The Michael Brown riots are the lynch pin for me.

Dr. King

After almost 50 years of indoctrination, after listening to / reading Dr. Martin Luther King’s awesome “I have a dream speech” in school dissecting it’s meanings and discussing how America could be better if we all believed in that dream and believing that education was the answer that would finally heal 150 year old wounds…

Today, I give up.

I still think Dr. King was right. His general premise that no one should live in fear because of the color of their skin, is correct. He envisioned a world where our differences were differences in character not color, like most dreams, his was a good and happy one.

Unfortunately, it was just a dream.

Obama

I proudly voted for Mr. Obama in 2008, not because of his color, but because I believed that he was the best candidate for the job. I wanted the Hope and Change he was describing. I thought it was time for our President to pay a bit more attention to matters at home. I hoped that candidate Obama would feed our homeless, improve our economy, and ultimately lead us forward capitalizing on our limitless potential.

As I have stated in this blog before, I did not vote for President Obama in the 2012 election cycle.

My Reason was simply that, in four short years I saw a country that was less united, and more racially charged than the 1960s. I indeed saw  change, I saw squabbling and infighting like children in our highest offices, and a President who spent more time obfuscating truth, covering up scandals, blaming others, and playing golf, than he did actually doing his job.

Ferguson Thugs

I don’t consider the Presidents job to be writing executive orders, I think his job is to mediate between the parties, so that the House and Senate get their jobs done.

The President demonstrated to me in those first four years that he was, as I feared, too young and inexperienced to bring opposing sides to the negotiation table. He was far too likely to choose sides when he should have been carefully neutral. That is why by 2012, I’d decided we needed someone with a bit more experience facilitating “spirited” discussions and negotiations.

President Obama as we know was re-elected.

During the subsequent two years issues of race have come to the forefront of our society. The lionization of St. Travon and subsequent media trial of George Zimmerman followed by selective reporting of the actual trial created a narrative that seems to say all white people in America are racist.

The media in the Travon Martin case went so far as to say that George Zimmerman was white regardless of the fact that he Identified as hispanic.

Protesters

St. Travon was presented to us by a media, all too wiling to use him for ratings, as an innocent. The Angelic picture of St. Travon presented by the media, stands in stark contrast to the “selfies” St Travon posted of himself on social media.

The Rev Al Sharpton ginned up donations to his organization and causes by painting Zimmerman as a hateful racist who was hell bent on killing poor St. Travon. Donations, I might add, that he still hasn’t paid taxes on.

Even when the legal case fell apart, with the forensic evidence saying that Zimmerman was the victim and Dear St. Travon of the Hoodie was the aggressor; no one listened to the truth. It wasn’t the approved narrative, The media and black activists had given the people St. Travon of the Hoodie… Who was the jury, or the truth they saw, to take him away?

Ferguson Cop Line

In the intervening years, the word “Racist” has come to have the same impact as the word “N——-” used to have. When “Racist” is shouted at a White person it no longer describes a characteristic. The word is meant to be hurtful, and shut down any further discussion.

Calling a White person “Racist” calls into question that person’s worth to society, their upbringing, values, and discounts anything that person may have done in the past or currently to end racism. Essentially the person being called “Racist” is “unmade” and somehow considered “less than”.  They’re supposed to go to the back of the bus and shut the hell up.

No Whites Allowed

Does any of this sound familiar?

The further coloring of “Racist” with other descriptors “Hick, Redneck, Hillbilly,” serves to solidify “Racists” can only be white and are ignorant as well.

I’m not even going to talk about “White Privilege” I don’t think that term should be dignified with any discussion.

Now we’ve suffered through months of St. Michael Brown of the quickie mart. Two out of three autopsies don’t agree with witness accounts of what happened.

The grand jury came to the conclusion based on the forensic evidence, and eye witnesses recanting their testimony that officer Wilson acted well within the limits of his office, and decided not to indict.

This should have been the end of it…

But it wasn’t…

We have a more strident replay of St Travon. This time violence, and destruction has become the norm.

Al Sharpton

Al Sharpton recently made statements that frankly blew my mind. He said, and I’m paraphrasing here, That black men couldn’t be responsible if congress didn’t give MORE money to black causes. I shit you not, here’s a link to the article.

So what does this say?

To me, it says that as a white minority in California, I’m probably screwed. Why? That’s simple, people don’t view white people as a minority even when they are.

As such, white people will not have access to the same services that persons of color will have. You’re not going to see the National Association for the Advancement of White People coming into existence, much less getting government funding.

In fact I suspect if someone was to try to create a White organization like that they’d be branded as NeoNazis and tracked by the FBI & Southern Poverty law center.

Additionally, if White people were to start rioting nationwide over the number of people that had been hurt by things like the Knock out game, old men and women being beaten, or state fairs being closed by black gangs, it wouldn’t be looked at as a social movement it would be looked at as a freaking RIOT!

Oh and lets not forget about the White Kid that was shot by the black cop even though the kid was naked, stoned out of his mind and thought he was on fire. Yeah! White lives matter! Damn cops killing our white boys all the time for no reason.

Thugs2

It sounds stupid when you frame it that way, why does any of this take on any more weight just because a cop is white and the person resisting arrest happens to be black?

I’m a firm believer that racism and the harm it causes does in fact cut both ways.

If the media reports that the police are looking for a man in connection with a burglary where an old woman was beaten, that’s great. But have you noticed that the media will say “Police are looking for a” white man or a hispanic man. But they’ll never say a black man, or African American?  How the hell is the public supposed to help the police find the suspect without a description?

Again, It cuts both ways.

I’ve come to the point that I’m not listening anymore to the narrative about non-white people being treated differently. I’m over it and I honestly don’t give a shit anymore.

NewImage

Call me whatever name you want, so the hell what?

The race card has melted and is smoldering in a little pile on the ground. The next Michael Brown or the next Eric Garner is, in my opinion irrelevant. Yet another failure of our educational system and a victim not of mean racist police but of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Lou Farrakhan President Obama and others like them.

That blood will be on their hands.

As for me, I’m not interested in the false narratives or white guilt. I’m done. I tried, and I’m tired now.

50 years later and nothing has changed, so you’ll pardon me if I want to try finding a place where there are faces just like mine.

The nationwide Ferguson riots, have taught me one thing, the racists were right, we can’t live with each other, so why keep trying?

The race baiters should be reconsidering the method they choose to convey their message.

Is it Just ME????

I ran across several articles recently talking about the DOJ telling us that saying bad things about muslims was a violation of civil rights.

Granted some of the first articles were from very conservative sources. I managed to track back to what appears to be the original source article.This piece is far less sensational.

This article was the first one I found, Then I ran across this one. Here’s another piece from Breitbart

The first two are designed to inflame passions and put their own spin on the material. The Breitbart piece is less spin and more Wait a minute, yep this is happening.

Even so the original piece is still worrisome.  

NewImage

You can just imagine my confusion at seeing a story that an US Attorney from Eastern Tennessee is warning people that speaking ill of muslims could violate the Muslims civil rights.

I found my self asking, “What happened to the First Amendment?”

You know that little Amendment that guarantees all Americans the right to free speech?

Technically, I’m protected in what I say on this blog by that amendment right now.

I can put a crucifix in a bottle of urine and it’s protected under the 1st amendment.

I could call the Pope a pedophile and condemn all practitioners of Catholicism as pedophiles too. And that would be protected speech. (I actually like the current Pope and Don’t think he’s a pedophile. Apologies your Eminence but I’m making a point here, Please bear with me.)

I can say that all Baptists are snake handling Red State Morons and that’s protected under the First Amendment.

It’s perfectly OK for me to climb to the tallest building with a bullhorn and call the United States of America and evil imperialist regime headed by a group of lying corporate stooges, who are selling this country out from under us faster than Judas sold Christ out to the Romans. And that too is protected speech.

NewImage

But along comes the US Attorney from Eastern Tennessee and suddenly Muslims a specially protected class of people!

What The Fuck

I know that most Muslims are decent hard working people. I would never in a million years seek to restrict their ability to build places of worship or prevent them from practicing their religion. In fact It’s far more likely that I’d be trying to quiet then disperse an angry mob outside a Mosque.

Gods, house no matter the name of the religion is Gods house.

One of the oldest rules among civilizations world wide is that All Houses of worship are sanctuaries.

In times of war, the young, the old, and the women could reasonably expect to be safe within the walls of their Church / Temple / Mosque… They were clearly non-combatants if they’re inside praying. Only absolute Barbarian Animals would violate the sanctity of a house of worship.

(I’ve always found it fascinating that Muslims will cry foul if American bullets strike the walls of a Mosque accidentally, but Sunni will blow up a Shiite Mosque and not say a damn word.)

You just don’t mess around with the spiritual center of a people.

Not only is it bad JuJu…

When you create martyrs you’ve given your enemies something to rally around. That often ends badly for the aggressor.

I’m a believer in the constitutional concept of freedom of religion so much so that I’ll protect a religion even if the religion isn’t something I agree with.

I’m also a believer in constitutionally protected freedom of speech.

Which leads me back to WTF?

If I choose to point out that Islam is responsible for the Cultural & Scientific retardation of what was a jewel of civilization, that’s in violation of Muslims civil rights?

NewImage

I can equally and defensibly say that the Catholic Church was in part responsible for the destruction of cultures worldwide. Inca, Easter Island, Several Native American Tribes, and the remnants of the Aztecs just to name a few. Saying that isn’t a violation of Catholic civil rights?

We can arguably say that it’s far more likely for a follower of Islam to blow themselves up in a crowded marketplace, or to set off bombs at the end of Marathons, or to lob shoulder fired missiles or rocket propelled grenades randomly into Israeli neighborhoods.

This is not a violation of civil rights, this is not so called hate speech!

These are observations of fact. These events are irrefutable and we’ve got the video to prove at least one case of each. Yet the US Attorney from Eastern Tennessee is going to look at these statements as a civil rights violation?

Where the fuck are my civil rights?

I’m not calling for violence against Muslims.

NewImage

However all it would take for Muslims to put a price on my head would be for me to insult Muhammed or draw an image, flattering or not of Muhammed.

The US Attorney from Eastern Tennessee better step the hell back, and carefully consider what he’s saying. My badmouthing Muslims, Catholics, Baptists, Buddhists, Wiccans, Agnostics, or Atheists had damn well be treated exactly the same.

Either we’re all free and equal or none of us is. 

You’d think that a US Attorney from any district in the country would know that.

I think she’s going have her college degree paid for….

I noticed that this case was proceeding.

NewImage

This Article is short.

Essentially a high school girl wore a Romney / Ryan T-shirt to class. It’s alleged that her teacher told her to leave the room and that wearing that T-Shirt was akin to wearing a KKK outfit. (Neither of which is banned in America, if I recall both are still protected by the first amendment.).

A KKK outfit? Really? Had I been a student in that school I’d have shown up the next day in a Nazi Uniform. With the added touch of putting an Obama / Democratic Party logo below the swastika. At least then I’d have been sent home for just cause. I’m assuming that the school has some kind of dress code that precludes something as blatant as a Nazi uniform.

The teacher went on to say that the school was Democratic.

Clearly the teacher forgot the other definitions of  democratic.

Websters says

1) “of, relating to, or favoring democracy”.

2) “often capitalized: of or relating to on of the two major political parties in the United States evolving in the early 19th century from the anti-federalists and the Democratic-Republican party and associated in modern times with policies of broad social reform and internationalism.”

3) “relating to, appealing to, or available to the broad masses of the people”

4) “favoring equality: not snobbish”

Yes I know that the teacher was speaking about the party… But I’ve noticed recently that the average members of the Democratic party… the citizens claiming to be Democrats often don’t practice what they preach.

The school and the teacher are being taken to court for violation of the girls first amendment rights. But the young lady has since transferred to a different school and was apparently threatened by other students due to the teachers action.

I’m ambivalent about the lawsuit thing.

I wouldn’t mind seeing the teacher punished.

Not because they expressed their opinion. But because they in one moment destroyed the concept that everyone has a right to speak their mind. The teacher used their power in the classroom to create a mob mentality. Us vs. THEM!

The teacher instituted a CLASS distinction. They created a situation where clearly the ruling class (We’re Democrats) had the ability to oppress anyone that disagreed with them.

The oppression came in this case in the form of the young lady being sent home from school. And subsequently when she was threatened by her peers.

In our society we must listen to differing opinions. It’s our duty to protect the rights of people to speak their mind. EVEN if we ourselves disagree vehemently with their position.

The Hangman by Maurice Ogden

I was looking for the old quote attributed to pastor Martin Niemöller about the Nazi purges of the various groups perceived as threats to the Reich.

NewImage

First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the socialists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.

While looking for this quote, I came across a poem that speaks to the same subject.

I like both for their cautionary tones.

I’m worried that we are losing our way, in that we too easily choose a group to blame or demand compensation from.

I find myself asking more often these days, what defines a minority? Your first thought might be to say a person of color. That could be true.

But a minority is more than that. Wikipedia, provides this definition.

Which leads me to why I was looking for Niemöllers quote in the first place.

We as a country have apparently come to the conclusion that wealth is bad. We’ve arbitrarily decided that the “Wealthy” can pay more taxes.

The definition of  “Wealthy” is also variable and apparently chosen based on the needs of the state.

California has defined household incomes greater than $250,000 as wealthy and therefore subject to increased state taxation.

You realize that $250,000 could well be the income for a young Physician and his Stock broker spouse. Both of whom are trying to pay off $150,000 each in student loans.

The arbitrariness of the definition of Wealth begs the question for me.

If the State doesn’t solve it’s budget crisis… Will the politicians decide $100,000 in household income is Wealthy? Where does that line of reasoning end? $50,000?

We have politicians in Washington DC making similar statements about the “Wealthy” being able to pay a little bit more…

I’m concerned that this kind of thinking is a very slippery slope.

Don’t get me wrong… the Wealthy people that have sold our country out from under us, and off shored jobs, who’ve raped, pillaged, plundered, and employed slash and burn techniques on the American economy that MADE them wealthy.

Oh, they richly deserve punishment!

BUT Their punishment shouldn’t come at the sacrifice equal taxation and representation. Let the wealthy peoples tax breaks expire but levying higher taxes on a minority group is certainly as unfair as the tax breaks this group enjoyed.

Presented for your consideration by a centrist Republican who is interested in equality and even social justice.

So long as those things happen… Justly.

The Hangman by Maurice Ogden

NewImage

Into our town the hangman came, smelling of gold and blood and flame. He paced our bricks with a different air, and built his frame on the courthouse square. The scaffold stood by the courthouse side, only as wide as the door was wide with a frame as tall, or a little more, than the capping sill of the courthouse door.

And we wondered whenever we had the time, Who the criminal? What the crime? The hangman judged with the yellow twist of knotted hemp in his busy fist.

And innocent though we were with dread, we passed those eyes of buckshot lead. Till one cried, “Hangman, who is he, for whom you raised the gallows-tree?”

Then a twinkle grew in his buckshot eye and he gave a riddle instead of reply. “He who serves me best,” said he “Shall earn the rope on the gallows-tree.”

And he stepped down and laid his hand on a man who came from another land. And we breathed again, for anothers grief at the hangmans hand, was our relief.

And the gallows frame on the courthouse lawn by tomorrow’s sun would be struck and gone. So we gave him way and no one spoke out of respect for his hangmans cloak.

The next day’s sun looked mildly down on roof and street in our quiet town; and stark and black in the morning air the gallows-tree on the courthouse square.

And the hangman stood at his usual stand with the yellow hemp in his busy hand. With his buckshot eye and his jaw like a pike, and his air so knowing and business-like.

And we cried, “Hangman, have you not done, yesterday with the alien one?” Then we fell silent and stood amazed. “Oh, not for him was the gallows raised.”

He laughed a laugh as he looked at us, “Do you think I’ve gone to all this fuss, To hang one man? That’s the thing I do. To stretch the rope when the rope is new.”

Above our silence a voice cried “Shame!” and into our midst the hangman came; to that mans place, “Do you hold,” said he, “With him that was meat for the gallows-tree?”

He laid his hand on that one’s arm and we shrank back in quick alarm. We gave him way, and no one spoke, out of fear of the hangmans cloak.

That night we saw with dread surprise the hangmans scaffold had grown in size. Fed by the blood beneath the chute, the gallows-tree had taken root.

Now as wide, or a little more than the steps that led to the courthouse door. As tall as the writing, or nearly as tall, half way up on the courthouse wall.

The third he took, we had all heard tell, was a usurer…, an infidel. And “What” said the hangman, “Have you to do with the gallows-bound…, and he a Jew?”

And we cried out, “Is this one he who has served you well and faithfully?” The hangman smiled, “It’s a clever scheme to try the strength of the gallows beam.”

The fourth man’s dark accusing song had scratched our comfort hard and long. “And what concern,” he gave us back, “Have you … for the doomed and black?”

The fifth, the sixth, and we cried again, “Hangman, hangman, is this the man?” “It’s a trick”, said he, “that we hangman know for easing the trap when the trap springs slow.”

And so we ceased and asked no more as the hangman tallied his bloody score. And sun by sun, and night by night the gallows grew to monstrous height.

The wings of the scaffold opened wide until they covered the square from side to side. And the monster cross beam looking down, cast its shadow across the town.

Then through the town the hangman came and called through the empy streets…my name. I looked at the gallows soaring tall and thought … there’s no one left at all

for hanging … and so he called to me to help take down the gallows-tree. And I went out with right good hope to the hangmans tree and the hangmans rope.

He smiled at me as I came down to the courthouse square…through the silent town. Supple and stretched in his busy hand, was the yellow twist of hempen strand.

He whistled his tune as he tried the trap and it sprang down with a ready snap. Then with a smile of awful command, He laid his hand upon my hand.

“You tricked me Hangman.” I shouted then, “That your scaffold was built for other men, and I’m no henchman of yours.” I cried. “You lied to me Hangman, foully lied.”

Then a twinkle grew in his buckshot eye, “Lied to you…tricked you?” He said “Not I… for I answered straight and told you true. The scaffold was raised for none but you.”

“For who has served more faithfully? With your coward’s hope.” said He, “And where are the others that might have stood side by your side, in the common good?”

“Dead!” I answered, and amiably “Murdered,” the Hangman corrected me. “First the alien … then the Jew. I did no more than you let me do.”

Beneath the beam that blocked the sky none before stood so alone as I. The Hangman then strapped me…with no voice there to cry “Stay!” … for me in the empty square.

LA City Council Socialist Resolution

The LA City Council has recently demonstrated just how little they understand the freedoms insured by The Constitution and Bill of Rights.

This time they’ve decided not only what hate or sexist speech is but that somehow they can implement socialist controls on the local public airwaves. Unfortunately this dumbass resolution was voted on, and approved.

In One “Man on the street” interview a young lady said that this resolution is to “HELP” the radio station be “better”. I found her characterization interesting because of its similarity to dictators “Helping” people understand by placing them in re-education camps.

616 1305831266

This resolution is in reality targeted at a specific radio station in the Los Angeles region. KFI 640 AM.

Further, this resolution is aimed at Radio Hosts Jon and Ken. These guys are controversial and in the past month or two have drawn criticism for expressing their opinions about current events in particular about Whitney Houston. (Based on the coroner’s report saying that Ms. Houston had Cocaine in her system It appears they were actually right.)

Personally I think John & Ken are idiots. Some of the stuff they’ve said offended me on a number of subjects and as a result I don’t listen to their moronic show or their opinions. That being said, I have to defend their right to free speech and their rights to be idiots for entertainment purposes.

The LA City Councils response is a direct threat to the right to free speech.

Instead of seeking to squelch opinions that they disagree with, the LA City Council should be protecting the right to free speech.

The concerned council members should be appearing on radio shows to present the opposing view. After all they have the right to be heard too.

The Council members sponsoring this resolution are all African American. They are Bernard Parks, Jan Perry, and Herb Wesson Jr.

It could be argued that they are pushing their agenda because of an offensive comment that John and Ken made about Whitney Houston. (Yes I believe that the comment was offensive and disrespectful to the deceased and her family)

Bernardparks

Herbwesson

I think Rush Limbaugh got named as part of the resolution in a poorly veiled attempt to legitimize what would otherwise have been seen as simply African Americans in power leaping to “St. Whitneys” defense.

It was well known Whitney Houston had a very long history battling substance abuse.

Sadly this is often the price performers pay for their fame. This is an unfortunate reality and Ms. Houston had been addicted to crack, among other things for many years.

John & Ken characterized her as a crack “HO” on-air after her death. In my opinion the “HO” remark was uncalled for, unnecessary, and certainly unkind to Ms. Houstons family and friends.

However the other comments attributed to John & Ken aren’t necessarily out of line. They referred to Ms Houston as “cracked out for 20 years.” One of the pair then said, “Then you find out she’s dead and it’s like, really, it took this long?‘” Yes their comments are insensitive but not untrue.

I doubt seriously that anyone would be upset if something similar is said about Keith Richards when he dies.

It is interesting to note that John & Ken had characterized Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, & Paris Hilton in far more graphic terms and the good people in the LA City Council said nothing. Rush Limbaugh said seriously nasty things about Sandra Fluke and the LA City Council still said nothing.

It wasn’t until Whitney Houston was called a bad name, that the LA City Council became indignant.

New 2011 head shot

People vote with their wallets. This has been made abundantly clear by advertisers withdrawing their support from Rush Limbaugh.

Using legal mechanisms and maneuvering as the City Council has done is dangerous.

This misuse of legal force represents the continued erosion of the basic freedoms we are supposed to hold sacred.