Friday, February 29, 2008

Breaking the Bars

The word is out, 1 in 100 Americans is in jail or prison. If you think that does not sound so bad, consider this; 1 in 15 African American males is among them. Think about the implications here. Is it because they have a criminal nature? Of course not. I suspect they have less opportunities is this great country of ours and there comes a time when ya gotta do what ya gotta do to survive. Just one more reason for us to speak out against racism and promote a good system of education.

Education, the magic word. I was entertained when a friend of mine e-mailed me a Citizen Quiz. I scored well and had fun with it. However, I was surprised and appalled at the averge score. The other thing of notice was that younger people had the worst scores and they went up with the ages of the participants. Does this mean our schools are failing? Why yes, of course. Thank You Ronald Reagan.

Thanks to the years of GOP rule, we now have lousey schools. Our schools don't even teach civics classes anymore. Remember civics classes? I hated them but now I am so glad we had them. We had to bring in a newpaper article of interest to read and share with the class, then we would discuss it. I learned a lot from those classes. I often wonder if todays adults could do that.

Not that the newspapers tell us much anymore, but kids need to learn to explore for facts and reading the newspaper is a good start, especially if the article is discussed with others.

I encourage parents of school age children to push for more current events and civics classes so our next generation can be more knowlegable then the present one. We need to raise a generation of world citizens. Today is a good day to start.

Friday, February 22, 2008

An Open Letter to Bush

George, Sorry I cannot call you Mr. President for you are not now nor were you ever my president. I cannot call you Mr. Bush since that implies respect. George, the point is I have no repect for you. I certainly cannot say *dear* George. Eeeewww. There is nothing dear about you.

Here is the way I see you. I see you as selfish, spoiled, inarticulate, uncaring and actually evil, pompus ass. Yep, you might be the spawn of satan for all I know. I read once that L Ron Hubbard and Alister Crowley tried to create a "Moon Child", a wicked female, the embodiment of evil. Then I read somewhere else that your gradmother may have had an affair with Crowley. Maybe they get everything right and it is your momma. I am not making any of this up. I really did read it. Wow what would that make you? Gotta think on that one.

The point is that in 7 years, you, with the help of other evil men like you, have managed to undo so much good. You have taken us back in time to a place that many have worked hard to make right. We have moved back to racism, genocide, poverty, male chavanism, disease and strife the likes of which I never dreamed we would see again. Not only that, you have taken the hope of the world away. In addition, you are a never ending embarrassment to the American people. You sure inherited the blunder gene from your momma.

People struggle to keep the wolf from the door, George. Do you even notice? I suppose not. It does not effect you. It does effect the whole world though. What must it be like to be you? I cannot imagine it. Yes, you could be the spawn of satan all right.

You and your buddy Rumsfeld, the other sadist (yes, you are a sadist, always have been) have turned our country into a country of aggressors who are not happy with killing and ravaging others but now it is your pleasure to torture them too. George, do you believe in Karma at all? I know you think you are going to heaven but I have news for you. There is no such place and if there was, you would not be welcomed there. Make no mistake, you may have made yourself above man's laws but you can never be above the laws of the universe. Karma gonna git ya georgie. I hope I live to see it.

So George, you have everything you want now. Americans are losing rights on a daily basis. We are being spied on in our own homes, we fear our government. We are suspicious of each other. We are becoming more impoverished by the day. You have your gulags built and ready for us, fancy schmancy weaponry designed to control us, FBI data bases to find us and a plan. When will you make your move? Are you going to keep us in suspense much longer. I know you have something on the back burner there. When do you get to say, "Mission Accomplished"?

I have met the enemy and it is the FBI

Safe Citizens
By Jennifer Cecere

We’ve a new microchip Citizen
Just a little stick right here and it’s in.
Now we can track you were you go,
Because we really need to know,
What you are up to every day Citizen.

Got a new ID card too Citizen.
It protects from ID theft Citizen.
And you can board a plane or bus,
Without avoiding us
We’ll all be safer this way Citizen.

We can scan your iris too Citizen
If your eyes are brown or blue Citizen
Learn your allergies, blood type,
With a simple little swipe.
We need to know these things Citizen.

If a hurricane should strike you Citizen,
We’ll be there to check your ID Citizen.
In the case that you should drown,
We’ll be there to track you down,
And identify your body Citizen

Yes, we always need to know Citizen,
Where you are and what you do Citizen.
If you’re a liability,
Singing people should be free.
We will find you anywhere Citizen.

There are places for your ilk, Citizen,
Recently constructed, please don’t grin.
This is a very serious matter,
You must comply without this chatter.
Don’t forget we’re watching you Citizen!

Friday, February 8, 2008

Are We All Demented?

Americans seem to forget very quickly. Is it something in the water? Is it dietary? What is wrong with the American memory?

Say out there, remember when we voted on paper ballots that were counted by real people?

Remember what happened in Florida in 2000? Ohio in 2004?

Remember the surplus of money in the government coffers in 2000? Geeze Dubya could not spend that fast enough. Remember that?

I seem to recall complaining about gas being $1.50 a gallon back then. Do you? Strange how Exxon has record profits quarter after quarter and now we pay twice as much for a gallon of gas. Hello!

Remember having a job? Insurance? I remember paying $10 a month for my insurance plan. I pay more than that for medicare now.

Remember that fateful day when Dubya invaded a soverign nation that was no threat to anyone anywhere without a declaration of war? Geeze Saddam had been pretty much been rendered impotent in 1990. His army was wrecked, his airforce non-existant, yet Bush felt the need for shock and awe. His wreckless disregard for innocent lives is so difficult for me to wrap my mind around.

Remember Afghanistan?

Remember the 4,000 dead Americans? The hundreds of thousands with missing limbs, PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Yes, Americans are demented, they can't remember shit.

I remember when I could put my money in the bank and not worry about it being frozen because my government did not approve of what I said.

I remember when I could go to a demonstration and not worry about being beaten up or attacked with noxious chemicals.

I remember being certain that a warrant was required before the police could enter my home. Now they can enter it at will even if I am not there. They can burst into my home in full riot gear and kill me with impunity.

I recall when I could borrow a book from the library without anyone caring about it.

I remember Enron, Kenny Boy Lay, Bushes buddy. Remember him? Yeah, good old Kenny Boy. They say he died. I say he is in a warm sunny clime drinking something tall and cool. He had to be dead so wifey could keep all that money. I am sure she provides his every whim with it.

I even remember when I was not spied on. I could talk on the phone without concern about being overheard. Americans have not been spied on since Nixon. Nixon, you will recall was impeached. So, what happened? Why are the criminals in charge not being impeached?

Do you remember the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, the signing statements?

Remember this folks, when you go to the polls to vote, assuming you will not forget, that there is not a Republican alive who will not carry on the BushCo tradition.

And by the way, bet you remember Monica Lewinsky just fine.