GOP, then and now.

In 1960 when John Kennedy was elected, John Wayne-the Duke-who did not support Kennedy, said, "I didn't vote for him, but he's my president, and I hope he does a good job".

Today Rush Limbaugh comments on the presidency of Barack Obama. "I hope he fails".

Makes me wish for the "good old days".

(Source: "Shoring up civility" by Candy Hatcher, Virginian Pilot editor. In the Virginian Pilot on 3/30/12).

The Ocean

Great passage from a recent read; "...but now, standing in front of the great Atlantic, she felt the pulsing of the waves, felt the power and breadth of the water as it bled into the horizon, endless and liquid like the earth's lifeblood. It made her feel alive, unlike anything she'd felt under the broad, flat skies of home. As she stared out at the dark blue vastness, her kinship to every person who'd ever lived by the water, yet at the same time making her feel very, very insignificant".

(Source: Folly Beach by Karen White. 2010)

Truthfulness

A family GOPer has sent me information over the last year that on further research turns out to be incorrect. First, there were the "Tort Law" reform claims about "frivolous" suit suits-one involving a person who sued his RV company because his motor home would not drive itself when he left the wheel-that in reality were known as "urban legends" and not true in the least. Second, there was the quotations from Barack Obama's book about his political believes that were not even quoted out of context; they were clearly incorrect statements about what the book said. Third, there was the message I received that made reference to a violation of the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution. Again something that President Obama was guilty of. Problem is, of course, there is no 28th Amendment.

How can this individual ever expect to be believed about anything he says, even if he might be correct or honest about something? Well, he can't. He can not be taken seriously as a source of information; he has no credibility.

Society

It seems that every society in the world-including ours today-has to decide what kind of economic system we want to live under. There are really only two choices. One is a society where some have it all. The other is one where all have some. Our society like all before it have chosen the former. I would prefer the later.

Government Intrusion

How do those who oppose the government mandating health insurance see no problem with a government (Texas) requiring a "trans-vaginal" ultrasound before a woman gets a legal medical operation? Which program is more intrusive into one's personal life?

War

Thinking of our tendency for making war, I am reminded of the line in Gone With The Wind when character Ashley Wilkes-played by English actor Leslie Howard who is facing the onslaught of WWII in 1939-says;

"Most of the miseries of the world were caused by war...and when the wars were over, no one ever knew what they were about".

No one took his advise then. It seems no one wants to consider it now.

Social Security

"Social Security is widely considered the most successful government program ever. It helps support 55 million people, including those who can do longer work because of illness or injury, or who have lost a family breadwinner prematurely". So says the AARP Bulletin for March 2012. The existence of this program is proof that the GOP is full of shit when it claims government can do nothing right. Certainly a much more successful program than the wars we have waged recently. From a GOP perspective Social Security must be destroyed in order for their anti-government approach to have any merit. And they have been trying to do so since Reagan.

The Bible

I wish those people who like to quote the Bible and pass themselves off as more righteous than everyone else would remember this item from Matthew 5:9.

"Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God".

Human Trafficking

After watching the movie "Whistleblower", I did some research on the main story line; that being the existence of human trafficking and sexual slavery existing in Bosnia after the war there. This was the time when the UN peacekeepers were there trying to keep the different sides from killing each other. Unfortunately, this is not a pretty story and one can only hope that is may not be true. The plot revolves around a Nebraska cop-Kathy Bolkovac-who takes a police job with the UN mission in Bosnia to investigate crimes and prosecute offenders. It turns out that the offenders are her fellow workers at a UK company-the film calls Democra Security-the UN staff and US personnel. They are all involved in committing sexual crimes against minor female girls or acting to cover it up. Bolkovac finally manages to collect documentation on the crimes and cover-up and after being fired by the UK company, takes her story to the BBC in London who in turn publishes her claims. The story she reports leads to the dismissal of a number of UN/UK/US personnel but no criminal convictions. A report on Wikipedia states that "after the scandal broke the US continued to do business worth billions of dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan with the same UK company".

(Source: Movie "Whistleblower" 2010 by 20th Century Fox. Wikipedia research on same topic)

Extinct Species

There are many extinct species of animal life known to us today. Animals like the Tasmanian Wolf, Caspian Tiger, Great Auk, the Wooly Manmouth, the Tar-Pit Pronghorn and of course the Dodo. You may now add to that list the "moderate republican" and the "progressive democrat". I just thought you might like to know.