Often I have made to connection between the Tea Party and racists. Most of the time I get criticized for assuming all teabaggers are racists when the evidence is there for a few. Example 1. Example 2.Example 3.
Now the Tea Party Nation has emailed its followers warning that whites are headed for extinction. If that isn't a page from the KKK, I don't know what is.
Here is a teabagger from a rally in Birmingham.
This is the same group that denounced the United Methodist Church for being Marxist, by the way. Here is where I wrote about that.
From the email sent today from Tea Party Nation:
What is keeping America's fertility rate up are immigrants - both legal and illegal.
and:
The White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) population in America is headed for extinction and with it our economy, well-being and survival as a uniquely America culture.
Racism can be against Latinos, of course, and that is what is going on here, but trust me, they feel the same way about African Americans. And gays:
There are those in America who are continuously attacking the family, bent on redefining marriage and have established anti-family government programs.
"Redefining marriage" is connected to the same-sex marriage movement, of course.
This is your Tea party, your Republican base, the congress members you elected in 2010; the group that invited Sarah Palin to speak, and Roy Moore as well. Roy Moore has indicated he might run for the GOP presidential nomination, incidentally. He couldn't win the GOP nomination for Alabama Governor, but believes he can win the GOP nomination for president. LOL.
Anyway, if you are a Tea Party member, you are suspect, I guess. In fact, if you are a Republican these days, you are suspect.
When I was a little kid I grew up, like most kids still do, believing that the United States is the best nation in the world, and basically unaware of the troubles that many in the world encounter everyday.
My grandmother lived near Legion Field in Birmingham. We would visit her on Sundays.
One Sunday I was not allowed to go outside to play because a bomb had exploded killing four black girls.
The troubles of the world quickly became the troubles of my world.
Then came Martin Luther King, Jr., LBJ, Bobby Kennedy, and the events of the 1960's.
But as time went on I really, really thought that the hatred and violence that I grew up so close to was becoming a thing of the past.
Today in Kelly Ingram Park
My plans for today were to attend a rally about peace and human rights in Birmingham that is held every year around Martin Luther King day.
Peace
But how can you focus on peace when violence has come to be expected, and a certain amount of violence is thought of as the norm?
When I heard the news of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords being shot, there was a moment of surprise, but then reality sank in. This was predictable. The victim could have been any of a number of congress members. Many of us had spoken or written about the hateful rhetoric of the right, and shuddered at the rantings of Nevada Tea Party angel Sharon Angle who spoke of "second amendment remedies" and Sarah Palin and her "crosshairs" and "reload" and "fire" tweets and Facebook posts and her web site.
Giffords was one of 20 Representatives that voted for health care reform that Palin drew aim at on her web site.
We knew then that this day was coming because of messages like this.
Gifford's opponent took Palin's advice, and made Gifford a "Target," allowing supporters to "Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly" (her Republican Tea Party opponent).
Sarah Palin, Jesse Kelly, and whoever wrote this upcoming event blurb, should be held accountable for the murder of a federal judge, the murder of a child, the murders of the the other victims, the attempted murder of Congresswoman Giffords and others. Along with the shooter, who is in custody.
I will post later about the Human Rights rally, held rightfully at Kelly Ingram Park (where just a little over a year ago the Tea Party desecrated the area by holding an event there).
In the meantime, America, remember, you voted the Republicans into office. In doing so, you only encouraged the violence that occurred today. As mom used to say, "You made your bed, now lay in it."
I have volunteered to make some cookies and some slaw for Discovery United Methodist Church for Wednesday night when they are assisting with feeding the homeless at Firehouse Shelter, and Bobby and I will serving that evening as well.
Almost 3000 people are estimated to be homeless in the Birmingham area. Firehouse Shelter can house more than 175 men. More than 90% of their clients leave their programs for permanent or transitional housing, or for needed medical treatment.
Firehouse Shelter is the only agency in the area that serves three hot meals every day to its homeless guests. (There will be hot food - more than just slaw and cookies - Wednesday night).
This is one of those things that the United Methodist Church does; a program to help those less fortunate, whatever the reason, without judgment.
Earlier this month Tea Party founder Judson Phillips posted this on his blog. You can read his entire hateful and misinformed post here.
When I was in Washington this past Friday, I walked by the United Methodist Building, next to the Russell Office Building. The sign in front of the United Methodist Building said, “Pass the DREAM Act.”
I have a DREAM. That is, no more United Methodist Church.
He goes on to label the UMC the "first church of Karl Marx." He criticizes the Methodists for being anti-war, for promoting a healthy nation and for allowing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a "member in good standing".
Never mind that Jesus was a socialist, who advocated for the poor, who was deemed the prince of peace, and who welcomed all.
As United Methodists we do our part to improve the world, to promote peace, and are concerned about those who are less fortunate, and then act on that concern.
Phillips' blog post is just another Teabagger rant that we should read, in order to be informed, but then ignored.
Contact Discovery UMC or me if you want to lend a hand by cooking some food or serving on Wednesday.
It's hard to imagine Ed May and masturbation would come up in the same blog post, but it happened. Right now.
Just turn off your imagination right now, though. It's not like that.
No, I wanted to write about the primaries last night, but then this information comes out about the local mayoral candidates and something very strange is going on.
In today's Birmingham News the finance reports of the candidates are disclosed.
The article explains that Ken Gulley outspent his rivals by a huge margin. That is no surprise.
But this is:
"Ed May did not file campaign finance disclosures for the two reporting periods before the general election. Candidates do not have to file disclosure forms unless they raise or spend $1,000 or more. Candidates who don't raise or spend more than $1,000 can instead file a waiver indicating they did not need to file disclosure forms. May also did not file any waiver."
My understanding is that as a candidate you must file either a form or a waiver. Ed May did neither. What does this tell us? What are the possible reasons?
1. He is hiding something. I can't believe the hundreds of signs he has put out cost less than $1000.
2. He does not respect the process. Somebody doesn't respect it, that's for sure. There's that silly lawsuit challenging Ken Gulley's residence, but I don't think it's tied to the May campaign. Seems there's another fish splashing water out of the bowl in this case.
3. He's lazy. He said after the poor showing in the general election that he had not campaigned. That could indicate laziness, or maybe his lack of campaigning reflects one of these other possibilities.
4. He's unorganized. Have you seen his desk?
5. He has such high regard for himself that he feels he does not have to follow the rules.
In any case, I don't think we want a person who falls under any of the above categories to be our mayor.
Ken Gulley raised over $21,000, and the contributors listed include business leaders, realty groups, law firms, investment firms, insurance firms and numerous individuals; people who love our city, understand our city, and want our city to prosper.
Who is left to contribute to May? No one. I guess maybe that's the reason he has no contributions. But he still needed to file a waiver.
Oh, you are wondering about the masturbation reference.
In Delaware the Republicans chose Teabagger party doll Christine O'Donnell as their candidate, a move that those who rely on statistics and advanced polling say will decrease the GOP's chance of taking the senate from 30% to 15%. It turns a sure Republican win in November in Delaware to a probable Democrat win.
O'Donnell is known for, among other things, speaking out against masturbation. How can that be? I mean she is a teabagger, without question, and got the Teabagger party endorsement. And teabagging leads to...oh, never mind. But she said:
"The Bible says that lust in your heart is committing adultery. So you can't masturbate without lust."
Hey, I don't make up the news, I only report it. And I'm not going to dwell on this. But do you really think that little kids, male and female, when they are exploring their body and just learning about things are full of lust? No, they are just doing what feels good with no emotional attachment at all.
And monkeys. They masturbate. Are they lusting after furry hunk they just saw swinging through the trees?
And does fantasy always equal lust? Hardly.
OK, enough of that.
I mean, it was bad enough that every candidate had to give an opinion on the proposed mosque in New York. Are we now going to examine every candidate's view on self-pleasure? Let's hope not.
But last night's primaries give new hope to the Democrats for November. Independents and moderate Republicans do not want to elect radical wing nuts to congress. So they will either stay at home or vote for the Democrats in November.
So, Twitter was set to launch a new interface last night, but my twitter page looks the same. But I like what's coming. Watch the video. Then follow me....
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
This is the first amendment to our Constitution. Part of our Bill of Rights.
That is really all that needs to be said, but you know me.
If we were going to let "being offended" keep things from happening, I would not have to shamefully pass this every time I drive to Montgomery.
But that offensive huge flag is on private land so nobody raised hell about it. But I am offended and I am sure many African Americans and fair minded whites are offended by it.
We are not at war with Islam, I need to remind you. And this proposed building is not really a Mosque, it is a community center. And its not "on the site" of the fallen towers, its blocks away.
And the ground around the fallen towers is not "hallowed ground," as bars, porn shops and liquor stores surround the site. I've been there. I know.
Picture credit New York Daily News
Again, playing on fear and ignorance, the Professional Right is trying to scare people into voting for the Teabaggers. To use the words of the Bessemer conservative, "Grow Up."
Now if I were a Muslim leader in New York City I would choose another site out of compassion for the families of the vicitims of 9-11. But I doubt that the MIC (Muslim in Charge) has much compassion, as their religion is not built upon the life and teachings of a compassionate individual like ours is*. And I'm also pretty sure they love all the fuss and divisiveness they are causing. Teabaggers and Muslims on the same page, dividing this country. Lol, who'd a thunk it?
*Disclaimer: Hard to recognize that Christianity is built on the life and teachings of Jesus when you look at how they act sometimes.
I get a little p-o'ed when I receive a tea bag via email. A virtual tea bag.
That is how I refer to the forwarded emails full of lies and propaganda. But usually I use them as a teaching tool and I correct the lies and misinformation and send a response to the person who forwarded it to me, along with every email address in the chain.
So today I sent an email to 90 people who had received an email about congress voting them selves a pay raise and Social Security recipients being denied a cost of living increase and medicare recipients having a premium increase. At the end the email urged the reader to replace all 100 House members and up to a third of Senators.
Here is my response:
Recently I received an email from a friend that urged readers to paste a reminder on the refrigerator about our congress and what they have done. Let me respond to each point in the email.
But first a reminder. There is a commandment, number 9 I believe, that says "you shall not bear false witness to your neighbor." On the Internet, we are all neighbors, and composing the email that I received and sending it out, or even forwarding it, is bearing false witness. I urge each of you to do some research before forwarding emails that you receive.
Here are the facts surrounding each point in the email.
1. U..S. House & Senate have voted themselves $4,700 and $5,300 raises. LIE! This is a 100% lie, made up, assuming you are talking about the current congress. In May 2010 President Obama signed into law a bill passed by both the house and senate that lawmakers passed to opt out of the automatic cost of living increases that they would have gotten. This is the second year in a row that this congress has passed such a bill.
2.They voted to NOT give you a S.S. Cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011.
By law, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits increase automatically each year if there is an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), from the third quarter of the last year to the corresponding period of the current year. This year there was no increase in the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2008 to the third quarter of 2009.
Thus, by law, no Social Security Cost of Living increase was implemented, and there never is if there is no increase in the CPI.
3. Your Medicare premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years.
Most Medicare beneficiaries will not see a Part B monthly premium increase as a result of a “hold harmless” provision in the current law. This allows for 73 percent of beneficiaries to be protected from an increase raising the 2010 Part B monthly premiums from $96.40 to $110.50. The Administration continues to urge Congressional action that would protect all beneficiaries from higher Part B premiums and eliminate the inequity of a high premium for the remaining 27 percent of beneficiaries.
Source: Medicare.org Items 4 - 7 were just repeats of the first three lies, written in a different way.
8. Will they have your cost of drugs - doctor fees - local taxes - food, etc., decrease?
This is just a broad condemnation of the congress based on nothing. But, "will they have your cost of drugs decrease? Yes. The Health Care Reform bill is closing the "doughnut hole" that affected many seniors. Many of you have already received a $250 check to help cover the difference until the policy change catches up.
? Why should they care about you? ? You never did anything about it in the past. ? You obviously are too stupid or don't care. ? Do you really think that Nancy, Harry, Chris, Charlie, Barney et al care about you?
Ok, you just called the reader of your email "stupid." But congress does care. They cared about the hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of people with pre-existing conditions that could not get insurance. Now...already...children cannot be denied insurance because of a pre-existing condition. Adults will be added in a couple of years.
They cared about young adults that could not afford insurance and who could not remain on their parents policies. Now they can, until age 26. They cared about people who were being dropped from their insurance coverage after being diagnosed with breast cancer or other serious diseases. Beginning September 23, that practice will be illegal.
They cared about people who have catastrophic diseases and would reach a lifetime cap on insurance coverage. Beginning September 23, that practice will be illegal.
You can read about all of the provisions of Health care Reform that are going into effect this year - Bessemer Opinions - Health Care Reform Provisions I don't mind when people debate policies and base their arguments on the facts. I do mind when people base their arguments on lies.
On Facebook I have friends of all stripes, even teabaggers. One, whom many of you know, is particularly critical of our president and his policies. I'm not going to call him out by name, but here are some of the comments he's posted on my Facebook page.
"This administration is THE WORST we have EVER had. It won't matter WHO runs against BHO in 2012, he doesn't have a CHANCE! THANK GOD! "
"It's NOT getting better. The economy is down, the jobless rate is not improving, the housing market has crashed."
"Not ONE SINGLE PROGRAM that Obama is trying is working. "
"Economic numbers & approval rating numbers will show you that we are worse off than we have EVER been & we aren't happy about it. There is nothing this moron has done that has even begun to turn this country around."
Let's look at some trends. When coming out of a recession, or a depression, trends are more important than individual numbers because factors that may cause a temporary rise or fall are more easily identified. Plus, you get a sense of where things are heading.
Here's a chart that shows job creation for the last 7 months. The per cent of employers that are hiring is indicated by the dark green line, and the per cent of employers letting people go is indicated by the light green line.
Clearly, these trends are both moving in the right direction. Almost one third of employers in the U. S. are hiring right now. About one in five are still having to lay off or fire people.
Surely we need even more improvement in these numbers, but the trend is favorable.
Here is a chart that indicates underemployment in the U. S. for the last 7 months. Underemployment includes the unemployed and those who are employed part-time but want to work full time. These numbers were released by Gallup earlier this week and based on their findings they predicted unemployment numbers released today to be 9.5%.
Notice, again, the trend. Underemployment is declining.
When the unemployment numbers were released this morning, 9.5 was the figure. Pretty good prediction, Gallup.
Here's the unemployment chart released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Not a great drop in unemployment, but better than most analysts (except Gallup) predicted, and certainly a move in the right direction.
Let's bring the economic news home to Alabama.
In this morning's Birmingham News,in the money section,was this headline and story:
State gains solid ground on recovery, UA survey says.
Alabama business leaders believe the state has turned the corner on a meaningful economic recovery, according to the results of a University of Alabama survey released this morning.
The Alabama Business Confidence Index, derived from responses from 345 business executives across the state, indicates expansion for the second quarter in a row, after 10 consecutive quarters of contraction. "Given the successful forecasting history of the index, this should be a good indication that the recovery has taken hold," officials at the university's Center for Business and Economic Research note in a report.
All elements of the confidence index scored in positive territory this quarter, meaning expectations are growing for increased hiring, sales and profits in coming months. "The operating environment for Alabama businesses should be much improved," the report says.
So, it looks like the situation is improving and is poised for further improvement here in Alabama.
If my friend who can't see the forest for the tea leaves would keep up with the news and what is going on, instead of only listening to Faux Network, he would realize that President Obama is doing as good as could be expected with congress so divided as it is. That's a whole different story, for another day.
There are other indications that the president is doing a good job and that the things he is doing are working, but this is enough for today.
Republicans in Maine, where both the senators (Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe) are pretty moderate on issues and at times act in cooperation with Democrats (in a bipartisan fashion), this week voted overwhelmingly to replace their party platform with the Teabagger platform.
The document calls for the elimination of the Department of Education and the Federal Reserve, demands an investigation of "collusion between government and industry in the global warming myth," suggests the adoption of "Austrian Economics," declares that "'Freedom of Religion' does not mean 'freedom from religion'" (which I guess makes atheism illegal), insists that "healthcare is not a right," calls for the abrogation of the "UN Treaty on Rights of the Child" and the "Law Of The Sea Treaty" and declares that we must resist "efforts to create a one world government."
"No amnesty, no benefits, no citizenship -ever- for anyone in the country illegally. Arrest and detain, for a specified period of time, anyone here illegally, and then deport, period." (Maine, by the way, is 97 % white, it seems, and the Maine teabaggers are unlikely to understand what diversity is. To them, a black person, or even a southerner, might be deemed an "illegal.")
"Reassert the principle that "Freedom of Religion" does not mean "freedom from religion". (To my atheist and agnostic friends - your beliefs or lack of beliefs are threatened)
"Discard political correctness" (So we can all speak in hateful, bigoted language like you do?)
"Pass and implement Fed bill #1207 (Introduced by Ron Paul), to Audit the Federal Reserve, as the first step in Ending the Fed." (Ending the Fed? Yeah, that would create stability now, wouldn't it?)
"Investigate collusion between government and industry in the global warming myth." (Myth? Myth? What rock do you people live under?)
"Prohibit any further stimulus bills." (Even though the stimulus bill was part of what saved this country from the policies of republican leadership in Washington, and if I searched, I'm sure I could find where Maine specifically benefited.)
"Espouse and follow the principle: It is immoral to steal the property rightfully earned by one person, and give it to another who has no claim or right to its benefits." (Does this mean they want to do away with Medicare and Medicaid? - yes!)
"Clarify that healthcare is not a right." (Yes it is. Period.)
"Eliminate Dirigo" (Dirigo is the Maine health initiative to provide all citizens with affordable health care coverage. Dirigo is also the motto of Maine, meaning "I direct" or "I lead." I'm not sure which one they want to eliminate).
"Eliminate the Department of Education." (A favorite target of teabaggers).
This video shows the excitement generated by the passage of the platform.
Maine has been referred to as the "South of the North."
One comment points this out:
It's a sea of white hair in the video above. Almost all recipients of SS checks and Medicare coverage. In other words, they are on welfare. "Health care is not a right!" they bellow as they receive hip transplants, heart valve replacements, and other life-saving operations on the public dime. "Socialism is evil" they wail while waiting to cash their Social Security check. Selfish, small-minded, ignorant hypocrites.
I wonder what Snowe and Collins think of their party's new platform? I wonder what they think about their chances of surviving when their Senate seats comes up for re-election (Snowe in 2012, Collins in 2014). I wonder what they think about switching parties.
I'm just going to make a few comments on some letters in today's Birmingham News. I will post the letters, or parts of them, then respond in general to them.
The foes of progress are neither patriots, Christians
Now the forces that at one time divided this Union, blocked the rights of women, people of color and people who immigrated to this country; that opposed rural electrification, the highway system, Medicaid and Medicare, the space program; that have always been against progress, rally again.
They use the "N-word" and anti-gay epithets against noble, tested-in-battle legislators. They rally for "states' sovereignty," the same as states' rights was the rallying cry for the preservation of segregation. They would like to tear down the United States public school system, the greatest investment of democracy in the world.
Don't let them cloak themselves in the American flag or hide behind the cross. They are neither patriots nor Christians. Their actions thinly veil their hatred of equality, of every man and woman having the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
To deny health care denies the right to life. To deny a fair wage and an education stunts the opportunity to pursue happiness.
Support the right of every man and woman to be healthy, to be educated in a well-funded public school system and to have the opportunity to make their future according to their effort and ability, not to what station they are born into in life.
Stewart Evans Hoover *****
Are we our brother's keeper?
After reading the letters and posts in the various Alabama newspapers of Alabamians' response to the passage of health care reform legislation, I guess the majority of our citizens agree with Cain and believe we are not our brother's keeper.
William Powell Hoover
***** Jesus didn't mean government Syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. always presents an interesting view of the world; mostly inaccurate, but interesting. His column "The Gospel of Glenn Beck" (Other Voices, Monday) was no exception.
Pitts' sarcastic explanation of Scripture is most revealing. Jesus did teach that each of us has a responsibility to help others. This was especially true for widows and orphans. I am not aware of any teaching that in order to accomplish this, Jesus gave government the responsibility or the authority to take from whomever it saw fit and give to whomever it deemed needy. That was Karl Marx, not Jesus. Jesus instructed you to give from your resources, not someone else's.
I am afraid there will be no reward or joy in forced obedience to one of God's commands. That is doubly true in that you have to violate several other commands to achieve this one.
That is why God gave us a free will. Or did that also come from the government?
Jesus also told us the poor would always be with us. That was so we could continue to receive the joy for helping them.
Doug Harkness Hoover ***** So here's the situation.
All three writers are from Hoover.
The first writer makes the point that health care is a right, which I whole-heartedly agree with, and makes a constitutional argument for health care, something I did here, in September, 2009.
The next writer questions the values of the anti-reform crowd, and makes the biblical argument for health care, something also did at the above link.
The third writer questions the role of government by using the words of Jesus.
I am not aware of any teaching that in order to accomplish this, Jesus gave government the responsibility or the authority to take from whomever it saw fit and give to whomever it deemed needy.
It just seems a little hypocritical to me to say that Jesus does not want the government to do his work in assisting the poor, yet these same people are basically theocrats who want the government to rule on a biblical basis when it comes to controlling who we love and live with and when they declare holy wars on developing nations.
It is clear that the people of this country will not willingly help the poor to the extent that help is needed, otherwise my city of Bessemer would look a lot different. I know that we are a generous people, and only have to look at the response to Katrina or the earthquake in Haiti to know that. But those in our neighborhoods who do not have the ironic misfortune of a natural disaster to point out their needs are ignored.
Take this guy. He suffers from Parkinson's disease and was at a recent Teabagger event.
Teabaggers mocked him and one guy even tossed money at him.
The man tossing the money had a epiphany, it seems.
"I snapped. I absolutely snapped and I can't explain it any other way," said Chris Reichert of Victorian Village, in a Dispatch interview. In his first comments on an incident that went viral across the Internet and was repeatedly played on cable television news shows, Reichert said he is sorry about his confrontation with Robert A. Letcher, 60, of the North Side. Letcher, a former nuclear engineer who suffers from Parkinson's, was verbally attacked as he sat before anti-health care demonstrators in front of Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy's district office last week.
"He's got every right to do what he did and some may say I did too, but what I did was shameful," Reichert said. "I haven't slept since that day."
"That was my first time at any political rally and I'm never going to another one," Reichert said. "I will never ever, ever go to another one."
At least one TV in our home was on C-Span all day yesterday. That doesn't mean I was parked in front of it all day, but I did see the good parts.
All the rhetoric that we have heard over the last 427 days (that this legislation has been worked on) will soon be forgotten. Health Care Reform will be seen to be a benefit to society and America will be a better place.
Republicans seem to think this gives them momentum, but I believe just the opposite. I am a typical Democrat, in that I support most of the policies of the party and usually vote for Democrats. And my elation this morning is profound. If I use the feeling after Barack Obama was elected as a baseline of 100, then today I am feeling a 93.
And if all Democrats in America are feeling a 93, then we will do well in November. A fringe benefit from this vote will be about 32 million votes. Democrat poll number should go up this week and continue to rise in the run up to the 2010 election.
Nancy Pelosi ended the night with her remarks on the floor of the House by smiling and giving examples of the positive ways this reform will benefit women in particular and Americans in general. Every woman in America should vote for Democrats this year after what Pelosi has done and after what Lilly Ledbetter did to advance equality. Being female is no longer a pre-existing condition.
Minority leader John Boehner screamed "Hell, no," several times in a fit of rage.
An unidentified Republican called out "baby killer" as Bart Stupak was speaking.
(Update: I just read this tweet: "Dear Congress: Before you shout "baby killer", remember that 5,378 babies have been killed fighting in Afghanistan/Iraq.")
John Lewis was unfazed as Republican supporters chanted "ni**er" at him as he approached the Capitol on Saturday.
Let's just say that Democrats and progressives were on the high road over the weekend, while Republicans and teabaggers were on the low road.
Shamefully, as has been the case throughout history, Alabama's congressional delegation stood firm in their attempt to deny insurance to 32 million Americans and to prevent the Medicare donut hole from closing.
Artur Davis will be left behind as he will no longer be in office in Washington to see this reform implemented. Terri Sewell, who is seeking to replace Davis in AL-07, had this to say.
"Today's vote brings this country a step closer to ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable quality coverage. It is important that health care reform does not end here, but that we continue to press for a public option that will ensure coverage of 100% of Americans. In Congress, I will work with President Obama to make sure that this is done," said Sewell.
Sewell hopes to be the first black women elected to congress from Alabama. We need a woman representing Alabama. Our seven congressmen, including Davis, voted against the interests of women in the area of health care last night.
Ron Sparks wants to be governor, and said this.
“I have been on record supporting affordable health care,” said Commissioner Ron Sparks. “I am happy for the 7th District, which will finally get the assistance they desperately need and want. I have never seen a Representative so blatantly ignore the will of the people in his district like Artur Davis has done. He was elected to represent the 7th District, not the special interests, but he chose to return to Washington to vote against his constituents."
President Obama understands the importance of health care reform and said that Democrats have the “opportunity of a generation” and should seize the moment and pass health care overhaul.
He is focusing on members of his own party after Republicans have once again indicated they will not support anything with his name attached to it, even though he took several of their proposals and incorporated them into the bill.
Democrats may use the procedure known as reconciliation in order to get the legislation to the president’s desk. Reconciliation has been branded as a bad word by the Party of No, while ignoring that such important legislation as COBRA was passed by reconciliation in 1986. COBRA included provisions that allow employees who have lost their jobs to keep their insurance for a period of time. At that time Republicans controlled the senate and Ronald Reagan was president.
Since 1980, 17 of 23 reconciliation bills have been signed by Republican presidents and more often when Republicans controlled one or both chambers of congress.
With the publicity last week surrounding the Republican National Committee playbook that featured demeaning pictures of the president and democratic leaders in congress, it is clear that their party is not about the issues or about addressing a problem that must be solved. Rather, it is about demonizing the opposition, something we have suspected since the first “Tea Party” where similar images were displayed on posters. Now the extremists we once called the fringe of the Republican Party are setting policy.
So if reconciliation must be used to pass Health Care Reform with no Republican votes then so be it.
It is right to ignore the Party of No when it is clear that their lack of cooperation will place greater hardship on the Americans who work every day to make this country what it is. “The time for debate is over,” the President said. Republicans want to “start over.” But starting over would just lead to the same point while Americans continue to suffer.
The Republican playbook urged supporters to use “fear” and “extreme negative feelings toward the existing administration” as fund raising tools. If that is your marketing strategy, then it stands to reason that your governing strategy must be to not cooperate with anything the “existing administration” proposes.
If they choose not to participate, that is their prerogative. But it could also be their downfall.
Here are some more videos that show without a doubt that the GOP = Tea Party = GOP = Racism = GOP. Racism, by the way, is not just animosity toward blacks from whites. It can also involve hatred toward Latinos or Asians and others.
Exposing the Racism Part 1
Demand an Explanation Part 2 They call Mexicans "filthy stinkin animals."
The GOP Supports the Teabaggers Part 3
Remember, if they are not like you, they do not like you.
A few days ago I posted The Roots of Republican Racism, which revealed that just a few years after Republican president Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, the party began the systematic disenfranchisement of the free African Americans.
I guess this is going to become a series because the Republican party of 2010 keeps giving us material. Anyone who follows politics knows that the GOP plays on fear as a way to influence the American public to vote their way. They have denied this, but now with the discovery of their power point playbook denial is useless.
This picture from their presentation is all over the Internet.
(As an aside, what is scary about Scooby Doo? How can he be linked to the "Evil Empire"?)
Such fear tactics were used here in Birmingham when the Teabaggers held a rally in Birmingham late last year.
But the roots of using fear tactics go back at least to 1892, when a Republican newspaper in Washington, DC printed an editorial explaining how things could be if equality for blacks was actually allowed. The column was reprinted in the Tallapoosa Voice in Tallapoosa County, AL, so frighten voters.
Quoting from a Republican newspaper in Washington, D.C., the Voice warned local whites of the "feast" that awaited them if full citizenship was allowed for blacks:
More than twenty negro Representatives from the South will render the Republican control of the future Congresses absolutely safe and sure. Heavy taxes should be laid upon the property of the whites to develop and extend the public school system of these States. Separate schools of the two races would be abolished, and the plan of bringing the youth of both colors into close and equal relation in school and churches given a fair trial...The State laws against the intermarriage of the races should be repealed, and any discrimination against the blacks in the matter of learning trades or obtaining employment should be a criminal offence - while the colored man's rights to hold office should be sacredly protected and recognized.
From - Blackmon, Douglas. Slavery by Another Name. pp 139-140.
Now, granted, most white voters in Alabama at the time might have been Democrats, they used the Republican message to sway the votes, through fear, at least in Tallapoosa county.
The one issue before the white people of Alabama is to maintain the integrity of the white man's democratic party. This is the one thing to which party organizers should look. That is the one thing the voter should address himself to.
Tallapoosa Voice, April 7, 1892
From - Blackmon. p 139.
There is no dispute that the powerful Alabama white people of 1892 were racist, after all, just a few years later they wrote our racist and elitist 1901 Alabama Constitution. While Republican racism was documented as far back as 1876 there is no denying the Democrats of the day were just as bad and stayed that way through the "Dixiecats" and on until the 1960's when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed under the leadership of President Johnson.
Soon after that, racist Democrats left the party and joined the Republican Party and the rest is history, as evidenced by the RNC message seen this week.
The Republican Party of 2010 often cites itself as "The party of Lincoln," in an effort to increase the size of its tent. They even went to far as to hire an African American to be the number 3 guy, (#1 - Rush, #2 - Sarah). Michael Steele is RNC chairman.
In the years after the Civil War ended, Republicans apparently began to re-think their positions (emphasis mine):
But the succeeding years would come as if the masses of poverty stricken whites and blacks were twin siblings of a parent indulgent to one and venomous to the other. A new national white consensus began to coalesce against African Americans with shocking force and speed. The general white public, the national leadership of the Republican Party, and the federal government, on every level were arriving at the conclusion that African Americans did not merit citizenship and that their freedom was not valuable enough to justify the conflicts they engendered among whites. Blackmon, Douglas; Slavery by Another Name; pages 86-87.
Blackmon follows with (emphasis mine):
As early as 1876, President Ulysses S. Grant, commander of the Union army of liberation, conceded to members of his cabinet that the Fifteenth Amendment, giving freed slaves the right to vote, had been a mistake: "It had done the Negro no good, and had been a hindrance to the South, and by no means a political advantage to the North. Blackmon; p 87.
Grant, of course, was a Republican, first elected in 1868 and re-elected in 1872.
Grant's 1868 campaign poster, created with early "photoshop," by superimposing his image onto the platform of the Republican Party. Library of Congress public domain
So just a decade after the Civil War the systematic disenfranchisement of the new franchisee began, under the leadership of the Republican Party. We know where this led. Segregation. Jim Crow. Plessy v. Ferguson. 1901 Alabama Constitution.
It would take a Democratic President (Lyndon Baines Johnson)to lead the way to the breakdown of Jim Crow and separate but equal, with the signing of the Civil Rights act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (and Brown v Board of Education in 1954).
(As a side note some are trying to re-create the "separate but equal" ideology in relation to same sex marriage, where certainly civil unions and domestic partnerships are not equal to marriage, in spite of what people are saying).
The Republican Party of 1876 has evolved into the Tea Party of 2009/10
Well, it’s embrace the tea party movement with full arms and hold as many open forums as they possibly can to bring people in and listen to them because the leadership right now is truly coming from the tea party movement … there’s no question that the heartbeat of the tea party movement would be more in line with the mission state of the Republican party certainly than that of the Democrat party. So if the Republican Party is wise, they will allow themselves to be re-defined by the tea party movement. And I hope that that will be the case.
Here's a classic picture taken at a Tea Party.
My sources tell me the kid got out alive. "This sign is the brownest thing on this entire block" it reads.
OK. That's enough for today. But rest assure there will be more.
New feature on Bessemer Opinions. The latest comments are now shown on the left and you can click on them to see the post from which they came. Now if you comment, others are more likely to see them. Isn't that a good thing?
Update: The comments feature doesn't seem to be updating as it should. I am going to leave it up and see what it does, but there have been more comments posted today on blog posts from a couple of days ago.
In my never ending mission, the calling out of those who want to damage our country, I wrote this for the Western Tribune column this week. Teabaggers, you are not going to get away with it. American's are smarter, and fairer, than you think.
I have inserted links of interest.
Western Tribune Column
The Tea Party may have lost any chance of becoming more than a flash in the pan when they allowed Tom Tancredo, a former Republican candidate for president, to address their first convention on their opening night.
Tancredo ran for the 2008 Republican nomination for president with anti-immigration as his number one issue.
At the Tea Party convention on Friday he brought back memories of the “Jim Crow” era as he said that President Obama was elected because "we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country."
Lest there be any doubt what he meant, he followed with, "People who could not spell the word vote or say it in English put a committed socialist ideologue in the White House -- name is Barack Hussein Obama."
During the Jim Crow era laws reduced the political power as well as the social standing of black citizens.
Literacy tests were used during that era to disenfranchise blacks and poor whites by denying them the right to vote in order to continue wealthy white control. The results are lasting, most notably in that we still live under the 1901 Alabama constitution, put in place by wealthy whites in order to control blacks.
The last time a political party with similar ideals about race gained such national attention was when the States Rights Democratic Party, or Dixiecrats, formed in the south in 1948. At that time disgruntled Democrats were fighting to uphold segregation. Now former Republicans (many of whom are former Democrats) are promoting this new class warfare with one aim, stated by Tancredo: stop the black president.
A recent documentary by Rick Rowley and Jacquie Soohen titled White Power USA, examined the connection between the Tea Party and the white power movement. The connection is there, and it is solid.
It makes one wonder if the decision to locate the Tea Party convention so close to the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan was a coincidence. The KKK was founded in Pulsaski, Tennessee, just after the Civil War ended in an effort to preserve white control in the rapidly changing social environment. Pulaski is about 75 miles south of Nashville.
The American majority of 2010 will turn from this racially charged movement. Remember, the real majority voted for the type of change Obama is pushing, in spite of what the vocal minority is saying. Congress should respond.
Daily Kos had a poll conducted (by independent poller Research 2000) and the results are sickening. Really.
The poll was conducted by telephone survey of 2003 self-identified Republicans between January 20 and January 31, this year. The margin of error is less than 2%.
The entire results can be found here, with further breakdown of the raw numbers.
Here are the highlights.
Should Barack Obama be impeached, or not?
Yes - 39% No - 32
Never mind that there has to be high crimes or misdemeanors.
Do you believe that Barack Obama was born in the United States, or not?
Yes - 42 No - 36
Over one third of your party still can't accept the fact that a black man born in the United States is president.
Do you think Barack is a socialist?
Yes - 63 No - 21
Do you believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Barack Obama?
Yes - 53 No - 14
Do you believe your state should secede from the United States? Yes - 23 No - 58
In the south, 33% of Republicans believe we should secede.
Should openly gay men and women be allowed to serve in the military?
Yes - 26 No - 55
Should sex education be taught in the public schools?
Yes - 42 No - 51
At least over half of you want your children educated and safe.
Should public school students be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world?
Yes - 77 No - 15
Should the next question have been about doing away with science completely?
Do you believe the birth control pill is abortion?
Yes - 34 No - 48
Do you consider abortion to be murder?
Yes - 76 No - 8
So, that means that 25.84% of Republicans think that women who use birth control are committing murder.
Do you support the death penalty?
Yes - 91 No - 4
Barbaric!
And I actually know people who are part of this party. Yikes!
Update: Del Ali, president of Research 2000 said this earlier today to Kos. "We have received two threatening phone calls in the past hour. Interestingly enough, both calls conclude that both you and I are terrorists promoting a gay and of course anti-American agenda. "
The teabaggers may feel energized, but why? I mean, I understand that their centerfold candidate won in Massachusetts and all.
But Americans with brains want to to know: what do you stand for?
Reduced spending? Give specifics. What would you cut? Give me specifics, and I will address them in future postings.
Reduced government regulation? Then why do you keep trying to prevent loving couples from getting married?
When I try to find out what specifically the Teabagger party folks believe in, I either come up with web sites that you can't enter without registration (scary) or videos like this (I think I posted this one before, but let's watch again).
Dang, they are as uneducated as local letter writer Snuffy Garrett, (who made a fool of himself in this week's Western Tribune by not researching before he wrote).
We watched a story on BBC in America where Tea Party members in Washington, Missouri, were interviewed. They couldn't say what they believed in, but they did claim not to be the fringe that we see on TV. Then the fangs came out and they said they would sabotage Republicans that did not agree with their beliefs.
But the Tea Party movement is not all roses either. This video calling on grassroots protesters to avoid the upcoming national teabag convention, and unite, not letting the GOP hijack their efforts.
Notice that while a black person or two is shown in the video, that when they speak of uniting, it is all white hands that come together. A fist bump between a white fist and a black fist seems to represent conflict, not approval, because it immediately follows the words "Don't fall for it again. Not now!"
As best as I can tell, the Tea party movement is a white supremacist, anti-choice, dominionist, homophobic, uneducated (obvious from the first video) group of noisemakers.
I'm not saying they shouldn't be taken seriously. But realize this, as well. Part of the anger in the country is coming from the left. After all, we helped elect the congress and president, and they haven't come through like we expected. So don't think that all the anger reflected in polls and election results comes from the right.
Let's start with Birmingham. Congratulations, first, to William Bell. While I supported his opponent (even though I don't vote in that city), Bell will be the new mayor, and it is up to him to lead us out of the funk we are in. Almost as bad an assignment as the one Barack Obama was handed when he assumed the presidency.
Bell can do this, I am confident. It just won't be in the same manner that Patrick Cooper would have.
As for the gay community, we should support Bell. William Bell has been our friend in the past. He is not responsible for the homophobia that disgraced his campaign. Frank Matthews is. Bell can show us how he feels by ignoring Matthews as he builds his team. Time will tell.
As for Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts, I could write about the failure of the democrats to select a decent candidate, or about the candidate herself and her gaffes, but let's be honest and look at the big picture.
In 2008 America made a statement when it elected Barack Obama. He campaigned on health care reform among other things, and most who voted for him supported it too.
So what happened? Did Americans since then decide they like having 40 million uninsured countrymen? Do they appreciate that people die every day because they lack health insurance?
I find that hard to believe. But I'm not going to answer the questions here. I don't have those answers.
Besides, here are my concerns. The teabaggers have the momentum now. Democrats in congress may be afraid to pass anything, health care related or other. Teabaggers will be giddy.
Teabaggers in this state will be energized. Sorry, Artur. Sorry, Ron.
If it were just Republicans I wouldn't worry. But the teabaggers are a different story. They are the modern KKK. White separatists. Seriously, listen to the radio. Read their blogs. Within the last week I have seen that they have selected a (battle) flag, heard them talk about secession, heard about commandeering the southern auto plants for munitions and weapons manufacture, speak of getting the guillotine ready, and more. Idle talk? Hardly, one of the people being interviewed was an elected official in our state. Sorry I don't know who, I was in the shower listening to the radio on Sunday when I heard it on 101.1 FM.
That is the concern I was alluding to the past few days on this blog. God help us.
But there are progressive people in this county, and this country, and we will continue to search for and support progressive candidates and promote progressive policies. Gays are already abandoning the Democratic Party (shutting down the GayTM).
The Democratic Party and the president and the state parties really need to pow-wow and get their act together. November comes quickly.
This is a sad casualty of the storm yesterday. Ida destroyed my flag.
But it is Veteran's Day, so I will leave it up until dark. It looks kind of like a war time flag, huh? Thanks go out to those who have served in our armed forces. I won't name names, but family members and friends...you know who you are...thanks.
Shocking. I am really shocked that Claire Mitchell lost the district 56 election yesterday. Congratulations to Lawrence McAdory. He will have to defend his win soon, however, as the election only fills the seat through the unexpired term of Priscilla Dunn, who won the Senate district 19 seat earlier this year.
I have my own opinions as to why this election turned out the way it did, but (believe it or not) I am keeping those to myself.
Even more shocking. Teabaggers are defending their use of Kelly Ingram Park for their rally. An anonymous person sent a comment to my post that linked to one of the teabagger organizer's blog. Regarding the Kelly Ingram Park rally, he says:
"Names like Bull Connor and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are attached to the horrible events there."
Isn't that a little degrading to MLK, Jr., to have is name "attached to the horrible events" as if he bore some responsibility for the fire hoses and dogs. No, that blame is not shared by Bull Conner and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Then after showing historic pictures of the four girls who were killed nearby, he writes this:
"Could there be a better venue to celebrate our freedoms and rise to the defense of civil rights for all? I hope that the symbolism is not lost on people but what happened there today would have to make Dr. King and the victims of Bull Connor proud."
"The defense of civil rights for all"? From the stage I heard a birther arguing against the credibility of the Obama presidency. I heard the right to health care being compared to communism and socialism.
If they wanted civil rights for all, they would have been promoting GLBT equality and same sex civil marriage.
"...but what happened there today would have to make Dr. King and the victims of Bull Connor proud."
Some of the victims of Bull Conner were there, and they were proudly standing against what was coming from the stage.
Read what Kathy wrote. This was nothing more than a modern day "Klan-lite" gathering and a slap in the face of what Kelly Ingram Park and the Foot Soldiers stood for.
Shockingest. Well not really, but somewhat shocking that Republicans could be handing such a gift to the Democrats. In Florida, the Tea Party political party has registered as a valid political party and promises to run candidates against Republicans and Democrats. Thank you thank you thank you. After the success they had in NY-23 (laugh, laugh), right wing conservatives are going to try the same strategy nationwide.
