So recently in the media there has been a lot of talk about how the opposition to our President is racially motivated. We have our nations first black President. He has a progressive agenda. The Republicans are in a deep minority. This seems like cause and effect to me.
Now we all know what the Republican party was known best for throughout the Bush administration. Fear mongering. Conjuring up a fear of the "Could happen" to pass legaslation. "We have to give corporations welfare to ensure they can still afford to employ our constituents", "We have to pass the the Patriot Act to ensure no terrorist cells can exist in America", and lets not forget "We have to invade Iraq because they have WMD's that theaten our freedom". All. Bull. Shit.
The playbook hasn't changed folks. The same fear of what "could happen" is being used to stop or slow the progressive agenda that the public voted in to office.
I do not see this type of political pandering as racist. I see it as survivalist.
This is the only way Republicans know how to try and keep their campaign contributions flowing in. Stand up against whats best for the people by convincing the people they're being robbed of their "Freedoms".
Being told by your elected official that your constitutional rights are being infringed upon is a scary thing. These people that buy into it have a legitimate right to be afraid. They trust these politicians. They look to them for comfort, for strength. In return they're lied to with corporate talking points, drummed up with only one aspect in mind. Save the corporation money.
With the fear of "privileges" being stolen away, the media steps in and stokes the flames. "Is it a race issue?" they say... Well, it is now.
What the media has done is taken away the legitimate argument and replaced it with a black and white issue.
I'm not going to deny the heavy racial undertones that dominate the lunatic right wing fringe. It's there, and a growing threat. But! This is classic a "Taking your eye off the ball" situation. This is exactly what the Republicans want. The rest of the country debating whether it's a race issue or not, while real progressive legislation gets swept under the rug.
Lets not, as a nation, get swept up in a race debate. Lets keep the issues on the table and try to bring about real reform. "Change we can believe in" was the mantra. And it still is.
With a heavily lopsided majority in Congress these goals of the X, XY and Y generations are still achievable. Keep in mind that the under 35 crowd got out and voted in our President. We of these "jilted" generations are on the front lines in this battle to secure "our" best interests. Not only for us but your kids, or your kids to be. We have an obligation to our future generations to uphold. Our preceding generation did not do it for us. So lets take a history lesson and do the right thing.
Tell your friends, your family, your employer that you're above the racial divide. Tell anyone who will listen that security comes from peace of mind, not partisan politics. This is America. Your voice and vote are bigger than any special interest group or politician. Stand up and speak out for what you know is right. Speak out for what you want! Speak out for the people who are afraid to!
We need to take care of each other. Stand beside one another. Not as Republicans or Democrats. Not as Black, white, yellow or red. But as citizens of this, the richest nation of all history. The nation of rights and well being. The Nation of hope and opportunity. The nation of rational thought and decision... The United States of America. Our home sweet home.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Freedom from Religion.
Its a terribly sad time here in the "Great State of Texas". As of this school year it is required that ALL school districts implement the bible in their curriculum. That's right, required.
Now I fully understand that the bible means everything to some and I'm fine with that. That's your choice and you have the freedom to practice whatever religion you wish. So long as it abides by local and federal laws. I.e. Separation of church and state, no human sacrifices and so on.
First I'd like to lay down some statistics for the area I live in. Plano, Tx Plano, is roughly 65 percent white folks, most of them your standard christian of some variant. Another 6% are Latino, 4% black. You can group them into some christian group as well. From there the lines get really blurry. Plano being an international hub for the tech industry, brings in people from all over the world. For instance, there are said to be 95 spoken languages in Plano alone. 95! How many of you even knew there was that many languages? Not me. So it goes without saying that there are many different religions that follow those many different cultures.
Most of these families that came here to America have children in school. Out of the 65,000 kids in the Plano ISD, only 60 percent of them are to be considered of christian faith. So what that means is just under 30,000 kids will be forced to be indoctrinated with the christian religion in Plano alone! It's not like these kids are godless or without faith. There is a heavy Muslim presence in this community as well as Hindu, Buddihst and lets not leave out my favorites, the Jews.
"Whats the big deal?" "Jesus Christ saved my life!" "Everyone should be converted to Christ!"
Battle cries from the idiots that surround me. These statements coming from the same people that didn't want their children to hear a black president speak of achieving higher education by staying in school. The same group of people who call a Liberal House and Senate Socialist and Communist, all for wanting to provide these low income Foxophiles with affordable heath coverage. Damn them for wanting to heal the sick!
They're missing the point. America is about freedom. The same freedom to practice their religion is the same freedom they're infringing upon. By forcing students to read from and be graded upon their definition of the christian faith, they are in direct violation of Separation between Church and State laws. With that said, I think that the Supreme Court needs to step in to protect our citizens rights and put a stop to this. Keep in mind this is a public school system I'm speaking of. Funded by federal dollars and subject to the same principles of our Constitution. If they are non-compliant, then they should lose all federal funding.
Harsh punishment? I don't think so. Simply ask yourself this. If your children were required to read from the Koran everyday in school, how would you feel? It's no different. This is not a nation founded on christian fundamentals. It's a nation founded on individual freedoms. Freedom of speech, the right to bare arms, freedom of religion... Freedom of religion is and should always be given the same respect as freedom from religion. In our society it is illegal for a government run institution to force any ideological beliefs upon any citizen. With that in mind...
I'll leave you with this.
The government of the United States is in no sense founded on the Christian Religion.” ~ George Washington
"This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it." ~ John Adams
“I do not find in Christianity one redeeming feature. Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
“The Bible is not my book, nor Christianity my religion.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
“A just government has no need for the clergy or the church. Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise.” ~ James Madison
"I have seldom met an intelligent person whose views were not narrowed and distorted by religion." ~ James Buchanan
"I do not believe in the divinity of Christ, and there are many other of the postulates of the orthodox creed to which I cannot subscribe." ~ William Howard Taft
Our Founding Fathers.
Now I fully understand that the bible means everything to some and I'm fine with that. That's your choice and you have the freedom to practice whatever religion you wish. So long as it abides by local and federal laws. I.e. Separation of church and state, no human sacrifices and so on.
First I'd like to lay down some statistics for the area I live in. Plano, Tx Plano, is roughly 65 percent white folks, most of them your standard christian of some variant. Another 6% are Latino, 4% black. You can group them into some christian group as well. From there the lines get really blurry. Plano being an international hub for the tech industry, brings in people from all over the world. For instance, there are said to be 95 spoken languages in Plano alone. 95! How many of you even knew there was that many languages? Not me. So it goes without saying that there are many different religions that follow those many different cultures.
Most of these families that came here to America have children in school. Out of the 65,000 kids in the Plano ISD, only 60 percent of them are to be considered of christian faith. So what that means is just under 30,000 kids will be forced to be indoctrinated with the christian religion in Plano alone! It's not like these kids are godless or without faith. There is a heavy Muslim presence in this community as well as Hindu, Buddihst and lets not leave out my favorites, the Jews.
"Whats the big deal?" "Jesus Christ saved my life!" "Everyone should be converted to Christ!"
Battle cries from the idiots that surround me. These statements coming from the same people that didn't want their children to hear a black president speak of achieving higher education by staying in school. The same group of people who call a Liberal House and Senate Socialist and Communist, all for wanting to provide these low income Foxophiles with affordable heath coverage. Damn them for wanting to heal the sick!
They're missing the point. America is about freedom. The same freedom to practice their religion is the same freedom they're infringing upon. By forcing students to read from and be graded upon their definition of the christian faith, they are in direct violation of Separation between Church and State laws. With that said, I think that the Supreme Court needs to step in to protect our citizens rights and put a stop to this. Keep in mind this is a public school system I'm speaking of. Funded by federal dollars and subject to the same principles of our Constitution. If they are non-compliant, then they should lose all federal funding.
Harsh punishment? I don't think so. Simply ask yourself this. If your children were required to read from the Koran everyday in school, how would you feel? It's no different. This is not a nation founded on christian fundamentals. It's a nation founded on individual freedoms. Freedom of speech, the right to bare arms, freedom of religion... Freedom of religion is and should always be given the same respect as freedom from religion. In our society it is illegal for a government run institution to force any ideological beliefs upon any citizen. With that in mind...
I'll leave you with this.
The government of the United States is in no sense founded on the Christian Religion.” ~ George Washington
"This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it." ~ John Adams
“I do not find in Christianity one redeeming feature. Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
“The Bible is not my book, nor Christianity my religion.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
“A just government has no need for the clergy or the church. Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise.” ~ James Madison
"I have seldom met an intelligent person whose views were not narrowed and distorted by religion." ~ James Buchanan
"I do not believe in the divinity of Christ, and there are many other of the postulates of the orthodox creed to which I cannot subscribe." ~ William Howard Taft
Our Founding Fathers.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Still suffering from the punch seen round the world, I decide home base will not do on a cool north Texas evening. By cool I mean not sweltering. The temps when I left the house were 78 and dropping. Low of 66 expected. I'm good with that.
As I head west, my destination is clear. I'm heading back to a bar that I'm slowly falling in love with. It's an upscale sports bar in a real "trendy" part of Plano. Lots of new developement, high end apts, mediocre condos and an obscene amount of shopping surrounds. Not to mention a bevy of attractive women in search of a cosmo after a hard day of indebting their credit cards.
Bartender greets me with a smile, and asks what I'll be having. Beer and a shot I say, as a test to see if she remembers me. No hesitation, she comes through with a Bud (draught) and double shot of Jager for the old school. She remembers me. A healthy tip goes a long way with the service industry.
Impressed with her memory I attempt to ask about her day but I'm cut off quick. "Nice spread option" she says. A simple grin crowns her as victorious. Not only does she recall my flavor of demons, she remembers my team. A true professional in a whirlwind of people she tends to every shift.
My non-evasive eye roll and sigh of defeat is mine to own and she knows it. I like this girl.
As she briskly walks away to the next mark wanting a drink, I settle into my own. With the one and only goal of a healthy alcohol buzz, I drink.
Alone at the bar, no friends in tow. I survey the screens for any games I'm interested in to pass the time.
Sensing my boredom she comes back around to engage me.
She knows why I'm here.
The week prior I met a friend of hers at this very bar.
Long story short, I was enjoying a few too many.
A tornado of a woman came in to the bar with a similar goal in mind.
Pound a few drinks and let the days worries reside.
After a few heated exchanges about politics, sports and lifes lessons. We hit it off.
Her name was Dallas. From Dallas.
Attraction busting at the seams we set out on what would be the wildest night I've spent in Dallas. I'll spare you from the details of the elicit drugs, hungry embraces and poor decisions of the night. But I will tell you this, she was Rock n Roll. And I liked it.
Hungry for a second serving of that woman, I dare ask where she is... "She's at home with her boyfriend"...
With a nod a smirk, I can tell my tender knows the back story. She retains my eye contact for a second.
"She'll be back this coming... "
I hold up my hand before she can finish.
It's not a big deal.
She questions me with her eyes.
Mine gave her, her answer...
After watching quality in action I wasnt in search of the party known as Dallas, from Dallas. I was interested in the girl who remembered my drink. And my team. She is a professional.
She'll bring me back.
On my drive back, I had a song stuck in my head for Dallas, from Dallas... Dirty Girl..
As I head west, my destination is clear. I'm heading back to a bar that I'm slowly falling in love with. It's an upscale sports bar in a real "trendy" part of Plano. Lots of new developement, high end apts, mediocre condos and an obscene amount of shopping surrounds. Not to mention a bevy of attractive women in search of a cosmo after a hard day of indebting their credit cards.
Bartender greets me with a smile, and asks what I'll be having. Beer and a shot I say, as a test to see if she remembers me. No hesitation, she comes through with a Bud (draught) and double shot of Jager for the old school. She remembers me. A healthy tip goes a long way with the service industry.
Impressed with her memory I attempt to ask about her day but I'm cut off quick. "Nice spread option" she says. A simple grin crowns her as victorious. Not only does she recall my flavor of demons, she remembers my team. A true professional in a whirlwind of people she tends to every shift.
My non-evasive eye roll and sigh of defeat is mine to own and she knows it. I like this girl.
As she briskly walks away to the next mark wanting a drink, I settle into my own. With the one and only goal of a healthy alcohol buzz, I drink.
Alone at the bar, no friends in tow. I survey the screens for any games I'm interested in to pass the time.
Sensing my boredom she comes back around to engage me.
She knows why I'm here.
The week prior I met a friend of hers at this very bar.
Long story short, I was enjoying a few too many.
A tornado of a woman came in to the bar with a similar goal in mind.
Pound a few drinks and let the days worries reside.
After a few heated exchanges about politics, sports and lifes lessons. We hit it off.
Her name was Dallas. From Dallas.
Attraction busting at the seams we set out on what would be the wildest night I've spent in Dallas. I'll spare you from the details of the elicit drugs, hungry embraces and poor decisions of the night. But I will tell you this, she was Rock n Roll. And I liked it.
Hungry for a second serving of that woman, I dare ask where she is... "She's at home with her boyfriend"...
With a nod a smirk, I can tell my tender knows the back story. She retains my eye contact for a second.
"She'll be back this coming... "
I hold up my hand before she can finish.
It's not a big deal.
She questions me with her eyes.
Mine gave her, her answer...
After watching quality in action I wasnt in search of the party known as Dallas, from Dallas. I was interested in the girl who remembered my drink. And my team. She is a professional.
She'll bring me back.
On my drive back, I had a song stuck in my head for Dallas, from Dallas... Dirty Girl..
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