The Untied States of America is dead

Here in Ohio we can now carry concealed weapons in a bar.
Here in Ohio a woman will no longer have the rights to her own body
Here in Ohio Teachers, police officers and firemen along with hundreds of other state workers will be let go.
Here in Ohio the state will discourage higher learning by cutting grants for college freshmen.
Here in Ohio a union worker (what’s left of them) will no longer be able to barter for a better wage.
Here in Ohio safety nets such as social welfare, food stamps and Medicaid will be slashed, while corporate welfare will be increased.

Oh, the winds of corporate fascism are blowing hard here and it’s being churned by the misguided and ignorant teabaggers who believe that they will not be touched by the storm they’ve created. A tornado of propaganda threatens to destroy what is left of this once great democracy.

Hate fueled by fear and powered by ignorance has led us to this place. The dawning of a new America that will be ran by a CEO and a Board instead of a President and a congress has arrived. The change has been long in its coming. Ronald Reagan stuck the first forks into democracy in the 80’s and Bush carved it to pieces in the 2000’s.

I no longer recognize this country. And if you think this is isolated to one or to or three states you are sadly mistaking. Neoconservatives and teabaggers everywhere have accomplished their mission. The Untied States of America is dead.

Me Too

Atheist Activist: It is my mission to save the world.

Religious Right:  Me too

Atheist Activist: I must spread the truth

Religious Right: Me too

Atheist Activist: I cannot stop talking about religion

Religious Right: Me too

Atheist Activist: I dislike anyone who disagrees with me

Religious Right: Me too

Atheist Activist:  I ridicule others for their own good

Religious Right: Me too

Have you had enough of these two groups?

Me too.

NeoCon’s using the Tea Party to gain re-election

During the primaries last Tuesday I slipped up and watched a little news. Someone said something that really got under my skin. They said that the Tea Party was winning over the two major parties. First off let me say I have been a very strong advocate of a multi party system for sometime. I don’t mean just parties like we have now, Green, Libertarian, etc. I mean parties that truly have a chance of winning in a general election like the Reform party of the 1990’s.

Sometime in 2006 I noticed a shift in Bush supporters. They started peeling off their Bush/Cheney bumper stickers and began claiming to be Libertarians and Constitutionalist. The problem was and is that most of them had no idea what either platform of those two parties were. The fakers were easy to out; all you had to do was say something bad about Bush declaring war on Iraq. They would fall over themselves to defend the decision. Then of course you could press them even further with other hot button issues. They were quick to append their new allegiance party with Conservative – Libertarian, etc… I’m not sure what conservatism has to do with pre-empted unjust war, corporate welfare, spending money like drunken sailors, etc… but hey what do I know? I was raised by Conservative Democrats.

In 2007 when Ron Paul (a true Libertarian) made it clear he was going to run for president the G.O.P. went out of their way to make fun of him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8oO_OD3PtI

The Neo Conservatives saw Ron Paul and the Libertarians as another Ross Perot and a Reform party which they’ve long blamed for Clinton winning the 1992 election. The libertarians were being ignored by the neo- conservative media outlets.  Ron Paul pressures Fox News Should Ron Paul be allowed at Sunday’s debate? Fox News edits Ron Paul out of AP story

ron paul not allowed at republican convention

Glenn Beck says Ron Paul and his supporters are terrorist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wm96uz11NM&feature=related

Glen Beck has been slamming Ron Paul for years

Glen Beck has been a long time enemy of people who want to investigate 9/11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Su4Hg7_0c&feature=related

Interesting enough Ron Paul is the founder of the modern tea party. The Neocon’s who are well known for never taking responsibly for anything  they’ve done wrong and refuse to reform their own party and who took over the Republican party decided that fighting the libertarians would be their down fall. So they decided to hijack the libertarian movement. G.O.P. Caught “Hijacking” Tea Party:

They used their vehicle Fox News to take over the libertarian party’s movement by using Glenn Beck no less. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItJuednTRe8

Suddenly the regular tea party supporter who were anti Bush became filled with pro Bush supporters. Libertarian Party daily poll: Was George W. Bush a good president

And in some bizarre world the polls are showing that Sarah Palin is replacing Ron Paul as the leader of the Tea party. Survey: Tea party split over Sarah Palin vs. Ron Paul

The conclusion is an obvious one. The NeoCon’s had to take cover and find a place to hide after the Bush years bankrupted this country. But in true Neo Conservative form they have diverted blame and have latched on to another movement to gain office.

They are not looking for reform, they liked the status quo. They are only concern with having power and once they are back in the Bush years part two will begin.

The Dangers of Social Networks

Myspace really is in its death throes. I don’t think people truly understand that. It has become the mental institution of the internet. The bowels of an inner city ghetto mixed with loons, criminals and social rejects. It is however peppered with some sane people. It is those same people who I have return for. That’s not to say that I claim to be among their ranks, only that I do enjoy their company. There was a time when I thought Myspace would rebound, but recent events have convinced me that they will not. Myspace is a novelty now as it is historic, but the sociopaths have taken over the asylum.

Laughter has been replaced with taunting. Friendships are being betrayed out of boredom. The routine has become redundant, good intentions are being questioned and honest people are now suspect to the mind of the cynical. Cheating flows rapid and resentment runs deep.

A state of enclosed paranoia is settling in like a toxic fog of poison. People fight for scraps of victories that would be considered twisted thoughts of illusions on the outside. We wait around for the sane among us to write something that makes us feel normal. Something we can point to and say; See!, That’s why I’m still here. But like visiting hours in the state mental hospital they never last long enough and are very far apart. Once a party of celebrations has started the lights are turned out, the orderly’s and nurses round us up. It doesn’t take long to figure out that those running this place are part of the problem. Like good patents we all got together over a year and a half ago and signed a petition for comedy blogs. Over 150 bloggers signed that thing, but Myspace sent out a form letter in response.

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It’s almost as if they want to keep us strapped in our beds of drama.

You can convince yourself that you will stay away from the lunatics but they will always find a way to sneak into your dorm room. You may tell yourself you are here for lots of reasons, you never really fitted in on the outside, you were too smart, dumb, fat, ugly, or you’re now disabled. It first starts out as harmless tomfooleries like farting in the bathtub with your new bestest friend but you then draw the attention of the truly mentally disturbed and you will soon realize that you don’t belong in the mitts of these halls.

You try to rescue your friends but you may as well put a pillow over their faces and jump out of the window because you can’t win here in the loony bin. Oh, you can tell yourself that you can fix this whole thing by just ignoring the sociopaths and you could, the problem is everyone else would have to do the same. And even if you could get everyone to ignore the loons they will just ban together under the banner of my enemies enemy. It would take a collective effort of a collation unlike any other we have seen since WWII to make Myspace a place for friends again.

Bottom line here is we have people who are in critical times of their lives expressing themselves and escaping their pain, then some keyboard cowboy who is out for attention or/and revenge types in lies about a person that could very well ruin his/her real life. The very premise of that idea goes beyond sociopath for me. We are dealing with a generation who has never had to take any responsibility grouped with truly anti sociable people who fell no remorse when they ruin the real lives of the honest and hard working, lonely and disabled.

It really isn’t funny

It truly is serious

Painful burdens we gladly carry; The reason I believe.

Through life we all carry many burdens but there is no burden as great or as welcomed as the burden of living for another. No pleasure as gratifying as making that person/s smile. No concern as deep as the concern of their well being. All that we had previously thought was worth living for is trivial compared to their well being.

Who will take care of them once we are no more? Is a question we wake up to and fall to sleep with. It is our greatest burden to make sure they have someone nearly as good as ourselves to take care of them if something premature was to happen to us; money isn’t enough. We who carry this burden feel as though we have the weight of the world upon us. No one could care for them as we do, so we fight to make sure nothing happens to us.

Be it our own child, a younger sibling, a nephew or niece or a soul mate it is a burden that we happily strap on our shoulders knowing the pitfalls and praying to stay clear of the unexpected. We go through life knowing one day we will part. We can only make sure to the best of our ability that we have made plans to take care of them once we are gone.

But it’s not a burden without great gratification. It’s what we as humans long and thirst for. It makes us feel needed and complete. Granted there are those of us who wish to walk alone. I know, I was one until I took on a “burden” that made me see things a whole new way.

What happens if the unspeakable comes to the one we are caring for before it comes to us, devastating our soul and our core beliefs? Some cultures and religions tell us to rejoice for the dead. And weep for the new born as they weep coming out of the womb. We are told that someone even better than ourselves are now watching over the one/s that we loved so dearly. Some cultures tell us it is shameful for us to weep and moan excessively for those who have passed as it is selfish. This is easily said by people who are detached from the one who has crossed. But how can anyone whose life, heart and soul is so intertwined with the one who has passed have joyful emotions at their lost?

But the time will come when we must realize that as Eric Clapton said (paraphrasing) “we must be strong and carrying on cause there will be no more tears in heaven”.

What does all this mean?

1. To me it means you have not lived a fulfilling life until you care for someone more than you truly care for yourself.
2. Of all the grief in the world there is none as strong as the grief for the lost of someone who is a part of you.
3. When you tell someone like me there is no heaven you take away a hope so great that it defies explanation.

What would you do if you were President?

You know what gets me mad? You know what makes me so angry I have to put my head into my furnace to cool off? It’s these stubborn politicians that refuse to use a good idea just because it came from the other side of the aisle.

What we now know as the interstate was first suggested in the 1920′s as a matter of national defense and then later championed by Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt and again by Republican Dwight Eisenhower.

The creation of the interstate helped pull the U.S out of the great depression, made life easier for everyone, especially businesses, increased national and local security and to this day employs thousands of people.

We now have decaying bridges

Entire cities can be shut down by a simple ice storm

In the two winters that President Obama has been in office Washington D.C. was shut down by such storms.

I remember at least three big black outs, one was in the 70′s another in the 90′s and one just a few years ago in 2003

Isn’t it time for new power grids and to put all the wires underground?

Can you imagine the jobs such a project would create?

Not to mention the boost to the economy. I know many of my Republican and Libertarian friends would say, but who is going to pay for it?  How can we afford it? I would answer, Who is going to pay for this stimulus package that is being distributed right now?  I believe an amendment to the stimulus is in order. We cannot rely on greedy politicians in each state to make the right decision with the stimulus money because they will waste it just to prove it doesn’t work or use it to line their own pockets.

I know some of you will say that this is to simple therefore I’m not seeing the whole picture. To them I ask what is your idea to get us out of this mess? While others will say that my facts on who did what and when isn’t exactly correct. to them I say, Stop acting like a politician and start helping solve a national problem. You’re Americans first, think of a solution to the problem instead being so damn partisan.

What would you do if you were President?

Holler Crawler and proud of it.

The people who settled the mountains and foothills of Appalachia had long been been at odds with the authority of the British Government for hundreds of years before America was founded. They had been demonized by the British to sway opinion of them throughout Europe, the Brits even tried to breed them out of existence.  When they came to America and found other immigrants not very accepting of them, they were not surprised.

After all the British had painted them in a bad light for hundreds of years. But they were not about to hide who they were. They settled into some of the roughest land of the New Land and carried on their free spirit and lifestyle. They fought some of the toughest Indians on some of the toughest ground imaginable. Land that was so rough that the English settlers decided to let the native Americans keep rather than fight for, But the Scott-Irish wasn’t welcome in places already settled so they fought to set up their way of life and earn their piece of America.

Most were Scott-Irish and had already written their own declaration of Independence years before Thomas Jefferson put his ink to paper. It’s in their spirit to be free from English law and they were determined to claim it. After all they did fight for that land on their own behalf and was promised a new start in a free country.

In fact when almost all hope was exhausted in winning against the British during the Revolutionary war The Battle of Kings Mountain took place in 1780 and the British took a beating at the hands of hill folk who killed nearly 250 Brits and captured nearly 800 while the Scott-Irish-Hill Folk lost less than 30 men. Thomas Jefferson called it “The turn of the tide of success.” Theodore Roosevelt wrote: “This brilliant victory marked the turning point of the American Revolution.” The people of Appalachia was the embodiment of what this country was built on, a rebellious spirit and the quest to be free.

The people of Appalachia didn’t get national attention for their victory, it was spoken as just a victory for the colonies and I don’t think the hill folk mind that at all as they didn’t care too much for the established Government at the time anyway. You see ironically after the Boston Tea party that protested sales tax from Britain the U.S. government levied their own taxes to fund the Revolutionary war.

During the Civil War, Congress attempted to tax moonshine which was the livelihood of many who lived in Appalachia. Needless to say that didn’t go over well with the hill folk.
Then in the 1920′s prohibition was enacted and that made profits in Appalachia soar, some folk who had never stilled before began doing so from family recipes that were hundreds of years old. This all made Hill folk outlaws to the U.S. government.

During the coal mine wars the hill folk were made out to look like lazy drunken crazy fools by the coal companies, people were cheated out of their land and even killed by hired guns of the coal companies.  The people were put to work in the coal mines and placed in company owned towns where they the people owned nothing, all they had was company credit at the company store and lived in company owned houses.  Where just the mention of the word UNION could get you evicted, fired or even killed.

Propaganda that was fueled by the coal companies was widespread as they tried to convince people that unions were Communist and un-American. The coal company brought in an army of northerners and foreigners to keep down the uprising of the coal workers who wanted  a union. When word got around through the surrounding counties that foreigners had been brought in to put down the rebellion. Folks from all around started marching to the coal company knowing they would meet this army that was suppressing them. It was common then as it is today to wear something red or orange when they went hunting, so they gathered their guns and tied red cloths around their necks so that they would know who was pro union or native to the land and who were the henchmen of the coal companies, thus was born the “RED NECK“.

The coal companies had over 500 men and used crop planes to drop bombs on the hillfok as they approach Mingo county West Virgina. Mingo county was placed under martial law and one of the biggest battles on American soil that you probably never heard of took place. West Virginia Historical Society Quarterly and West Virginia’s Mine Wars

The hillfolk of our country have been given a bad rap every since thanks to big corporations looking to take advantage of hard working blue collar people . They are geographically isolated  which makes it easy for corporations to play to their fears of YOU and the rest of the country. It is no mistake that this part of our country that is so rich in coal and natural gas is the home of the poorest people in our land has been demonized by corporations much like their ancestors were by  England in the 1400′s.

I just wanted to tell you all what I have been told all my life about these people and try and make you understand why they are so clannish, and explain to you that the word redneck used to mean something to be proud of and being a hillbilly meant you were hard working, trustworthy and that you stood for something good. You see that they were pro union and true Americans in every sense of the word. This is part of who I am and part of why I’m a pro union conservative Democrat.

The Ghost

He was born with a hole in his heart, the youngest of six children who loved their mother dearly. They waited for three years before he was strong enough for surgery. In those three years his mother was convinced that he wouldn’t be in this world for very long so she coddled him and would often cry herself to sleep at the thought of losing her new child.

The older children saw their mothers pain and concern. They didn’t want to get close to the baby because they knew if he died they would need to be strong for her. There was also a deep resentment building against this new baby boy. Subconsciously the older children would think “how dare this child pull their mothers attention away from them and cause her such deep concern”

Three months after he turned 3 he was strong enough for the operation. He pulled through like a champ and became stronger as the years went by, but his siblings never forgave him for causing so much grief to their mother.  Their mother forced them to play with him and set new rules like no ghost stories. no rough housing, etc. They nick named him the ghost and pretended that he had died in surgery. They refused to play with him or even acknowledge that he  existed.

Growing up in a house full of children who resented him caused the boy to seek the company of the adults in his house. He started working real jobs at the age of 12 and his mother gave him more responsibility because of his mature nature. This made his siblings resent him even further.

At the age of 16 he taught his older brothers how to drive. At the age of 20 he hired his brothers at his company. But instead of being grateful to him they resented him for being successful.  They exaggerated his flaws to excuse their own hate for him and told straight out lies about him. But he still loved them all deeply and would try and reach out to them about once a year.

He later became a parent but no one showed up at his children’s births or helped celebrate their birthdays. He had grown up poor and wanted his children to have a better childhood than he had. He spent nearly every waking moment at work so that he could give them all that they wanted.

He was laid off for a couple of months because of a work related injury. He spent his days in his bedroom listening to his teenage children’s conversations that didn’t include him. He tried to connect with them but they were to busy doing things that teenagers do.

By the time he retired his wife had passed away and all the promises of them spending their later years traveling could no longer be kept. He called his children asking for them to come and visit but they were always to busy.

He called the strangers who he knew as his family but they still wanted nothing to do with him. He tried looking up his old friends but soon figured out he never had any real friends, he only had former employees.

One day while at home alone he passed away. In his will he had given all his money to his brothers, sisters and his children and expressed to them all how very much he had always loved them. He secretly arranged to have his headstone simply read nothing more than “The Ghost”. He had thought that would at least strike a nerve with his siblings and it may have worked, if they would have ever come to visit his grave.  He had been born with a hole in his heart that was later repaired. It’s to bad his siblings never had the hole in their hearts repaired.

The Burden of Guilt

When it happened Jesse was 11, Billy was 8 and Lee was just 6 years old. Their parents had just moved into a new apartment and were busy unpacking.

The two older boys scouted out the entire place inside and out. Lee was very content to just sit in front of the T.V. and watch his favorite show Superman. Jesse and Billy. Or Jesse James and Billy the kid as they called themselves back then found a twenty two caliber bullet lying about their new home. Jesse told Billy that he could make that bullet fire off without a gun. Billy said that Jesse was just being silly. “You need a gun to do that” Billy said. Jesse told Billy he had seen it done before in the Cowboy shows on T.V.

Billy and Jesse went into the kitchen thinking they would put the bullet on the gas stove burner and watch it fire off. But they figured that was too dangerous. Then they saw a box of kitchen matches that had enough room for a 22 caliber bullet to fit into. They placed the bullet into the match box and went into the living room where Lee was watching T.V.

They laid the match box down by the sofa and lit it, they watched it burn slowly at first and then it went very quickly as the matches inside the box caught fire. All of a sudden a huge bang rang through the apartment. The two boys checked themselves to see if they had been struck by the bullet. Their parents came running into the living room and found the two boys there looking as guilty as the real Billy the Kid and Jesse James must have every looked.

Their mother than let out a skin crawling scream as she noticed Lee laying down in front of the T.V. covered in blood. Lee was rushed to the hospital with both parents frantically tagging along. The boys were left at home with their older sister. They all were sure that Lee had to be dead. Their dad came home from the hospital to tell the kids that Lee had been struck on the forehead and that he would be all right. The bullet broke the skin and knocked little Lee unconscious so the doctors wanted to watch him overnight.

As the years went by the two boys blamed themselves for anything that Lee did wrong. And as luck would have it Lee did a lot of things wrong. If Lee got a bad grade Jesse and Billy blamed themselves. If Lee got into a fight at school, his older brothers would do his fighting for him.

Lee grew up to be a mean S.O.B. who got himself into trouble all the time and would call up Billy to get him out of a jam. Jesse had gone off to war and never returned leaving only Billy to protect Lee. Billy would protect Lee no matter what the evidence was against him. Billy made the excuse that Lee was that way because he had shot him in the head. Billy even stood up against his other brothers to take Lee’s side on every issue. He expected his other younger brothers to understand and give Lee a pass on everything.

By the time they all were middle aged most of the siblings had enough of the biased attitude and left Billy and Lee to themselves. One day Lee asked one of his younger brothers to help him out of a jam because Billy was out of town. So against his better judgment the younger brother bailed Lee out of the jam by renting him a house to live in with no money down. Lee never paid rent and intentionally and criminally destroyed the house beyond repair. The younger brother filed charges against Lee and Lee was put in jail. Billy was the first one that Lee called from jail and was quickly bailed out.

Billy went to the youngest brother trying to convince him to drop all charges by first using the old bullet to the head excuse but the younger brother had heard that all his life and refused to yield. Billy then left a phone message threatening the younger brother with death if he didn’t drop the charges. The children of the younger brother heard the message and begged their dad to drop the charges against Lee. So rather having both his brothers thrown in jail and having his kids scared for his life, the younger brother dropped the charges.

The bullet Jesse and Billy fired off that grazed Lee’s forehead didn’t have any long term effect on Lee at all. But Billy’s guilt crippled Lee’s chances of becoming a contributing member of society.

Someday Never Comes

Fate dealt me a daunting task when my Dad passed . That task was to pick the perfect song to play at his funeral. Everyone in the family weighed in because dad was an accomplished musician. Naturally everyone had their opinions, but there was one song that I simply couldn’t get out of my head.  Up to that point I had never shared my feeling with anyone about this song . The song’s lyrics were so close to my dad’s life that it may just as well have been written about my dad.   I kept it a big secret up until my dad’s funeral and played it. After playing the song at my dad’s funeral his wife was so moved that she had the title engraved on his headstone.

The song: The Leader of the Band.

Two years ago I sat the kids down to make sure they knew what to do in case of my early demise. Legal matters are not their concern, what is their concern is fairly simple. The coffin is to be simple and plain (preferably unfinished pine) but what is even more important than that is two songs to be played. First one is of course Simple Man by Lynard Skynard. The second song was to be “Someday never comes” by Credence Clear Water Revival. However I am having second thoughts on the last song.

Creedence Clearwater Revival Someday Never Comes Lyrics

First thing I remember was askin’ papa, “Why?”, for there were many things I didn’t know
And daddy always smiled; took me by the hand, sayin’, “Someday you’ll understand”
Well, I’m here to tell you now each and ev’ry mother’s son
You better learn it fast; you better learn it young, ’cause someday never comes
Well, time and tears went by and I collected dust, for there were many things I didn’t know
When daddy went away, he said, “Try to be a man and someday you’ll understand”
Well, I’m here to tell you now each and ev’ry mother’s son
You better learn it fast; you better learn it young, ’cause someday never comes
And then, one day in April, I wasn’t even there, for there were many things I didn’t know
A son was born to me; mama held his hand, sayin’, “Someday you’ll understand”
Well, I’m here to tell you now each and ev’ry mother’s son
You better learn it fast; you better learn it young ’cause someday never comes, someday never comes
Think it was September, the year I went away, for there were many things I didn’t know
And I still see him standing, try’n’ to be a man, I said, “Someday you’ll understand”
Well, I’m here to tell you now each and ev’ry mother’s son
You better learn it fast; you better learn it young ’cause someday never comes, someday never comes

My appeal to this song goes back nearly as far as my appeal to the song Simple Man. Both songs are very powerful both in performance and lyrically. I simply could not pull out a single verse from either song or point to it and say” That is my favorite” because each lyric fits to the point and impression that I wish to leave. However as I’ve grown older I must admit that the second song by CCR may no longer fit. Now that I have had a couple of years to reflect I believe that someday may very well have come after all.