Is the Political Religious Right UnChristian?

How ironic would that be?

Truth be told... I dont understand you, religious conservatives. You feel compelled to have your faith guide your political interests... and on some level... I can respect that... but we must balance our personal beliefs with the rule of law. Everything that you view as "immoral" isn't illegal. This is not a theocracy. The founders left a tumultous England and set up a system that was autonomous from the church. And a question I will ask later, even when it comes to the "religious rights" sense of immorality... how consistent is it?

Let me knock one issue out of the way quickly. I am against abortion. Abortion is murder, I dont care who you are... or how smart you think you are... or if you are a master of semantics, no matter how you phrase it... abortion is murder. I find it interesting that premies (premature babies) are surviving as young as 5 or 6months in some cases, yet some women want to legalize partial-birth(late term) abortions. If I'm a murderer, or a drunk driver, and I kill a pregnant woman, in many cases, I will be charged with two counts... what if that lady was eventually going to "terminate" the pregnancy later? And terminate the pregnancy is a "nice" way for saying kill the baby. This isn't rational or logical. Its like saying... life begins for each individual baby when each individual mother says so. There was a case only a few weeks ago where a new mother had a baby in a bathroom stall and killed it. She's being charged. But, you mean to tell me if she had the money to go to an abortion clinic a few weeks prior... that would have been okay? People get so emotional that they lose all frame of logic.

Here's one thing people are forgetting. Roe vs Wade did not legalize abortion per se. Roe vs Wade made a FEDERAL law legalizing abortion. States rights is a "republican" mantra... and prior to Roe v Wade... abortion was already legal in certain states. Some right wing lunatics get the impression that if you get the right Justices on the bench, the stain of abortion will disappear. It will just become a state issue, and whether right or wrong, I'd be surprised if many states in this day and age would over-turn abortion rights.

See, I understand the abortion issue, because its protection of infants, but I dont understand the homosexuality thing. I understand religious conservatives view it as "immoral," but I dont understand ANY logic in trying to make gay marriage "illegal." How is it, that people... people being republicans... who pride themselves on state rights and individual rights such as gun rights (i'll get to that later) want a federal ban against gay marriage? How is that constitutional? Just another example of emotion affecting judgement. If you want to openly exercise your freedom of speech to criticize homosexuality, thats your business... but for the "conservatives" to seek a federal ban on something (sounds liberal to me!)... that has ABSOLUTELY no impact on others... makes no sense. This isn't a theocracy... everything YOU view as immoral isn't illegal.

Those are the main two "wedge" issues that right wingers bring up every 2 and 4 years to get religious people to vote for them. My question is, you claim to stand for Jesus... and I understand there are only two major parties who do a great job of suppressing third parties... but would Jesus stand for ALL the tenants of Republicanism?

What about gun control? Civilian gun ownership is banned in most nations, why not America? Does Jesus want us popping each other in the head? Republicans even criticized Clinton's Brady bill and now that the assault weapon's ban has lifted, those "wonderful" Republicans who Christians vote for made sure that ban would not be re-instated. "Praise Jesus! Assault rifles on the streets of America!" Do Christians support the NRA? Guns are made for one person... one singular reason... to KILL... hallelujah?

What do Christians think about American healthcare? Most nations pay a tax, similar to our system of social security, and have ALL medical expenses paid for by the nations government. How many socialized medicine countries are clamoring for our system? Is it Christian for poor people to die from treatable illness because they are poor? Is it Christian to have a health insurance system focused on profits that picks and chooses what to pay for? Did I mention mandatory co-pays? People in this country die everyday from TREATABLE illnesses that would never be an issue in even POORER nations, because they dont fight with insurance companies who can claim "experimental" or "pre-existenting" for a reason not to pay for your well-being. "sorry... we think you had that disease before we became your primary coverage. What do you think this is... Canada...? you're just going to have to die early... now, thank those Republicans who fought socialized medicine at every step. Did you know that less than 70% of American jobs offer employee coverage? Glory be to God!"

Does the religious right like when the Republicans fight against higher efficiency (for the benefit of big business?) when it comes to things like coal and oil? All these Republicans who keep mentiong more oil drilling dont mention that they've been fighting higher automotive fuel standards for years. Why? I dont think its because they hate the planet and want to kill it. I could be wrong. But big business does donate a lot of money. "Lets destroy the eco-system of the planet for money... yes Lord!"

Lets make business as UN-REGULATED as possible and act surprised when CEO pay goes from 40x to 350x times the average worker salary!

Lets vote to outlaw MEDICINE from other countries so people have to buy our expens- er... i mean... i mean... because Canadian medicine is potentially unsafe. None of our drugs are ever pulled off the market!

Lets vote to allow pharmaceutical companies to PATENT their medicine for 7 years, so that no cheap generics can come out. God doesn't want people getting regularly priced medicine... we should overpay... so that rich people get even richer... those Republicans are just ahead of the curve.

Lets vote to keep strict time limits on how long you can fight for backpay on pay disparities. Just like the corporations like...

Lets keep the minimum wage (adjusted for inflation) to its lower rate EVER... while raising our Congressional pay over and over.

Shall I even mention CIA prisons, guantanamo and all the Republican resistence to oversight on these alleged abuse issues?

I could go on and on... day in and day out... wonderful Republicans, with all their corporate lobbyists... regularly vote in the best interest of the American people. I dont know whats wrong with those silly worker's unions who ALWAYS support Democrats. They must think workers rights and equality are just as important as keeping gay marriage illegal. The fools.

Wow... those Republicans... yeah... I can see why Christians tend to vote for them... Makes sense to me.

...who needs equality anyway... we'll be equal in heaven right? Those religious right voters had it right afterall...

There Is No War on Drugs

Approximately, one out of every 100 Americans is incarcerated. We have more people in jail (per capita) than any other nation on the planet. Why is that? How is that possible? Is it because we're the greatest nation... the most free nation... the most civilized nation... the most evolved...? Any of that same rhetoric that everyone is programmed to pump out of their mouths? The truth is... out of the 3,000,000 Americans who currently live behind bars... approximately 1,000,00 of them are NON-VIOLENT drug offenders.

We have a million people in jail simply for doing drugs. No robbery, no rape, no assault, no manslaughter... simply for choosing to get high in some form of fashion.

I remember, when I was in elementary, our school had a program called DARE. [Drug Abuse Resistance Education.] This would have been the late 80's... so I know the government was just doing its part in helping me not to become a crack-baby. "Just Say NO!" And nowadays, you still see commercials from the "Partnership for a Drug Free America" so, clearly the war on drugs has been a success. We are helping rid our streets of drugs and crime, right? Who are some of the major funders for the Partnership for a Drug Free America, you ask... you may be surprised to know a lot of their major donors are Tobacco and Pharmaceutical companies. (click here) Just a few of the "who's who" list includes: GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Proctor Gamble Beyer, and Merck.

Thats odd... why would tobacco and pharmaceutical giants want to donate millions of dollars to drug prevention. Hmmmmmm... buy our drugs instead? It seems America may not be for blanket drug prevention, but selective. Marijuana is illegal, but what about alcohol?




Well, we tried the "prohibiton" of alcohol in the 1920's. There were a few things that we found out. Crime escalated as an illegally uncontrolled and unregulated black market business took off. Al Capone was a bootlegger (among other things) and as this money wasn't going to the government or to corporations, it was going to illegal practices which allowed expansion and required muscle and protection. We saw the same thing in the 1980's. The gang's already existed in the 1970's... but as the crack came in... the increase in accessible money led to escalations such as the number and types of firearms. The government, under FDR, lifted prohibtion as a way to lift American spirits (pun intended) to get us out of the Great Depression. They also realized that the alcohol was still being made, it was unregulated, uncontrolled, and most important in the eyes of the government, IT WASN'T BEING TAXED. And ask yourself, what is worse... alcohol... or marijuana?

Drugs were not always illegal. In the early 1960's, in the days of the "counter-culture"... there were no laws on the books about drugs. In the mid and late 1960's, certain drugs became illegal, and it only got worse when in the early 1970's Richard Nixon created the DEA. If you look at crime rates in this nation, you can see that convictions rose dramatically after the DEA was established. You could drink all day... unless your kidney's failed... but smoke marijuana.. thats OUTRAGEOUS. Speaking of smoking... the tobacco industry has, perhaps, the most powerful lobby in the nation, because you'll never see a box of cigarettes with the "ingredients" on them. Can you think of any other product that the FDA (which is, itself, a joke!) doesn't require to divulge the components? They should just call it... "Nicotine Surprise!"

Anytime, someone criticizes the inconsistency of the drug war, they're labelled someone who wants to legalize all drugs. As if all drugs are the same. Simpletons. Noone is suggesting legalizing crack-cocaine. But mushrooms? We're making laws against vegetation now? Or only when you try to eat it? Is it okay in the forest... just... not in my plastic bag? Are you blaming me or God? Okay, now I'm confused. I dont want to legalize cocaine or heroine either. About 10,000 people die from them each year. But what about alcohol? Not even counting wife beaters... 150,000 people die each year from alcohol related deaths. And those prescription drugs that Rush Limbaugh loves so much "Maid... fetch me my accessories!"... they kill 100,000 people per year. Just ask yourself this... why are PRESCRIPTION drugs advertised directly to me anyway. "Ask your doctor if placebo is right for you!" Shouldn't your doctor tell you what drugs you should take? Whats wrong with this place? And the grandaddy of them all... tobacco... the annual tobacco related deaths in this country total around four hundred and fifty thousand a year. Wake me when someone overdoses on marijuana... thats all Im saying.

What are the side effects of marijuana? Who's ever died from marijuana? The next time you see a prescription drug commercial... and you will, if you watch tv for another... um.... 13 minutes... focus on the the LITANY of side-effects the narrator tries to breeze through while the music is turned up and you get to see a lot of people smiling and dancing on screen. Is it any surprise that Meth is made from over the counter drugs. No secret ingredients. The same crap you get at the pharmacy, just mixed differently! They donate money to causes that prevent illegal drug use, because they want you addicted to their drugs. Many of these prescription drugs either... offer no real use... or are used only to fight symptons... not causes. Restless leg syndrome? Whoever made that up deserves a medal. And whoever buys it deserves a very tall white hat. Maybe you dont need 4 pills a day for the rest of your life! Maybe you just need to get off your couch and walk, get the circulation going... you ever considered that? And these drugs that have fine print (in white) on their commercials saying they dont treat any diseases. So why take them. To dull your awareness of the symptons that GlaxoSmithKline has no motivation of actually CURING. Unwitting hypochondriacs... taking multiple pills a day... everyday... to the best drug dealer.




These guys spend billions and billions of dollars cornering the market on trying to get you high. "Do you ever feel depressed or scared?" Its human emotional moron. Not even. Every animal has fear. Its a natural defense mechanism. Think long... and hard about this next question. When is the last time you pet a squirrel? Now... when is the last time you saw someone kick a squirrel?

It seems as if there is a double standard for tobacco, alcohol and prescription drugs, but AT LEAST the government is consistent in their prosecution of the law. Right... right?

Lets talk about a man named Ronald Reagan. He's one of those simple-minded (former actors) turned politicians who truly believe... the enemy of my enemy is my friend. You know these guys, for, they have used that complex philosophy to once forged partnerships with enlightened "freedom fighters" like Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. Anything fighting Communism must be good... right? Well, that was the policy that led to the Iran-Contra scandal.

"Soft" Democratic President Jimmy Carter allowed the US embassy in Iran (which has never reopened) to be overrun by Iranian dissidents. Its believed that current president of Iran Ahmendenijad was part of that student protest in the late 70's, but thats neither here nor there.
During the 1980 election, Republicans, who always rattle their sabers of war to prove they're tougher than Democrats, said they would get those hostages back and that they wouldn't negotiate with terrorists. I believe they meant, they wouldn't negotiate with terrorists with cameras around, because they did negotiate with terrorists. Not only did they negotiate, but they sold the Iranians (who we had no diplomatic status with America at the time) weapons in exchange for the hostages. Wow... thats showing them, Oliver North!

Where might the money have gone from those weapon sales? Why to Nicauragua of course, silly. You see, the "Contras" (great Nintendo game, btw) were "freedom fighters"... helping to save their country from the ill of Communists. There are a lot of South American conflicts we got involved with PURELY to curb the spread of Communism. The "Contras" appreciated the money from Oliver North to fund their fight against the Communists, but they needed more. Where would they get it? Well... Hmmmm... lets see... thats a tough one there... i mean... they do have all this... cocaine... but... where are they going to put it?




Thats right! They put it here! If you guessed America... you win a free one hour supply of crack! Thanks Ronald Reagan! The CIA gave the Contra's permission to push their drugs into America in order to raise money for their civil war. The CIA even used their planes to bring the drugs over. Now infamous crack dealer "Freeway" Ricky Ross rose to prominance after meeting with (now known CIA operative) Danilo Blandon. Blandon came to the US selling pure cocaine to help fund his brothers in Central America. Author Gary Webb (shown above) wrote a graphic depiction of all the events in his book "Deadly Alliance." Ricky Ross is still in jail, Danilo Blandon is no longer in the US, Oliver North was never prosecuted for any crimes, and Gary Webb was found dead in his home of an alleged "suicide"(?) But this is a clear example of a time when the government of this country knowling let drugs into our nation. I bet it was just that one time though. And I'm sure they just "happened" to end up in a predominantly black neighborhood. Coincidence. Happenstance!




Below is a picture of the REAL "Freeway" Ricky Ross.. not to be confused with the Chicken George Rapper who took the name to perpetuate a stereotype of the man and his life for profit.

In 1972, the first year of the DEa, $10 million of your tax dollars went to fight this war. Now its $10billion a year in tax money. What else is making profit?

Did you know that since the 1980's... there has been a big shift to the PRIVATIZATION of America's newer prisons? There is now private profit in sending people to jail. People are rich off jails. Its been said that prisons recieve $50K a year per prisone, not only that... but these prisoners are giving (all but) FREE labor to the prisons. They not only get money because you're there... but they get you to work for pennies on the dollar. GeoGroup (formerly Wackenhut) trades its stock based on the increase or decrease in the number of prisoners they hold. Its also a way to create jobs in small rural towns that have been hit hard by the transition of oil and manufacturing to overseas markets. There are American towns whose biggest source of revenue and employment are prisons.

And what do you we call people who are physically confined and forced to labor with little to no compensation? Exactly...

PS: Rush Limbaugh's OxyContin is made from opium. Can you say... heroine addict.

Tim Russert: A Great American

I know this is very late... I originally planned to do this on Independance Day (*seemed apropos)... but its never too late to acknowledge a great American. As were others who kept up with all the major mainstream media news outlets on a regular basis, I was crushed at the news of the untimely passing of Tim Russert.

Anyone who knows me and has had the pleasure of talking politics/social issues with me (in all liklihood) has had me recommend "Meet the Press" to them. In a culture of hidden agendas, idealogy and personal opinions that taint reporting, Meet the Press was an incredible breathe of fresh air. For those who watched it regularly, you got to know about Tim Russert, the person, not the ideology. He came across as "real"... and that helped form a bond and rapport with Americans that tuned in everyweek, keeping him the highest rated Sunday morning news show. With the exuberance of a child, it was always clear how much he loved politics. You also got to see how clearly he loved fatherhood and honored his own father. You knew about his Catholic upbringing and how he felt that helped shape his character as a man. You knew he was from humble beginnings with his father who worked as a sanitation worker. You knew that he was a Buffalo native who never missed an opportunity to cheer on his Buffalo Bills football team. With more possible excuses than most, in a town full of hubris... he was the rare person who always seemed grounded and relatable. I dont know how much he made at NBC, but he came across as an authentic regular guy... a $43K/yr middle class man from Buffalo. His position would not change him. Tim Russert was still one of us... he was still looking out for us.

One thing that made Tim distinct, was his style of interviewing. From the very beginning... and the first thing I mentioned when I told people about the show... his detailed and annotated way of public interviewing . Every politician or government employee who went on the show, would have to give account for previous statements they made that contradicted what they were currently telling people. He didn't badger his guests. He didn't argue with them. With an enviable calm delivery, he would simply cut through the "spin" with their own words on the screen... clear for all tuned in to see. The guest wasn't harassed and constantly interrupted, but it was clear that Tim perused a lot of other public statements prior to the show. Some politicans will dismiss or dance around the words of others (even in their party) but to argue or deny your own words...? Not quite as easy to call them "nuances." It wasn't to embarass, but to give the American people an honest look at what that person is saying, and what that person has said. Any guest was going to have to give account for previous statements to the contrary, through video of themselves that couldn't be dismissed... and the American people would be the better for it.

The most amazing thing about Tim Russert (for me) was perhaps the fact that I NEVER knew his political affiliation. I never knew his personal beliefs. He let us in on his loves, and we know he had a passion for politics, but he didn't allow his personal philosophy to taint his show. Regardless of the conclusion he came to, it was not his job to tell you what you should think about the issues. He wasn't a commentator (like a lot of late night cable news shows). He was a reporter. He was reporting... digging for the facts... as many as he could... and allow you, the viewer, the opportunity to parse them without biasing you. Whether Democrat, Republican (or 3rd party), whether Legislator or Executive Branch member, everyone was going to get a thorough interview. To me at least, it felt as if... HE FELT it was his honor and duty... to give each American the opportunity to formulate intelligent opinions about the politics of their country.

Meet the Press was my favorite news program and Tim Russert was my favorite news/political host. He will truly be missed...