Mar 5 2021

Let’s talk about Assholes…

No…not this kind…

This kind…

And this kind…

Anyone who has followed my blog over the long years will remember a period where I decided it was appropriate to hand out the occasional “Shitbag of the Day” award. There were many to whom I bestowed this award, mostly Republicans around our nation. While many of them have since moved out of public political life, there are some who remain in front of the pack even years later. One stand-out who I would expect would easily move from his Shitbag status into the Asshole category would be a perennial favorite would be Lindsey Graham, always a standout who moves easily between other assholes without hesitation.

To be clear, assholes come in several different varieties.

We have the Southern flavor –

We have the Mid-West variety –

We have the Southern style –

And let’s not forget the West –

And they are not just men –

But let’s not just pick on Politicians. Assholes abound in the private sector also.

And before we move to the main point, I can’t forget probably one of the biggest assholes in my time –

But today, I think there is one individual who demands much more attention and leads the Republican chase for the biggest asshole of the moment.

Yes, it is Ronald Harold Johnson, Republican Senator from Wisconsin, known as “America’s Dairyland”; it is particularly famous for its cheese. Ron has spent the last 4 years kissing the former President’s ass at every juncture. He has vehemently defended him in both Impeachment trials. Last spring as the Covid-19 pandemic was rapidly growing, he argued that the economy needed to open back up because people die all the time – here is an excerpt from the op-ed he authored:

“Every premature death is a tragedy, but death is an unavoidable part of life. More than 2.8 million die each year — nearly 7,700 a day. The 2017-18 flu season was exceptionally bad, with 61,000 deaths attributed to it. Can you imagine the panic if those mortality statistics were attributed to a new virus and reported nonstop?”

Ron has also consistently dismissed the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol noting “this didn’t seem like an armed insurrection to me”. He has had no problem spreading conspiracy theories after he read the account of a single eyewitness during the first public Senate hearing on the Capitol insurrection which suggested there were professional provocateurs in the crowd egging people on. Johnson read from an article published by the Federalist that argues “agents-provocateurs” and “fake Trump protesters” were behind the assault on the Capitol, rather than actual Trump supporters.

While most of these stands taken by Johnson would easily move him into the category of Asshole (and a rather large one at that), just yesterday, March 4th, as the Senate began their effort to pass the latest Covid-19 relief legislation, Ronny felt it important to force the entire bill – almost 700 pages – be read aloud in the Senate chamber, an almost 10 exercise in wasting time. The icing on the cake? Ronny left the Senate well before the reading was completed which was at around 2am. He was likely back in his DC apartment, dreaming of large chunks of cheese. This last act of Republican stall tactics undoubted brings Ronny to the head of pack of current assholes so let’s all recognize him for who he is.

Now, as I approach the point of going on too long (apologies) there is one other area I feel a need to address. It could logically fall into the discussion on assholes but since Sen. Ron held such a lead today it does take somewhat of a back seat.

Okay, so the US is now at around 525,000 deaths from the virus. Assholes around the country are opening businesses and removing restrictions around masks and the like (see – you can’t get too far away from assholes no matter where you look!) but the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) has decided it is time to ensure their flock of idiots makes this whole process a bit more difficult and dangerous. Thank goodness we still have the Pope:

I would think that these US Catholic Bishops’ might just have some other larger issues on which they could spend some time and effort.

Jan 21 2021

And it’s a New Dawn…

…to quote Gracie Slick at Woodstock, another time of an awakening starting in this country.

Not sure about the rest of you but today (January 20th) felt a little different – from yesterday and from the last four years. The feeling was similar to something I feel every time we have a large amount of “things” we cart down to our community’s Spring or Fall Cleanup. We load up all the items that stopped working or were replaced since the last cleanup, we take a swing around the garage and basement looking for items we really will never use or have no use for and we take it all down to our township building and and dump it all in one of the large trash containers never to see it again. Probably the best feeling is that our house, at least for a short period of time, feels lighter and less weighed down.

That is what this morning felt like. Our nation’s trash and the crap that is no longer useful has been taken out. Our “house” is lighter and the feeling of daily dread of “what is the asshole in the White House is going to do today?” is gone. Trump leaves in some ways no differently than he arrived. His truth is only his truth and his actions only fit this needs. At the end of it all, he left as he arrived – an egocentric, self-centered, integrity-free dickhead. He is now really irrelevant to most of us, pretty much what he was prior to being elected. The difference now is that while only those of us living reasonably close to NYC knew who and what he is, now the nation has seen. We also have the benefit of seeing who and what his family and followers are – needy, low-life grifters.

With all we have gone thru, there are a number of key learnings I think we can take away from the last four years.

When someone tells and shows you who they are, believe them. Trump made it very clear what kind of man he is – he has done it all his life. There is little in Trump to which one can aspire – unless you really like gold toilets. There are few, if any, redeeming traits and his character flaws are obvious. A man who grabs pussy, cheats on every wife, stiffs contractors working for him, lies about everything to prop himself up and values nothing but himself is not someone who has any of the qualities needed to run our great country. The man didn’t drain the swamp – he is the swamp.

Most of those Americans who profess to be religious are anything but. These “believers” were willing to sell their souls to the devil just to get a few judges on the bench. Not sure how any of them can look in a mirror or sit in a pew on Sunday without worrying about that bolt from above given their false prayers and allegiance. A surprise? Not to anyone paying attention but for us atheists, we’ve been pretty much in front of this for a while. A lot of the rest of you have some explaining to do – and not to me.

We have a country that remains racist and bigoted across the board. While we have made some progress in the last 50 years, we are far from anything that resembles what many of us have hoped we, as a country, are. We are still pretty fucked up and we have a ways to go. Luckily as the newer generations are coming up, we can see glimpses of goodness and acceptance that many of us in older generations never realized. The hardest thing is trying to figure out how after watching what this country went thru in the 60’s and 70’s (when I came of age), my “peers” (in the word only) never moved past where their parents were in terms of bigotry. If there was any silver lining in the past four years it is the reality of who we Americans really are, not the image with which we can pretend to be “woke”. We are at a reckoning point and it can’t be laid out much clearer.

In any group or organization we shouldn’t assume that “good” people will balance out the “not-so-good ones”. In the Trump administration those “good” people were usually described as “the adults in the room”, somehow making Trump less toxic. We see how that worked out. Let’s maybe not assume people who seem better aren’t actually pieces of shit themselves. Maybe it is just in comparison to the worse person in the room. Kind of like having one leg is better than no legs – no doubt a true statement but still pretty sucky. People like Trump surround themselves primarily with people like themselves – or with those they can easily manipulate to do their bidding. The latter is a quality we saw in both elections. For the want of something – or anything for that matter – these people will even support things that aren’t in their best interest. This tells you how important the need to belong is in most people. Attaching to the Trump camp gave identity. Not good identity but at least an identity. When you feel you are nothing, anything is a step up. Back to one leg is better than no legs. Similarly, these people still suck. This is important to remember because Trump isn’t the last asshole these people will glom onto. Trump doesn’t have the market cornered on “users” ready to take advantage. Josh “Douchebag” Hawley is ready and able to step in and fill the void. The lesson here…when you see a leader who is corrupt, rest assured that those closest to him or her are of equal integrity and ethics. It also works the other way – if you find an individual who is a lying sack of shit with no ethics, then there is a high likelihood their leader is of the same ilk.

Life is not a zero sum game. There is no basis to the belief that if someone else does better, you end up doing worse. Thinking that “I’m OK only if you aren’t” is a mental disease of the unintelligent, the inadequate and the do-nothings in our country. It is the product of a stated sense of self-worth that is, upon closer examination, a recognition that “I am really pretty much a failure”. To quote Shakespeare – “Thou doth protest too much”. You actually need to put some effort into achieving success.

People need to focus on their own business and stay out of the lives and philosophies of others. I think many in our country seem to feel it is their obligation to make sure the rest of us are following their rules. Related to #5, this is again an approach I see in people trying to validate how they have chosen to live their lives – whether they really live it or or it is really just rhetoric. I don’t ever have to justify or explain my “beliefs” if no one else can hold contrary or different ones. Again, a sign of weakness, especially among those who always take their cues from someone else – the ones we call followers.

You wouldn’t think it would be necessary but maybe it is time for actual law that says you can’t put children in cages. A law that says you can’t separate babies from their mother. If we can’t do that minimal effort then maybe it is time that we reposition the Statue of Liberty. Probably needs about a 180 degree turn.

Let us not forget – ever – January 6th, 2021. I’ve seen a lot in my 67 years and there only a handful of events (beyond personal) that rise to the top of the list of impacts. I remember the race riots in the 60’s. The Vietnam War demonstrations. Let us also not underestimate the path to an authoritarian government where personal rights and freedoms are really removed. Momentum is a hard thing to stop so vigilance and healthy skepticism is now a requirement.

Last one – The call for the Democrats to focus on healing division. Nice try but there is still a lot about which to be angry. Many out there put a good deal of effort into messing everything up for the majority of us. While Covid-19 was bad, our nation’s lack of leadership and the ongoing unwillingness to “fix” it but Trump’s supporters is the primary reason we lead the world’s countries – first world thru third world – in Covid-related deaths. We do need to find a path to reducing anger levels. However, a bit of anger is always a good thing. Now is not the time to forgive and forget – it is too easy to fall back onto the aura of “let’s just get along”. There remains a good number of reasons – maybe 75 million – to stay angry. Time to clean up the politicians who seem to have forgotten they are there to do the work of the people rather than just gracing themselves with the benefits of their position…as well to remind all that climbing up someone’s ass is a dual-edged sword. But it isn’t just the politicians. Those complicit need to be held accountable. Whether neighbors or family, let us not forget the assholes that enabled the last four years. Let us never forget the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. We should be ashamed.

But at least this is goodness. And those fireworks were amazing!

Dec 20 2015

Trump’s Political Success – what it really says

No matter the current polls and rhetoric about the Republican race and ongoing surprise about the early and ongoing dominance of Trump, there should really be no surprise. It isn’t really about Trump the man – who in reality is pretty much a know nothing, self centered, bullying narcissist. Sadly, it is really about the people who make up a good deal of our country. A sad commentary indeed.

The vehemence shown by his supporters is driven to a great extent by those who represent the worst of who we, as a country, pretend to have moved past as a people and society. In many ways we are less prejudiced, more tolerant, more accepting but it is really more generational than anything else. However, we still maintain a large contingent of racists, bigots, haters and uneducated slow thinkers who feel that anyone on whom they can trounce only makes their squalid existence look more palatable.

Trump has zeroed in on the same people who drove the Tea Party phenomenon several years back (take a look at some of my earlier posts to get a better look at that crew). It is a group of people who want everything for themselves (because they are the only ones who really work hard and deserve it) and nothing for anyone else who disagrees with their views. He feeds on those who, not surprisingly, are led around by many of the those religious giants such as Jerry Falwell, Jim Bakker, Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen and Pat Robertson – all (including Trump) willing to live a life of luxury on the backs of the ignorant and stupid. They all prey on the unquestioning among us. They all throw around sound-bytes, little snippets of “wisdom” that hook into people’s doubts and insecurities. The one group continually cites the Bible but does little that really demonstrates they live it. They make these unimportant people feel important and that their wants and desires will be answered despite the evidence to the contrary that those like Trump are really taking it to the bank. I strongly doubt that Trump (or any of those beacons of religion I cite) have ever stepped foot in a Walmart or a McDonalds. Not likely any of them ever had to put Christmas purchases on layaway because they were living paycheck to paycheck. But this is only evident to those who aren’t among this group – not that we are necessarily better (although we really are) but we are definitely smarter. We see the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes.

The good news – many of these people are the elders among us so they have a limited shelf life. In reality it has already begun to impact the religious institutions in our country. Look at the numbers of those who consider themselves aligned with a religion and the future is pretty obvious. For those who will be around for awhile longer, since they aren’t really the movers and the shakers, their influence, like sound-bytes, have no real depth or longevity. They will continue to make news as the next Trump shows up because we are always looking for the next flavor of the day but at the end of it all, they add no value and only detract and diminish what we want to be as a country. Time cures all ills.

Feb 26 2014

Is that Jim Crow I Hear Cawing?

Credit: Steve Benson/The Republic

I’ve often pondered if people in our country are actually more stupid than they were years ago. You would think that with all the advances in technology, education, you name it, we would get a bit smarter over time or if nothing else at least a little less ignorant. When it comes down to it I expect the percentages of smart vs not-smart haven’t necessarily changed a great deal – despite the opportunities for people to learn and experience more given great strides in education and the advances we all experience in technology. I think part of it is just that there are a lot more people overall and there just seem to be a lot more stupid people walking around. I think the other thing that has happened is there are many more opportunities for people to demonstrate the breadth and depth of their stupidity and/or ignorance so many who in the past might have gone unnoticed are now out in the open.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. – Abraham Lincoln

And for those of you of more a religious persuasion –

“Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” – Proverbs 17:28

Arizona Legislators in Session

In the broader sense, the issue of gay rights is one of the opportunities for people to show their stupid and ignorant side. The latest example is the current legislation that has passed in Arizona that allows business owners asserting their religious beliefs to refuse service to gays. In fairness to Arizona, they are not alone in their efforts to return their state to “better times” when the various Jim Crow laws legitimized discrimination and prejudice and worked very effectively to limit the rights of people in our country whom were not of the same mindset or belief system. Similar religious protection legislation has been introduced in Ohio, Mississippi, Idaho, South Dakota, Tennessee and Oklahoma – not really a surprise given not one of these states is ever recognized for progressive thinking. Here again, under the guise of religion, we have a situation where one works to justify a horrid and what will eventually be recognized as illegal legislation. The fact that the element of discrimination is entirely ignored by the legislators in Arizona is something I just don’t get although I do believe that religion can be mind-numbing when put in the hands of people who probably don’t think for themselves anyhow. So it all comes down to Gov. Jan Brewer and her next move.

Someone should have mentioned SPF30…

Do we trust Brewer will do the right thing and veto this law? Remember this is the same woman who felt it appropriate to derisively wag her bony finger at President Obama on the tarmac during a visit to Arizona and who was too busy to attend a Governor’s dinner at the White House. This is also the same woman who eliminated the Arizona KidsCare progam which provided healthcare to uninsured children and stopped Medicaid payments for transplants. She loves guns and hates immigrants. This is the woman who in 2012 signed a law that barred state funding from going to any organization that provides abortion services. This meant that Planned Parenthood, which doesn’t use state money for abortions, was be deprived of funds they would have used to provide all manner of sexual health services, including services used by victims of sexual assault. Bad enough on its own but when one considers that her son, Ronald, has been a patient at the state mental hospital for the last 20+ years after he was found not guilty of kidnap and sexual assault by reason of insanity. In 1989, Ronald Brewer allegedly broke into a woman’s apartment, slapped her several times, and committed sex acts on her. After his 1990 indictment, his mother claimed that Ronald had “decompensated,” a psychiatric defense which means that although he’d been functioning normally before the attack, his state deteriorated. His lawyers argued that Ronald didn’t know, at the time, that what he was doing was wrong, and a judge agreed, committing Ronald indefinitely to the state’s hospital, where he still lives although he is free to leave with staff or with his parents. Even more interesting is that in the days before Jan Brewer was sworn in as the state’s governor in 2009, Ronald’s criminal records were sealed – his case being only four out of 40,000 total criminal cases that were sealed in Maricopa County in Arizona in 2009. She is the Tin Man – the epitome of a 2014 Tea Party Republican – a self-serving, do as I say not as I do, hate-mongering homophobe.

At least they were able to sit and get service….

To allow this Arizona legislation to go forward brings us back to a time of which we should all be ashamed – but unfortunately only some of us are. Religious Freedom my ass.

Dec 31 2013

Wrapping up the Year – Phil Robertson and A&E

I thought I would take a moment and walk back thru the various topics and events I took time to blog about over the last year. To be honest, in re-reading some of my posts I was, if nothing else, rather wordy but if I keep in mind that my original intent of this blog was to look for some means of catharsis, I’m not surprised at the brain dumps I’ve shared. In looking back I managed to hit a broad set of subjects from gun control (coming into 2013 on the heels of Newtown, CT) to the Presidential primaries and the election to a good amount of time on the current state of the country as it relates to where we are in the LGBT discussion. Overall, I’d say the year was more good than bad as we managed to keep the Republicans out of the White House and the country actually moved ahead in a positive manner when it came to rights of members of the LGBT community. Not only are the majority of Americans supportive of gay rights, we now have I believe 18 states where gays can legally marry – quite an increase from where we started the year. Top this with the defeat of DOMA and overall not bad although the journey ahead is still long and will be painful.

Sadly though, we have actually taken steps backwards when it comes to gun control and the violence and death that inevitably links itself to owning a gun. One does have to wonder why is is so easy to quickly forget the people innocently massacred this past year by people who are obviously able to legally obtain weapons when in most cases they probably shouldn’t be walking the streets among the rest of us. No doubt this will be a topic of future posts as I expect there will be numerous incidents in the coming year where the idiocy of our fascination with guns and the right to kill will result in more death and mayhem.

credit to: StickerGiant.com Inc.

But as my last post of 2013, I thought I’d stay with a topic I’ve commented on numerous times this past year. And in this case I get to wrap up a number of my rants into one situation – that of Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty and the recent attention he has received given his ongoing display of bigotry and ignorance. I won’t spend too much time on his comments about how happy black citizens were in 50’s and 60’s in his home state of Louisiana but just that professed opinion (which I have no doubt he actually believes) pretty much defines Robertson for what he is. When we look at his homophobic view of gays and his justification thru religion and the bible, I again froth at the mouth at the obvious schizophrenic nature of many who profess to be followers of Jesus and his ways but yet preach hate and intolerance. In the case of Robertson, like many “born again” Christians, we have people who were pretty much shits and lowlifes who all of a sudden become good people and all is forgotten because they found God. Pretty convenient and quite the means for Phil to become a patriarch who can stand up and profess more knowledge and wisdom on how others should lead their lives. Lest we not forget that Phil had quite the struggle with alcohol, ran into issues with the law based on his inability to control himself and managed to actually abandon his wife and 3 kids early in their marriage. Even his shallow-thinking wife, Kay, admitted that he was running around on her during that time – but, nice excuse, it wasn’t really Phil, it was the devil. Where is Flip Wilson when you need him. For those who feel that Robertson has it figured out I do point them to reasonably recent comments he made on marriage and the benefits of marrying when the girl is still around 16 or 17 because once they hit their twenties, all they want is to pick your pockets. Wow, pretty enlightened. But again, I forget we are talking about Louisiana whose primary contribution to society has been muskrat stew and levees.

Pre-Jesus Phil

I’ll admit, I’ve watched Duck Dynasty quite regularly and despite the religious overtones, the right-wing attitudes and the crap coming out of Phil’s mouth, I did stay tuned given the entertainment value – nothing I haven’t had to tolerate in just normal day-to-day living. To be honest, most of us know this was mostly schtick made up for the camera. It wasn’t that long ago that none of the Robertsons had beards. When the comments Robertson made in GQ came out and A&E initially suspended Robertson, I did take the time to let A&E know I supported their decision. I guess I was in the minority as A&E has since managed to retreat from their position and reinstate Phil just in time for the filming of the next season. In hindsight how stupid was I to think that A&E wouldn’t whore themselves out as soon as the dollars became the focus – in actuality that is what almost every decision in today’s world is really about.

So to follow a theme I’ve set in previous blogs, those of us who are somewhat educated and actually believe in human rights can speak equally loud on the reversal of A&E’s stance on Robertson by making it clear where we are spending our time and money. If we don’t watch Duck Dynasty, that potentially drops advertising revenue. I will not watch it again. This is again an opportunity where we need to speak up and make it clear that there are some beliefs we can’t support. And it’s not about Free Speech and First Amendment rights – nice try – you can all say anything you want – it’s just that the rest of the world has equal right to say what they won’t accept or support. To stay on a theme – Most importantly we can speak thru our wallets.

Nov 7 2013

ENDA – Another National Disgrace for Nation – Boehner and the House

Today, the US Senate passed a bill banning workplace discrimination against LGBT individuals. What you say? It has not been illegal to fire people based on the fact they are gay or they are trans-gender? No, in the United States while no one can can lose their job simply because of their race, gender, religion or a disability, they can because of sexual orientation or gender identity. Of course, most all of the Fortune 500 companies (88%) have policies that cover this but there is no federal law that does. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is legislation that was proposed for the first time in 1994 in the United States Congress. It prohibits discrimination in hiring and employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by civilian, nonreligious employers with at least 15 employees. When I first read about this law I, like many, was surprised that we don’t have this law on the books already. In fact, there are 29 states where it is perfectly legal to terminate the employment of an individual who may be gay or transgender. The reality is that it is legal to fire or refuse to hire someone based on his or her sexual orientation in 29 states. For those who are transgender they can be fired or denied employment solely based on their gender identity in 33 states. Take a look at the map – won’t be real surprising which states but that is a whole other topic. Pretty astounding when you think about it that in 2013, more than five decades after passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act and then subsequent passage of the American Disabilities Act, we still have a country where this can happen. To be honest, this is one of those “duh” moments where you wouldn’t think there should be even a question – not like I’m forcing you to take healthcare. But we have a couple of key problems we need to cover as we look at why this has been taking so long and why, given the stance taken by those broad and deep thinkers in the US House – John Boehner in particular.

Credit: HRC.org

The arguments justifying this continued discrimination are several:

First, of course is the idea that it is okay to discriminate if something goes against the tenets of your so-called religion. One of the core objections against ENDA bases itself in the religious right and flails around with the oft-cited “religious freedom” banner. That too has been the rallying call behind the forces that have tried to stop many other causes that have come about to right the wrongs many of our citizens have endured over the years. I read it as “I should be able to discriminate against anyone and anything that doesn’t fit into my set of beliefs” – which of course makes sense because they are right and there are no other belief systems with any merit. But try to challenge their rights in any manner and listen to the cries of discrimination. They feel that this legislation affords special protection to a group that is not disadvantaged so it isn’t really an issue of discrimination. I don’t know but when I look around and see the second class citizen status these people have been pushed into, seems a bit disadvantaged to me. For anyone reading my blogs with any consistency, you will know I have little regard or time for those who profess religious base and demand special rights but don’t see the same rights for others and have no issue refusing to acknowledge that their view of the world, which might work for them, might not work for anyone else. See how far I would get if I, as an atheist, decided not to hire anyone who believed in a God because it somehow appalls me. Not sure that would fly. Of course, the immediate response would be that I couldn’t do that because you can’t discriminate against an individual based on their belief in a God. But believing in a God doesn’t fit into my belief framework around religion. Where’s my religious freedom? Again. ridiculous argument on one level but not sure where it is that different – mostly because reality and what is “real” as far as beliefs and what fits and doesn’t fit is in the eye of the beholder. And in the case of these religious zealots, the eyes seem pretty well closed. And, oh by the way, while I strongly disagree it since we are still allowing discrimination, religious organizations are provided an exception from this protection, similar to that found in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. So you already have your cake – you don’t need to eat it too. We don’t have to live as you do (well, not that most of you really live what you speak – again, a whole other topic).

The Hypocrisy of it all
credit: http://www.believeoutloud.com

Now, onto John Boehner, the majority leader of the US House who has consistently demonstrated he doesn’t get that he is there at the will of the people in this country. He, single-handedly, will keep ENDA from hitting the House floor and therefore will try to ensure we continue to allow states to discriminate. Now, I happen to think that Johnny B. is somewhat of an asshole. Okay maybe not somewhat but entirely. Anyone who can effectively allow our government to shut down and bring us to the brink of default seems to have some flaws in leadership capability and really doesn’t get any points for style. But I digress. In the case of ENDA we see his opposition is really about jobs and the economy. His spokesman, Michael Steel said the bill “will increase frivolous litigation and cost American jobs, especially small business jobs.” Anyone seeing a pattern here. I think he has one page of talking points and it is “one size fits all”. Aside from helping continue the Republican death march they started with the shutdown last month, this stance continues to play politics with our citizens and their rights. Not sure I understand the frivolous litigation other than the reality that we won’t allow businesses to discriminate in this area and we are protecting the rights of real people – doesn’t sound frivolous. Also easy to fix – don’t discriminate. I don’t know what you can do about Johnny boy here other than hope that the cigarettes and tanning booths actually take an early toll. In the meantime, I do have to wonder what skeletons he has in his closet – he doth protest too much.

Maybe John has a small secret?

So why did this particular item lead me to a blog? Despite the rant and the throwing of my usual rocks, I hope this one is a little educational. I pride myself on being up on most things but was taken entirely by surprise on the issue behind ENDA. This is a national embarrassment that needs to be rectified as soon as we can. If it be by election (hopefully it won’t take that long) then we need to inform.

Okay, last surprise – Fox News didn’t see ENDA as a news-worthy item as it advanced toward the Senate vote today – and of the 4 minutes of coverage it got, two minutes was spent discussing how ENDA was a planned distraction to take attention away from coverage of Obamacare.

credit: mediamatters.org

Jul 14 2013

You mean Racism is still a problem?

Talk of the news stations last night and all the Sunday morning new shows this morning was unsurprisingly the “Not Guilty” verdict from the Zimmerman trial. Like any trial with this much attention, the final verdict elicits a variety of responses that cover every gamut of the situation – whether legal, social, racial, etc. To be honest, while I believe the situation to be a travesty – when a young life is lost it can’t be anything but that. However, my biggest surprise was that it appeared the jury actually maintained a purely legal perspective and decision, not that Zimmerman was found Not Guilty. Given the law in Florida and the points of consideration that should have been the focus, the outcome was not a surprise. Sorry, the trial and it’s outcome isn’t really about the problem that a black child can’t get a bag of Skittles and an Arizona Iced Tea without being concerned about being shot – despite the number of predominantly black panelists that made that the point of order this morning. That argument isn’t going to bring anybody in this country closer to being open-minded and accepting. Yes, a travesty and tragedy that speaks volumes of how we treat each other but it will not be fixed in the courtroom other than from a legal perspective.

That being said, there are obviously many more issues and factors in play here. I was astonished with the number of panelists on news shows this morning that raise the specter that racism exists in this country. Really? I didn’t even think that was the elephant in the room. I must have missed the announcement that we as a country have overcome bigotry. I say bigotry because this problem challenging us is bigger than racism as the problem is bigger than the color of one’s skin. In any case I would submit the first step, if we are to make any progress on the issues of how blacks are viewed and treated (a reality), we need to move from one case like this. Turning the results and reactions to a specific trial into the rallying call or headline of actions is a risky and often “one step forward and two steps back” approach. I remind everyone of the OJ Simpson trial and the reactions that followed.

It would seem to me it is more important to look at some of the broader questions and challenges here.

Haven’t heard much about gun control in this case – seems to me to be another poster child for why we shouldn’t just let any one walk around with a firearm. Sure make the case that if Zimmerman hadn’t left his car, Martin would be alive. Imagine if Zimmerman didn’t have a gun – he probably wouldn’t have even been out there on his neighborhood watch as this wasn’t a man who appeared to have a lot of extra testosterone – except when buoyed by a weapon. Sounds familiar to many of our gun loving citizens.

More importantly, I’m going to position a view that will piss off many as it will be received as a statement that somehow attributes responsibility for the death of this young man and the bigotry as a whole back to the black community (or any minority community for that matter) which it does not because my point is really about us as a country and a society and the responsibility we owe to the society we live in. And my position stands for any segment of our population, no matter the minority we speak to. If you as a minority want to be treated differently and not be pre-judged, profiled, whatever, then practice what you preach. Don’t expect that behavior in others if you can’t live it yourself. In this case I will pick on the black community for one particular reason – the view of the majority of blacks towards the LGBT community is one of almost total intolerance. I won’t start throwing the data out there but if we look at gay marriage, equal rights under the law, just a view of gays in general, the black community has a rather dismal history of anything approaching acceptance. On the scale of bigotry, in this area it doesn’t look too good. Yes, I know all about the religious basis of it all and I’m sure you can rationalize a great deal of it but at the end of it all, it is still bullshit. I’m met many a racist who has easily found a rationalization for their view.

But until the minority segments of our society can show equal openness and acceptance to the LGBT community that matches what they want, expect and demand for themselves, my words to you are pretty much get ready for more of the same – it is unfair, it is unacceptable and it is horrific but if you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Ye Reap what Ye Sow. Karma’s a bitch.

Yep, we’ve got quite a journey ahead.

Jul 2 2013

Religious Freedom???

credit: en.paperblog.com

In the continuing spirit of calling out stupid, we have a new contender for stupid of the month. No, not speaking about Rick Santorum but close. Not to dump any more than necessary on the religious zealots out there (something that should actually be a bit more of a focus) but they again step into the realm of “you’ve got to be kidding me” with a recent lawsuit out in California where parents have sued to stop the school district from having kids perform yoga as part of gym class. The parents see teaching yoga in schools as a violation of Church-State Rule. The parents sued claiming the classes are being used to indoctrinate children and “spread the gospel” of Ashtanga yoga. I’ll have to say, if anyone knows about “indoctrination” and “spreading the gospel”, it is the Christians.

Here is the original source of the news: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Yoga-Class-Encinitas-Lawsuit-San-Diego-Reglious-208538581.html#ixzz2XuEUSfP0

credit: sodahead.com

Doesn’t it seem interesting that these religious nuts are always the ones seeing things that are bad and evil being foisted on them, no doubt as part of a scheme by Satan himself to disrupt those good Christians just out to do good and follow the ways of the Lord. The level of paranoia is pretty amazing and one must ask what is really feeding it. If one is so secure in one’s belief system, why so concerned that it will topple in a 30 minute gym class. It’s not like these kids aren’t going home and being brainwashed on a daily basis. If it isn’t an alternative religion, it’s sex or some other prurient interest that these people apparently fell short on getting enough of so their interest and attention remains rather high. I would submit that most of these people don’t need to look too far to see where the devil really lies.

credit: cafepress.com

Maybe if these people spent a fraction of the time they spend focused on other people’s habits and beliefs and spent a bit more energy on looking inwardly and working on developing some insight (assuming ability to do so – a big assumption), these Christians would soon realize that many of us look at them the same way – as those out to make everyone else see, think and act like they do. The only difference is that we are more confident in our beliefs and are not taking them to court to force our views into how they live their lives. Does anyone doubt these same people wouldn’t see any issue with prayer back in the schools? Let’s make sure we have the “violation of Church-State Rule” argument ready to go next time they complain about something taking away their religious freedom. But of course the rules are different for them because they have God and the bible behind them.

Jun 30 2013

Let’s call stupid and bigotry what it really is….

credit: classwarfareexists.com

Point of today – actually two points – we are who we follow and let’s do a better job of calling bullshit when we see it.

“The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.” – Pat Robertson

It is obvious I have issues with religion and those who unabashedly profess to be leaders of the masses – many of whom are actually more bigoted, unforgiving, selfish and most everything anti what I was always taught the teachings of the bible are about – one person you won’t see with a WWJD bracelet on is Pat Robertson. I won’t go into much detail about his first son being born out of wedlock (do what I say, not what I do) or his repeated misogynistic stances regarding women and their place with men (essentially men cheat because their wife doesn’t take care of them as they should) as that would take too much time and space for today. I happened to be channel surfing and stopped on the 700 Club – not a usual stop but given the SCOTUS decision on DOMA this week, I thought there might be some reaction from Pat. I was not disappointed as my timing was right on. He was discussing the issue with Jay Sekulow of the ACLJ, a right-wing, pro-life group that focuses on constitutional and human rights law worldwide (as they define them). Just for context, Sekulow is also a regular on Fox News. As expected, the discussion was obviously on the horrible decision made by the court but where did Robertson immediately go? His first question was whether Sekulow had any insight into whether Justice Kennedy had any homosexual law clerks. He followed it up with a derisive comment on the judge in California who had declared Prop 8 to be unconstitutional, immediately leading the discussion to his understanding that the judge was in fact himself a homosexual. So no discussion on human rights, equality under the law or anything else other than a view that all these decisions were no doubt just self-serving actions – something I expect that Robertson knows quite a bit about. What a piece of shit – and well representative of all those who support him and his extravagant lifestyle. But he is consistent on one level – he pretty much holds both gays and women to the same level of contempt.

“The reason that we fought the [American] Revolution in the 16th century — was to get away from that kind of onerous crown, if you will.” —Rick Perry

I also caught a brief news clip on that illustrious governor of Texas – Rick Perry – another shining example that if you’re from Texas, you don’t have to be very smart to get elected to a high office. While much of the country was giving high kudos to Sen. Wendy Davis who held up the vote on more limitations on abortion and women’s rights in Texas, Perry was quick to play the “man” hand and pretty much dismissing her accomplishments (not sure Rick could even spell “HARVARD”) and bring it down to some stupid comment on learning from her mothers’ decision not to abort her and therefore reversing her stance on abortion rights. Key word – “rights”. Heaven forbid anyone traipse on their religious “rights”. It was also rather revealing that during Sen. Davis’ filibuster, it was only the men in the room who work to thwart her effort. Another situation where men work their hardest to control what women do.

So, a quick take away from these two seemingly separate items. It is really about women and how they decide to deal with all these idiot men. These people in power only maintain their position if women support them. Probably a little less influence over Robertson but maybe not quite as much an issue. At 83 years old, we can only hope he gets to meet his maker before long – and assuming I’m wrong in my lack of belief in God, he gets to explain himself to the big guy.

As far as Rick Perry, one can only hope that the women in Texas begin to understand his concern is not for women and he is willing and able to work against the rights due all women. In the meantime, I’ll stay thankful none of us live in Texas and the women in my life can still think for themselves.

credit: moveon.org

Another take on the DOMA decision was made this morning on Face the Nation this morning with Bob Sheiffer. Tony Perkins, of the Family Research Council, an American conservative Christian group and lobbying organization shared one of the horrific impacts of the decision. Let’s put the Family Research Council in some appropriate perspective here – In 2010, the FRC paid $25,000 to congressional lobbyists for what they described as “Res.1064 Ugandan Resolution Pro-homosexual promotion” in a lobbying disclosure report. The US House of Representatives, in a moment of rationale thought, passed the resolution condemned the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill, a bill which, among other things, would have imposed either the death penalty or life imprisonment for sexual relations between persons of the same sex. Let’s make sure we recognize what kind of christian organization we are talking about here.

credit: back2stonewall.com

In any case, back to Tony. He was very concerned of the impact on bakers, photographer and florists who would inevitably lose their religious freedom by being forced to do work with gay couples looking to get married. He in fact indicated that there were already a great number of court cases in play and there were instances where these business people were being forced to sell services to gay couples. It did take Schieffer a moment to clear the incredulous look off his face as he forced what was essentially a “Really?” out of his mouth. Tony was firm in his view that when people realize this sort of impact is inevitable, the tide will turn, people will regain their senses and all will be right with the world again. Can’t say that was an impact that I was really worried about.

notthebestoftimes…

And it is getting worse – time to get our collective head out of our ass

Category Religion

Let’s talk about Assholes…