Truth. It’s one element sorely lacking in the partisan political frays that greet citizens each day. The GOP is trying to rewrite the history of the development of pandemic cases and deaths in this country; it is not going so well.
Kos Media, which focuses on news of the Democratic Party, recently wrote: “Republicans have clearly looked at their polling and realized their staunch anti-vaccine, anti-mask, anti-mitigation posture is a political liability. They have good reason to worry—Trump’s epic mishandling of the pandemic sealed his fate in 2020.
“Consequently, many Republicans are pulling a complete 180 on messaging and hoping the American public will forget which party stoked doubt, fear, and even animosity toward the Biden administration’s all-hands-on-deck effort to get shots in arms and restore some sense of normalcy to both the U.S. economy and American life.
“Senate Republicans and some governors are now making a sudden push to rewrite history about their own party’s malignant disinformation campaign on the vaccines. But some House Republicans are attempting something even more preposterous—blaming Democrats for the vaccine hesitancy and rejection that has flourished in red America.”
One of my all-time favorite quotes sums it up: “Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.”
– Plato
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Joe Biden inherited a mess; Pandemic, divided America, immigration SNAFU, revenue shortfall, rising national deficit and debt, GOP misinformation campaign…and the list goes on and on.
Biden’s efforts to add calmness, empathy and reason to the national dialogue has been exemplary; his appointment of certain “program czars” have simply not worked.
VP Kanaka Harris was handed the chore of fixing the immigration problems on our southern border and, from research, reading and and analyzing stories, she is doing a lousy job. New problems seem to pop up every day, from accepting immigrants without COVID checks to sending thousands of immigrants by charter plane all over the country.
The program to create an immigration path to the U.S. for Afghan workers (and their families) who aided our troops, according to one in-depth article, is a “disaster”.
We OWE these brave workers; their safety are our responsibility.
I simply cannot see why the administration could not turn the entire process over to military logistics and material transportation officers. These trained officers regularly move huge amounts of people and material all over the world. Give the order to get it done…and back off and let them work their magic.
It is difficult to multi-task, and no job in the world requires more multi-tasking than that of a country’s leader.
Biden needs to “Cowboy up!” and jump-start his game in delegating difficult chores to people who know processes, programs snd protocol … and leave them to do the job. If no progress is made in a certain area within a reasonable timeframe, cut them loose and give somebody else the chance to be a hero.
Action, not weasel words. Results, not excuses.
Do it and do it now.
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Why are elected public officials who identify as Republican so darn mean-spirited?
I feel sure they love their families, revere their friends and spoil their dogs and cats. But when it comes to other humans — mainly those different from themselves, the poor, oppressed, scared, those seeking a better life — they turn into a combination of Scrooge and Darth Vader.
“Luke…I am your father. I will kill you now!”
Whatever happen to “compassionate conservatism”? You remember, because I sure do, when the GOP was not all about partisanship and retribution but looked at the ills of the country and, sometimes, worked with Democrats on societal issues that benefited about 30 percent of those citizens in the lower socioeconomic rungs of the Almighty Dollar Ladder.
Today, with only token opposition, the Republican Party is focused on three items: 1. Whatever Donald Trump wants is fine with the rank-and-file; 2. Whatever President Biden is trying to do will be opposed with the vigor of a rabid wolverine; and, 3. Their main job (both parties guilty here) is to get re-elected without primary opposition.
Oh, I guess there is a No. 4: Regardless of how out-of-touch some GOP lawmakers are with common sense and reality, no matter how many lies they perpetuate or how far up Trump’s accommodating posterior they insert their heads, as long as they vote the “right way”, they are part and parcel of the GOP cult.
How could any knowledgeable American not see that the GOP’s reticent on working to assist in curtailing the COVID pandemic is killing people, a majority of whom are the GOP faithful, the people who would vote for them if they were only alive?
The Republican Party is on the wrong side of history on tax reform
Issues (making the rich richer is not a winning political branding issue); pushing vaccination to slow the pandemic; reverting to policies and laws aimed at re-Jim Crowing the voting rights of minorities; threatening to kill a massive infrastructure bill because of a refusal to acknowledge that “infrastructure” is more than concrete snd steel; and, malignantly ignoring the plight of Americans living in poverty.
History will not treat the era of Donald Trump kindly. The would-be Emperor Trump was not only without clothes and abusing himself for the whole world to see, he actively encouraged his followers to follow his example and perform sadomasochistic rituals on their fellow countrymen and women.
And because Trump “tells it like it is” and is “not a typical politician”, they bow down to his crazed whims like the cult members they have become.
Most of his faithful are not yet ready to accept their political pied piper is a fraud and grifter and is not a Republican or Christian by any definition. He is a liar, an admitted abuser of women, a self-ordained “Christian” who does not attend church or know the Bible (remember “Two Corinthians”?)
His administration has had more scandals with more aides, staffers and campaign workers charged, convicted and jailed than ANY administration in history, including that of Richard Nixon.
One day, maybe, they will wake up amd see there”savior” for what he is: A fake prophet and narcissist. For those millions of faithful followers of Emperor Trump, that will a rude, crude, devastating awakening.
And, hopefully, they will learn from the experience and vow not to be bamboozled by politicians spouting BS ever again.
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“GOP eyes plan to kick Cheney, Kinzinger out of the party”
Voicing different ideas to help solve problems is always the best way to work toward the best solution.
Wanting everybody to think the same, walk in lockstep to a regulated beat and mindset is not the workings of a democracy.
The current Republican Party has lost its way, its vision, its push for compassionate conservatism. Following the Trump mantra and model of self-delusion, the party is destroying itself from the inside.
This country needs two (or more) strong parties. But all parties need to have certain elements in order for this nation to remain a world leader: Humility, empathy, the ability to listen to other ideas and to be able to admit when you are wrong.
In the present political climate, few of our elected officials possess these qualities. In 2021, however, the Republican Party is determined to self-destruct in the name of…what, exactly?
They are using pages from the not-so-distant past to suppress votes, hush detractors in their own ranks, using scare tactics in areas of healthcare, gun rights, LGBTQ issues, immigration, education and federal vs. states rights to keep this country divided.
Both parties, without realizing it, spotlight their fringe players, those on the outer edges of liberalism and conservatism; that hurts both parties with clear-thinking voters.
It’s time to push those publicity-hungry politicians out of both parties and return to the system of conversation, conviviality and compromise.
You know…when real programs and policies to push America and ALL citizens forward was the goal of the executive and legislative branches of government.
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Despite news and pundits stating it, Critical Race Theory DOES NOT teach superiority of any race over another. It’s a study about certain systems set up to discriminate against a race or races.
It is a fact that this country…in its laws by state and nationally DID discriminate against myriad races and religions. That practice is happening today with voter suppression laws and gerrymandering.
Critical race theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core idea is that race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies.
The basic tenets of critical race theory, or CRT, emerged out of a framework for legal analysis in the late 1970s and early 1980s created by legal scholars Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Richard Delgado, among others.
A good example is when, in the 1930s, government officials literally drew lines around areas deemed poor financial risks, often explicitly due to the racial composition of inhabitants. Banks subsequently refused to offer mortgages to black people in those areas.
Racism has existed since the founding of this county. It still exists today. It is history…and embedded in the present culture.
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Another-Trumpian-moment-in-history story of the day:
Former President Donald Trump says he never threatened a coup and that “if I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley.”
This was in response to a report in a book that Milley feared Trump would attempt a coup after he lost his re-election bid.
Hmmm. Sounds familiar. Oh, yes, I remember!
“I didn’t molest her. But if I was going to molest someone, it wouldn’t be her, because she’s not my type.”
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Critical race theory (CRT). I thought I knew what it meant. I didn’t.
Is “critical race theory” a way of understanding how American racism has shaped public policy, or a divisive discourse that pits people of color against white people? Liberals and conservatives are in sharp disagreement. (What else is new?)
The topic has exploded in the public arena this spring—especially in K-12, where numerous state legislatures are debating bills seeking to ban its use in the classroom, in effect, banning episodes in history that may be unpleasant.
In truth, the divides are not nearly as neat as they may seem. The events of the last decade have increased public awareness about things like housing segregation, the impacts of criminal justice policy in the 1990s, and the legacy of enslavement on black Americans. But there is much less consensus on what the government’s role should be in righting these past wrongs. Add children and schooling into the mix and the debate becomes especially volatile.
School boards, superintendents, even principals and teachers are already facing questions about critical race theory, and there are significant disagreements even among experts about its precise definition as well as how its tenets should inform K-12 policy and practice. This explainer is meant only as a starting point to help educators grasp core aspects of the current debate.
Just what is critical race theory anyway?
“Critical race theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core idea is that racism is a social construct, and that it is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies,” according to Wikipedia.
The basic tenets of CR emerged out of a framework for legal analysis in the late 1970s and early 1980s created by legal scholars Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Richard Delgado, among others.
A good example is when, in the 1930s, government officials literally drew lines around areas deemed poor financial risks, often explicitly due to the racial composition of inhabitants. Banks subsequently refused to offer mortgages to Black people in those areas.
(Note: The older I get, the more I read, the more research I do to help explain things.)
Growing up in Avery, an all-white East Texas enclave of about 300 souls, I was fortunate to have teachers that “taught” history as it should be taught, as a series of events that formed our present. They taught the good, the bad and the ugly.
I learned the name of the first black man to set foot on Texas soil (Estavancio,), was a slave to Spanish explorers; I was taught how Texas independence fighters wrested the future state from Mexico in a massive land grab; and how settlers mistreated Native Americans in a series of illegal land acquisitions and broken treaties.
You know, history, real history, not the sanitized version being taught mostly back then…and still today.
History is history, it is truth. Truth: George Armstrong Custer was no gallant prairie warrior defending “real” Americans from savages; Abraham Lincoln had human flaws, including a plan to relocate tens of thousands of former slaves to a Caribbean island; and, when the Constitution was written, “All men are created equal…” did not mean what it said.
To teach the flaws in our development of this country is important to enlighten citizens to past mistakes so we do not repeat them.
That’s the beauty of looking at the past objectively, so we can learn from past mistakes and, thus, create a path to a brighter future.
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We all know that the Bible can be used to inspire, excite, motivate, punish and/or shame. Subjective scripture-pulling is as old as the scriptures; just because it’s a common practice doesn’t make it right.
Controversial topics — from capital punishment to immigration to homosexuality — have pro and con arguments supposedly linked to scriptures in the Old and New testaments or lack thereof.
Some folks love beating gay rights activists with Old Testament scripture, ignoring the fact Jesus was on Earth 33 years and never once addressed the issue. They are afraid to mention the earliest drafts of certain books of the Bible which mentioned same-sex relationships, condemning only sex between adults and children, never consensual adults. (Check it out. I did.)
These are the same folks who use the Second Amendment to advocate for the right to carry any weapon anywhere, but conveniently forget the key phrase “well-regulated militia” is part of that amendment.
The Bible is an inspirational book, no doubt. But there are parts of it that have been altered/rewritten numerous times and human prejudices and biases are evident .
Some parts of the Bible are simply ignored. When’s the last time you heard a sermon about Sarah and her arranging a sexual encounter between a servant and her husband? Or King David had an affair with a married woman, impregnated her and sent her husband to his death in battle?
The Bible has numerous scriptures that would be supermarket tabloid headlines if the events happened today.
The Hunter Biden and Matt Gaetz stories would not even be in the first 6-7 pages of The Globe or National Enquirer if in competition with Bible scandals.
In other words, folks believe what they want to believe and ignore truths (or twist the facts) to suit their personal argument.
Ignorance is no excuse when your stance on an issue infringes on the rights of others. And it makes no difference where your beliefs come from, including political philosophies or pundits, charismatic politician figures or the Bible.
Like the edict of doctors, all folks with opinions should, first, take an oath to “do no harm”.
George S. Smith
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Listen up, supporters of Texas First District Rep. Louis Gohmert!
I am not saying this man is stupid. No, not stupid. He is a lawyer, former judge and street-smart enough to convince voters that he has their best interests at heart AND that he is a force to be reckoned with in the unhallowed halls of Congress.
Truth time: He is an ignorant, slobber-
jawed, lie-spouter who is an embarrassment to himself and everybody who votes for him.
But he’s not stupid. What he is is gullible, inane, short-sighted, pointless, insensate, irrelevant, nonsensical, puerile, laughable, naive and obtuse.
Oh, but his supporters say, he is in touch with his constituents and looks after their best interests.
To that, I say, set your expectations higher that having a congressional representative that is ridiculed as one of the Capitol’s Top 3 Dumbest Elected Officials.
Voters, it’s not enough for you that your representative is still playing Follow the Leader with Ex-Twice Impeached President Trump, right? Or that he is not interested in supporting a congressional investigation of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol?
How ridiculous is Gohmert? Here’s a manly quote from him about the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt:
“The overwhelming number of people caught up in this ‘unprecedented’ investigation … they’re actually nonviolent, peaceful Americans,” Gohmert said. “Their only crime was supporting Donald Trump and concern about the fraud Democrats have been telling us about in elections for many years.”
Or this quote after the Aurora, Colorado mass shooting by James Holmes:
Gohmert wasn’t concerned about, say, mental health issues, or some form of social trigger — but, rather, that he didn’t have the appropriate fear of a vengeful, unforgiving God: “You know what really gets me, as a Christian, is to see the ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs, and then some senseless crazy act of terror like this takes place. … We’ve threatened high school graduation participations, if they use God’s name, they’re going to be jailed … I mean that kind of stuff. Where was God? What have we done with God? We don’t want him around. I kind of like his protective hand being present.”
And don’t forget about his unhinged hangup on “anchor babies”.
Gohmert is convinced, all evidence otherwise, that there are terrorist organizations — somewhere, somehow — concocting schemes to send their pregnant Black Widows to our American shores, spawning natural-born terrorists, and then using them and their US Citizenship Cards, decades on, to decimate the land we call home: “[The children] could be raised and coddled as future terrorists [and] twenty, thirty years down the road, they can be sent in to help destroy our way of life.
Gohmert is a fungus that is creating an untenable perception about the voters of Texas First District. A vote for Gohmert is a vote for legalized lunacy.
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The two worst signature brand names in human history are so bad….
How bad are they?
Branding has always been around.
Always.
Neanderthals branded: “Ikol strong!”
Seafaring Vikings branded; “Hold fast!”Crusaders branded: “For God and Country!”
Company’s brand: “Ford tough!”; “Mom, apple pie and Chevrolet”; “Folger’s—Good to the last drop”.
High schools, mom and pop businesses, sports teams, colleges…they all brand their individual entities.
But two brands stand out as the worst of the worst brands EVER: “Global warming” and “Defund the police”.
“Global warming”, as a term, is technically correct; the planet IS getting warmer. However, that heating trend is triggering unstable weather conditions and patterns,resulting in record abhorrent weather conditions: Record droughts, extreme snowfalls, rising temperatures, more hurricanes… the list goes on.
“Defund the police” is a knee-jerk moniker that emerged as a chant phrase for participants in protests and riots stemming from incidents of police shootings or brutality, mainly on minorities.
Neither term is correct in the arena of public information consumption and gives certain groups a clear shot at minimizing or even ridiculing the issues.
Global warming” should be referred to as “climate change”. That’s what it is and with that term one doesn’t have to explain 20-inch powder snowfall and record low temperatures in South Arkansas.
A much more appropriate term for “Defund the Police” would be “Police Reform” or “Police Reorganization.”
Few sane people want no law enforcement; the protesters and activists simply want positive change.
Branding. Terms that are supposed to describe cataclysmic events need a concerted effort to make sure the phrases selected accurately describe the event or issue. Brands and catchy phrases should not give negative ammunition to those that oppose the movements or simple demands for change.
Creating a movement for societal change is never easy. The movement’s brand should be positive, accurate in its intent and message and should not create a roadblock to a successful conclusion.
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