What Would Zooey Say

2010-09-29T01:13:00.001-07:00

I am surprised at all the pundits calling out Obama because he hurt their feelings. What is going on in this country? Where are the grown-ups? A huge majority of the people have either gone back in time or TRULY wish they could travel through some portal stopping time, then reversing said time to another time "back when".

Everybody is talking about feelings. Well people, feelings won't get the job done. We have to THINK about where we are going, NOT where we've been.

They say Obama's not empathetic. He hasn't connected personally. Yes he has. He's connected by getting as much done as he possibly could. Yes, nostalgia for the good ol days is tempting and fun when sitting around the kitchen table. But we are talking about serious issues. Shouldn't we move through emotion to some grown-up clear thinking?

Come on people. There are still enough of us around who remember how hard it is to change. How much work it takes to Change. How many sleepless nights and agonizing days go into change. We must focus! Going in reverse is no solution.

Barack Obama was good enough for you two years ago, but now because you're mad at him, you want the country to suffer for it. You want seniors to lose their Medicare. You want Social Security to go to Wall Street. You want the Insurance Industry to have a say about your life in lieu of Government oversight and protection.

Wow! How angry are you? And how many people have to suffer for it?

A woman tells Obama that she's tired of defending him. She's tired because she's had to make choices. At least she has choices! So many people don't. She should be tired. Look at him he looks tired. He is almost completely gray in the span of two years!

You see this is what Obama means by "buck up". That is a "me" attitude and not a "we" attitude.

All of us should be tired. We are supposed to be knocking down the status quo. We are supposed to be so attentive to what's going on in this country that we don't allow ANY politician to get away with bending, twisting, or mangling the FACTS. We the People have to do it. Our journalists no longer work for the people. They work for the very same corporations trying to silence us.

When Obama took office he spoke of working together for change. When is the last time you sailed through drastic change?

When Clinton was in office, we all thrived and we got very used to having all the THINGS we wanted. Maybe we weren't rich, but we were living really well. Then Bush took office and we were still living really well...ON CREDIT. Obama didn't say I'll do all the work and you just go back to living the same way you did before Bush took office. Our country is in trouble and he is not able to do it alone.

It's like Obama is the mean principal that gets results but everybody hates the way he does it. A grown-up in a country full of
children in temper tantrum mode. "I won't vote because Obama is ineffective." He's only as effective as the people supporting him. He is a reflection of this country. We all are being thwarted by Corporate America. If you don't vote, you should get used to putting Corporate before America.

Change takes attention. That's why some don't want it. They don't want you to pay attention.

Could it be that Congress is ineffective? Could it be that the Republicans in Congress are playing games with the Middle Class and the Poor? Could it be that because Mr. Obama is a constitutional lawyer, he knows and understands the reach of his office and that the power of the Veto is ultimately all he has?

We as a country made this recession. We allowed it to happen because of our complacency and general greedy thirst for things. Now we are paying the piper through tough times and the first thing we do is look around for someone else to blame.

It's Obama's fault. Yes it's his fault, but it is also YOUR fault. Let ye who are without sin cast the first stone. It's in the Bible. Look it up. By the way, this misplaced anger should be directed at Bush and Cheney and Rove. The PM of Iceland is gonna do a perp walk for destroying their economy. So should the three stooges of the Bush era. They should have been prosecuted for gutting our political and economic institutions.

The Republican Party should be ashamed. How can they even look in the mirror after what they did with this economy? It's just sad. The perverse amount of money being spent on trying to buy the congress could be spent to help victims of the oil spill or any number of disasters that have happened in the last few years. They've already taken over the courts and you're not even paying attention.

They are blocking Obama's appointments so they can further destroy our democracy.

But you're angry and your eyes are closed and your lips are pursed. You will not see anything that way.

Pay attention people.

This is money spent to stop progress. Stop change. That means NO saving the planet. No investing in new technologies that advance the planet and its people. Both parties are spending obscene amounts of money simply in a game of political power. Now it’s possible for persons/forces outside the country to influence our Democracy.

Hate will not prevail, but it can slow things down A LOT. No is a wall and walls fall eventually. How much damage to our world has to happen before we really take a stand. How many lives will be delegated to mere statistics in our rich vs. poor debate?

We are a people proven to be walking on a round ball in a vast solar system. Can’t we just all agree to leave it better for those coming later on?

Can you see where the "whining" thing might actually be true?

But, go ahead and punish Barack Obama for not doing enough for your cause. The stakes are high, but what does that matter when the message you send to Obama will show everyone that you are angry. Bravo.

P.S. Obama is not on the ballot. You might want to take a look at who is poised to take your representatives seat. Remember, after this election, they speak for you whether you like it or not.

Walk in beauty. Walk in peace.

Looking for Obi Wan

2010-09-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a Virtual Stand. I AM A STAND FOR PEACE. I AM A STAND FOR UNITY. Understand? If you do, pass it along. Every day at NOON. I will stand for PEACE. I WILL STAND FOR UNITY. PASS IT ALONG.

Love,

Toni

2010-08-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

I read political blogs. I understand which ones are skewed in what direction. I read them all because I try to understand why the most extreme view are the ones that get the most coverage. I see the hatred and name calling and instigating of violence. I watch our political leaders ignore basic decency for votes. I watch our public officials ignore facts. what is this doing to our children? What kind of example are we setting if our elected officials can't control themselves in their working lives. What is Senator Miller telling his kids about prostitutes and why it's ok to call a colleague that name even though he disagrees with her. Is this what Senator Miller wants for his children's generation? How does he view women and why would Sarah Palin associate herself with a man who has such disdain for a woman who is just doing her job? The world will do what the world will do, but I would just love to see someone stand up for civility instead of controversy.

I forgot

2010-07-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

I had a realization a short time back about my Twitter addiction. Twitter is a reflection of all the crosstalk in our heads. Only now we can get different responses because we're not only answering ourselves. Mostly crosstalk surrounds the fears we have. Once I got started, I let it take hold of me and started tweeting about news stories and making snarky little comments to get my point across. I thought that I was keeping up on what was REALLY happening in the world. The reality was that I forgot that it's easier to hate than love. It's easier to find fault than shore up another. I fell for the high school mentality that is politics. I was getting my news from a bunch of different sources, but they were all pretty much doing the same thing. They were giving me a small amount of information and a huge amount of their perspective to go along. I felt myself getting depressed about all the turmoil in the country and totally losing perspective about what is really important. Until my daughter walked away from a car accident... Now I remember. The car did exactly what I wanted it to do. It saved her life and I will miss the car. Thank you Volvo. My family is well, mostly well-adjusted with a slight dose of crazy, but I wouldn't have them any other way. When I think about how one moment can change a whole life, I am able to turn off the world domination track and listen to the silence or go to this great website: themeditationroom.com and listen to guided meditations or just listen to the sounds of nature. It is so much better than listening to the sniping that is politics. I wish everyone who wants to be a political figure good luck and God speed. I have grown up and finally understand that fear will always be the driving force behind every political agenda. I also understand that love is the only thing powerful enough to overcome fear. Any fear. The country will do what the country does. In my little world, I choose to listen to different sounds. To feel love instead of hatred and depression. I take a stand for Unconditional Love. Today is a good day and tomorrow will be gravy.

I want change.

2010-07-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

I just sent letters to the White House and to my state Senator and Rep. I don't know what else to do. I have been so caught up in this Administration. I know that it's because I have too much time on my hands. I cancelled my Twitter account because I've been so filled with anxiety about what's going on in our country. I see the social unrest that is creeping into our daily conversation. It is extremely hard to concentrate on much else. I have to cut myself off from commenting or hearing comments about what is happening. I kinda want the Republicans to take over the House. I want them to take responsibility for work in this country. I do think Obama was right to tackle so many big things so fast. It gives him some room to let the Republicans do their thing and still not be able to change the direction of the country, but IT IS SO HARD TO WATCH US LOSE GROUND IN THE EYES OF THE CITIZENRY. I woke up this morning totally convinced that I would not be voting again. Ever! Why vote? Then I realized that change looks like this. Change is usually accompanied by extreme temperatures, the feeling of standing on shaky ground, etc. It's hard. This uneasy feeling is what change feels like. I just have to keep reminding myself.

2010-07-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

I was talking with my husband this morning about our land line telephone. It costs a hundred dollars a month to keep a line for the fax and one for the phone. We rarely use the fax, so do we really need to keep paying for that line? We each have Smart Phones, but somehow having it makes me feel, what, secure? Are we emotionally tied to the phone simply because it's what we've always known? Remember the days when there were phone exchanges? The days when there was a real person sitting behind a panel full of holes connecting every caller by hand? I'm not quite that old, but I did work at a company as a receptionist and I had to handle an updated version of that phone system for the building. Those were innovations at one time too. I think about the attachment to the familiar and I begin to understand the state of this country. The discord is a by-product of change. Change happens. It happens to everything. In our discussion about losing of the phone, I felt discomfort. Having a phone sitting in the same place at all times that you know will never run out of battery feels safe. It's not comfortable letting go of the things that made YOU feel safe. The things that defined YOUR life. We've just always had a phone attached to our house. And when I hear people say that they've gotten rid of theirs, I cringe a little. We still write checks when a large majority of people do their checking on-line. It feels safer. I'm sure the changes that are happening in our country feels wrong for some people, but holding on doesn't stop the generational push and pull. I notice that the people making the loudest noise right now in the world of politics are some of the same people who made the loudest noise in the sixties and seventies. The "love and peace generation" seems to have grown into the "Me" generation which grew into the "Free Trade/Corporate/wealth generation and now it's the "No" generation". Is that me? I hated Twitter at first and now I tweet all the time. I went from PC to Mac. I have a "Crackberry". I welcome new technologies. I want cleaner energy sources. I want to own a flying car. If I have to let go of the old to get to those things, I will try very hard to stay open and make the leap. Now we just have to convince my father-in-law who lives with us. He's a different matter all together.

Barack Obama Took Another Step

2010-06-15T17:55:00.001-07:00

Watching the President tonight gave me the impression that this man knew that he was on the road to calling the American people into service once more. He was calling on us to detach from the institution known as BIG OIL. It was a very risky move. While all the pundits screamed about not hearing the "how" when referring to his plan of attack in the Gulf disaster! They want to know how he's going to stop a leak that cannot be stopped. The screaming was so loud they barely heard his footfalls as he walked out into the middle of traffic. No other President has been able to convince this country to wean itself from Oil. The look in the President's eyes said it all. It said, "Oh, hell, there is no turning back from this." It was a truly brave and unselfish act. He's is on his way into battle and he may not survive politically. Today, it seems to me, that Barack Obama has thrown down the gauntlet to Big Oil. The politicians on both sides of the isle are entrenched, so I wonder where he will find support? The people who once believed in him have become restless and confused about where this country is headed. I keep saying that change is difficult. And it truly does seem that when it rains, it pours. I understood what the President meant when he said that we'd get there. His speech was about the opposite of war. His speech was about life. Big Energy rules the world. Obama has no wealth. Like Lincoln, he traveled the road to greatness without a "Trust". When Big Oil took over the White House for eight years, they started a chain reaction that will be felt for years. Perhaps the only thing Barack Obama can do to flex his muscles is to keep the moratorium on deep water drilling and just for the hell of it, he threw in an energy overhall. That takes BALLS! Either do business with him or stay shut down. I see an idealist, a lover of his country, just doing the best he can.

Is there anyone out there who can see what I see? There is love in this country. If I look for it, I will find it more and more often.

Could Obama really take-over BP?

2010-06-15T08:57:00.001-07:00

In hearing all the reports on BP, some thoughts out there in the maze are that Obama should just seize control over BP and do what Americans are expecting. They want America to show its might and move heaven and earth to protect America. It seems now, that some 70 percent of Americans want Mr. Obama to wave his magic, socialist wand and make everything normal again. Being pulled in two directions, our President finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Well, I would like everything to be normal again. I would still like to have a job. I would like to pay my bills on time. I would like to have a country that isn't filled with such hatred and violence. But, I am alive. Thanks for that. I have a great family. Thanks for that. Everything else, is just life going by. There are those who will never get over the initial feeling that Obama didn't do enough. They will dwell on that negative rather than cheer him on in his efforts to do all he can right now. I say, "Good for you, Mr. President." You may not have known what to do in the beginning, but you are learning and that is what I see as the mark of an intelligent person. A person who looks at a situation that is clearly beyond the scope of anything done before, and rolls up his sleeves. He has taken responsibility for this crisis. He has apologized for his ignorance at the start and now his is doing his best to make things right. That's more than I can say for a whole lot of people in this country. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the fat-cats who own this country are sitting back laughing at the nerve of this Black man. He really thinks he runs the country. A quick look behind the curtain would prove them right.

On This Memorial Day

2010-05-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. President,

What a day it will be when our children don't have to fight the wars of their fathers. Are we living strictly for ourselves or do we have a responsibility to generations to come? The Iraq and Afghanistan wars are no longer viable solutions to the old war on terror. The hardest part about war is ending it. Please end the economic drain on this country. Bring our children home. Everyone over there is somebody's child.

Critical Thinking

2010-05-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

What does LeMieux want the President to do? Stand around, wringing his hands, beating his chest? He's the President of the ENTIRE United States. Would you have him drop all the other crisis happening right now to come and stand around and watch while the experts supposedly do their jobs. A little critical thinking from the people in this country would go a long way to cleaning up a lot of the disasters that have befallen our great country. The blame game only goes so far. If LeMieux has ANY ideas about how to stop the destruction in the Gulf, he should be in the Situation Room letting everyone know. This seems like a clever way for the Republican party to take the responsibility off Big Oil and blame a man who only uses oil, not profits from it. The action is making sure people are taken care of during and after a crisis such as this. To imply that the President is incompetent because he delegates the jobs that need to be done is hogwash. Grow up people.

A love injection

2010-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

I just want to inject a little love into the waves. I send out love to our country. In particular, I send love to the Republican Party and the Tea Party ( I know, sometimes they are one). I truly want them to find peace of mind sooner than later. I am a stand for this country being the best that it can be. I am a stand for Peace and security being the predominant feeling in every state of this glorious union. All is well.

Wall Street/Las Vegas, One in the same.

2010-04-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama is the coolest man on the planet.

2010-04-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

President Obama gets it. Watching the coverage of him at the Nuclear Summit was another first for me. I've said before that although I never took my vote for granted, I didn't have any real interest in what my government was doing. Until Bush. His election got my attention and not in a good way. Obama has me writing about politics. I never thought I would do that. President Obama handled the press after the summit with careful, well-thought-out responses to sometimes curious questions by the press. (You know, it's amazing how the press wants to be taken seriously, but how can we take them seriously? (...real news coverage is only had by those who seek the truth. That means picking through the blog-0-sphere.) The mainstream media has gulped down the reality TV kool-aid and is licking the last few drops from the punchbowl. It's unbelievable. America is getting a very small percentage of what's really actual news and still we have the press acting like a pack of hungry wolves snatching at the most inane aspects of a story and leaving the meat on the ground. Maybe because their salaries are paid by the corporations who influence the country through them. This behavior seems (to me) to diminish the history that's happening right before our eyes. Is no one watching what I'm watching? Pardon me for gushing about having the coolest man on the planet for a President. History is being made in a big way because of this man and the negative side of our society is what gets covered. But I'm hopeful. I think that having a 24 hour news cycle is actually going to help with the race issue in this country because it will shine a light on heartbreaking moments like the one that had shoppers hearing from their neighborhood store speakers that all the blacks should leave (a teen dipped in an intolerance coating... yummy). When I look down the road I don't see the current intense racial issue. It seems this is the residual energy from the civil rights movement.

(I think the Christian community should be really careful about who they associate themselves with. If Christians are watching and supporting the Glenn Becks and the Tea Party Patriots, the violence and vitriol is going to hurt image-wise.)

That's just my thought. This country really has tried to move past race and yet there are still places where the old ways are still practiced. When the Baby Boomers who still harbor feelings of rage and doubt become smaller and smaller in number, it will be a thing of the past and the children who thrive in a multi-cultural society will outnumber the children who still cling to the old ways. All societies must evolve in order to survive. It's exciting and I'm pleased that the country made a course correction from the Neo-conservative war and world domination agenda. These are just my thoughts. I like to keep it positive for the most part. I read that the majority of the country thinks we're going in the wrong direction and that boggles my mind. All signs point to the economy getting better. All signs point to our standing on the world stage being one of respected prominence once more. All signs point to the possibility of future space exploration that is more spectacular than the Apollo program was. Reforming our educational system will produce great thinkers and inventors. We will have colonies on other planets. (OK, maybe that last one is a little dreamy, but dreaming is what this life is all about. Dreaming and then making those dreams a reality. This is just what I see. True, it's what I want to see, but what's wrong with that. It's said that there is so much bad in the world. There is so much good in the world as well. I would say that the good outweighs the bad. I'm sitting at my desk listening to CNBC. The news is the consumer has turned. The economy is getting better. Yippee!!! Let's hear more about the good things that are happening. We could collectively choose to dream a different dream. I like the dream that President Obama is dreaming. It's so much better than the nightmare we were living a mere year ago.

Jobs, Mr. President

2010-04-09T23:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. President,

It's very easy for me to sit in my easy chair and tell you how to run the country. I know that you have very smart people in Washington telling you how to do it. Maybe one reason independents are wary about you is because your message is being lost amid Sarah Palin's soundbites. The only way to be heard is to get America back to work. If more and more people have jobs, they won't have time to protest. Protest what? Their success? More money in their pockets? You figure out a way to get people focused on work and you'll get a positive reaction. I know what you've done for the economy so far. Giving people 288 billion dollars in tax cuts and helping students by making 275 billion dollars available for student grants and loans is a giant step in the right direction. This along with HCR is going to turn our country around faster. I try not to pay attention to the negative talk. I voted for change and I'm seeing change. As long as that is the case, I'm good. This country was stripped bare in the eight years that Bush was president. I honestly don't expect one man to solve all the problems on day one of this journey to change. I expect to see steady progress. I expect it. So the Republicans can make all the noise and they want. They can tell horrible lies and try very hard to stall progress. The law of attraction says that you get more of what you give your attention to. They are focused with a razor sharpness on Barack Obama. They can shout NO all they want. They will most certainly create the most effective president this country has ever seen. Then, they'll have no one to blame but themselves. As if they would.

"The Republicans wear no clothes"

2010-03-25T00:48:00.000-07:00

It must be so frightening for those who look to the possibilities of the future and see destruction. That must be so scary for them. These people believe they see what they believe. The reality doesn't matter. There is nothing to do except make sure they don't hurt themselves or anyone else with tantrums and acts of violence. "They know not what they do." Most of those don't have a clue that they are being lied to by the status quo. But, I see a country that refuses to allow a small group of people destroy it through violence. At a time when there are two wars being waged we cannot allow our homeland to fall apart. I see that we as a country stand for progress and prosperity for everyone. I am a small voice proclaiming "The Republicans have no clothes!"

The Republican Cliche'

2010-03-24T23:34:00.000-07:00

I have the crazy idea that people in the Republican party are decent, law abiding citizen who want the best for this country. Watching the news and seeing these people who attend church, work in our public schools, even represent us in Washington treat other citizens so badly, I have to think that it's because they must in some way play out a horrible cliche'. Obviously, they've never seen any of the many movies that favor the underdog. The movies where the bully gets humiliated and repentant in the end. Obama is the very portrait of underdog. The odds have been stacked against him every step of the way. All I can say is the story is as old as time. The Republicans will reap what they have sown. They will see a further decline in their party. Its possible destruction depends on how quickly they decide to act like adults instead of petulant children. Now they are refusing to do any work at all? Why are they in Washington? Why are they even going into their offices? Why have we voted them into office so they can walk out on the job? Are they getting paid for a full day of work? Who is keeping tabs on how many hours are actually hours worked? I say we petition Washington to put our political leaders on notice. If they don't put in the time, they will be FIRED!

Whew! That was close. I almost got angry.

Mr. Smith should go to Washington and show Obama how it's done.

2009-12-22T00:08:00.000-08:00

When President Obama won the Oval Office, I was so charged up. I was involved with my country again after years of feeling like my vote counted for nothing. I was proud to be an American again. I was excited to see the changes that were promised come into being. Mostly, I was excited for the American people. After eight years of oppressive leadership in Washington, we finally had someone who was there for us. Or so we thought. What happened? Where did the fire go? In the movie, MR SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, Jimmy Stuart started out a reluctant hero of the people. He found his voice and his fire as he stood in front of lawmakers to champion his cause. I thought that Obama resembled the Jimmy Stuart's Smith when he won the election. I just felt in my bones that he was the person we all had been waiting for. The man who would shake up Washington. What has happened is the opposite. Mr Obama has made some very lovely speeches, but he's absolutely been ineffectual in his role as President. Instead of moving forward into the 21st century, we are stepping back in areas we thought were somewhat settled. The Abortion issue has taken the healthcare debate hostage and pushed Senators into full retreat. Obama has labeled this so-called reform historic, but it's not historic in the way the White House is spinning it. It's historic because of the way Obama has run away from it. He keeps making speeches about how it will cover 30 million more Americans. What about the remaining 15 million who will still be uninsured. We heard a lot about the 45 million who were without coverage in the early days of the health care fight. We don't hear anything about that now. At the start we heard that the insurance companies should have competition to keep them honest and fair. We don't hear about what these companies are doing to people before the limited regulations come into play. Not from Obama and not from any of the people participating in this charade of health care reform. The fact that the Democrats let abortion hijack reform is a testament to their spineless dedication to mediocrity. There seems to be no one in the Democrat party who is willing to really fight for reform. Everyone is covering their ass. The Democrats seem ready to sell the farm to get the votes they need so that they can put health care reform in the win category. Why must we settle for less when we have a majority in both houses? The Republicans are no better. They just want Obama to fail. They don't care that reform would be good for the country. They would rather see the country spiral into the abyss than give Obama a win of any kind. The lies and marches for non-reform is so transparent, it would be laughable if it weren't for the people who will be affected. As a Black (African American) person, I really wanted to see President Obama go in and kick some ass. In the back of my mind however, I felt that because he is a Black man, he might not have the political clout of familial generations to help him move the mountains that needed to be moved. The "Old Boy Network" is long and strong. How could this Black man do anything substantial without help? The evidence is not much. The rich keep getting richer. It's been said that the banks run this country. Everyone believes that to be true including me. Why else would they be able to rape the American People even after the people gave them money to stay afloat? Bernie Madoff is small time in comparison. This bailout scam in hindsight seems to be the biggest Ponzi Scam in the history of this country. And it was perpetrated by our own government. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by what has happened. as I said it was in the back of my mind all along, but it makes me sad. I won't be voting Democrat again. It won't matter that I hold my vote. Things just go on in Washington as they always have. The only thing that brings change is social discourse. When the people finally get so fed up, they take to the streets and demand change. Oh, wait a minute, we did that last November.

Why would these "Blue Dogs" bark for health care reform?

2009-11-06T15:20:00.000-08:00

Why would the so-called "Blue Dog" Democrats support health care reform? I found that a large majority of the so-called "Blue Dogs" aren't in the pockets of the Insurance industry, but a fair amount of them actually have taken large amounts from the industry. Three members stand out in the crowd. Dennis Moore of KS, has taken $49,000 from the insurance industry for '09-'10. Running a near second is John Tanner, TN. He took $47,800. Charles Wilson took a paltry $24,750. All through the list of "Blue Dogs" I saw contributions from Health Professionals. That adds up to a lot of kibble coming from the healthcare industry. The "Blue Dog" most popular in that department is Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota. His take amounts to $98,885. I won't call them all out because I can't really figure out where "Health Professionals" plays out in the big game of campaign contributions. But quite a few had HUGE contributions. But I did want to find out who in the Democrat party had their hands in the Insurance industry pot. The Democrats were not famous in the past for being bought and sold, What is going on today?

How do we lose when we've got the upper hand? Let me count the ways.

2009-11-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

How is it possible that the Democrats could allow the Republican party to continue to have an effect on this country? This country was decimated by the Republican party and here we are at the eleventh hour of real change for the people, and we have Democrat representatives who are running scared by politics. Where is the love? Why did these people become politicians? Did they do it to be popular? Did they do it to be told by their opposition that they might lose their jobs if they don't in fact do their jobs? I feel like spitting nails these days because of what I'm seeing. I have been rendered speechless by what's going on here. I can only list the ways I see the Democrats failing to do anything to turn this country around.

1. They let Lieberman keep his committee chair.
2. They don't get in the faces of those Blue Dog Dems who take millions from the big corporations.
3. Democrats love to be in power, but don't have the fortitude to do what's necessary.
4. We may truly be lacking the leadership necessary to get things done. (Sorry Obama, You're looking a little weak right now.)
Oh hell, there are just too many ways to lose the big win. I'm tired.

I really am considering a shift to Independent, but I probably won't participate in the political process any more. I will become what I have always tried to talk others out of. I will be a citizen who doesn't go to the party.

What? Obama in Texas?

2009-10-14T23:36:00.000-07:00

This may seem silly. This may seem a little paranoid, but I don't think it's a good idea for President Obama to go to Texas. Why would he go there? These are the same people who want to break away from the Union. After what happened to Kennedy in Texas, why would any of Obama's advisors think that he would be safe in Texas. I just don't think it's right. I find it weird that he would go. The subject of his speech would be about Community Service. Who would be served by his speech? It seems that Texans only want to serve Texas. President Obama, watch your back.

The search for love has come up dry.

2009-10-03T00:34:00.000-07:00

What is rational thought? According to Webster's, rational meaning, being in or characterized by full possession of one's reason; sane; lucid: And thought, meaning the product of mental activity; that which one thinks: a body of thought. The phenomenon that's happening these days in America is the opposite to rational thought. People are gearing up for a fight of some kind. When I take a look inward at my own thoughts, I can sum up my behavior as reaction. I have been reacting since Barack Obama was elected to office. It's probably been since he first announced his run for president. I have been more active in the political process than I ever have. I have donated more money and written more letters to my elected officials that I ever have. I don't feel like it makes a difference, yet I can't seem to stop. It's become a joke between my husband and me. An issue comes up and he says write a letter and I usually do. I've written to my state senators and congress men and women. I've written to other state's representatives as well. Is my behavior rational? I don't think it's totally rational. I wrote the White House today. This behavior is causing me more stress than I'm able to handle. I don't want to handle it. I want to be happy and I want to feel secure in my life. I want that security to be the truth in my life. The hatred that I've exposed myself to is too overwhelming and I choose to replace it. The love that I've been trying to find in this political landscape must come from me. Yes. It will start with me. I'm going on a diet. I'm going on a political diet. No more writing about politics, no more watching the political pundits, no more NPR. So much for finding love in the political landscape. There's no love out there. The only love I find is within me.

It's hard to forgive, but I do.

2009-09-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

With 68.7 percent of the population in South Carolina being White, it's no wonder that Joe Wilson has a completely different view from my own. When I put myself in his shoes, I can understand that his road has different signposts. I forgive his ignorance of my life and those who look like me. He can't know what he's never lived. He can't understand the plight of those who are less fortunate than he is. If he chose to make a detour and see the actual lives of those he seems to be against he might begin to understand. If he walked a mile in an immigrants shoes or spent a day waiting for medical care that he knew he couldn't afford, maybe he could see a side beyond his own. The percentage of Blacks living in South Carolina is around 28.5%. Hispanics make up about 4.1%. Does Joe Wilson have any Black or Hispanic friends? Who knows? It's easy to tear him down because of it. It's easy to tear anyone down when they or you've chosen a side instead of standing in the center and and taking in both halves of the whole. The fact that he doesn't feel it necessary, speaks to our societal ills. From the time we are able to think for ourselves we are trained to think like everyone else in our lives. We are taught that a person has to choose a side. Right or wrong, good or bad, mean or kind, we all learn to choose. The only thing you can't choose is your family for the most part. If you're family is White, it's possible that you are taught to fear those who don't look like you. If you're born Black, it's possible you are taught the same thing. Only the reactions are different. I believe that Joe Wilson is passionate about being who he was always meant to be. His disrespect to the President is a by-product of who he has always been. I don't agree with what Joe Wilson did, but allow him the right to do it. He alone is responsible for his actions and he alone must walk the road he's chosen.

Let’s not dismiss and miss the point.

2009-09-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

It's sad that President Carter is being criticized so harshly for his comments about race in this country. Racism still exists. Who better to identify the warning signals, than someone who grew up in a world where it was as close as your next breath? There is nothing wrong with our elders giving us advice. I think James Madison said, "If we don't know our history, we are doomed to repeat it." But once identified, we have an opportunity to examine ourselves and see what our feelings are surrounding this issue. It's also true that our world has changed. More and more our racial landscape is blending. Our President is referred to as a Black (African American) man, but a White woman made this contribution to the world. I also grew up Black even though my father was American Indian and my mother is a mixture poured from a Louisiana melting pot. The label of African American wasn't my choice. At some point the Black label got transformed. I've never been to Africa and I've met Africans who don't like Black Americans any more than they like White Americans. Growing up in the turbulent era of civil rights meant I had my share of being called he N-word and being told to go back where I came from. My answer has always been the same, "Chicago?" I guess my point is that there will always be someone who doesn't like, doesn't trust, and doesn’t tolerate you because of race. There was a rainbow of faces at my family gatherings, but I knew there was danger in certain neighborhoods. You couldn't cross one avenue because it was the dividing line between the races. Fortunately, that has changed somewhat and unless it's Orange County or Simi Valley, I'm pretty much ok. I've been married for 20 years to a man who has a family tree that grew in Scandinavian soil. Even he is a mixture of Swedish and Norwegian. What we've given to the world is a daughter who is part Black (African American), American Indian, Jewish, Irish, Norwegian, Swedish...you get the picture. None of us can truly claim only one bloodline, unless cousins were the only ones at the party. We need to get beyond this affliction of racism. The majority of us in this country have. Dare I say that the world is moving beyond it simply because isolation is hard to come by these days.

Roadside bombs in American soil

2009-09-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

Many have lived to tell the story of the horrific moments after an angry soul bent on destruction has been moved to action because they see their fears and prejudices supported by someone “playing the game”. With so many groups organizing and being financially backed by huge corporations with the intent of stopping at all costs any reform, it makes me wonder. Where does the responsibility lie? Who pays for all the pain and suffering associated with this drastic turn? Can these groups truly walk away from the aftermath with not so much as a slap on their collective wrists? The proof of incitement is so clear. It has been documented and proven legitimate by many concerned citizens, news reporters, and whistle blowers. Big business continues to spend millions to support “Tea Baggers” and the like. If one of their followers makes a choice to take matters into their own hands, can these companies just walk away spouting the notion that they had no idea that such a thing could happen? Can it be justified merely by saying that “It was just Satire”? Maybe they could in the past when fact checking was something that happened after the fact. Maybe they could get away with it when there wasn’t a 24-hour news cycle and their names would most likely remain hidden until years later with the tragedy a cold memory. I say we call this what it is. Domestic Terrorism. Is there any legal action that can be taken against these groups who knowingly incite violence and discourse into the public arena? If something terribly wrong happens because of the poison that has been injected into the arm of the fringe element, do we as a nation have the right to hold someone accountable? Would we call this Domestic Terrorism? I wonder what these people who are so cavalier about their games of seek and destroy would do if they suddenly found themselves behind the defense table of a federal court? We send our troops into harms way to stop terrorism, yet we allow companies with huge amounts of money to wage war here at home by planting theoretical roadside bombs into the minds of people who are already unstable. These people who would die for the cause and become martyred are the roadside bombs. What makes them any different from the extremist we are currently fighting in the Middle East? It’s sad that we as a country have become what we despise. How can we be the moral authority for any other country when we allow such civil unrest to thrive in our own backyard blanketed by the First Amendment? A U.S. Representative of California, Wally Herger led a town hall meeting where a 67 year old man, Bert Stead declared himself to be a “proud right-wing terrorist”. The Representative gave him a reply of “Amen, God bless you. There’s a great American.” How is this not a crime? At the very least it should be an act of treason on the part of the Representative. On 9/11 we wanted to take out all terrorists. We wanted to hunt them down whether home or abroad and make them pay for killing so many of our American citizens. Now we have “Proud Right Wing Terrorists.” What’s the difference between them and Al-Qaida?

Where’s My Thug At? (A Black President’s dilemma)

2009-09-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Maybe Barack Obama didn’t realize that he was chosen more because of his color than his eloquence. Don’t get me wrong; he wowed everyone at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. I knew he would be a great senator, but I truly believe that he was chosen because the Democrat Party needed some muscle. The party is full of politicians who can give good speech, but the first Black (African American) President by virtue of being Black, would most certainly bring with it some of the physical and mental toughness afforded to our Black athletes in this country, or even some of the “bust a cap in your ass” generalizations that some Whites have held onto even in this supposed “post-racial” America. The fact that he’s also from Chicago must have been the tipping point. Now, many people are expressing disappointment in his unwillingness to jump into the fray and throw punches. It would surprise no one in the Black community that he wouldn’t conduct himself in that manner. Mr. Obama is a highly educated man with a family. Not a street thug. Have we ever stopped to think that he’s playing the game? He’s been in office for 9 months and the fact that he hasn’t used his A-K is surprising to some. When Blacks won the right to vote, they were subjected to lies and misrepresentation when they showed up to polling places. “If you can’t read, you can’t vote.” was one of the lies told at the polls. When Blacks cry racism these days, they are met with a reverse racism label and told to be quiet. I think Mr. Obama is playing the game. We voted for him. We put him in office with a mandate. Now after less than a year we are swayed with untruths and intimidation. The “Right” Whites in this country who will never vote for anything he puts forth and are trying to bring him down at all costs are happy that we are silent. We stand idly by and watch while the big corporations in this country use their considerable wealth to hold onto power and the status quo by trotting out the same old fear and intimidation tactics they always use. Why? Is it because we expected Barack Obama to run the White House like the thug brothers we see in movies or on television? Did we expect him to call out the name callers and the “Deciders” for a game of one on one? What is it that we want from a man who has been in office for 9 months, has two wars, a failed economy, record unemployment, and a 1.3 trillion dollar deficit (none of which happened on his watch)? We truly are spoiled children who want everything and are willing to do nothing for it. If we don’t stand with our president, if we don’t push back in numbers against those who clearly have a BIG problem with a Black man living in the White House, then we have gone back on our word. Our promise. Our vote. With our vote we promised that we would help Barack Obama bring change to this country. And EVERYONE from age 18 to 100 plus has a responsibility to help this country back to health. HE CANNOT DO IT ALONE. We complained for eight years about an administration that bullied us and ran the country into the ground. We now have someone in office that is willing to work with us. Are we willing to work with him? The Democrats don’t have backbone. They run full tilt when the Republicans pick on them and call them names. I believe Barack Obama has shown his backbone simply by running and actually winning the White House in a country where white and black, white and brown, white and yellow is still the underlying issue.