So, Where Are Those Death Panels?

So, Obama will be out of office in roughly five months *sniff*.  But I have a question to all my conservative or Republican friends or colleagues (or non-friends).  These questions are also to anyone in the media (even though I know you're not reading this).

• Where are the death panels?
• Has common core destroyed our children?
• Where is the martial law that Obama has created through military exercises in Texas?
• I'm still waiting for the United Nations one world order....
• Has Shariah law taken over our country yet?
• Has Obama taken all  your guns?
• Have you found the FEMA concentration camps?
• Have the "flood" of illegal immigrants destroyed our country?
• Can you tell me about all the "terrorist" attacks the new Black Panthers have committed?

Alex Jones, master right wing conspiracy theorist

Hmmmmmm, now that I think about it, there's more:

• Where's the secret Muslim terrorist training camps?
• Gay marriage has destroyed our country..... right?
• Racism is dead because we elected a black president.... right?
• Sure seems like Obama has turned this country into a socialist, marxist dictatorship..... right?
• Planned parenthood continues to harvest and trade baby parts on the black market..... right?
• All the polls are skewed and Romney should have won.... right?
• Global warming is a hoax because it snows in the winter.... correct?
• Has sex education made all our children promiscuous fuck monsters who have dozens of abortions?
• Did you find Obama's Kenyan birth certificate yet?
• The Sandy Hook shooting fabrication was uncovered as a plot to take all your guns.....yea?
• Has the government taken over every piece of land and made it public yet?  You know, like Cliven Bundy's land?

Andrew Breitbart, running Trump's campaign from the grave

You've basically been wrong about everything for the last eight years (and even many more).  At this point, you need to go to your rooms.  It's time for your punishment.  You're grounded.  You need to think about what you've done, then apologize to the American public that you've deceived.  Then you'll quit your jobs and move somewhere very far, far away.

Obama must have made you very sad

Republicanism? No! It's Trump-ism! A history lesson

Lets take a little field trip.  Take yourself back to the beginning of 2009.  A new president has been elected, the country has shown its ready for a change, and not only that but it wants unity under a liberal leaning president and party.  After eight years of debunked disastrous economic, domestic, and foreign policy under George Bush, Republicans decided that they would need to go through a re-branding.  Rather than reflect on their mistakes, adapt and grow to more accurately reflect a changing America, they just doubled down!



The Republican party re-branded and explicitly become the party for angry white America...the Tea Party!  A place for "disaffected" Republicans and those angry that a black man had become president.  It was really nothing other than the Republican base with a different name, but sponsored by Fox News and the Koch Brothers.  Remember on April 15, 2009 (the first year of the Obama presidency) Fox News and Sean Hannity were hosting Fox News sponsored Tea Party rallies.  Even Megyn Kelly (apparent new liberal darling because of Trump?) has admitted that her network guided these "meetings" and "rallies" to make it appear that it was grassroots.



These Tea Party rallies and meetings were nothing more than angry white Republicans that were still in shock that Mitt Romney had lost.  They were still in disbelief that their savior George Bush had been such a disaster.  The "movement" was just the Republican base given a clever new disguise of "Look!  New voters engaged in the system and frustrated with taxes and states rights!"  Hmmmm, where in American History have we heard the states rights argument before?  And here I thought the confederacy lost the Civil War...



So really, there was no Tea Party.  It wasn't some new grassroots movement.  It was just the Republican base and the media ate it up, because it gave the media a free pass for enabling the previous eight years of war criminals and lies.  Suddenly, eight years of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, and Powell didn't exist and instead the GOP got a free pass to unleash their hatred on the communist, Muslim, Kenyan usurper Barack Hussein Obama.  George Bush could quietly go back to Texas to paint cats and shower self-portraits.  And Republicans wouldn't have to admit not only that their party was broken, but their voters were responsible for the mess.



Why is this relevant?  It's happening again!  As the Republican party continues to collapse around Donald Trump, the excuses are beginning.  We've heard throughout the election "Trump isn't a Republican" or "He's more Democratic than Republican" or "He's just a fraud!  He's not conservative."  Consider Joe Scarborough's reaction, even though he was thoroughly caught red handed schlubbing it up with Trump by Harry Shearer.  They're trying to re-brand already, three months before they lose the election!  They have to re-brand because they can't admit they're a broken party.

Already it's happening, and this time its called "Trump-ism".  It's happening here, here, here, here, and here.  Conservative outlets like Fox News and National Review are starting to call it Trump-ism and are avoiding using the "R" word when describing Trump.  They think if they say Trump-ism enough, people will forget that he's a Republican.  They're convinced we'll forget that he won the Republican primary for president by appealing to the most basis animal instincts of pride and fear.  And it's not much better than the fundamentalist religious nut that came in second place, Ted Cruz.  (Cruz-ism?)




The current Republican party needs to go away.  Anyone who still calls themselves a Republican and refuses to un-endorse Trump is essentially just as bad as him.  Any voters who still vote Republican either love Trump or refuse to admit that they as voters are dead to their own party.  They refuse to admit that there is a sane party that is doing its best to represent the people, despite its flaws (and corporate connection, ugh).  They refuse to admit that there's a place for them, the Democratic party, a party that is inclusive and open to everybody, especially those conservatives that have become disaffected by their party and politicians.

Don't let people get away with the lie.  This isn't "Trump-ism".  This is modern Republican-ism at its best.  This is what modern conservatism has evolved into.  Trump is peak of their modern party, he is the monster that Frankenstein created, and the GOP has nobody to blame but themselves.  Don't let anybody get away with the lie that Trump isn't a Republican.  The GOP doesn't get the chance to "rebrand" again.  Either admit how fucked up they've been, or run away into the dustbin of history and let the sane people run this country.



Here's a prediction, when Hillary wins in November (and big), the media will try their hardest to try and spin how she "Doesn't really have a mandate" and "Well, she really only beat Trump" and "He wasn't a real Republican, they don't have to change."  We'll see calls for the Republican party to become more conservative, more pure, and they won't change a bit.  Meanwhile, Democrats, liberals, and progressives will continue to be called every name under the book and blocked at every corner.

Meanwhile, as liberals and progressives, lets not forget that after this election, Trump isn't going away.  He'll still be around, spewing his nonsense like he did with Obama's birth certificate.  He won't be going away and the people supporting him won't be going anywhere either.  The least we can do is make sure they have to have a big, red, R on their fronts.  They don't get to call themselves "Trump-ers".  They're Republicans, period.

Huge hat tip to The Professional Left Podcast.  If you haven't heard of them or listened to their podcast, Driftglass and Bluegal are two of my politics "professors" and I never miss a class of theirs every week.

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.

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.

Winter Soup and Warm Returns

So it's been eighteen months since I blogged and I was sitting with a friend and coworker today and she was telling me about her new blog.  I checked it out and was thoroughly impressed!  With her permission I will share it with you all here (all three of you who might be reading this =P).  It inspired me to revisit my blog and post something new.  I want to share with you the latest thing I made, and take a break a little bit from all the politics I was posting about.  Food is a great place to start so here you go.

As it's been so absurdly cold this winter, soup is always a good go to after a long day at work when the high is below 0F.  I made a big pot of Chinese chicken stock, boiled some egg noodles, sauteed some spinach with chili oil and garlic, and then topped it with some five spice roasted pork belly.  Throw in some sliced green onion, and we had us a really good meal.

Delicious, hearty, and we had leftovers for dinner the next day.  Soup always tasted even better the next day, and with a little sesame oil, sriracha, and fish sauce, it was cranked up to 11!

Enjoy!

What are the Limits on Freedom of Speech?

I ask this question after I see the following story:

Republican Councilman Paul Smith, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, has found himself at the center of controversy after video of him holding a sign that depicted President Obama's head on a spike surfaced after being recorded at a Tea Party rally more than three years ago in April 2009. He also had other signs that included Nancy Pelosi with bullet holes in her head, and a noose around the neck of former Michigan Governor, Jennifer Granholm.

Shocking?  Not anymore.  Frankly, I'm not really surprised by what Republican representatives in our government do anymore.  Has this crossed the line or protected speech?  I'm not sure.  When it comes to the President, the supreme court ruling is clear.

Federal statute [prohibits] “any threat to take the life of or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States.” ...but [not] mere “political hyperbole.”

Are his signs "hyperbole"?  While the secret service is investigating this, has he broken the law?    It appears the its possibly not the case.  In the supreme court case NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co:

“emotionally charged rhetoric . . . did not transcend the bounds of protected speech set forth in Brandenburg. . . . An advocate must be free to stimulate his audience with spontaneous and emotional appeals for unity and action in a common cause. When such appeals do not incite lawless action, they must be regarded as protected speech.

So it seems that violent rhetoric is not illegal unless violent action results from it.  At least from the previous ruling.  But to throw another wrench into these decisions, the ninth circuit court made the following ruling in Planned Parenthood v. American Coalition of Life Activists:

The Ninth Circuit concluded that a “true threat” is “a statement which, in the entire context and under all the circumstances, a reasonable person would foresee would be interpreted by those to whom the statement is communicated as a serious expression of intent to inflict bodily harm upon that person.”⁹⁹⁵ “It is not necessary that the defendant intend to, or be able to carry out his threat; the only intent requirement for a true threat is that the defendant intentionally or knowingly communicate the threat.”99

So that's nice and complicated.  I still don't really know if what this Republican councilman said is illegal.  In the context of this situation, it is important to note, that yet again, this is a Republican, right winger carrying out this type of threat.  Once again, it's the tea party using extreme language as the norm.

 These are your Republican representatives folks.  These are the people who claim they are the victims:

Smith went on to say that the city council is like a "fraternity", and that "I'm not welcome to the club."

 Yea, that's because you're a freaking idiot.  You did this three years ago and got caught now.  Suddenly you're the victim. *sigh*

PEACE

Why We Stand Up Against Intolerance

Over the course of American history, a group of Americans has always stood up to intolerance.  Whether it was against African Americans, women, immigrants, homosexuals, or others, we have stood up and made our voices heard against the seemingly unbreakable wall of intolerance.

Why?

Consider these famous words from Robert Kennedy.

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

We stand up against intolerance because we hold true the values of equality, fairness, opportunity, and freedom.  We stand up against intolerance because it has no place in a democracy; no place in this great American experiment.  We stand up against intolerance because we value treating others as we wish to see ourselves treated.

But mostly we stand up against intolerance because we know that, historically, it is a juggernaut of a force.  It takes tiny acts of courage and belief to collectively break away and erode the juggernaut.
Because with each action we take, we give somebody else that hope that they can share in the same values that our country and so many other democracies around the world are founded upon.  Going back to our birth:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

PEACE