Sunday, July 27, 2014

10 Years ago, Barack Obama Addressed the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, MA ~ PLUS

I am not sure how 10’s of millions of people voted for President Obama twice yet took away a Congress he could work with in 2010 and may take away more of that Congress in November.

Rather than try to comprehend the psychology of that, I think the 10th anniversary of his introduction of himself on a national stage is a perfect time to remind all of us of just a bit of what the GOP political, strategic nullification of our President (and our votes as well by the way) has obstructed…

And then I want to return to my regular “End of Month FAV Posts ~ Shareable And/Or Actionable" where you will find, One: A partial list of pages within the White House website that provide direct information on the work of this President and his Administration and; Two: A great website you can access to learn more about the most critical election coming up in November ~ Keeping the U.S. Senate in the hands of Democrats.


***



“… I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents’ dreams live on in my precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible. Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” …”

( Entire speech on video here: C-SPAN  ... Entire speech in transcript form here: PBS )



***

End of Month FAV Posts ~ Shareable And/Or Actionable:


In the age of GOOGLE, juxtaposed with libraries, there is little to no excuse for being an uninformed citizen and the White House website provides nearly all of the information a citizen requires to know the Truth of President Obama's Administration.

Below, please find and share a few of my favorite pages within the website:





^^^ The White House Blog: A really good place to find information on what the Administration is working on, with many more details than you'll ever find on main stream media!




^^^ The Connect and Engage Page  A Really good place to observe the open and participatory effort of this Administration where you can ask questions, leave comments, join in online events, etc. Check out the introductory video which captures the first President of the United States sending a Tweet!





^^^ The White House Live Page A really good page where you can watch most of the speeches President Obama gives and below that the White House LiveTwitter Stream where you can follow those speeches in real time and/or Re-Tweet them to your friends yourself.




^^^ The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative A really good page where information can be found on our trade policy work creating new opportunities "for families, farmer, manufacturers, workers, consumers, and businesses." 


***

And now, where you can learn more about the Democratic November race to keep the U.S. Senate and/or to add seats to that body and where you can find ways to help to make sure that happens!




^^^ Don't wait. Go now. Check out the fabulous work the Democratic SenatorialCampaign Committee is doing to get it done!




G.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

1980 taught me: Keep it simple and vote Pro-U.S. ~



This message is loosely based in a 1980 observation of my own.

In 1980, I was a volunteer co-manager at the local Democratic City Campaign Office. Coincidentally, I was also just beginning my volunteer work as an educator on destructive cultism.

(The Moon Organization had just set up in my community and pledged to recruit everyone in our city so a group of us rolled up our sleeves and educated ourselves and our citizens to make sure none of our young adults became “Moonies,” without make an informed decision, of course.)

It did not take long for me to recognize the similarities between the GOP and the Moon Organization ~ sticking with the Keep It Simple theme, suffice it to say that the cult of personality enhanced by The Big Lie Theory was ruling over all else per the adherents of the respective philosophies.

And, it became clear to me that my Independent status was idealism and not a strategy to win so I decided to take a stand and I registered -- Democrat.

And we all know what happened in 1980, right?, Democrats (the Pro-U.S. government people) were out and Republicans (the Anti-U.S. government people) were in and, if I may be so bold as to say, we have been on a downhill slide ever since because, as a rule, the GOP has never, ever given up its hope of attaining the power and the money and the votes it requires to rule a Christian Vulture-Capitalistic Nation.

I am a firm believer in this >>> SYSTEMS ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THOSE WHO ARE RUNNING THEM AND VOTERS PUT PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF OUR SYSTEM and the only question is ~ who will we put in charge in November?

For all intents and purposes, it is that simple ~ Pro- or Anti- U.S. government, with the details to be ironed out later. 

As of June 2014, per the Statistic Brain the total number of eligible voters in American is 206,072,000 and of them 146,311,000 are registered to vote and, just as an aside, 131,144,000 of them voted in 2012 (64%).

It seems to me that if more Americans take their responsibility as citizens more seriously and if they register to vote and if they vote ~ the Pro-U.S. government people will win the day.

Now, just to have a spot of fun, let’s hear what George Carlin had to say about why he does not vote (mid-1990’s I believe).




Here’s the R-rated video version and below that is an edited PG-rated version:

"You may have noticed that there's one thing I don't complain about: Politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says, "They suck". But where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. No, they come from American homes, American families, American schools, American churches, American businesses, and they're elected by American voters. This is the best we can do, folks. It's what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out.

....I have solved this political dilemma in a very direct way: I don't vote. On Election Day, I stay home. I firmly believe that if you vote, you have no right to complain. Now, some people like to twist that around. They say, "If you don't vote, you have no right to complain", but where's the logic in that? If you vote, and you elect dishonest, incompetent politicians, and they get into office and screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You voted them in. You caused the problem. You have no right to complain.


I, on the other hand, who did not vote -- who did not even leave the house on Election Day -- am in no way responsible for that these politicians have done and have every right to complain about the mess that you created."



 G.



Sunday, July 13, 2014

If the GOP tells you it is striving for a Wanna Be Totalitarian United States ~ Why won't you believe it?


I love that meme ^^^ and a HUGE shout out to DELAVE for it!

Continuing reading and decide for yourself if you are willing to surrender...

My personal experience has been that Political Parties create Political Platforms as written documents, as evidence, if you will, of what they want to impose on the nation with the nation’s consent, of course. My personal experience is also that some politicians, when questioned about their Parties’ Platforms, will respond that they do not subscribe to said Platforms in their entirety, that not everyone does ~ you know ~ there are so many people under the umbrella they like to say…

But, I find that to be pure BS, particularly on the level of seeking an elected position as a Party member. I am of the mind that if you are running for and elected position under a Party banner, you subscribe to that Party’s Platform and if you don’t you step out of the race and you work to change the Platform and you return to the race when you have been successful. (I’m a bit more lenient in my thinking about Party Rank and File but not much.)

It is important because it is what tells you if you and your potential candidates are on the same page or not. It also tells you if they are telling the truth about what they, as representatives of their party believe.

Having said that, let’s talk about the 2014 Party of Texas Platform and consider not only that this is what the Republican Party in Texas believes but that this is ~ overall ~ what the GOP believes because, frankly, I see no policy differences between Texas and any other GOP-ER based on two things: One, Proposed Legislation from the bottom of the system to the top of the system and; Two, Attempts to alter American history to favor their ideological beliefs and feed those falsehoods to all of our children via textbooks.

I am not going to give you the whole 40 pages of the document here but I am going to give you a link to the whole 40 pages and I am going to strongly encourage you to read all of them and to then, if you have not done so already, commit to voting Democrat in November and putting a stop to what I think is a

GOP push for:

A Wanna Be Totalitarianism United States

Defined as: Totalitarianism or totalitarian state is a concept used by some political scientists to describe a political system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible

( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism )




Are you ready? Here are some of my selected excerpts with slight modifications for clarity of presentation purposes only ...

Republican Party of Texas  
Report of
Permanent Committee on Platform and Resolutions
As Amended and Adopted by the
2014 State Convention of the
Republican Party of Texas

(^^^ The above emphasis is mine just to note that this totalitarian wanna be GOP Party Platform has been processed and accepted by the GOP Texas Party ~ they believe what they say. I will not emphasize going forward. I will let you read and I will let you decide what needs emphasis in your mind to get you to the polls in November.)

PREAMBLE

We STILL 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. Throughout the world, people dare to dream of freedom and opportunity. The Republican Party of Texas unequivocally defends that dream. We strive to preserve the freedom given to us by God, implemented by our Founding Fathers, and embodied in the Constitution. We recognize that the traditional family is the strength of our nation. It is our solemn duty to protect life and develop responsible citizens. We understand that our economic success depends upon free market principles. If we fail to maintain our sovereignty, we risk losing the freedom to live these ideals.

(* Please note, according to the GOP our Founding Fathers were working for God and since the GOP is anti-federal government except for U.S. imperialism, I am going to make an educated guest that “sovereignty” here refers to the sovereignty of Texas, with a token sovereignty nod to the federal government ~ and that's all I'm going to say!)

PRINCIPLES

We, the 2014 Republican Party of Texas, believe in this platform and expect our elected leaders to uphold these truths through acknowledgement and action. We believe in:

1. Strict adherence to the original intent of the Declaration of Independence and United States and Texas Constitutions.

2. The sanctity of human life, created in the image of God, which should be protected from fertilization to natural death.

3. Preserving American and Texas sovereignty and freedom.

4. Limiting government power to those items enumerated in the United States and Texas Constitutions.

5. Personal accountability and responsibility.

6. Self-sufficient families, founded on the traditional marriage of a natural man and a natural woman.

7. Having an educated population, with parents having the freedom of choice for the education of their children.

8. Americans having the right to be safe in their homes, on their streets, and in their communities; and the unalienable right to defend themselves.
9. A free enterprise society unencumbered by government interference or subsidies.

10. Honoring all of those that serve and protect our freedom.

11. And we believe in “The laws of nature and nature’s God” as our Founding Fathers believed.

PRESERVING AMERICAN FREEDOM

Reaffirm Texas Sovereignty as Reserved Under the 10th Amendment, United States Constitution -

We strongly urge the Texas Legislature ignore, oppose, refuse, and nullify any federal mandated legislation which infringes upon the states’ 10th Amendment Right. All federal enforcement activities in Texas must be conducted under the auspices of the county sheriff with jurisdiction in that county.

(Opposition to Socialism) - Socialism breeds mediocrity. America is exceptional. Therefore, the
Republican Party of Texas opposes socialism in all of its forms.

(Full Repeal of the 17th Amendment of the United States Constitution) - Return the appointment of United States Senators by the state legislatures.

(Law Enforcement) - We support limitation of criminal jurisdiction of federal law-enforcement agencies into state and local jurisdictions, and encourage them to enforce the laws under federal jurisdiction. The states have the right to protect their citizens if the federal government fails to enforce its applicable laws.

(Border Security) - The United States border must be secured immediately! It is the fundamental responsibility of our federal government to do so. Narcotics, arms and human trafficking have a
devastating effect on our nation. By using every available resource to achieve 100% border security and control, it will enhance the protection of all Americans, especially border residents. The State of Texas has the right to protect its citizens, businesses and ranches if the federal government fails to enforce its applicable laws.

(Preserving National Security) - We believe terrorism is a major threat to international peace and to our own safety. We urge our national leadership to:

Protect and defend our natural and constitutional rights and swiftly wage successful war on terrorists Eliminate aid and cease commerce with any nation threatening us or aiding terrorists or hostile nations Support other nations fighting terrorists
Reasonably use profiling to protect us
Prosecute national security breaches
Revise laws or executive orders that erode our essential liberties.

(Inter-jurisdictional Agreements) - We oppose inter-jurisdictional agreements with any state that prevent the governor from controlling the Texas Military Forces, police, other emergency management personnel, and/or State of Texas resources. We call for repeal of any existing agreements.

(Census) - We oppose the Census Bureau obtaining data beyond the number of people residing in a dwelling, and we oppose statistical sampling adjustments. We support the actual counting of people and oppose any type of estimation or manipulation of census data. Only United States citizens should be counted for the purpose of adjusting legislative districts.

(Preservation of Republican Form of Government) - We support our republican form of government in Texas, as set forth in the Texas Bill of Rights, and oppose initiative and referendum. We also urge the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress to enact legislation prohibiting any judicial jurisdiction from allowing any substitute or parallel system of law, specifically foreign law (including Sharia Law), which is not in accordance with the United States or Texas Constitutions.

(Protection from Extreme Environmentalists) - We strongly oppose all efforts of the extreme environmental groups that stymie legitimate business interests and private property use. We believe the Environmental Protection Agency should be abolished.

(Climate Change) - While we all strive to be good stewards of the earth, “climate change” is a political agenda which attempts to control every aspect of our lives. We urge government at all levels to ignore any plea for money to fund global climate change or “climate justice” initiatives.

(Free Speech for the Clergy) - We urge amendment of the Internal Revenue Code to allow a religious organization to address issues without fear of losing its tax-exempt status. We call for repeal of requirements that religious organizations send the government any personal information about their contributors.

(The Rights of a Sovereign People) - The Republican Party of Texas supports the historic concept, established by our nation’s founders, of limited civil government jurisdiction under the natural laws of God, and repudiates the humanistic doctrine that the state is sovereign over the affairs of men, the family, and the church.

(Defending American Citizens)- We call for Congress to act, as President Obama has dismissed the IRS targeting of specific political groups and individuals, which calls into question the President’s and the Department of Justice’s commitment to citizens constitutional rights; and we call for Congress to act on the Benghazi cover up and the failure to protect American citizens including United States military personnel by the Obama Administration; and we call for Congressional investigations into other federal agencies.

(Voter Registration) - We support restoring integrity to the voter registration rolls and reducing voter fraud. We support repeal of all motor voter laws; re-registering voters every four years; requiring photo ID of all registrants; proof of residency and citizenship, along with voter registration application; retention of the 30-day registration deadline; and requiring that a list of certified deaths be provided to the Secretary of State in order that the names of deceased voters be removed from the list of registered voters.

(Election of the Speaker of the House) - We support an amendment to the Texas Constitution to make the Texas Speaker of the House a state wide elected position.

HONORING THE SYMBOLS OF OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE

Religious Symbols- We oppose any governmental action to restrict, prohibit, or remove public display of the Ten Commandments or other religious symbols.

Pledge of Allegiance- We support adoption of the Pledge Protection Act. We also urge that the national motto “In God We Trust” and national anthem be protected from legislative and judicial attack.
Confederate Widow’s Plaque- We call for restoration of plaques honoring the Confederate Widow’s Pension Fund contribution that were illegally removed from the Texas Supreme Court building.

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, PROTECTING LIFE, AND PROMOTING HEALTH
CELEBRATING TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE

Family and Defense of Marriage- We support the definition of marriage as a God-ordained, legal and moral commitment only between a natural man and a natural woman.

We support withholding jurisdiction from the federal courts in cases involving family law, especially any changes in the definition of marriage.

We shall not recognize or grant to any unmarried person the legal rights or status of a spouse.

We oppose the recognition of and granting of benefits to people who represent themselves as domestic partners without being legally married.

We urge the legislature to rescind no-fault divorce laws and support covenant marriage.

(Judicial Activism in Marriage) - We oppose the assault on marriage by judicial activists.

(Enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act) - We support the enforcement of the State Defense of Marriage Act and oppose benefits for partnerships outside of marriage provided by political subdivisions.

(Protection for Religious Institutions) - We believe religious institutions have the freedom to recognize and perform only those marriages that are consistent with their doctrine.

(Family Values) - We support the affirmation of traditional Judeo-Christian family values and oppose the continued assault on those values. We strongly support a woman’s right to choose to devote her life to her family and children. We recognize her sacrifice in the face of the assault on the family. Additionally, we recognize the challenges of single parents and applaud their efforts in creating a stable and moral home.

(Homosexuality) - Homosexuality is a chosen behavior that is contrary to the fundamental unchanging truths that have been ordained by God in the Bible, recognized by our nation’s founders, and shared by the majority of Texans. Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable alternative lifestyle, in public policy, nor should family be redefined to include homosexual couples. We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin. Additionally, we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values.

PROTECTING INNOCENT HUMAN LIFE

(Candidate Support) - The Republican Party of Texas should provide financial support only to those candidates who support the right to life planks.

PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN

(Parental Rights and Responsibilities) - We believe that parental rights, authority, and responsibilities are inherent and protected by the United States Constitution. Local, state, or federal laws, regulations, or policies shall not be enacted that limit parental rights in the rearing of both biological and adopted children. Parents have the right and responsibility to direct and guide their children’s moral education.

ASSISTING FAMILIES TO SELF SUFFICIENCY

(Welfare Reform) - Welfare should offer a hand up to transition families and individuals through hard times. Welfare reform should encourage partnerships with faith based institutions, community, and business organizations to assist individuals in need. The current system encourages dependency on government and robs individuals and generations of healthy motivation and self-respect. It should be limited in scope. …

(Social Security) - We support an immediate and orderly transition to a system of private pensions based on the concept of individual retirement accounts, and gradually phasing out the Social Security tax. We insist that Social Security benefits be non–taxable. To protect the Social Security System, its funds should not be co-mingled or spent with general revenues or invested in private or public corporate stock.

(Medicaid Reform) - We support Medicaid block grants to the states and returning Medicaid to its original purpose - to be a temporary assistance to our able-bodied citizens who, due to unfortunate circumstances, find themselves in need.

EMPOWERING FAMILIES TO DIRECT THEIR HEALTH CARE

(Conscience Clause) - We support conscientious objection in the medical community. We believe that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, any employees of hospitals and insurance companies, health care organizations, medical and scientific research students, and any employee should be protected by Texas law if they conscientiously object to participate in practices that conflict with their moral or religious beliefs. This includes, but is not limited to, abortion, the prescription for and dispensing of drugs with abortifacient potential, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, eugenic screenings, euthanasia, assisted suicide, harmful futile procedures, and the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration. We call on the Texas Legislature to pass legislation to strengthen and clarify the current conscience clause in the Occupational Code to include the above-mentioned persons and practices. We further encourage legislation that requires hospitals and clinics to inform all health care personnel of their right to refuse to become involved in abortion or euthanasia and their protection from prosecution and retaliation under Texas law.

EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN

(American Identity, Patriotism and Loyalty) - We favor strengthening our common American identity and loyalty, which includes the contribution and assimilation of different racial and ethnic groups. Students should pledge allegiance to the United States and Texas flags daily to instill patriotism. Students have the right to display patriotic items on school property. Students should have the right to read the Bible on public school property.

(Religious Freedom in Public Schools) - We urge school administrators and officials to inform Texas school students and district personnel specifically of their 1st Amendment rights to pray and engage in religious speech, individually or in groups, on school property without government interference. We urge the legislature to end censorship of discussion of religion in our founding documents and encourage discussing those documents, including the Bible as their basis. Students and district personnel have the right to display Christian items on school property.

PROMOTING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND PERSONAL SAFETY

(Judeo-Christian Nation) - As America is a nation under God, founded on Judeo-Christian principles, we affirm the constitutional right of all individuals to worship as they choose.
Religious Expression- The Republican Party of Texas will protect the rights of commercial establishments to refuse to provide any service or product that would infringe upon their freedom of conscience of religious expression as stated in the 1st Amendment.

(Safeguarding Religious Liberties)- We affirm that the public acknowledgement of God is undeniable in our history and is vital to our freedom, prosperity, and strength. We pledge our influence toward a return to the original intent of the 1st Amendment and toward dispelling the myth of separation of church and state. We urge the legislature to increase the ability of faith-based institutions and other organizations to assist the needy and to reduce regulation of such organizations.

FOREIGN POLICY

Foreign Aid- We oppose foreign aid, except in cases of national defense or catastrophic disasters, with Congressional approval.
(Israel) - We believe that the United States and Israel share a special long-standing relationship based on shared values, a mutual commitment to a republican form of government, and a strategic alliance that benefits both nations. Our foreign policy with Israel should reflect the right of sovereign nations to govern themselves and have self-determination. In our diplomatic dealings with Israel, we encourage the continuation of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but oppose pressuring Israel to compromise their sovereignty or security. Our policy is inspired by God’s biblical promise to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel and we further invite other nations and organizations to enjoy the benefits of that promise.

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF PRIORITIZING CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY LEGISLATION

We call upon the 84th Texas Legislature to propose to the people of Texas a constitutional amendment to strike “; but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime” from Article I, Section 23 of the Texas Constitution.
Further, we request the State Party Chair and the State Republican Executive Committee consider adoption of such an amendment and other legislation necessary to remove restrictions on Texans' right to own and bear arms a legislative priority for the Republican Party of Texas for the 2015 legislative session and to utilize reasonable Party resources necessary to promote and support their passage.




G.

Sunday, July 6, 2014

November 4th: V-O-T-E D-E-M-O-C-R-A-T!



Having said that, I am very concerned about lack of knowledge by Americans of America so I am encouraging all voters to do some very simple reading on how their system works and to test their candidates running for office on how our system works and if they don’t know the answers push them to learn, as well, and to follow up in writing with answers to your questions.

Systems are only as good as the people who run them and if voters don’t make sure they are electing candidates into positions of power who understand how that system works ~ well ~ you do get what you vote for.

Here’s a great page on how our government works, provided by the President Obama Administration on the White House website!  I always recommend going to the source first!!!  



^^^ Just what power does a U.S. President have? Do you know?


Personally, on a very simple level I can often rule out a candidate with one question:

 I ask how he or she will see a promise (s) accomplished? If a candidate does not know that there is a process and how that process works and if he or she cannot clearly articulate a strategy that will provide the best odds of success at the end of that process then I would have two choices two make:

One: Look for a better choice? And if there is I would not support anyone ignorant of our own system.

Two: If there is not a better choice, which is very sad but it happens, then I would work with what I have had and I would do what I could to get him or her up to speed. 

Beyond that, I would want to know if they shared my basic, Democratic thinking that says the United States is based on The Common Good ~ codified in the United States Constitution here:

Article 1 Section 8 (Article 1 excerpt)

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

And I would inquire as to if he or share interprets Article 1 Section 8 as I do ~ as a constitutional mandate to provide for the health and the welfare of our nation (which, or course, is us!), or not.

Further questions might look like this:

Do you support the United States Constitution as it is or would you make changes to it? If yes, what changes?

In light of the anti-U.S. GOP Party, this is a very important question. Here’s a sampling of constitutional changes being discussed in the GOP Party now:


Do you support the strategic nullification of a duly elected American President? If so, how do you justify the nullification of majority rule via elections? If not, what would you do about it?

In light of the anti-U.S GOP Party, I would be looking for knowledge based reality here and a candidate who would not be complicit by his or her silence. 


Do you support the Separation of Church and State, including but not limited to, the teaching of science and not faith in public schools?

In light of the anti-U.S. GOP Party, I would be looking for a candidate who will recognize GOP movement toward an American Theology and not mistake the desire for power and control for religion and who, again, would not be complicit by his or her silence 


Do you support the designing of and implementation of a code of ethics for the Supreme Court?

In light of the anti-U.S. Government majority sitting on the Supreme Court, as we speak, I am looking for a candidate would understand that human nature at all levels needs to be checked.    


Having done that, I would have some questions around more local concerns in the District and in the State ready to pursue.

At the end of the day I would feel as if I’d done my job as a voter a participant in my own Democracy.

It is my fondest wish that all Democrats would, at the end of the day, feel the same way!

*** A shout out to http://voicesfromtheheartland.blogspot.com/2014/03/why-do-some-republican-senators-act.html for that " TIME TO VOTE DEMOCRAT meme!