(C) Mike Smith.
Wow, what a week. First we have the revelation from Kevin McCarthy, while defending his "Conservative Credentials" with Sean Hannity on Fox News. He proclaimed he was part of the GOP strategy team to destroy Hillary Clinton's approval ratings (See http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2015/10/01/pundits-react-to-kevin-mccarthy-hillary-clinton-and-benghazi) through the politicization of Benghazi via duplicitous committee "investigations". Then we have another mass shooting on a college campus. On top of that, we still have folks screaming about Planned Parenthood and a video that (still) does not exist and imaginary claims Obama (following Clinton and Carter) is planning to "take our guns away!" All the while, we have politicians in Florida demanding folks have the right to carry concealed weapons on college campuses, because that would curtail "bad guys" from engaging in such destructive and murderous behavior. (See
http://politics.heraldtribune.com/2015/10/02/steube-renews-push-for-concealed-weapons-bill/). Yet, most of the mass murderers obtained their firearms legally - so who is to know which gun owner will "go bad" in the future? Their answer? Arm everyone and hope that the guys with the biggest guns win. Otherwise, our Second Amendment Rights will be denied - forgetting that victims have rights too. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is lost on some gun advocates when victims ask for gun restrictions. It seems in the eyes of the NRA and its supporters, the Second Amendment (in their interpretation) trumps all other fundamental rights. If you don't recognize this, you must be blind.
In case you live in a cave (or have zero efficacy when it comes to government and politics), there has been
ad nauseam talk about Planned Parenthood's business of killing live babies for their tissues and organs so they can sell the body parts for profit. Except, that is not true. I was chastised by a loyal reader because I said Carly Fiorina stated Planned Parenthood allows babies to be "torn apart." My reader says Fiorina never said those words and I was surely mistaken. However in a subsequent interview, she did say Planned Parenthood engaged in "Butchery" of babies. If you can discern a difference, then you are wiser than I. See http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/carly-fiorina-disputed-abortion-clip-absolutely-does-exist-n434446. Since the revelation that the relied upon video is a proven mash-up (ie. photoshopped) video, only pure Anti-Abortion supporters continue to claim the video is proof of the evil found in all Planned Parenthood clinics. So much so, that the GOP led House of Representatives has initiated legislation aimed at destroying Planned Parenthood. Except that their claims are all based upon lies and distortions. As I predicted a few weeks ago, once the paste is out of the tube, it is always impossible to get it all back in. And that is exactly what the Right Wing and the GOP hoped would happen by making these claims against Planned Parenthood (and Benghazi, emails, and the taking of guns). Recent polling shows over 60% of Americans still support Planned Parenthood and its mission of providing reproductive health care services for women, and there is still no evidence of Clinton wrongdoing with Benghazi or her emails. Since the GOP politicizes Planned Parenthood, watch it be used against them in the campaign by the Democrats. And you bet the GOP will capitalize on the issue in state and local races, but not for the White House. Have the Republicans really given up winning the presidency?
Attacks on Hillary Clinton have been ongoing from Benghazi to the email sideshow, but the politically based "scandal" is running out of steam (See http://www.dailynewsbin.com/news/usa-today-admits-hillary-clinton-email-scandal-is-a-sham/22371/). Sure, partisans will forever claim Clinton belongs in jail, but what crimes has she committed? Once again, the GOP is setting up a foundation of mistrust in government and the presidency. Even though if Clinton is elected she most likely will have obtained a plurality in both the popular and electoral college votes. In that event, the Republicans will once again, show that "she is not one of us and is not to be trusted and therefore her entire administration is out of touch with real Americans." Have you seen this pattern before? If Clinton wins (and that is still a big "If"), per the GOP mantra, she will still be a liar, criminal and why should anyone support anything she tries to do for America? Isn't it obvious when McCarthy, the successor to Boehner for the House Speakership, says they used strategies to hold investigative committees in the House and Senate to destroy Clinton? Isn't it equally obvious if Clinton wins, the "strategies" to destroy her presidency will continue? Isn't this the same strategy employed against Obama? Working to have a presidency fail means that you want America to fail, and fail so badly that only then will folks vote for true GOP leadership - except they employ lies and distortions and also engage in criminal acts in efforts to gain power and money.
There are a reported 270 to 318 million guns in America (see http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/08/graphics-americas-guns). Most Americans that own a gun, own more than one. So when we hear about a mass shooting, we are not given a perspective that would show that based upon the number of shootings, there is a small number of gun owners involved. But to claim these murderers are "Bad Men" and there should be no regulation of firearms is, well, insane. Each of the last three mass shootings involved a shooter that was not considered "bad" at the time they acquired the weapon. Yes. For some, mental illness is not readily apparent, so dismissing these shooters as "out of the ordinary" ignores the fact that many Americans own guns when they really shouldn't have access to them. "But criminals will have guns and ordinary law abiding Americans won't!" So what!? If requiring more scrutiny to own a gun is unacceptable, then why do we allow our government to have seemingly unlimited access to our private messages and emails? Please don't get me wrong. I LIKE guns. I LIKE to shoot guns! I LIKE being proficient with a gun! But I certainly don't trust anyone else with a gun (unless you are in law enforcement). It's like 99% of drivers think they are a better driver than the "other guy." But we know that is not true. As I wrote shortly after the Sandy Hook tragedy, isn't it time again for a serious discussion about how we as a great nation should consider ways to alleviate all of these gun related tragedies without succumbing to calls for everyone to be armed? And I mean having serious discussions without the NRA and its supporters screaming about the Second Amendment. Guns are not a right to possess to overthrow OUR government (see Shay's Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion to prove this point). And please do not cite Thomas Jefferson's call to "water the tree of liberty with bloodshed" - he was not a Framer and was instead, an Anti-Federalist (until he became president himself). His quote was aimed at the Revolution, not what some seem to want - another civil war. I'll take the United States in that war, what about you?
I guess our country can't seem to get back to recognizing Americans as Americans without sliding into the preferred "Democrat, Liberal, Republican, Conservative" partisan labels. With the help of the Ideologically Oriented Media, it may be a while longer before America can get out of the rut of divisiveness created by both parties in order to manipulate their way into power. As President Harry S. Truman once wrote;
"If you can't convince them, confuse them." Can't we demand honest debate and discussion about Benghazi, emails, abortion, gun laws, poverty, the high cost of health care, education, fighting terrorism and our planet's survival? That's all I am asking for (isn't that enough?). Have a great week!
As an aside, my wife and I are pleased to announce the engagement of our son, Nathan, to Arielle Sosland! We thank G-d they have found each other and we are very, very happy with this news!
http://politics.heraldtribune.com/2015/10/02/steube-renews-push-for-concealed-weapons-bill/). Yet, most of the mass murderers obtained their firearms legally - so who is to know which gun owner will "go bad" in the future? Their answer? Arm everyone and hope that the guys with the biggest guns win. Otherwise, our Second Amendment Rights will be denied - forgetting that victims have rights too. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is lost on some gun advocates when victims ask for gun restrictions. It seems in the eyes of the NRA and its supporters, the Second Amendment (in their interpretation) trumps all other fundamental rights. If you don't recognize this, you must be blind.
In case you live in a cave (or have zero efficacy when it comes to government and politics), there has been
ad nauseam talk about Planned Parenthood's business of killing live babies for their tissues and organs so they can sell the body parts for profit. Except, that is not true. I was chastised by a loyal reader because I said Carly Fiorina stated Planned Parenthood allows babies to be "torn apart." My reader says Fiorina never said those words and I was surely mistaken. However in a subsequent interview, she did say Planned Parenthood engaged in "Butchery" of babies. If you can discern a difference, then you are wiser than I. See http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/carly-fiorina-disputed-abortion-clip-absolutely-does-exist-n434446. Since the revelation that the relied upon video is a proven mash-up (ie. photoshopped) video, only pure Anti-Abortion supporters continue to claim the video is proof of the evil found in all Planned Parenthood clinics. So much so, that the GOP led House of Representatives has initiated legislation aimed at destroying Planned Parenthood. Except that their claims are all based upon lies and distortions. As I predicted a few weeks ago, once the paste is out of the tube, it is always impossible to get it all back in. And that is exactly what the Right Wing and the GOP hoped would happen by making these claims against Planned Parenthood (and Benghazi, emails, and the taking of guns). Recent polling shows over 60% of Americans still support Planned Parenthood and its mission of providing reproductive health care services for women, and there is still no evidence of Clinton wrongdoing with Benghazi or her emails. Since the GOP politicizes Planned Parenthood, watch it be used against them in the campaign by the Democrats. And you bet the GOP will capitalize on the issue in state and local races, but not for the White House. Have the Republicans really given up winning the presidency?
Attacks on Hillary Clinton have been ongoing from Benghazi to the email sideshow, but the politically based "scandal" is running out of steam (See http://www.dailynewsbin.com/news/usa-today-admits-hillary-clinton-email-scandal-is-a-sham/22371/). Sure, partisans will forever claim Clinton belongs in jail, but what crimes has she committed? Once again, the GOP is setting up a foundation of mistrust in government and the presidency. Even though if Clinton is elected she most likely will have obtained a plurality in both the popular and electoral college votes. In that event, the Republicans will once again, show that "she is not one of us and is not to be trusted and therefore her entire administration is out of touch with real Americans." Have you seen this pattern before? If Clinton wins (and that is still a big "If"), per the GOP mantra, she will still be a liar, criminal and why should anyone support anything she tries to do for America? Isn't it obvious when McCarthy, the successor to Boehner for the House Speakership, says they used strategies to hold investigative committees in the House and Senate to destroy Clinton? Isn't it equally obvious if Clinton wins, the "strategies" to destroy her presidency will continue? Isn't this the same strategy employed against Obama? Working to have a presidency fail means that you want America to fail, and fail so badly that only then will folks vote for true GOP leadership - except they employ lies and distortions and also engage in criminal acts in efforts to gain power and money.
There are a reported 270 to 318 million guns in America (see http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/08/graphics-americas-guns). Most Americans that own a gun, own more than one. So when we hear about a mass shooting, we are not given a perspective that would show that based upon the number of shootings, there is a small number of gun owners involved. But to claim these murderers are "Bad Men" and there should be no regulation of firearms is, well, insane. Each of the last three mass shootings involved a shooter that was not considered "bad" at the time they acquired the weapon. Yes. For some, mental illness is not readily apparent, so dismissing these shooters as "out of the ordinary" ignores the fact that many Americans own guns when they really shouldn't have access to them. "But criminals will have guns and ordinary law abiding Americans won't!" So what!? If requiring more scrutiny to own a gun is unacceptable, then why do we allow our government to have seemingly unlimited access to our private messages and emails? Please don't get me wrong. I LIKE guns. I LIKE to shoot guns! I LIKE being proficient with a gun! But I certainly don't trust anyone else with a gun (unless you are in law enforcement). It's like 99% of drivers think they are a better driver than the "other guy." But we know that is not true. As I wrote shortly after the Sandy Hook tragedy, isn't it time again for a serious discussion about how we as a great nation should consider ways to alleviate all of these gun related tragedies without succumbing to calls for everyone to be armed? And I mean having serious discussions without the NRA and its supporters screaming about the Second Amendment. Guns are not a right to possess to overthrow OUR government (see Shay's Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion to prove this point). And please do not cite Thomas Jefferson's call to "water the tree of liberty with bloodshed" - he was not a Framer and was instead, an Anti-Federalist (until he became president himself). His quote was aimed at the Revolution, not what some seem to want - another civil war. I'll take the United States in that war, what about you?
I guess our country can't seem to get back to recognizing Americans as Americans without sliding into the preferred "Democrat, Liberal, Republican, Conservative" partisan labels. With the help of the Ideologically Oriented Media, it may be a while longer before America can get out of the rut of divisiveness created by both parties in order to manipulate their way into power. As President Harry S. Truman once wrote;
"If you can't convince them, confuse them." Can't we demand honest debate and discussion about Benghazi, emails, abortion, gun laws, poverty, the high cost of health care, education, fighting terrorism and our planet's survival? That's all I am asking for (isn't that enough?). Have a great week!
As an aside, my wife and I are pleased to announce the engagement of our son, Nathan, to Arielle Sosland! We thank G-d they have found each other and we are very, very happy with this news!
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