Friday, April 01, 2005
GREED
Ah, here we go again. The W, you know him.... the guy who said "I like to think I'm a good steward of the environment." Good steward doesn't mean much, but then again we've all gotten used to the double speak from this asshole, no child left behind means leaving children behind, compassionate conservative means, death penalty and hungry children, hell even the concept of conservative doesn't apply to this guy especially when you're talking about the environment or fuel efficiency.
A small example, next year, the administration will phase out the $2,000 tax credit for buying a hybrid vehicle, which gets over 50 miles per gallon, but will leave in place the $25,000 tax write-off for a Hummer, which gets 10-12 mpg. Why would a "good steward of the environment" do such a thing?
I really couldn't even begin to answer that question. Anyways, in other news..... ExxonMobil just reported the highest quarterly profit ever, $8.42 billion, by an American company.
A small example, next year, the administration will phase out the $2,000 tax credit for buying a hybrid vehicle, which gets over 50 miles per gallon, but will leave in place the $25,000 tax write-off for a Hummer, which gets 10-12 mpg. Why would a "good steward of the environment" do such a thing?
I really couldn't even begin to answer that question. Anyways, in other news..... ExxonMobil just reported the highest quarterly profit ever, $8.42 billion, by an American company.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Dr. King
I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.
Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.
Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.thekingcenter.org/
http://sclcnational.org
Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.
Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.thekingcenter.org/
http://sclcnational.org
ACLU
http://www.aclu.org/
For the record: Yes, I am a card-carrying member of the A.C.L.U. But the more important question is why aren't you, Bob? This is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question: Why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the Constitution? If you can answer that question, then, folks, you're smarter than I am, because I didn't understand it until a couple of minutes ago. America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating, at the top of his lungs, that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free, then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest." Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.
From The American President (1995)
For the record: Yes, I am a card-carrying member of the A.C.L.U. But the more important question is why aren't you, Bob? This is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question: Why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the Constitution? If you can answer that question, then, folks, you're smarter than I am, because I didn't understand it until a couple of minutes ago. America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating, at the top of his lungs, that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free, then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest." Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.
From The American President (1995)
Best Picture Ever
Monday, March 28, 2005
Democratically Elected Mayor Removed by Radical Separatist Governor Jeb Bush's Secret Police
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/28/95929/1886
here's more links to the story....seems they take tampering with elections pretty seriously there in Florida...
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/orl-asec-dyerstory031105,0,7150.story?coll=sfla-news-florida
The investigation focuses on polital consultant Ezzie Thomas. "And what does Ezzie Thomas do? He simply helps older African Americans participate in the voting process."
Dyer goes on to say, "In other words my campaign employed a campaign consultant who allegedly violated the law by encouraging older African American voters to participate in the elective process by absentee ballot and I am being held to account for that."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/orl-asecmayexcerpt12031205mar12,0,2897565.story?coll=sfla-news-florida
From Parentadvocates.org
http://parentadvocates.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=5593
"Some elderly black residents of Orlando said that agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which conducted the investigation and reports to Governor Bush, had intimidated them during interviews at their homes about the absentee ballots they cast in the mayoral race last March."
From the Sun-Sentinal
"Hiring workers to collect and deliver absentee ballots as part of a get-out-the-voter effort is commonplace in big-money campaigns, said Judy Stern, a long-time Broward campaign manager. "It's a practice that's been going on for years," Stern said. "Everybody does it."
Strategists baffled by ballots crackdown
And from the New York Times,
"Many longtime Florida observers have said the use of state troopers for this type of investigation is extremely unusual, and it has caused a storm of controversy. "
The New York Times - August 20, 2004
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/opinion/20herbert.html
You can read this whole article by clicking the link below:
Voting While Black
by Bob Herbert
full text of above article:
here's more links to the story....seems they take tampering with elections pretty seriously there in Florida...
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/orl-asec-dyerstory031105,0,7150.story?coll=sfla-news-florida
The investigation focuses on polital consultant Ezzie Thomas. "And what does Ezzie Thomas do? He simply helps older African Americans participate in the voting process."
Dyer goes on to say, "In other words my campaign employed a campaign consultant who allegedly violated the law by encouraging older African American voters to participate in the elective process by absentee ballot and I am being held to account for that."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/orl-asecmayexcerpt12031205mar12,0,2897565.story?coll=sfla-news-florida
From Parentadvocates.org
http://parentadvocates.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=5593
"Some elderly black residents of Orlando said that agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which conducted the investigation and reports to Governor Bush, had intimidated them during interviews at their homes about the absentee ballots they cast in the mayoral race last March."
From the Sun-Sentinal
"Hiring workers to collect and deliver absentee ballots as part of a get-out-the-voter effort is commonplace in big-money campaigns, said Judy Stern, a long-time Broward campaign manager. "It's a practice that's been going on for years," Stern said. "Everybody does it."
Strategists baffled by ballots crackdown
And from the New York Times,
"Many longtime Florida observers have said the use of state troopers for this type of investigation is extremely unusual, and it has caused a storm of controversy. "
The New York Times - August 20, 2004
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/opinion/20herbert.html
You can read this whole article by clicking the link below:
Voting While Black
by Bob Herbert
full text of above article:
Voting While Black: Fla Stench Gets Stronger
Others say that this whole process was part of a larger plan to help Bush (W) win the Presidential race by silencing Ezzie in Orlando, a city with a large African-American population.
RH: Jeb Bush dirty tactics to help brother win Florida
Ayatollah Delay and the American Taliban; Coming soon to your town
American Taliban – The religious right, encouraged by Republicans and Conservatives, have begun to inject themselves into your personal life.
Who’s to make the decision about withdrawing life sustaining treatment when your medical situation is hopeless? Should it be between you and your spouse? Or should the hospital be able to make that decision for you if you can’t pay your bills?
And should a religious organization, like the Southern Baptists, kick a Judge out of their church for following the U.S. Constitution and State law? Isn’t this the opposite of the reasoning used by many to oppose Catholics running for office in the 50’s and 60’s because they were supposedly beholden to the Pope over U.S. law?
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050326/ap_on_re_us/brain_damaged_woman_judge_1
Who’s to make the decision about who is entitled to birth control pills? Is it between you and the doctor, or should your pharmacist be able to decide that he’s not going to fill your prescription because it violates his religious beliefs?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7312534/
Should a doctor be able to refuse to treat a patient because their "lifestyle" conflicts with their religious beliefs? Michigan, Wisconsin and several other states controlled by Republicans are pushing "conscientious objector" laws which would allow doctors, pharmacists, emergency technicians and others in the health care profession to "opt out" if the person they are treating violates some closely held religious belief of the health care provider. One can imagine a person coming to an emergency room in a small town and the doctor decides not to treat that person because they might be gay.
http://www.proudparenting.com/page.cfm?Sectionid=65&typeofsite=snippetdetail&ID=1204&snippetset=yes
I think the Republicans and Conservatives have got the right idea. While we’re at it why don’t we allow everyone to make this kind of judgment? Let’s say you are a committed pacifist and a Republican with a big W on their car window pulls into your tire store and wants a new tire. You could object on moral grounds because that person supports a president who wages war. Or suppose you’re flipping burgers and someone wearing a University of Kentucky sweatshirt comes in to order a Big Mac, you should be entitled to refuse to provide service if you’re a committed University of Louisville fan.
And if you're a committed Nazi or White Separatist who owns a lunch counter, and you want to refuse service to Blacks, Jews, Asians and Latinos, shouldn't you be able to object on moral grounds and refuse them service?
Following this line of reasoning shouldn't we liberals be able to prevent Conservatives from being in the military, receiving medical treatment, not allowed to get married or adopt children, and anything else we can think of because thier fundamental beliefs violate our fundamental beliefs? I can think of nothing more morally repugnant and bankrupt than the right wing fanatics who have taken over our airwaves and our nation. If we become the "majority" in Congress can we turn the tables because now we have a mandate?
Heck, while we’re at it, why don’t we just throw that whole damn Constitution and Bill of Rights out the window and let Ayatollah Delay and the Christian Conservative Mullah’s decide what’s right for all of us?
Who’s to make the decision about withdrawing life sustaining treatment when your medical situation is hopeless? Should it be between you and your spouse? Or should the hospital be able to make that decision for you if you can’t pay your bills?
And should a religious organization, like the Southern Baptists, kick a Judge out of their church for following the U.S. Constitution and State law? Isn’t this the opposite of the reasoning used by many to oppose Catholics running for office in the 50’s and 60’s because they were supposedly beholden to the Pope over U.S. law?
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050326/ap_on_re_us/brain_damaged_woman_judge_1
Who’s to make the decision about who is entitled to birth control pills? Is it between you and the doctor, or should your pharmacist be able to decide that he’s not going to fill your prescription because it violates his religious beliefs?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7312534/
Should a doctor be able to refuse to treat a patient because their "lifestyle" conflicts with their religious beliefs? Michigan, Wisconsin and several other states controlled by Republicans are pushing "conscientious objector" laws which would allow doctors, pharmacists, emergency technicians and others in the health care profession to "opt out" if the person they are treating violates some closely held religious belief of the health care provider. One can imagine a person coming to an emergency room in a small town and the doctor decides not to treat that person because they might be gay.
http://www.proudparenting.com/page.cfm?Sectionid=65&typeofsite=snippetdetail&ID=1204&snippetset=yes
I think the Republicans and Conservatives have got the right idea. While we’re at it why don’t we allow everyone to make this kind of judgment? Let’s say you are a committed pacifist and a Republican with a big W on their car window pulls into your tire store and wants a new tire. You could object on moral grounds because that person supports a president who wages war. Or suppose you’re flipping burgers and someone wearing a University of Kentucky sweatshirt comes in to order a Big Mac, you should be entitled to refuse to provide service if you’re a committed University of Louisville fan.
And if you're a committed Nazi or White Separatist who owns a lunch counter, and you want to refuse service to Blacks, Jews, Asians and Latinos, shouldn't you be able to object on moral grounds and refuse them service?
Following this line of reasoning shouldn't we liberals be able to prevent Conservatives from being in the military, receiving medical treatment, not allowed to get married or adopt children, and anything else we can think of because thier fundamental beliefs violate our fundamental beliefs? I can think of nothing more morally repugnant and bankrupt than the right wing fanatics who have taken over our airwaves and our nation. If we become the "majority" in Congress can we turn the tables because now we have a mandate?
Heck, while we’re at it, why don’t we just throw that whole damn Constitution and Bill of Rights out the window and let Ayatollah Delay and the Christian Conservative Mullah’s decide what’s right for all of us?
