, Fall in love, is like you tripped on your shoe laces or something!) Mandy and I have decided that our families are perfect together. Bethanie loves her to death and she loves Bethanie. Abby and Molly love me and Zach I think tolerates me, but I am growing on him. And I love them deeply and am looking forward to being a part of the family and helping raise these kids together.

So the goal is for us (that would be Bethanie and Myself) to move down there sometime this year, more than likely at the end of the summer. This is a dream come true. She really is all I ever wanted in a woman. She and I relate on so many levels. We have the same dreams, plans and goals in life. I really could not ask for anymore...plus..hell...she is a redhead! I mean seriously guys...it doesn't get any better than this! lol

In the middle of this dream come true, there is a single shadow of a nightmare...kind of a Dream within a Dream (or nightmare as the case may be). As I have made it clear in my blog I am a Progressive. For you sanctimonious conservative bitches that means I am a "librul". Yeah...exactly...one of those 'Merica Hating, Nazi, Communistatic, gay loving, baby killing, terrorist thingamagie type of people. So living in Georgia is one of those things where I usually feel like a sore thumb. In my little town of Chatsworth, GA I think I am the ONLY person that admits to voting for President Obama...and really? I may be the only one that actually did! I am pretty much in the same situation as vjack over at Athiest Revolution and Red State Progressive. A progressive in a conservative state.

So, having said all that, I am now finding myself in the position of jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. GA politics, while conservative...are not quite as nutty as SC. In SC the conservative Republicans are so in control that they even control who runs as a Democrat (i.e. Alvin Green). It is a heavy Tea Party state that is infatuated with *wink wink* Palin. So just to kind of take a view of SC Politics....lookie lookie at the Circus:

1. Jake Knotts.

Now here is a real idiot. As the primaries heated up for the South Carolina Governor's seat, Republicans, who have no need to attack the basically non existent presence of Democrats, were busy in fighting. And since they are all competing to be the most conservative, it left little to attack except on a personal level. So Nikki Haley, candidate for Governor, was attacked for her ethnicity...her parents are of Indian decent and Sikh. She was Sikh until just seven years ago. And the implied argument goes that she became Christian for political reasons and has become more and more "Christian" the more opportunities she had in politics. Obviously, as is the case with the right wings nut jobs, ONLY radical Christians are even QUALIFIED to govern. So Jake Knotts had the brilliant idea of going on a show and saying that we have already one raghead in the White House and we don't need another raghead in the Governor's Mansion. Nice. Seriously...I really could add so much to this but hell...that is another blog.



2. Nikki Haley (and the Tea Party)

OK. I will start off saying that if I had to choose a Republican in SC, Nikki Haley would be that Republican. Thankfully I do not have to pick a Republican because even she nauseates me. She is pure Tea Party. And I don't even have to go there. The fact that Sarah Palin endorses her is enough to make me say no to the Crack Pots! Sad thing is...since a Democrat doesn't have a prayer she more than likely will be the next Governor...of course...from what I can tell she is the lesser of 3? 4? evils.







3. Arizona Wannabes.


Talk in South Carolina is all the rage about the illegal immigration and the need to duplicate Arizona's infamous Immigration Law. I have already dealt with this subject so I won't go into it again here. Suffice it to say that it just adds another facet to the madhouse that is South Carolina politics. And they don't really care about boycotts since technically they have been under a boycott for years for flying the confederate flag on government property.





4. Alvin Green

Have you seen this guy? For those that are not familiar with him, this is the completely unelectable Democrat candidate for senator that will be running against wildly popular tea party Senator DeMint. This guy is facing criminal charges for showing pornographic pictures to a college student who he then allegedly attempted to seduce. He did not spend enough on his campaign to even have to register as a candidate...yet somehow he won an astounding 58% of the democratic primary. How? Well to hear him tell about it he did it with good old fashion hard work...but oddly enough nobody knows him. The Democratic Party in South Carolina has begged him to step down rather than sully their name and drag them to further depths then they have already sunk in South Carolina politics, but as expected, he refuses. As high up as the Democratic establishment in DC is saying that this guy is plant by Republicans, which when you look at the facts...makes perfectly good sense. The question is...why? I mean let's face it, DeMint is so wildly popular in this nutbag state that he would have trounced anybody that had run against him...so why? In a state where people can cross party lines to vote in the primaries, it is pretty obvious that the cruel streak is not a "leadership" issue...but rather the rank and file Rethugs.

So...here I am...a Progressive, Puerto Rican, Democrat atheist...jumping out of the frying pan into the fire...if my vote meant nothing in Georgia...it will mean less than nothing in South Carolina...but knowing me I will still get a kick out of watching people's faces turn 20 different shades of purple as they sputter how un American I am. I have a feeling we have an interesting life ahead of us Mandy, my Love, in so many ways and I look forward to every minute of it...all I have to say is if we ever move...we move to some place more...Progressive...like California...just think..beaches, Hollywood...*echo echo echo*

Oh...one more thing...since this all about SC and GA and all...Let me just say...

GO DAWGS!!!
(heheheh...Love you Mandy!)

National Day of Prayer...easy as the First Amendment

So tomorrow (or today by the time you read this) is the National Day of Prayer. A day that has been recently ruled as un Constitutional by a court of law and will be appealed by the current Administration which is kind of disappointing considering that as a Constitutional Lawyer this President should know better. But in all fairness his Presidency has given rise to more kooks, nut cases, radical and hate groups than any President before him. The accusations of him not being a national born American by the birthers, a Muslim God hater by the right, a socialist Nazi Marxist Kenyan by the Tea Party and a N*&$^% by dumbass rednecks abound and fill our media, our internet, magazines and newspapers...oh and don't forget our radio waves. So given the political environment in which the President is operating I cant say I blame him...but am still disappointed in him.

First, this has NOTHING to do with me being an atheist. While I personally have no use for faith I do respect it and respect people's right to it. This goes way beyond personal beliefs and faith. This has to do with freedom and has to do with the Constitution and has to do with the fact that one law is for the whole nation. This is a nation based on equality and freedom of speech and freedom of religion. We have a wall of separation of church and state for a reason. Because our fore fathers came to this great nation from a world that was dominated by Catholicism in some places and Protestantism in others...the Church of England to be specific in their case. Religion dictated state affairs in these countries in Europe, and our fore fathers had the common sense to know that this could not be the case in this new nation they were founding.

I have several problems with the National Day of Prayer that have absolutely NOTHING to do with faith or with being an atheist. Consider these:

(1) The First Amendment

Simply put here are the facts. On April 17, 1952 President Harry S Truman signed a law that had been passed by Congress declaring that every President that followed MUST set aside an annual Day of Prayer. I want to emphasize the fact that it was a law passed by Congress.The First Amendment of the Constitution reads...

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

Simply put...Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion...Congress made a law that establishes predominance to religion in general and a certain type of religion to be specific. Make no mistake this is a law that specifically singles out the Judeo-Christan system of belief and grants it a special place above others. So it boils down to the Constitution, Congress shall make no law...Congress has made a law...it is that straight forward.

(2) The fact that the very proponents of the National Day of Prayer are the very ones that PERSECUTE other faiths.

Consider this for a moment: The very ones that are attacking the President on the bogus charge that he is trying to do away with the National Day of Prayer are the very ones that are also attacking him because they claim he is a Muslim, though he has been Church of Christ for 20+ years. Why should this be a problem? If we are talking about Freedom of Religion that is. But we are not really talking about Freedom of Religion. We are talking about Freedom of THEIR Religion...and not just freedom; we are talking about a favored place for their religious views, a recognition that their religious views have priority. Would these same radical nut jobs be in favor of a National Day that recognizes Ramadan? These very people would be foaming at the mouth. Once again it proves the point...the Constitution is meaningless to these people, the Bill of Rights is merely parchment for them to wipe their ass with UNTIL THEY wants something....then it is all about freedom and law and rights.

This nation has a history of Christian Privilege. This nation has a history giving priority to those of faith treating people of a different faith or of no faith as second class citizens. The National Day of Prayer excludes every citizen that is not Judeo-Christian. It excludes pagans, Native Americans, Buddhists, Muslims, Atheists, Agnostics and a whole slew of people from different walks of life and faiths and views. It violates our Constitution and it tears down the wall of separation of church and state.

Sarah Palin and her fellow wackos like James Dobson and Billy and Franklin Graham try to tell us that there should be no separation of church and state and that they are losing their rights (give me a fucking break and cry me a river of tears so I can piss in it!). And my response to them is that just as they like to scream socialism and how it has been tried and failed and we don't need that here, well theocracy has been tried in countries like Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Pakistan and others like it and you know what? It doesn't work and we don't want it or need it here.