Lucy's Last Gun Post for 2012

Thanks to Being Liberal's fan page on Facebook.  Image from memegenerator.net

Moyers on the NRA

Journalist Bill Moyers is a gentle, even-tempered, thoughtful man—and a Texan, too.  Texans I've known are more than comfortable around firearms.  This statement (posted on the Being Liberal fan page/Facebook) reflects the anger and frustration many of us are feeling today.  Thank you, Bill.

A President Resigns

 This is a letter from President George H. W. Bush.  Heartening.  Don't you wish there were more rational Republicans out there?

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/11/us/letter-of-resignation-sent-by-bush-to-rifle-association.html Letter of Resignation Sent By Bush to Rifle Association - New York Times www.nytimes.com

Of Family and Firearms - Part 2

My father’s been gone—not run-away or missing gone, but deceased—three years now.  He was a good-natured man with no interest in guns.  Never felt a need for firearm “protection,” not even when a criminal he helped convict threatened to kill him once the prison sentence was over.

Papa was invited on a deer-hunting trip once, even though he wasn't a hunter.  It was a known fact that his presence added to the fun on any occasion.  He agreed to go, keeping in mind there would be bourbon, barbecue, and gin rummy at the end of the day.  But he had no idea what a long day it would be.

I wish you could have heard him talking about his brand-new concept of Hell.  It involved getting up before daylight and being driven to a deserted place in the woods— said he sat for hours all by himself, sitting on his “frozen ass,” waiting.  In total silence. He had absolutely no desire to shoot a deer; in fact he hoped he wouldn’t even see one.  It was more the early rising, the fact that he could see his breath, and the lack of companionship that contributed to his misery.  The silence had to be the greatest torture of all for a man who generally had two or three television sets going at home and music always playing in his law office.  There was relief rather than disappointment that his day didn’t include bagging a deer.  No doubt he transformed his hunting experience into a rollicking tale that night.

Besides savoring a memory, my point in sharing the deer hunting story was this:  In my family of origin there's no paternal influence for any fascination with firearms.   There was no fear or hatred in my father to warrant having a gun to take someone’s life should they interfere with his.  It simply isn't in the DNA —on either side of the family.  So I continue to be puzzled over this pistol-packing transformation that’s spreading like a fungus in my family.

My younger brother isn’t the only gun toter.  I can name at least three other relatives who proudly “carry” now— and who apparently stand ready to blow you away if you do—what?   Never dreamed we’d need a metal detector for holidays at Mama’s. 

One of many things I'm scratching my head over today is the insanity of our ever-growing hard-right/Tea Party culture.   Many of these fearful gun owners are also self-described  “Christians”—fundamentalists or evangelicals for the most part.  At least two of my kin are anti-choice advocates.  Now understand, these “pro-lifers” applaud the death penalty and seem totally unconcerned about people dying in wars, unless maybe it’s someone they know.  And they carry guns!  Contradiction?

None of the family gun carriers lead high-risk lives or live in crime-ridden areas.  Quite the opposite.  Tell me, where’s the faith that’s supposed to come with religious conviction? 

I’m a spiritual person who’s not religious, and I feel perfectly safe making my way in the world.  Sure, I’m sensible; I lock my doors and such.  But I definitely don’t have the fear, hate, or whatever else it might take to want anything to do with a gun.  

In the Spirit of the Season

British comedian Russell Brand meets members of Westboro Baptist Church with an open heart, good humor, and amazing grace.   I could only think,  He's a great  spokesman for the man whose birthday is celebrated on December 25.  Jesus would be proud, don't you think?  Here's the video:

http://www.upworthy.com/westboro-baptist-church-vs-british-comedian-guess-how-this-one-ends?c=bl3

THE NRA SPEAKS

NRA's Wayne LaPierre is speaking—peddling a toxic message of fear to generate more gun sales. The fear is masquerading as righteous anger, of course. And of course he's pointing a finger of blame again and again. At the media and the government.  Of course.  He's made a point on violent video games (from the 90's), but it was a minor point in the stunningly outrageous message.  The NRA spokesman is advocating armed security at all schools: "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." The message is "Be afraid; be very very afraid."   Apparently monsters are lurking everywhere, waiting to take us out at any moment.  So we should all run, don't walk, to get ourselves armed.  Heavily armed. 

I was hoping against hope there would be a reasonable, even compassionate, tone to this morning's message, even if there's no reason in the substance of it. Thus far, there is neither. Just business as usual, the business of promoting fear to generate the sale of more firearms. His answer is "armed police officers in every school in the nation." It's all too bizarre. Disturbing.   Arming teachers and principals?  My friend Mike messaged, Astounding.    

And La Pierre is showing no sympathy for the victims, not one iota of sympathy or compassion for the grieving families in Newtown, CT.

I made it through LaPierre; Now former Congressman Asa Hutchinson is going to present the NRA's "plan."

Mercy! What time is the world supposed to end today?

On Family and Firearms - Part 1.

So my youngest brother brings a ham and a handgun to Christmas dinner at our mother’s.  What kind of trouble could he be expecting—maybe a fight for second helpings? 

Seeing red, I focus on my breathing to calm down.  I’m hearing every fourth or fifth word, semi-playful jibes coming at me-- patriotic ... 2nd amendment ... liberty.   Exhale now, one, two, three. 

When I ask why he feels the need to have a gun, he laughs.  When I ask him to take it out to the car, please, and lock it up, he’s like a scolded puppy.  Being the oldest “child” I’m accustomed to sibling resentment.  I’m fond of control.  I’m also fond of harmony and weapons-free gatherings,

After Mama seconds my request that he lock the gun in his car, he agrees.  But he’s not happy about it.  First, in a tough-guy tone, he says:  Ask me what I’m afraid of.  I oblige: What are you afraid of, Bro?   He answers with a swagger: Nothing!  as his hand reaches toward the bulge under his shirt. 

I wonder what he’s really afraid of.  But I don’t ask.

The NRA Always Means Business

Today the National Rifle Association will make a statement.   Forgive me, but I don't have much faith in what they will say—unless they say they'll continue to do whatever it takes to bolster gun sales.  Check out an excellent article at Truth-out.org, "Shooting is Business, and Business is Good."

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13441-shooting-is-business-and-business-is-good#.UNPk2Kk7DSQ.facebook 

 

NRA members and supporters tend to forget that this Association's business is to support gun manufacturers and gun sellers, not gun owners.  Not individuals who are killed or maimed by citizen weaponry.  Certainly not the surviving loved ones of humans who found themselves at the "wrong end of a gun"—whether by accident or a shooter's intention.  Still, we will listen to what they have to say—"they" most likely being NRA president, Wayne LaPierre.  I'm with Salon.com:  "Don't trust the NRA's Wayne LaPierre."  This piece is a gotta read: http://www.salon.com/2012/12/20/dont_trust_the_nras_wayne_lapierre/

 

Those two articles were helpful in my struggle to understand the complexities of  something that seems simple (but not easy) to me:  Finding common-sense solutions to making our Country safer.  In the face of fear and way too much violence involving firearms.  

 

President Obama has put VP Biden in charge of a commission to look at the gun violence permeating our culture.  This is no ordinary commission in that the President expects results and recommendations, "concrete policy proposals," next month.   Often when a commission is formed to study a problem, it's a way to procrastinate dealing with that problem.   Commissions historically take a long time to come up with recommendations that often aren't taken.  The fact that the President chose VP Biden shows a commitment to finding solutions here.

 

Aside from the two articles linked above, you might want to know, if you don't already, that Wayne La Pierre will appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" this Sunday morning (December 23).  We'll see if David Gregory can get him to speak honestly.   Meanwhile, I'll be checking out whatever statement is made today.

We shall see.

Presidential Action

President Obama announced the first step on gun control following the Newtown school shootings: an interagency task force, led by Vice President Joe Biden, charged with guiding the administration's response. The proposals from the task force are due in January and the president said he will act on them "without delay."

"We know this is a complex issue that stirs deeply held passions and political divides," Obama said at the White House. "But the fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing."

For more information... http://www.politico.com/

And the funeral services for victims of the Newtown massacre go on today, Wednesday, December 19.

 

Thanks, Mr. Rogers

You're still our favorite neighbor.   [from Dodinsky's Garden of Thoughts/FB]

Follow the NRA's Money

A significant post from my friend Lyn on Facebook.  Thanks for sharing this and for all you do to make this world better, whatever the issue. This will help in our efforts to see sensible gun regulation legislated:

Interesting data from followthemoney.com on NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION'S (NRA) massive campaign contributions. If you're interested, keep scrolling down, it provides the contributions by state, by legislator, etc. I COMMIT TO WATCHDOG THIS IN 2013... AND TO WORK FOR GUN-CONTROL AND EFFORTS TO CHANGE OUR COUNTRY'S FETISH FOR VIOLENCE.

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION

www.followthemoney.org

See who NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION supports in state-level political campaigns.

Here's a link I've tested!


http://www.followthemoney.org/database/topcontributor.phtml?u=1854&y=0

Moms Rising

Mothers are a powerful force.  Do you remember when driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs was the norm in this country?  I do!  Huge numbers of senseless deaths as a result of DUI.  Then along came Mothers Against Drunk Driving and things haven't been the same since.   These mothers and their coalitions challenged the status quo, aggravated hell out of legislators and staff in state after state until they were heard and their mission was accomplished.  I've seen grown men, elected members of the Senate and House, hide rather than face these women.  As I said, the Mad Mothers could be annoyingly persistent.  Some of them were downright pushy.  And you know what?  Bless their hearts, they got it done!  Made it unacceptable, then made it illegal, then changed our culture.  Thank you again for your incredible service to our Country,  M.A.D.D.

Imagine what could happen if mothers were to unite like that again, this time around common-sense gun safety laws.   Take all the time you need to visualize the energy and power such a coalition would bring to the firearms issue.  See it, see it.   Meanwhile, here's the link to a petition for the NRA:

http://action.momsrising.org/letter/newton_shooting1/?akid=3753.1863330.w8SSbL&rd=1&t=1

Petition for Gun Control Legislation

 Here's a link to a petition that will go to the President.  May signing be the first step in raising your voice for enactment of meaningful gun control laws! 


https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/today-day-sponsor-strict-gun-control-laws-wake-ct-school-massacre/RH2jzffq#thank-you=p

Of Fear and Firearms

We wake up in a fog, knowing something’s terribly wrong.  We feel empty as a drum, and the lump in our throat hasn’t gone away.  We’re feeling the collective grief enveloping this country and the world after the senseless killings at Sandy Hook Elementary. 

This is another day to pause and send powerful, loving thoughts to the families experiencing unthinkable loss.  A day for prayers and reflection, a day for getting our hearts back to some version of peace.  A day for saying out loud how much we mean to one another.  A day for saying I love you.  A lot.

And after that, it will be time to give some serious thought to ending our culture’s neurotic love affair with firearms.  Time to dispel the myth that guns are the answer—to whatever the question might be.  I’m not talking about messing with your second amendment rights, not suggesting you turn in your hunting rifle, Bubba.  But no one, NO ONE, outside the military and law enforcement, needs an assortment of assault weapons.  And high-capacity gun clips— rapid fire for killing masses of people— need to go. Period.

                            Advice for budding activists.  Image from Asheville Yoga.

Did you know 40% of all guns in this country are purchased online without background checks?   There’s room in that information for some life-saving legislation.   Rep. Carolyn McCarthy of NY has been a passionate, hard-working advocate.   I don’t know what percentage of citizen weapons are bought at gun shows, but any—without background checks—would be too many.

 According to Jeff Goldberg on Andrea Mitchell’s show yesterday, there are between 280 million and 300 million guns in the United States.  Those are the ones that can be counted!   Apparently we are one terribly frightened country.  I believe most everything that brings disharmony, personally and for our society, can be traced to fear. (The opposite of love is not hate, but fear—think about it.)  Let’s explore the fear together, in a reasonable way.  Let’s share the intention of doing something about the firearms problem in the days ahead,  the same way we are sharing the grief of what happened in  Newtown, Connecticut yesterday.

Horrific as the deaths of the innocents in Newtown are, so are the deaths of children—and human beings of all ages, killed or maimed by gunfire —on the streets of Chicago in the past year.  And in Aurora, OK.  At Virginia Tech.  In an Amish school, a Temple in Wisconsin, a Unitarian Fellowship, a theater filled with innocent movie-goers.  And on and on and on.

To end this post with a tiny flicker of hope:  Seven NFL players have given up their handguns in the wake of a fellow athlete’s death.  They decided they no longer want to own a gun.  They also might have realized they didn’t need  a gun either.  Any citizen is free to re-think carrying a handgun.  Just as we have a “right to carry” we have the right not to arm ourselves.   We can opt out of fearful thinking and become a truly free human being.  

We haven't begun to explore—as a culture— the depth of personal freedom and peace that could come from letting go of fear.  What a wonderful world it would be.  Will be.

A Sad Day To Remember

For me, a line was drawn in the sand today, drawn with the blood of  27 humans murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  In the peaceful town of Newtown, Connecticut.  Children ages 5-10 attend school there, Grades K-4.

 

I imagine there was nothing unusual in the way the morning started on what seemed an ordinary Friday in mid-December.   Parents no doubt nagging the kids to finish their cereal, locate their homework, and hurry, hurry before the bus—

 

Don’t you suppose that’s what went on in households around the school this morning?  Before 9:30, that is, when the shooter showed up.  He had multiple guns and a whole lot of bullets, enough to kill twenty-seven people.  Twenty children, six adults and the shooter, age twenty-four.  
 

Raise your hand if your thoughts didn’t flash back to Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, the Amish schoolhouse, and the mall shooting near Portland, Oregon—wasn’t that just last week?  Violence is violence.  Death is death.  Still, it cuts deeper when most of the victims are children.  The trauma for the young survivors is unimaginable.  No doubt it will affect them the rest of their lives, having their innocence ripped away like that, in seconds. 

 

President Obama struggled to keep his emotions under control in a moving statement to the Nation this afternoon.  He is a father, after all, and a man of empathy.

 

I’m declaring my personal line in the sand, my political purpose in the days ahead:  I will give my best efforts toward the passage of serious gun control laws.   It’s time for thinking Americans—and Americans capable of feeling the pain of loss, yes, even other people’s loss—to pull together.   It’s time for voices ordinarily quiet to be raised in unison against the merciless bully that is the NRA.  Actually it’s way past time. 

Point of clarification:  Apparently some members of the National Rifle Association favor closing the gun show loophole and strengthening background checks.  That's all good.  It's the NRA money that gives the organization control over so many of our elected officials, especially Republicans in Congress.  Members of Congress receiving substantial NRA support at election time dare not cross this powerful group.  To do so can mean losing the next election.   What I'm ready to see is people reclaiming power.  You and me.  No one organization should have so much power that it trumps the safety, the lives, of human beings.  As individuals, few of us have the financial resources available to the NRA; the thing to remember is the NRA is an organization of individuals.  Those of us who care about a safer country, a country that's far less fear-based, can band together, combine coalitions for change.  We must.

 

I’ll write more about gun control tomorrow.  Tonight let’s join hearts and send healing thoughts and prayers for everyone affected by today’s tragedy.  Truly that would be all of us; we are all One, even when we forget. 

                                  (from Pragmatic Progressive/Facebook)                                                     
 

 Let’s pray, meditate and light candles; then let’s get to work. 
But first, answer me this:  Are you in?

Notable Numbers

                                                             (Ashton Cruz/Facebook)

Wise Words from a Republican

(Thanks, Upworthy, for this Eisenhower quote via Facebook.)

Your Smile and Thought for Today

—all rolled into one!  Thanks to Oriah Mountain Dreamer via Joan Borysenko/FB.

Happy Holidays!

If this greeting is offensive, forgive me.  Maybe this is the wrong blog for you.  Or maybe it's the one that will bring you greater serenity and expanded consciousness.  I ran across this post from Being Liberal/Facebook.  May you find some food for thought in it, too!     Namaste.

Supreme News

Bulletin:  The Big Court just announced they'll consider California's Prop 8 and  the "Defense of Marriage Act" — efforts intended to keep marriage equality at bay.  From the part of the newsflash I heard, it sounds like the Supremes will take them up in March and probably rule in June. 

 

I look forward to hearing more on this because, given the makeup of the Court, it's a little unsettling.   Maybe it will be a good thing.  I will become better informed on what it could mean.  Meanwhile,  this news will refuel the Fox talkers, have them dusting off the "values" talking points.   Take heart, dear Libs;  hypocrisy can be entertaining to witness if you have an expansive sense of humor.   Thankfully most of us do.

 

(Thanks to Facebook/The Pragmatic Progressive's page for this image.)

DeMint Will Depart

One less demented extremist in the U. S. Senate.  Of course my home state isn't likely to be much better represented since Governor Nikki Haley will be naming his replacement.  But that's not forever and I'm hopeful—I have to be— that ultimately we can elect a reasonable, bright progressive.  I have my favorite possibility, but it's too early to speculate on a progressive candidate,  woman OR man at this point.

 

Joan Walsh (Salon.com), one of my favorite political pundits, said that DeMint's presence will "strip the patina off the Heritage Foundation." They like to think of themselves as a "think tank" when, in reality, it's more of a talking points tank.  And with DeMint,  Heritage is politicizing the Foundation more than before.  Far more.

 

Walsh also commented on the appalling failure of a disabilities resolution yesterday.  It was defeated by Republicans—in the face of the revered former Senator Bob Dole who was on the Senate floor in his wheelchair asking fellow Republicans to support the resolution.  Ms. Walsh said Senate Republicans reached a new low yesterday, and indeed they did.  Every time we think they can't get more heartless, more outrageous, they manage to stoop lower still (connecting this resolution, irrationally, to an idea that home-schoolers might be dictated to  if it passed.  Really nuts. What parallel universe—?)  

I continue to suggest this:  If you happen to know any rational Republicans, thank them, be nice, say a prayer for them.  They're a vanishing breed.

 

Would you pony up some support for a progressive Senate candidate in South Carolina in the next election?  Let me know!  (No, I'm not planning to run, but I'm hoping we'll have a candidate willing to turn this Senate seat blue, if only for that one election—and maybe longer!  And I'll turn blue from speaking out on behalf of  that candidate, whoever she or he might be.

Get on that Heritage payroll ASAP and collect your cool million.  Here's my wish for your plan to steer the far right even farther right:  I hope you accomplish as much there as you did in the Senate.  Bye-bye!

 

The Wisdom of Stewart

Mr. Lincoln

No way I could resist.  Thanks to George Takei/Facebook.

 

Eager to see this, especially Daniel Day Lewis.  I understand Lincoln, the film,  is outstanding.  Don't tell me how it ends.  

 

UPDATE on November 30, 2012:  I drove up to Murrells Inlet, SC this morning for a 10:30 showing of Lincoln.  I like a matinee, but haven't sat in a movie theater before noon since I was a kid.  The fact I'd had breakfast only an hour earlier didn't keep me from paying a queen's ransom for a small popcorn and a Pepsi.  No way I can sit through even the best of films without a stop at the concession stand.

 

And this WAS one of the best films I've seen in a long time, one of the best ever.  Beautifully done.  The sets, costumes, casting,  actors, writing, lighting, cinematography  . . . .  I don't need to be clairvoyant to see a  truckload of awards for Spielberg's impeccable, spellbinding film.  Daniel Day Lewis was so compelling I'd forget he wasn't! the President.   I can't fault any of the cast.  Tommy Lee Jones was probably my favorite (after Lewis, I suppose) as Thaddeus Stephens, a man I admire and want to learn more about.  I'm a sucker for the legislative process and, when any significant vote is taken, I'm as excited as football fans in the last 5 minutes of a Superbowl when the score is tied.  Yep,  I'm 100%  G e e k and the vote on the 13th Amendment was nirvana.

 

Please get yourself to a theater for  this one.    No matter how big the home screen, I wouldn't have wanted to miss seeing it in the dark, no distractions, with about 20 other people.  Like the film itself, it just felt so right being there. 

I'd love for you to leave a comment about your own Lincoln experience. 

 

 

Smart People Live and Learn

And very often the learning comes from mistakes made.    Our President is a wise man; last time the debt ceiling "negotiations" were happening, he made the mistake of putting the "bottom line" on the negotiating table first.  The Republicans jerked him around in a big way; then it turned out Speaker Boener couldn't get his House caucus to keep the bargain he finally struck with the President.  It was a mess resulting in our credit rating being lowered by at least one of the rating agencies.

 

Well, it's a new day, my friends.

 

The Treasury Secretary went to the Hill yesterday to deliver the Administration's opening proposal.  It was received with a laugh from  Republican Senate Minority Leader McConnell and was ripped apart by Joe Scarborough at MSNBC and others this morning.  I didn't torture myself by checking to see what the Fox crowd had to say.

 

 (Thanks, Pat Dinizio, for this photo posted by The Pragmatic Progressive/FB!)

 

 I was delighted the President's first move allows room for negotiation this time.   Hopefully he has learned another lesson:  Congressional Republicans can't be trusted in this or any other negotiation, period.   Our President just needs to push his agenda hard, taking it to the American people as he is doing now.  The Tea Partiers are still part of the equation, and the majority of the Republican Caucus still is behaving like angry yard dogs whose bone has been stolen by a much smarter dog.  

Yep, America's "# 1 smart dog" is wise enough to know Albert Einstein was right:  He defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  Looks like the Prez's expectations are now in alignment with the political realities of the day.   Forward, Mr. President!  We're with you.

Troubled?

Okay, I've had it with John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Kelly Ayotte—Republican senators all—and their outrageous posturing over U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice.   It makes me furious that they continue to say she didn't tell the truth about Benghazi.

 

Dr. Rice demonstrated grace and professionalism by going to the Hill to meet with Senators, including these three, responding to their questions about Benghazi.  The interim CIA director came with her and attested that the information provided to her by the agency had turned out not to be accurate.  Their beef should be with the intelligence not the messenger.  

 

After the meeting McCain, Ayotte, and Graham called a press conference to say they were "even more troubled."   Huh?  To those whose lives don't allow for keeping up with this drama, here's the skinny:  The Ambassador appeared on various Sunday morning shows after the 9/11 attack at the U. S. consulate  in Benghazi, Libya.  What she said on those shows came from information directly provided to her by the intelligence community—talking points that didn't include classified information.  Susan Rice repeatedly reminded the various talk show hosts and the viewing public that investigations (plural) were ongoing and this was only preliminary information—with new information likely to come as investigations progressed.   Key:  The CIA confirmed that what she said was exactly the information given her.  So, what the hell is going on with these three senators?

My original theory about the three senators continuing to hammer an invisible nail:   It's a way to bully the president,  another attempt to embarrass him, this time through Susan Rice.  That's a little over the top, but these guys are very comfortable going over the top.  I decided McCain is trying to remain relevant and feeling bitter after a second Obama win.   As for Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte?  Maybe they see themselves as the saviors of a  Republican Party on the skids.  Maybe they're having visions of a Presidential run in 2016; thus, they're manufacturing a "scandal" to get the attention of the electorate.  And Graham probably is antsy about having primary opposition next time, since he's not has hardcore in his "conservative" credentials as some of the hard-right Tea Partiers would like him to be.  So he's using Susan Rice as an easy way to "show 'em" he's one of the serious Righties.  Take your pick among those guesses or leave a comment sharing your own theory, please.

Last night Rachel Maddow presented a theory on her MSNBC show— that  Republicans want Senator John Kerry (D-MA) to be the nominee.  That way  a special election could mean another Senate seat for the GOP,  something they really, really would like.   Rachel's idea seemed plausible last night; this morning it seems likely.   I heard  Senator Charles Barrasso (R-WY) saying he would not vote for Rice and believes Senator John Kerry would be a better nominee.  (Ahhhh.   I'd like to play poker with Senator B!)

Personally I hope Senator Kerry will stay put; we need him in the Senate.  I also believe Susan Rice would be an excellent Secretary of State.  I think it might mean a big, ugly fight with Republican senators—and I think it's a fight worth having.   I'd like to see our President fight the good fight.  I want to see the fire I saw in him it at the press conference where he defended Ambassador Rice. 

 

 I think the votes would be there.  What do you think?

Indeed!

You didn't cause it either!

 

(Posted on the Being Liberal fan page/Facebook)

Good Ole Goldwater

 Ever think you'd long for a return of  Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater?  He strikes a chord here and makes me yearn for more Republicans who engage in critical thinking, respect intelligence and believe in separation of religion and governance!  Be kind to a rational Republican today!  (Thanks to Being Liberal/Facebook.)

Reflections on Thanksgiving

(Being Liberal fan page/FB)

Are we fortunate the Native Americans didn't have a strict immigration policy or what?!

HOW Old is the Earth?

Thanks to Democratic Underground for creating this.

Marriage Equality

LET FREEDOM RING, Y'ALL!

(

(Thanks to Being Liberal/Facebook for this.)

Wide-Awake Women

Look forward to the presence of more awakened women in the U.S. Senate come January!

(posted by Middle Age Woman/Facebook)

About Ambassador Susan Rice

United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice: Valedictorian at the National Cathedral School in D.C., graduated Stanford (Phi Beta Kappa); then, Oxford University and becoming a Rhodes Scholar. That's only hitting the high points. Hers has been a distinguished and honorable career in public service, not to be sullied by bitter men like John McCain. His bitterness is overriding the grace he has been accorded for his long-ago POW status. A shame.  

 

As for South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and his derogatory comments about Ambassador Rice and the President:  I don't need tea leaves to see serious opposition in his future!

The Word

Hallelujah! This is too good not to share.  Thanks to my friend Lyn and Being Liberal for sharing it on Facebook today. 

The Petraeus Resignation

Someone dear to my heart—and high on my "highly respected" list— believes General David Petraeus should not have resigned.   He thinks the President shouldn't have accepted the resignation, based on the General's service record.   The General wouldn't have compromised national security under any circumstances.  I tend to believe that the General was likely a safe bet on that.  It's other elements that complicate the situation.

 

 Under ordinary circumstances, neither the puritanical nor prurient interest in the General's infidelity should have carried significant weight in his decision to resign.  In the context of the anything-but-ordinary CIA culture, the resignation of General Petraeus probably makes sense.  Although he wasn't likely to share classified information in pillow talk or through any form of carelessness, he can't model that it's okay for those under his supervision to take similar risks.  Mainly the blackmail risk.  Even if an agent embraces the General's professional ethics and love of country, the person in the relationship with a CIA agent might not be traveling with the same patriotic compass.

 I've kept my commitment to write about the CIA Director's resignation here, even though I ultimately can't agree with my friend's position.  Since the resignation, much has happened with the Benghazi witch hunt and attempts by Senators McCain and Graham (and others) to demonize U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice— an effort to cook up yet another non-existent scandal involving the President.   Much for the President to deal with in the days ahead, much fodder for all writers/blog-keepers.

 

Forward!

Human Kindness

Words for leaders everywhere to embrace!

(Posted by Nurmi Hussein Husa/Facebook)

Mandate!

Amazing, the disrespect already in evidence for our President.  Already again.  Much of the current lack of respect seems to come from post-election sour grapes.  I'm really weary of hearing that "Barack Obama didn't have a mandate" from the electorate.  Ed Shultz put together this information that graphically begs to differ.  Thank you Ed for this and thanks to Being Liberal for sharing it on FB.

 

I'll leave the sour grapes for disgruntled Republicans to swallow and enjoy my grapes in a sweet toast to our President.  Congrats, Mr. President, on your mandate from the people!

Free Food For Thought

Now that the elections are over, what say we turn our attention to making our country and our world a better place?  These two messages impacted me, a reminder that many of us here in the USA are hungry and even homeless.  Including veterans and their families.  Surely that's within our collective power to change for the better.

 

 Good on all who are working to change these living conditions for our fellow humans.  Maybe we—that would include me—will give some thought to how we, as individuals and communities, can creatively enrich the lives of others, thereby enriching our own.  It's a natural thing, giving and receiving.   There's a nice, healthy rhythm to it—don't you think?

                       (From Being Liberal/Facebook)

                    (From the Pragmatic Progressive/Facebook)

Zappa says . . .

                                          (from Love's Rainbow Universe/FB)

Early Morning Thoughts

There are things money can't buy.  I wonder how much of a shock that was to Sheldon Adelson, the Koch brothers, Carl Rove and their Super Pac donors the night of November 7.  

In this Presidential election and in certain Senate races where billions of dollars were "invested" by super-wealthy men, Democracy won out.  The American people won.  These powerful men must have wondered Wednesday morning how it turned out that they won't own this country, after all.

Our voices were strong.  And they will continue to be strong if we keep speaking up, letting our representatives—including the President—hear our voices in the coming days. E-mails, phone calls, letters to editors will help ensure that proposed policies represent the will of the majority, not just on election day but at every turn.

The People decided this election, not corporate wealth.  No matter what the Supreme Court said, we know corporations are not people. 

 

Woman Power

                        

Our greatest hope for cooperation, compromise, and consensus building on the Senate side.   (Image from Kaye Toal/Facebook)

Rachel: What's NOT Happening

Here's what's NOT happening after the re-election of President Obama.  Excellent video editorial from Rachel Maddow.  Here's a link in case you missed  her show Wednesday night, November 7.  Share this with friends, no matter who got their vote!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#49736294

The Road Ahead

                                     The road ahead for America.  May we follow the light.
                                       (Image from Marek Czaja- Rumi page/Facebook.) 

Post-Election Thoughts

"All the Dems in Congress are commies" Allen West is out; the Tea Party craziness experienced a sharp decline.  Cooperation and compromise have a chance of coming back to the legislative process.  Extremism lost.  Hate and vitriol lost.   Hopefully we'll see and hear less of both in the days ahead.  Maybe civility will reappear in the the halls of Congress.  Maybe peace is possible.

 

Thank God for Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown , Tim Kaine, Bernie Sanders, Tammy Baldwin, Tammy Duckworth and the others who will serve in the next Senate.  The Supreme Court is safe.  Environmental regulations won't be scrapped. Sanity rules. Theocracy-creep and denigration of women has been rejected (although we need to be vigilant in seeing that it doesn't creep back in). 

 

Democracy won; obscene amounts of money couldn't buy certain races.  The people claimed their power, found their voice. The Republican Senate candidate in CT spent ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS and lost. A good night for women. A good night for America and the world. All this from someone who doesn't agree with every decision the President makes; he's a moderate Dem, no matter the myth created by opposition forces. Our President is a good man, a smart and reasonable leader who has reached out to those with different views and was constantly accused of never doing that. I'm extremely proud of who he is and proud to be an American Liberal this good morning. God bless the world; America is deeply blessed already!

 

Let's rest today, savor this beautiful win and prepare to move forward!

 

No Joy In Murdochville Today

                               (from Being Liberal/Facebook)

The President's Election Night Speech

Here's the video.  The text can be found at this site, too. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50134659n

Sam's Last-Minute Pitch

Didn't see any polls on the doggie vote this election cycle.   Nevertheless, I imagine Sam's not the only one in the Obama column.   He's a smart little guy, and a loyal friend to Bo.    He's also heard about the poor dog who took that long trip on the top of Romney's car—unthinkable.   And he knows Romney would take the American people on a ride that would be a lot longer and far more miserable. Call me when the canine vote comes in!

Election Day

Well, here we are in the middle of this auspicious election day that has seemed a long time in coming.

 

A friend posted on Facebook during her three-hour wait to vote this morning, urging people in the long, long line to stay put.  She suggested that friends visit a long-line precinct, maybe taking coffee, snack foods and a folding chair, perhaps to share with an elderly voter.  There was a moving comment about Rep. John Lewis following her post and the many sacrifices made before passage of the Voting Rights Act—and all these years later, we're faced with efforts to suppress the vote once again. Disheartening, to say the least.  In the school where my friend voted,  a fire alarm blared and no one left the line.  (It would take a firetruck and smoke coming out of the building to have gotten me out, too!)   When she posted We shall not be moved I got chills.

 

                                             * * * * * * *

 

Earlier today, I set the intention of getting myself into a higher state of consciousness, and a poem appeared to help me get closer to that goal.  In this moment, at least.   Maybe you'll find it inspiring, too.  Joan Borysenko posted it on FB today:

 

"John O’Donohue's poem "A Blessing for One Who Holds Power". To me this means not only the politicians who hope to be elected today, but all of us whose votes will determine who ultimately holds the power of the presidency and other elected offices . . . ."

 

May the gift of leadership awaken in you as a vocation,
Keep you mindful of the providence that calls you to serve.
As high over the mountains the eagle spreads its wings,

May your perspective be larger than the view from the foothills.
When the way is flat and dull in times of gray endurance,
May your imagination continue to evoke horizons.
When thirst burns in times of drought,
May you be blessed to find the wells.
May you have the wisdom to read time clearly
And know when the seed of change will flourish.
In your heart may there be a sanctuary
For the stillness where clarity is born.
May your work be infused with passion and creativity
And have the wisdom to balance compassion and challenge.
May your soul find the graciousness
To rise above the fester of small mediocrities.
May your power never become a shell
Wherein your heart would silently atrophy.
May you welcome your own vulnerability
As the ground where healing and truth join.
May integrity of soul be your first ideal.
The source that will guide and bless your work.

 You have blessed us all, my President, even Americans who don't recognize the blessings of your leadership,  even those who despise you.

  May you prevail today, Barack Obama.  Namaste, sir.  Namaste.

 

 

 

Fill It Up!

Don't Miss This Piece from NY Magazine!

 

The Case for Obama: Why He Is a Great President. Yes, Great.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/10/bar...

The case for reelection.

This is a thoughtful, well-presented case for  a second Obama term. 

A Truth-Telling Republican Speaks Out

Okay, I've had it with the buzz words, dog whistles and less subtle racism in this Presidential election.  I called it what it was a couple of weeks ago, but it simply intensifies as people struggle for reasons to dislike or discredit President Obama.  There's little to fault with his policies or promises he's kept from the first campaign.  It's all about "not trusting him,"  "not knowing who he is" . . . about his being a "welfare president". . . not a "real American."  I'll let Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, a Republican, tell it to you straight; I chose this image because I heard him say these words last week.

Indeed!

Rational Republicans, Come On Over!

“I have to confess, I was born a Republican, but you have to have been a Republican to realize how nice it is to be a Democrat.”
                                         — Jackie Kennedy

When Fox Is Calling the Race

(From Facebook/The PlatznerPost)

Savvy Woman - Bet she's voting for Obama

(From Melinda N Progress/Facebook)

Yep

Tonight's Debate 3 - Sharing a Prayer

In church I heard a lady in the pew next to me saying a prayer. It was so sweet and sincere that I just had to share with you.

Dear Lord,

This has been a tough two or three years. You have taken my favorite actor Patrick Swayze, my favorite musician Michael Jackson, my favorite salesman Billy Mays, my favorite actress Elizabeth Taylor, and now my favorite singer Whitney Houston. I just wanted you to know that my favorite politician is Mitt Romney.

(Sent by my priceless Dem friend, Paul!)

From Forbes

 

 

 

Romney Family Investment Ties To Voting Machine Company That Could Decide The Election Causing Concern

www.forbes.com

(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife) It’s 3:00 a.m. on November 7, 2012. With the painfully close presidential election now down to who wins the battleground state of Ohio, no network dares to call the race and risk repeating the mistakes of 2000 when a few networks jumped the gun on picking [...

68 Nobel Scientists Endorse President Obama

The GOP base and Congressional Republicans deny the critical climate science that shows our planet rapidly warming; despite the icecaps melting, they proclaim climate change a "hoax."  They deny evolution in favor of the creationism mythology and would throw unused embryonic stem cells in the trash instead of using them in the service of researching diseases such as cancer, MS, Parkinsons and many others.   While the Nobel scientists' endorsement isn't surprising, it is meaningful.  I think it speaks volumes and draws a stark contrast between the candidates.   Here's the announcement:

The Center for American Progress Action Fund today received an open letter co-signed by 68 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, and medicine. The letter strongly endorses President Barack Obama’s science policies. “America’s economic future,” the letter begins, “depends on our ability to continue America’s proud legacy of discovery and invention.”

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/technology/news/2012/10/17/41914/68-nobel-prize-winning-scientists-endorse-obamas-science-polic

What's At Stake In This Election

Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood and volunteer for President Obama's Re-election.

Wise Words from a Wise Young Woman

This, from fourteen-year-old Jenkins Fox, gives me hope.  I share her feeling of  liking the thought that some of my tax dollars are going to people who aren't as fortunate as I've been.  I'll never understand how people can grouse about that.  Read this and enjoy feeling really good about the upcoming generation. 

 

I have been raised in a liberal family, but I am also well educated about politics. My dad, has a brain injury and is suffering from long term dementia, he has been in a nursing home since november of last year, and will remain in there until he dies. He doesn't even remember my name, he can't walk very well, he is not mobile, he has to have assistance doing simple tasks. He can't talk, read, and write very well which is the most devastating out of all because that is his passion.

 I have friends that are homosexual and you know what; no one can tell them who to love. I have friends who's parents rely on welfare because this recession is so bad. I mean seriously come on, I think it is wonderful how people pay taxes and a fraction of that goes out to homeless, and less fortunate. I love going to sleep at night knowing that welfare is out there for poor people. Living in the UNITED states of America should mean that we all respect each other's rights and pitch in to help EVERYONE to be happy. No one should have the ability to take away or change Obama-care, I believe this because I know that medical bills are expensive, my family pays them for my dad, and if we were not as well off as we are, we could be struggling like many other families out there with similar stories but smaller incomes. Obama-care really helps. No one can tell my gay friends who they should love, and no one should have the power to take away welfare for struggling families in this recession.

"Pro Life" Hypocrisy Abounds: An Updated Essay

During the 2008 election campaign, I remember the VP candidate, and “pro life” cheerleader for the GOP, grinning broadly from a beige loveseat, the furry remains of an open-mouthed bear draped across the back.  Word had it Sarah Palin proudly hunts Alaskan game from airplanes; those animals don't stand a snowball's chance. She says Alaskans eat what they kill.   So, what they don't eat is—decorative? “Predator control...population control” she says, ignoring that these creatures are--or were-life. 

“Every life is sacred,” is the mantra. Every life? Maybe we should aim for accuracy and re-brand this movement “pro fetus.” The most vocal among the extreme-right Republican constituency—from politicians to clergy to the Republicans next door—have great interest in life from conception to birth. After that, not so much. Once born, babies and growing children, especially those with limited resources (translated “living in poverty”) get little to no help from these zealous activists.

For politicos, being “pro life” is campaign-convenient in certain districts. Every time I see a male politician denouncing a woman’s right to privacy, I’m reminded of a quote--can’t remember what wise woman said it: “If men could become pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.” Amen.   [It was no surprise that the 2012 Republican platform rejected pregnancy termination  in every instance, including rape and incest.]

Pro-lifers speak passionately in favor of Roe v. Wade reversal, and even more passionately when railing against social programs designed to benefit the very babies and children they so fervently seek to “save.” Big bias in favor of the fetus, I tell you. Even some who claim strong “family values” actually view the disadvantaged infants and children in our culture with contempt. To them, birth apparently transforms infants born into poverty—presto!—from helpless victims to instant citizens who should carry their own weight, should damn well pull themselves up by their baby bootee straps. 

I once heard a Republican state senator argue against funding a breakfast program for economically disadvantaged elementary school children, many of them homeless.  It was a modest budget item. In his cavalier remarks, he declared with conviction that homeless kids don’t go to school. Heartless, ignorant, and dead wrong.  (Wonder if he’d be willing to feed some of those hungry kids at the ivory tower where he lives?)  Having volunteered for, and served on the board of, a family shelter for several years, I've seen these kids and their families up close; I've heard their stories.  They're very real people, not just a demographic;  they deserve compassion, not contempt.

Besides the hypocrisy, I’m also sick and tired of mindless and misleading words used to pigeon-hole and divide us. If we continue to insist on labels, for God’s sake let’s get them right. Pro Life, for instance. Everyone I know is pro life. Some are even vegetarians! And they also believe in a woman’s right to privacy, believe that no woman or man should be subjected to laws that govern one's body. So, they/we are called pro choice even when we are also, in fact, pro life. I’m beyond angry over the rigid Right’s misrepresentation of a usually torturous decision to terminate a pregnancy; they act as if it’s something decided as casually as making a Netflix selection.

Here’s a request for “pro fetus” advocates: Try ginning up some compassion for women/families who find themselves in the excruciating dilemma of a pregnancy they are unable--for whatever reason--to carry to term. These women probably would appreciate your support far more than the recipients of the Bibles you hand out in other countries.  (After you’ve done your sermonizing on salvation, most converts probably go right back to celebrating the God their ancestors worshiped for centuries anyhow.)

There’s so much contradiction around the “pro life” label: Ask people who profess to be “pro life” whether they believe in the death penalty. Go ahead, ask. The vast majority will say yes. So then, how can they say, “All life is sacred?” Does this thinking not defy all logic?

How many pro lifers joined in the massive protests against the invasion of Iraq? Many don’t blink over the huge number of humans killed—brave men and women, doing their duty by their country, following orders of their Commander-in-Chief. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, making the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. And I’ve seen pro-lifers totally blow off the significance of the thousands of Iraqi lives lost, many, many of them infants and children. All life is sacred? 

What about the enormous “pro life” fight that was mounted, successfully, against putting discarded embryonic stem cells to good use in research? Even though science says these cells are most likely to be key in finding cures for cancer, diabetes, MS—the possibilities are limitless. But the “pro life” folks would rather see the discarded stem cells discarded rather than used to benefit humanity. I’m pretty good at seeing at least two sides of most issues, but this is an exception. It’s just too bizarre.   

It’s been mind-boggling, as well, to see hordes of Americans swarming to retail firearms outlets and gun shows (no background, and in many cases no ID, checks there) to arm themselves against--what exactly? Many of these weapons are not for deer hunting by any stretch of the imagination, but are automatic weapons guaranteed to kill large numbers of humans really fast. Remember Virginia Tech? What about Dr. George Tiller? In the instance of Dr. Tiller’s murder-- for performing legal medical procedures-- I actually heard people say Dr. Tiller was a ‘murderer” and that he “had it coming.” Murder in the interest of “preserving” life. Chilling, isn’t it?  [Flash forward to October 2010 and the shooting in Tucson that killed six people including a little girl named Christina Taylor Green.  Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and about a dozen others were seriously injured.  Meanwhile police officers are killed while making routine traffic stops....and on and on.]

I heard recently that a Christian right-to-life relative of mine, fishing in her purse for lipstick, declared herself the proud owner of a“cute little handgun.” Where’s her faith, I wonder, that she feels a need to carry a gun? Why such fear? The faith question aside, I can tell you this woman leads a low-risk a life. (To me, carrying a weapon says, "I just might take a life.") My son made me proud saying he doesn’t own a gun because, even if someone threatened his life, he wouldn’t kill another human being.  People, that’s pro-life.

I don’t own a gun.  In fact, at my house,  cockroaches and spiders are rescued instead of being killed for breaking and entering.  (I keep my safari jar for the capture, then release the critters outside. I know:  Some come back later.) I don’t approve of the death penalty or wars of choice. And I don’t see how we could ever ignore the miraculous medical potential of embryonic stem cells. Thanks to sensible President Obama, discarded stem cells now go into laboratories instead of the trash. [If the "Personhood" bill ever passes Congress,  stem cell research will be outlawed again.  VP Nominee Paul Ryan voted for the Personhood Act, and Governor Romney has said he supports it. That bill would, in many instances, also outlaw birth control.]  

Like most people, I believe abortion should be legal, safe, and rare. And I believe in teaching sex education—including information on STD’s and birth control—in public schools.  Studies showed the “abstinence only” approach was productive only in the sense of producing more pregnancies.   As a former Surgeon General said,  "Vows of abstinence are broken far more easily than latex condoms."

Here’s my wish: That we take a breath and re-think the meaning of the words we use. Enough with the hypocrisy and the downright erroneous “pro life” label, given that so many who claim to fit the label clearly do not. And those of us who actually do fit the label also believe in a woman’s right to dominion over her own body. So what’s the opposite of pro life? Pro-death?  I can't imagine anyone—anyone not suffering a severe mental illness—who is NOT pro-life.

Will those on the right who consider yourselves “pro life” please turn off Fox News long enough to think about all this? Really think. Please. And as to those who talk about, and get elected talking about, having “family values,” take a close look at the goings on around the  house on C Street.   That brick and mortar structure on C Street has been the home-away-from-home to some of the biggest “family value” hypocrites, right in the heart of our nation’s capital. That frat house—a secret “Christian men’s fraternity"— is classified as a church for tax purposes! 

We won’t explore that subject now, but if you  want to look into it,  I'd recommend  The Family by Jeff Sharlet.   Right now I have a mission.  An optimistic cockroach is hoping to enjoy my a.c. on this sizzling South Carolina day, and I feel morally bound to return him to his outdoor habitat.

[Note:  This essay was originally written several years ago...but "pro life" zealots in Congress and the GOP Presidential and VP candidates are doing their best to circumvent women's rights.   So, I'm sharing the essay again , with a few updates. 

Congressional Republicans have crafted legislation to ensure that private insurance companies don't cover abortions.   And they are plotting to de-fund Planned Parenthood, the go-to nonprofit for family planning and women's health services, including cancer screenings, in America.  At this writing, the Republican Congress is slashing any funding that assists indigent women and infants (such as the WIC program).  As I said about three years ago, pro-lifers' compassion generally covers only the period from conception to birth.  Who said The more things change, the more they stay the same?]

Romney Tax Plan

http://www.romneytaxplan.com/

Check out the details.

Thoughts After Debate #2

Our President was back in the saddle Tuesday night, and he didn't let go of the reins!   Hear Roy Rogers celebrate being back!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZqRL7nJB48

I'm feeling good, even a bit optimistic now.  Won't go overboard on the optimism because we still need to work, work, work, and get out the vote.  But it was nice to pause and celebrate Tuesday, wasn't it?

How any woman—unless she subscribes to some patriarchal religion that tells her she's less valuable than a man—could vote for Romney/Ryan is far beyond me.   I hope any undecided women made up their minds Tuesday night.  Women, do we want a boss in the White House or a president?  Romney's not accustomed to the idea that women are NOT in the world to serve him; he doesn't get that all men and women are not required to jump when he says jump.  Did you notice?!  He was a rude steamroller, unaccustomed to being challenged, certainly not by Candy Crowley, who has the gall to be a competent, assertive woman.   Most of all, I couldn't believe the monumental disrespect he showed our President.   Romney acted as if he were talking to a subordinate in his business rather than the leader of the free world! 

Someone said Romney is like the boss who makes a bad joke, and his employees know they must laugh.  They're afraid not to.  

Personally, I see Romney as a petulant plutocrat who dreams of ruling a new kingdom created solely for corporate gain.   There would be more than 47% of us experiencing the bad joke of a Romney presidency—and we wouldn't be laughing.

We Shall See

The butterflies have taken up residence in my solar plexus again and it's only midday.  As Joe would say, "This is a big *&#!-ing deal!"  Jeeeez.  Let's all hold our President in positive thoughts and prayers!  We know he's our guy; we know and respect all he has accomplished in the face of the Congressional Republicans' agenda to be sure he wouldn't get a second term.  I believe we will see an energetic Barack Obama, and I think he will call out Romney on some of his lies and "etch a sketch" plans for the country.   No way he could call him out on every one or surely he'd be seen as a bully or interrupter.   However he handles this debate, you know he will be criticized by the Right Wingers.  GO, Mr. President, GO!  Be true to the core of who you are and get your competitive nature revved up!  We're with you!!!