Amen

I love political cartoons. For this exact reason. A picture is worth a thousand words. This one is worth more!

How dare he! (Gasp!)

If there is a time to be incensed by the actions of the radio show commentator, Glenn Beck, this is the weekend! The political propagandist is flaring his extremist muscles, correction flab, in creating, promoting and eventually destroying our country with his "Restoring Honor" rally. If the name isn't inflammatory enough, the date of the event, August 28, 2010 will send you overboard. August 28, 2010? The date of the "I Had a Dream" speech, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This speech occurred in the same location, same date, 47 years earlier. How dare Glenn Beck taint this date with his ketchup and cheese fries covered fingers! Doesn't he know he's a white conservative and can't possibly appreciate Dr. King, the civil rights movement, or patriotic actions by brave historical leaders?

What is this rally, you may ask? Tea Party? No. Political driven freak show? No. According to the website, "come celebrate America by honoring our heroes, our heritage and our future." Celebrate America? How can you do that without being a right wing extremist nut? Not possible. Fund raising for our troops? This must be a cover for the underground fundraising for Palin 2012. And what kind of title is "Restoring Honor". Honor is an antiquated tradition of our foundin father's who are outdated, old fashioned, and racist. This is apparently another attempt at Beck to brainwash his followers, if anyone even attends, into his pro-America, capitalist, freedom loving mentality. And I for one, must take a stance against it. How dare he.

Quick to Point Fingers

Both sides of the political spectrum are pots calling the kettles black in this current "you're a racist" tug-o-war. On the right, while aggressively condemning NAACP's resolution repudiating racial elements in the Tea Party; one of the Tea Parties prominent leaders Mark Williams sent an embarrassing and racially charged so-called-satire post from the perspective of a "colored man". Mark Williams and his entire organization, Tea Party Express, was expelled from the National Tea Party Federation. On the left, while pointing the finger at the Tea Party, they refuse to include in their resolution, the new Black Panther Party's leaders who are asking for the "killing of cracker babies". [Now enters Shirley Sherrod].

Shirley Sherrod. Shirley Sherrod typifies this artificially created racial battle between the right and left. A right-biased website powered by Andrew Breitbart, BigGovernment, posted an incomplete video of a federally appointed USDA Georgia Director of Rural Development, Shirley Sherrod, speaking at a NAACP dinner in March. In her speech, she recounts a story which takes place 26 years ago, while she was working for a nonprofit rural aid group, where she did not help a white farmer to her complete ability because he was white. End of sound-byte.

The NAACP quickly put out a statement condemning her remarks, without contacting her for verification or explanation says Sherrod. Almost as quickly as the incomplete video hit the air waves, the USDA Deputy Undersecretary Cheryl Cook called Sherrod while she was driving, and informed her "the White House wanted her to resign because her comments were generating a cable news controversy" naming Glenn Beck specifically. She resisted. In the final of the three phone conversations, "they asked me to pull over to the side of the road and submit my resignation on my Blackberry, and that's what I did." She told CNN that "it hurts [her] that [the administration] didn't even try to attempt to see what is happening here, they didn't care."

Who is coming to Shirley Sherrod's defense? The NAACP who has done a quick 180, the specifically named by the administration Glenn Beck, and even the white farmer she was speaking of! "We probably wouldn't have (our farm) today if it hadn't been for her leading us in the right direction," said Eloise Spooner, the wife of farmer Roger Spooner of Iron City, Ga. "I wish she could get her job back because she was good to us, I tell you." Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak defended his call for her resignation, even as more of the story poured out vindicating Shirley Sherrod's reputation, saying "the controversy surrounding her comments would create a situation where her decisions, rightly or wrongly, would be called into question making it difficult for her bring jobs to Georgia." The term “rightly or wrongly” suggests that the truth does not matter -- only perception, the politics of the situation.

The Shirley Sherrod drama illustrates that every organization, NAACP, Black Panthers, Tea Party, even government agencies, are full of humans. Humans who make mistakes, have prejudices to overcome or succomb to, learning lessons we are all faced with. The sad irony in the case of Shirley Sherrod, is the entirety of the video shows that she overcame her prejudices, and she eventually came to work closely with the white farmer and that she was trying to impart a lesson about how important it is to get beyond the issue of race.
“I went on to work with many more white farmers,” she said. “The story helped me realize that race is not the issue.”

Word of the Day: Racism

Word of the day: Vague

1. a. Not clearly expressed: stated in indefinite terms

b. Not having a precise meaning

2. a. Not clearly defined, grasped or understood

b. Not clearly felt, or sensed, somewhat subconscious



If I had one word to describe President Obama, it would be vague. Especially after looking up the specific definition of vague, my opinion was solidified. He has been vague regarding the economy and his exact plan of action. He has been vague regarding the health care reform, leaving the details to the legislators. I believed it was intentional, because we wouldn't like the details. He has been vague about his "plan for withdrawl from Iraq" that he campaigned heavily on. And finally, we saw last night, that he was very vague on our plan of action regarding the oil spill in the Gulf Coast. And after the past 18 months, the oil slicked tide seems to be shifting. His public approval ratings have dramatically dropped over the past year, but now we catch a glimpse of his adoring news media faultering in their faith. And I believe it is because he is too vague. It is pitiful that it took a tragedy of this magnitude to show the inability in his vagueness.



HERE is the fabulous link.

And yes, it is MSNBC! You are NOT watching FoxNews.

Great Debate

Last night I clicked over to John Stewart's Daily Show, and saw him hashing it out with Arthur Brooks, the author of The Battle. They had a GREAT measured, well-informed debate, where I found myself with agreeing with both of them at different points through the conversation. It was very interesting, and thought I would put it out there. HERE is the link. Check it out, and let me know what you think!

I miss Mayor Giuliani!

May 1, an SUV filled with fertilizer was left in New York City's Time Square, as an attempt at a terrorist attack. An impressive quick response, included evacuating and closing down Times Square, while the bomb was diffused and the investigation ensued. Most were careful not to jump to conclusions, no unnecessary and unfounded claims of middle east, Taliban or Al Qaeda ties were made. Unless you listened to Mayor Bloombergs assessment on CBS's Evening News' interview with Katie Couric.

In the interview, he preceded his conclusion with this evidence.

"There is some speculation that the materials in the Nissan Pathfinder were similar to ones that were found to some failed attacks in the U.K." He also states, "You'd need a timer, you'd need a battery as an energy source you'd need some explosive and you'd need something to enhance it. That's going to be true no matter where or when the...another attack took place. So, anything would have enough commonalities for the conspiracy theorists to blow it up if you don't mind the pun and make something out of it." He continues, in saying, "There is no evidence that it's tied in to anything else. It looks like an amateurish job, done by at least one person".

After his statements diminishing "conspiracy theorists" and pointing out commonalities with failed attacks in the U.K., he gives his two cents, or he states his "twenty five cents":

"If I had to guess, twenty five cents, this would be exactly that," Bloomberg said. "Homegrown, maybe a mentally deranged person or someone with a political agenda that doesn't like the health care bill or something. It could be anything."

If I were in Katie Couric's highly paid and expensive journalist shoes, instead of interjecting the same conclusion of "homegrown", I would have given a follow up question, such as this "Mayor Bloomberg. You cited evidence of some commonalities with failed U.K. bombings, and yet came to the conclusion this is possibly motivated by someone who is against the health care bill or homegrown. Is there any evidence to support these claims?" Where were you on that one Katie? I find this completely astronomical! Heaven forbid anyone comes to the conclusion of this as a possible foreign terrorist attack, even though the evidence is stacked in that direction. But how easy and unquestioned by a journalist to point the finger at the American people who disagree with the health care bill? I was shocked! How many hundreds of thousands of American's have participated in town halls, tea parties, rallies across the country and have broken any laws, committed any violence, planned any terrorist attacks?!? NONE, Mr. Bloomberg! Yet, this is the group you first suspect with your twenty five cents? You should be ashamed Mayor Bloomberg. I ache for patriotic leadership like Mayor Giuliani.