Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Political Purity? How About... The Republican Party is the Party of Death

I’ll try to keep this brief.  I’m a Bernie Sanders voter.  I think he’s the ideal progressive candidate I’ve always been looking for, and I think he’s represented his progressive values in Vermont and in the Senate extremely well in his 40 year career.  I’ll be sharing these views with those around me and urge them to vote for him in the Democratic primary.

I also think that the Republicans are the craziest bunch of politicians I’ve ever seen in my life.  Crazier than Bush and his cronies.  I think if we play any role in electing one of these clowns, we can watch our country die.

I do believe it’s literally a matter of life or death.  Am I being melodramatic?  Hell no.  I think the Republican Party is the party of death.  

Iraq and Afghanistan wars?  Death.

Fighting gun regulations?  Death.

Fighting health care access?  Death.

Fighting environmental regulation?  Death.

Rounding up Muslims?  Refusing refugees?  Death and death.

Gutting labor rights?  Eliminating minimum wage?  More death.

And on and on and on.  I could go on all night, and you would be here all night.  I think it’s evidence enough watching Donald Trump controlling the course of the party right now and every other candidate grovel at his feet, trying to be as crazy as him to get votes.  I think it’s evidence enough seeing the thousands of bleating sheep at his rallies cheer on his bloodlust, and then beating up those that dare to oppose him.



These people genuinely frighten me.  These candidates make me think that the soul of our country is on the edge of the abyss; an abyss that if we went down we couldn’t come back from.

So when I hear the following:

”I would never vote for Hilary Clinton.”

Or...

”She’s the lesser of two evils.”

Or...

”She’s no better than the Republicans.”

Or WORST OF ALL...

”I’d rather sit out the election than vote for Hilary.”

I only have one thing to say,

Screw you and your selfish ass.

If you would rather watch the country burn than vote for Hilary Clinton, screw you.  If you demand Political Purity from our candidates or if you demand the Perfect Candidate over a Good Candidate, screw you.  If your political selfishness is more important than the common good, you don’t belong in my Democratic Party.

The member of my Democratic Party votes for Bernie, or Hillary, or O’Malley without question.  My Democratic Party recognizes that the common good resulting from one of them being president without question.  My party sees the danger of a Trump, Carson, Cruz, Rubio, Bush, or any other Republican President to the stability and safety of this country.

We have the incredible privilege and luck of choosing from three incredible candidates.  Don’t let your personal values blind you to the needs of the common people and the needs of this country.

Bernie Sanders is my candidate of choice, and I will do everything I can to help him win the primary.  I will vote for him in the general election should he win the Democratic party primary.  I also guarantee you I will vote for Hillary Clinton if she wins the primary.

And you better goddamn do that too.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

I've Had Enough

I don't even know how to start this today, so I'll just let it come out.  I'm so angry and fed up at this point.  I'm no longer shocked, I'm no longer sad, I'm no longer surprised.  I'm just fed up and tired of it.

What am I fed up with?  Another senseless shooting and even more senseless people defending their "freedoms".  Two people were assassinated on live TV and the first thing I have to hear is people defending gun rights.



This conversation is no longer and has never been about you.  It's never been about your fucking right to hunt, to sport shoot, or even to own a gun (or ten).  Your greedy defense of the second amendment in the name of freedom means nothing to the two dead reporters, the nine dead churchgoers in Charleston, the twenty dead six-year old's from Sandy Hook, the twelve dead movie goers from Aurora, the endless dead at the hands of police violence, etc. etc. etc.  Your defense of your so-called "freedom" is meaningless, greedy, selfish, and makes you a pitiful and awful person.  I don't care how you feel anymore.  Your feelings mean nothing to the over 30,000 American's killed each year by gun violence.  And that's a low estimate.  So put away the constitution for one fucking second and have a fucking heart.

The next person who says any of the following or anything along these lines...

  • "People kill people, not guns."
  • "If a person has the intent to do some harm, they'll do it if they have a gun or not."
  • "Regulations and tighter laws won't do anything to stop a person from getting or using a gun to commit harm."
  • "I'm not doing anything wrong with my guns, why should I be subject to tighter laws?"
  • "What's next?  Arresting people who have knives?  Who post pictures on facebook with knives?"
  • "Cars kill more people than guns, should we ban cars?  Should we have even tighter rules about cars?"
I no longer want any association with you.  I no longer will try to convince you of your stupidity, ignorance, and selfishness.  30,000 dead every year at the end of a gun barrel is a public crisis and unique to the United States.  And it has nothing to do with you, especially if you can't see beyond your own self.

Why am I so mad about this?  Because its personal.

Let me talk to you about Rey Dorantes, 14 years old, freshman in high school, shot and killed on my block in a case of mistaken identity.

How about Sergio Oliva, 15 year old high school freshman student of mine, shot and killed in a gang dispute.

Let me tell you about Walter Wright, a 17 year old high school junior or mine, shot and killed.  He was lucky to make it to his junior year of HS.

Or how about Julius Campbell?  Or Demetrius?  Or the others that I'm embarrassed to say whose names I don't remember.

Tell me how tighter rules and enforcement of guns matter to their souls or their families.  Tell me the same about the two people murdered on live television today.

If you tell me one more time that more rules, tighter regulations, and gun limits "won't keep guns out of the hands of bad people or off the street", I will lose my shit.  If you tell me one more time how "freedom has a cost", I will lose my shit even more.

And after I do that, I will have nothing more to do with your selfish ass.

p.s.  Sorry about all the cursing.  I'm so angry.