2014 midterm election, voter apathy or a GOP strategy?

                So the 2014 midterm election ended with a Republican runaway.  They gained the majority in the Senate and gained more seats in the stagnate House.  Congress had an 11% approval rating yet 96% of incumbents retained their seats.  I find it very odd that people were so unhappy yet kept the same people in office.  If anyone thought the Republican strategy would change,  that they might work with President Obama, joke is on you.  Senator Lindsey Graham called him a child in an interview.  Seems the citizens of American did what the GOP wanted,  stayed home on election day.

Is this a master plan by Republicans? No, it is being perpetuated by the party but their marching orders come from the Koch brothers and groups like ALEC or the NRA. The plan seems very complicated but it is not. Very simple, how can a party with a very large deficit in membership beat a party with the larger membership? First they had to win at the state level. When they did that, the began to redistricting or gerrymander. Gerrymandering is the process of breaking up voting districts into more favorable districts for the party in charge. The Supreme Court ruled that Gerrymandering was illegal, but why would laws stop these crooks.

Step 2 was a little tougher. Once they took over the states and gerrymandered the districts they needed to keep moving up the ladder. The gerrymandered districts allowed Republicans to win seats in predominantly Democrat areas. Once they gained seats in the House, the majority, they started pushing voter ID laws in their States. These laws are intended to limit the votes of minorities. Many minorities do not have the proper ID, in some states people that voted for years were no longer allowed to vote. They shortened early voting, voting hours, absentee ballots went missing in several states, voter registrations went missing, people were turned away and Democrat votes turned into Republican votes. All of these laws for a .0002% rate of fraud over the last 10 years. Republicans have said from different states that they needed to limit voting in order to have a chance to win. These are the so called protectors of democracy.

At the same time all this was happening in 2010, still happening today, the billionaires went to court in the Citizens United case. They won the right to contribute as much as they want without anyone being able to track their political spending. The last estimate I saw, the Koch brothers spent over $300 million on the 2014 election cycle alone. Many of this us dark money, which is extremely hard to teach, but is traceable. It is said that Republicans and Democrats get the same amount of money. The upfront money we see, Republicans had about a 20% advantage on. Where as dark money it is estimated anywhere between a 60% to 150% advantage. Most of this money comes from single donors. If you believe money has nothing to do with elections, you couldn’t be further from the truth. The candidate with most money wins 94% of the time.

The last part, which probably should have been the first part, is the main stream media. For instance, 2 of the most popular conservative news sources Rush Limbaugh and FOX NEWS are the 2 most unreliable news sources. Limbaugh is estimated to lie approximately 75% of the time and FOX News tops them at about 85% of the time. Approximately 250 newspapers are owned by 7 conservatives. News channels are complicit as well. Instead of covering anything going right, they went with Ebola and Is is. They played the Republican scare tactic game. So the plan was later out.

Through all these things they routed a Democrat party whose President lowered the deficit, GDP, unemployment, the unemployment rate is at 5.8%, gas prices and health insurance. There would be more jobs of not for Republicans led by Mitch McConnell voting against the Veterans Jobs Bill and the Jobs Bill. This Republican party is not here for the people, they are there for those with the paper. Democracy is not dying a slow death, it is being murdered right before our eyes by enemies dressed as Patriots.

What happened to our Democracy?

         What happened to the great country of America? Why do we not prosper like we did in the 1950s-1970s? What caused the greatest nation in earth to come back to the pack? If you listen to Republicans it is all liberals fault, their policies and entitlements. If you listen to Democrats it is all conservatives fault, horrible policies, war mongering and the trickle down economy. But what caused our current predicament. This is an average high school educated Americans opinion on our decline.

America was very successful in the decades following WWII. There are several reasons for this. I believe first and foremost was the conditions other countries were in. Germany, England, Italy, France, Japan and most of Europe was decimated by the war. This essentially left the world at Americas mercy. We were the only developed country that wasnt decimated and we took full advantage of that. Second was the rise of labor unions. They leveled the playing field with corporations causing better pay and benefits. Workers were happy and American made meant something. Third was the gap in income. It put us in a position where employees believed in their employers. Corporations werent cutting corners for a profit.

When CEO pay began to grow quicker then employee pay we saw the beginning of the decline. Companies off shoring work to make a higher profit despite products that were not made very well. Union membership particularly in the early 2000s declined sharply. NAFTA wad created to help Americans but it worked against us. This was the beginning of the end. Then banks began to work against us. I to this day do not completely understand what they did, but they destroyed pensions, credit, peoples lives and the American economy. Too big too fail and too rich too prosecute.

You may ask “Why all this about the economy and jobs?” It all contributed to the political climate we live in today. The decimation of unions took away one of the major checks on corporations power. Easieast example is Walmart. They make billions in profits, get all of their product from overseas and essentially pay minimum wage. They typically cap employees hours so they dont have to offer benefits. All the while their employees are in every government program that is offered because of the low pay. Walmart is one of the largest employers in the country. Any attempt at unionizing is dealt with harshly. People getting fired, hours cut amongst other things. Workers no longer recieve living wages, all the while corporations and the super wealthy gain more and more of the pie.

Why does any of that matter? Well that is quite easy. 94%. 94% of the time the politician with the most money wins. 94%, a ridiculous number. That means that the people with money get their politician of choice. That means that said politician then works for the cause of the wealthy. That causes an ever growing gap in income inequality. When corporate backed politicians are in charge, corporations essentially are in charge. Take the Stand Your Ground Law, a mess of a law. ALEC writes papers called model legislation, which is a bill that is given to their bought congressmen, who then work to get it passed. Congress no longer works for the people, it works for its puppet master.

Money has bought our government, big money, corporations and super wealthy. These people have destroyed our democracy. We are now at the mercy of our corporate overlords. It is funny to think that not only do you buy their product in a store, but we all bow at the altar of the wealthy. This is what these wannabe oligarchs, feudalists or monarchs want from us. For a while the people were silent, but many are waking up. But it is too late? Can we retake our democracy? Is America the new Rome? I certainly hope not. But in my opinion we are balanced on a precipice.

I realize that this is not the most concise description of our fall. But just open your eyes and look around. People stand up for a tax evader like Cliven Bundy but demonize Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown. When was racism so prevelant, the 1950s. How about the constant attack on women? It seems like a calculated attack to keep rich men in charge of things. The election of President Obama, a black man, seems to upset the apple cart. Why else would certain people say their first and most important priority was to make him a one term president. Democracy is not conservatism or liberalism, it is a combination of all of them. We need to overturn Citizens United, put term limits on Senators, Representatives and Supreme Court Justices. We need to be able to assess their jobs and have the right to immeadiatly fire them. Our democracy is on the line. Lets save it.

Why do people think the poor are ruining our country?

       I find it odd that people attack the poor for asking for a living wage. I find it odd that a poor person is demonized for getting food stamps or heat assistance.  I find it odd that people complain about a poor family getting a large income tax check. Why are the poor being so scrutinized?

How many poor people write checks to lobby a politicians? How many poor people have money in tax havens to avoid paying taxes? How many poor people can pay $10,000 to sit at a dinner in order to get an audience with a politician? How many poor people write bills that are brought to the floor of Congress for a vote? How many poor people are convicted of ripping people off for millions? Killing their retirement? Draining their nest egg? NONE.

Most working poor are making $9 or less. They are working 40-60 hours a week trying to care for their family. Yet these are the people that are destroying America. These are the greedy ones because they want a living wage. They are working for Wal-Mart, McDonald’s and other large Corporations. Corporations making billions of dollars a year in profits but cannot afford to pay $10 or $11 an hour. Paying upper management a couple million or billion dollars a year and giving out major bonuses. I am sorry, that is the greedy fools on Wall Street and the Financial Sector who decimated our economy. But it is the poor who are getting to much.

These same people who complain about the poor support Republicans. Believe our country is moving away from the Constitution. They believe that the Free Market is in the Constitution. In fact they do not know anything about the Constitution except part of the Second Amendment. These are people who are lower middle class, which the Republicans destroyed. They believe the American Dream is dead because of Democrats, President Obama giving everything to the poor. These poor ignorant fools know oh so little.

Republicans want to abolish the minimum wage, they voted against the VAWA, they voted against every jobs bill and short changed the Administration every chance they had. They have blocked more Presidential nominees than ever before and have passed less bills than any other Congress. Did the poor do this? Did the poor create and give millions of dollars to SUPER PACS? It has to be the poor, right? It couldnt be the party that Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck support. Those really loud Tea Party people say President will take our guns. The poor have alot to do with that as well.

Class warfare has taken an ugly turn. The less poor are now attacking the lower poor. People are not concerned about the rich fleecing us. But are upset about another poor person getting more than them. This is what Conservatives want. They want the peasants fighting amongst themselves. I know the $80 billion used for welfare hurts our country more than the $200 billion used for corporate welfare. Yes, these billion dollar corporations get subsidized by your tax dollars, then get large bonuses but cannot afford to pay $10 an hour. Seriously, before you speak, THINK. RESEARCH and LEARN. Spouting what FOX NEWS says is ignorant. Considering they went to court to make it ok to falsify news. And won. HAHA! I bet the poor had a lot to do with it.

Does the Republican party really mean what they do?

             Many of the things the Republican party are currently doing are inherently unAmerican. The Constitution seems only to matter when it helps their corporate masters. The lobbyist, Koch Brothers, ALEC and the NRA are some very prominent puppet masters. The will of the majority has been pushed to the side. Do Republicans even realize what they are doing?

Take Gun Violence. Instead of pursuing a possible solution they spout out the rhetoric they are fed by their puppet masters. All the numbers shown by independent researchers directly contradict the numbers put forth by the NRA. The areas with the highest amount of guns tend to have a very high crime rate. About 5,000 people have been killed by gun violence since Sandy Hook, yet Republicans refuse to do anything about gun violence. The public wants action, yet Republicans stall and protect the money.

For 2 years Republicans complained about President Obama and Democrats not creating enough jobs, despite Republican efforts to thwart any type of job creation. They have held the House for 3 years, yet have not created any jobs. They denied the Obama Jobs Bill and the Veterans Jobs Bill, yet have passed 44 anti-abortion measures and another 90 religious bills. They say they want the corporate tax lowered, yet when President Obama offered it, they refused. They refuse to help the average American.

Republicans seem to enjoy holding Americans hostage with the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling enables us to pay the bills we have already incurred. They raised it 7 times for Bush 43 and another 7 or so for Reagan. This is the first time a President had to fight to raise the debt ceiling. The last time Republicans did this it resulted in a credit downgrade for the U.S. Are they truly willing to default on America’s bills to further their agenda?

Then we have the way Republicans talk about race. Anne Coulter referred to President Obama as ‘Putin’s Monkey” several times in an interview. Another Republican Senator called Latinos “wetbacks”. A Republican leader in Pennsylvania said the Voter I.D. laws were put in place to prevent minorities from voting. This is not what are forefathers had in mind when they drafted the Constitution. It is not for our representatives to pick and choose from.

Do Republicans really expect to be taken seriously? They keep pushing the will of the people to the side for corporate interests and then try to tell us all the good they are doing. They are slimming their voting pool. Democrats already outnumber them, their actions are pushing more people away. They talk about a broken system, they broke it. They are also prospering because of it.

The true travesty of the Trayvon Martin murder.

               The true travesty here is that a 17 year old boy had his life taken from him. He could have been a doctor, a lawyer, the next Martin Luther King Jr. or even a criminal. Who could say? But he was robbed of the chance of being any of those things. I do not know him personally,  but that is not necessary to know it is horrible that his parents don’t get to see him grow into the man he could be. As Trayvon Martin lies in his grave, his murderer walks free with the murder weapon.

George Zimmerman walking free is a slap in the face of all law abiding citizens. Those who follow the rules and don’t use some corporate law to get away with murder. He banked on the fact that a young African-American boy could not get a fair trial in that area even in death. Instead of trying George Zimmerman, they seemed to be trying the victim, Trayvon Martin. If African-Americans were not disenfranchised before, many surely will be now.

Many refuse to recognize this as a Civil Rights issue. Saying a man protected himself against a suspicious character. But this decision shows that it is ok for a Caucasian to kill African-Americans with little fear of being prosecuted. The issue here is that every life is sacred and you only get one. For any man to murder someone outside of protecting their home and walk is inherently unAmerican. We have police for a reason and vigilante justice is against the law.

Part of the travesty is how this truly revealed the bigotry hidden in the Republican party. Democrats and progressives alike believe George Zimmerman should have been convicted. This truly showed how many Americans believe they are superior because of the color of their skin. It even showed that in politicians. It also showed how Republican politicians put lobbyists and groups like ALEC and the Koch Brothers before the people. It also shows the race agenda of these powerful lobbyist groups. We need to join together to vote these bigots out in order to set America on its true course. All men are created equal, even a 17 year old walking with an Arizona Iced Tea and a bag of skittles.

Believe it or not racism does exist today.

                 Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman. Zimmerman was aquitted by a jury of his peers. Sanford County is 80% white and just as strong supporters of the Republican party. Sadly not only are Americans divided politically, but also apparently on the topic of race.

Rush Limbaugh is guilty of preaching racism on his radio show, not to mention degrading women amongst all the other groups he apparently hates. Sean Hannity says that President Obama is like Martin because he smoked pot and did a little blow. These popular conservative radio hosts perpetuate racism and bigotry.

Just take the marches for Trayvon Martin for example. People marching for Martin were chanting “Justice for Trayvon”, with the same on their signs. Not to be outdone, supporters for Zimmerman, yes a murderer has people marching opposite of those marching for the victim. Just a little crazy. They were carrying signs that said “I am racist and proud of it”, as well as chanting that. Who in the world is proud of their ignorance?

Democrats let the Stand Your Ground laws slip by, funded by ALEC and the NRA. We the people are guilty as well, voter apathy enables this to happen. But racism starts at home. If people grow up that way, they will normally stay that way. We are the melting pot, were every color, creed and race comes to avoid persecution. Unfortunately many are being denied these rights by conservatives who want to live in the 1800’s. These people will kill hundreds of years of progress to smear a dead 17 year old boy. Unbelievable!

Emmitt Till and Trayvon Martin, has anything really changed?

                The murder of Emmitt Till was a seminal moment in the Civil Rights movement. Emmitt Till was 14 year old African American boy who was murdered in Mississipi in1955. Till was from Chicago, Illinois and was visisting his relatives in Money, Mississppi. His crime, speaking to a married white woman named Carolyn Bryant. She was a married proprietor of a local grocery store.

A few nights after the murder, Bryant’s husband Roy and his half brother J.W. Milam arrived at Till’s great uncle’s house. They took Till to a barn, beat him, gouged out one of his eyes and then shot him in the head. They disposed of his body in the Tallahatchie River, weighed the body down with a 70 pound cotton gin fan tied around his neck with barbed wire. His body was found 3 days later.

Till’s body was returned to Chicago to his mother. His mother who had raised him mostly by herself, insisted on a public funeral to show the world the brutality of the killing. Tens of thousands attended the funeral and images of his mutilated body were published in black magazines and newspapers. Media scrutiny was intense on the condition of Civil Rights in Mississippi, with newspapers nationwide critical of the state. Initially local newpapers and law enforcement decried the violence against Till, calling for justice. They soon responded to the criticism by defending Mississippians, which soon turned into support for the killers.

The trial was a press event. Problems identifying Till’s body effected the trial. This partially led to the aquittal of Till’s kidnappers and murderers. Several months after the trial during a magazine interview, protected by double jeopardy, both admitted to the kidnapping and murder.

Fast forward 58 years to the George Zimmerman trial. A m an is on trial for the murder of a 17 year old African American child, Trayvon Martin. He followed Martin although the 911 operator told him not to. He startedan altercation with a minor and then shot him during the altercation, killing him. Those are the facts, evrything else really didn’t matter, but Zimmerman was aquitted and now walks around with the gun he used to kill Martin. All because of a law created by the lobbyist group ALEC and that is spreading across the country.

Republicans generally supported Zimmerman and his Stand Your Ground Rights. Democrats and President Obama supported justice for the teen armed with Skittles and Arizona Ice Tea. This is a major step backwards for Civil Rights in America. The Stand Your Ground Law only seems to apply to white people. A black women in Florida, who had history of being battered by her husband fired a gun in the air. Didnt even shoot him. She got 20 years in jail. These are both racially biased decisions that effect all of America going forward. This is not the America I believe in. If you believe in this kind of America, you do not represent progress, you truly represent Sharia Law.

Trayvon Martin deserves justice, Zimmerman got away with murder.

                 My faith in America’s judicial system is gone. A teenage boy was murdered by a man, a man who followed him when 911 told him not to. A man who carried a gun on neighborhood watch when he was told not to. A man who instigated the fight, after a year of Mixed Martial Arts training. A man who shot this child when he started losing this fight he started.

For Don West and Marc o’Mara said this case had nothing to do with Civil Rights, race. They could not be farther from the truth. If Zimmerman was black and Martin white, the case is closed, Zimmerman is convicted of murder and it never garners national attention. I am flabbergasted that a murderer walks free today because of an ALEC model legislation, that was made into law by Republicans.

I can’t process this decision. I am a white man, with a bald head, large goat-tee and a lot of tattoos. I get dirty looks and judged regularly. But I cannot grasp how a young black man feels. Every race has bad people, but entire races should not be judged on the actions of a few. Race should not be so prevalent in 2013. I feel for young black men, I know how I feel and it cannot compare to what they feel. They should see police and feel safe, if innocent, like everyone else. I really believe they are not.

This decision has shaken me to my very soul. I feel let down, I could not be as calm as Trayvon Martin’s parents. If it was my child, I would be going nuts. The Republicans have sold America to corporations and lobbyist like the NRA. Democrats are just as guilty for letting it happen. We the people are guilty of letting America become this joke it has become. It is now legal to murder a kid because you think they may be doing something wrong. You are allowed to shoot someone if you feel threatened, but not defend yourself from some creepy guy who is following you. This is a disgrace.

Happy 4th of July, Independence earned through blood.

               HAPPY 4th of JULY!! The day our fledgling country declared its Independence from a colonial power. The day our founding fathers said enough was enough. The day we said no more to an oppressive regime. The day the American experiment began. Of course all of the rights we have today were earned with the blood of brave Americans and over our many years as a country more blood has veen shed to spread these freedoms worldwide.

Our Freedom to scream at our leaders, protest, although that seems challenged at times, to write what we want, religious freedom, freedom from tyranny among many other freedoms started that day. Our right to elect our leaders and elect different ones when they don’t do the job all started that day. All these freedoms that other countries would put you in jail for, we have. No other country has anything like our 2nd Amendment, however misinterpreted it is. Our Bill of Rights guarentees our Freedoms as an addition to our Constitution.

Republicans show blatant disregard for our Constitution. Stomping on 1st Amendment rights, our voting rights, workers rights and women’s rights. The Voter I.D. Law, which was model legislation from ALEC which is in cohoots with the NRA, as well as these Anti-Abortion Laws Republicans are attempting to pass nationwide. The Republicans show disdain for the office of the President, because they don’t agree with President Obama. Democrats are not perfect, the Monsanto Protection Act, is a complete joke, but they do more for the people than the Republican party.

Gettysburg is celebrating yhe 150th anniversary of what is probably the most pivotal battle of the Civil War. 50,000 Americans were killed or injured during this battle. This was the beginning of freedom for African Americans. African Americans were only considered 3/5s of a person in the Constitution. Our Country is not and never will be perfect. But our syste m of government has worked for a long time. To let it be hijacked by lobbyist working for corporate interest makes everything these men and women sacraficed for a joke.

So today while celebrating our independence remember the blood that has been shed. Thank your neighbors son who serves in the Navy. Thank your good friend who serves in the Air Force. Thank the man in the wheel chair for his Army service in Iraq. Thank the Marine you know or see for putting their life between you and those who despise the freedoms we have. The Marines are special to me because I was there, so I personally thank all of you service members for what you do. We are celebrating our county’s independence, but it was won with the blood of soldiers like these. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!!!! HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!! Have a great day and don’t drink and drive. Be careful with those fireworks as well.

Head of ALEC in Texas created model legislation for Rick Perry’s 20 week abortion ban.

                Texas State Rep. Jodie Laubenberg (R) filed the State Legislature’s first attempt to ban abortions after 20 weeks. It is called the Preborn Pain Act, which is strongly supported by Governor Rick Perry. The Bill alledges that substantial medical evidence recognizing that an unborn child is capable of experiencing pain by not later than 20 weeks after fertilization.

While the facts clearly dispute this strongly held Republican opinion. In fact the American Medical Association has concluded that evidence regarding the capacity for fetal pain is limited but indicates fetal perception of pain is unlikely before the third trimester.

The Bill provides an exception for the life of the pregnant women. But only if the person is in physical danger. An abortion may not be provided if there is a claim or diagnosis that the woman will engage in conduct that may result in her death or irreversible physical impairment of a bodily function. It also changes the language of the Texas Health Code. It would require physicians to report the probable post fertilization age of the unborn child, rather than the period of gestation. This is part of the States new Big Brother style requirements.

20 week abortion bans are Republicans way of taking choice out of the equation, as well as a way to nake abortions inaccessible to women in very bad situations. A lot of women seeking late term abortions are in abusive relationships. Sometimes it is women who wanted the pregnancy but suffered severe personal problems that makes the prospect of having a child untenable. Others are addicted to drugs. There are many different reasons, that is why it is their choice.

Rep. Laubenberg is the Texas state chair of ALEC. They are a hyper-conservative non-profit lobbying group that drafts model bills and provides them to lawmakers. Some of the goals of ALEC model legislation are dismantling Medicaid, protecting big business from the EPA and stregthening Stand Your Ground Laws nationwide. ALEC is in very good standing with the NRA. ALEC has also been tied to the Voter I.D. Laws and Privatizing Public Education.

Recently during a special session called by Governor Rick Perry, the Texas Republicans tried to force this Bill down the peoples throats. They were halted by Democrat Wendy Davis and her 13 hour Filibuster. Also by the people who were chanting against the Bill. They called it the Peoples Filibuster. The Bill needed to be signed by midnight, but was signed at 12:03, which effectively stopped the Bill. Although Republicans tried to change the time to force the passage of the Bill, but they got caught. Republicans said that it wasn’t over and they were right. Governor Rick Perry called another special session. He says the hell with the will of the people.