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Nut-wing media, politicians know no shame about Muslim Center furor

If it were even remotely possible for those lambasting our eyes and ears from the nut-wing media — especially Fox News and most conservative talk radio — to feel any sense of shame, they ought to be ashamed about the way they’ve misled, distorted, and all around demonized plans by a Muslim community in New York to build a Muslim Center near “Ground Zero,” the former site of the World Trade Center.

Yes, they should be ashamed. And all the nut-wing politicians who’ve used the whole matter to upset the mindless masses who feed on their every shifting word should be equally ashamed.

Ask yourself this single question: How far from “Ground Zero” would be appropriate if we were to allow a religious community to exercise their rights under our Constitution to build a religious center? Two blocks (which I understand is the approximate distance being considered)? Perhaps six blocks? Or as some comedians have suggested — maybe in New Jersey?

What right do you and I, as non-residents of Manhattan or New York City, have to dictate zoning and building decisions for the residents and officials of New York City? If “Ground Zero” is indeed some sort of “hallowed” or “sacred” ground, perhaps we ought to let those who live and work near there decide what’s appropriate.

AND UNTIL THE NUT-WINGERS STIRRED THE POT ON THIS ISSUE, NO ONE KNEW OR CARED ABOUT THE WHOLE MATTER. That is, except for those directly involved in the matter. And they seemed to be doing just fine until some idiot nut-winger started weeping and waling about it and sounding the alarm — “The Terrorists Are Here! The Terrorists Are Here!” Or maybe just “The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!”

Seriously, dear readers, isn’t it time quit following every knee-jerk nut-winger who hasn’t the brains to string two real thoughts together and begin taking a careful, rational look at all these goofy things we’ve let nut-wing politicians push our nation into?

Here are some relevant thoughts you might want to consider about this Muslim Center planning and related issues:

1. Devout Muslim people were among those killed on 9/11.
2. There is an all-faiths chapel with Muslim worship and activities taking place in it AT THE PENTAGON ITSELF.
3. Muslim leaders seeking to build this center near Ground Zero were motivated by a desire to do it as a tribute of unity and peace honoring the victims of 9/11.

Those points are just some things to actually think about, for those of you who haven’t had your ability to think destroyed by a dependence on Fox News-less, Rush Lamebug, Sean Haint-he-he, Glen Bunk, Newt Groingrich and other such nut-wings.

If you’d like a reasoned, thorough presentation discussing how the whole “Mosque at Ground Zero” goofiness started and turned into such a mess, there’s an excellent story in The Washington Post you really should read.

Election follies moving into full mode — they never really ended

I have taken my “election year” vows again — I hope to be equally hostile to ALL major political parties as the politicians ramp up full-speed toward the political abyss we call elections.

Yet it isn’t really a serious election year, yet. Oh, sure, there are congressional elections coming up in the fall, but let’s get real, shall we? In America, the only election cycle the average citizen cares about is a presidential election cycle. There’s no glamor in the House and Senate.

In reality of course, the really important political action in our country IS the House and Senate manipulation and maneuvering that goes on. That and state and local elections are often perceived as boring — but, truly, they are the only elections where we as individuals stand a chance of reigning in the corruption and chicanery of the politicians.

And, months ago where I live, the various political lies, manipulation, phone calls, promotional items, brochures, etc., have begun flooding our lives.

So, here we go again, folks. Moving heavily into the good old American Election Follies. The hand basket is plunging downward at ever increasing speed …!!!!!

Older I get, more I enjoy my sense of humor about politics, religion

I find that the older I get, the more I appreciate having an active sense of humor — particularly when it comes to the Big Duo of cultural discussion here in America — religion and politics.

I used to take politics pretty seriously. There was a time when I was a passionate conservative Republican and a strongly “fundamentalist” Christian. They seemed to go hand-in-hand for me and I took both very seriously.

Then, as I grew out of my teen years, through my 20s and 30s, I found myself changing my viewpoint. Suddenly, the more I observed about “real life” and the more I read, I found myself growing a bit more “liberal” or tolerant about politics and religion.

At this point, I consider myself somewhere on the “progressive to liberal” scale politically, and somewhere on the “mainline Protestant” spectrum regarding religion.

But above all, I find myself thinking (especially regarding politics) that such labels really aren’t useful and mostly serve to polarize good people on both “sides” of the political/religious spectrum. When they’re taken too seriously.

I honestly think you could take 90 percent of the elected federal officials in America, line them against a wall dressed in identical clothing — and you’d never really be able to tell the “liberals” from the “conservatives” on most issues. Of course there are philosophical differences and each “brand” of politician has learned the “party line” very effectively. But above all, they are POLITICIANS, i.e., they have mastered the art of sailing with every change of political wind to get elected.

Anyway, that’s mostly just my musing and rambling for the day. In real life, when I’m with a group of conservatives, I try to keep a low profile. Generally, if I open my mouth, I stand out from the group about like a fully loaded pizza at a convention of diet pill reviewers.

But, then, it’s almost the same contrast when I’m around a group of hardcore political liberals. What does that really make me? Perhaps I think of myself a sort of a political “progressive centrist.” If there is such a thing? I dunno!

Hillary Clinton for Supreme Court? Downright silly, I think

I just had a great laugh as I was looking at some online articles on Google News: There is supposedly legitimate speculation that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may be President Obama’s nominee to fill the Supreme Court seat coming vacant at Justice John Paul Stevens’ retirement.

REALLY?? That, in my opinion, would be downright silly as a nomination. The article I read poked fun at the fact that her name has been linked to almost every prominent political position that’s opened in recent years, from mayor of New York City to vice president.

But, please — a Supreme Court justice?? Surely that’s being offered in jest, isn’t it?

I respect Secretary Clinton’s abilities, and I assume she has whatever credentials SC justices require or she wouldn’t be mentioned. I probably would be happy with the tone and nature of her liberal-leaning rulings if she were a justice on the high court.

I cannot believe anyone would seriously consider her for such a role, given the volatile history of her political past and current performance. She’s Hillary Clinton, remember? Capable leader that she is, she’s never had a political position just handed to her as some sort of personalized gift or entitlement. And she would carry all the personal “baggage” of former President Bill Clinton with her into every hearing room for confirmation hearings.

Nope. President Obama doesn’t need that extra degree of difficulty to any nominee he picks. Hillary Clinton doesn’t need the distraction — nor do we, as a country, need the fray that would result from her nomination to the post.

Frankly, even before Obama won the election, I said that I thought Hillary Clinton would be an excellent choice for Secretary of State, given her abilities and her worldwide contacts. I think she’s done well at the job and I think both she and America deserve her continued work in that role!

Have you returned your Census Form yet? Only once or did you do it twice??

Have you returned your U.S. Census Form (or questionnaire or whatever you want to call it) yet? You should.

On the other hand, as Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show” jokingly suggested last week — if we all refuse or fail to return our Census Forms, we’ll create a ton of temporary jobs for Census workers. Maybe??

We got the form in the earliest mailing, some time last month, and my wife filled it out and we mailed it in the very next morning. Good citizens, I thought, metaphorically patting myself on the back.

Last Thursday, we received our Census Form in the mail — for the second time?????

After looking it over carefully, my wife discovered a short paragraph in the middle of a small sheet included with the form telling us that, if we’d already mailed in our Census Form, please not to mail in this one.

WHAT????????? WHAT????????????? WHAT????????????

Just for grins, I called a toll-free support number for the Census located somewhere (I forget where?) on the Census Form. Or maybe I found the number online?

Anyway, after punching “0″ repeatedly on my phone pad, or maybe there was an automated voice-activated option, I forget — I got through to a real, live person. I believe her name was “Debbie.”

I told Debbie about the duplicated form, and her response was something very close to: “Yes, we’ve been getting a lot of calls about that second mailing. But if you’ve already filled out the form, just ignore the second one.”

Now I have heard nothing the last six months or more about the Census any more than this: “Please send in your forms. We need that information. And by returning your form promptly, you’ll save the Census Bureau over $1 Billion.”

So I asked Debbie — “Isn’t it rather confusing AND expensive to send out a second Census Form mailing??” (I always speak with double or triple question marks when I’m especially angered and/or confounded.)

“Oh,” Debbie explained, “by sending out that second mailing we expect to save more than a $1 Billion.”

So, faithful readers, what have we learned today?

1. Everything related to the Census appears to be counted in $1 Billion increments.

2. If you consider a margin of error of maybe one or two percent — you can BET maybe MILLIONS of people will complete the Census Form and mail it in at least TWICE — making any accurate Census Count of the U.S. (See the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 2, I believe it is.) simply a joke.

Ah, well. Maybe I’m being too pessimistic. Maybe after a ton of ad money spent on television and radio propaganda, enough people really do understand what’s going on and really will return their forms — once. Or, maybe not.

Now health care bills ‘reconciliation’ begins — ugh!

Imagine having two pieces of legislation on the same subject, let’s say for example, health care. One bill has been passed by the House; one by the Senate. What happens now? Does the President sign two bills? Does he decide which one he likes and sign that one?

If you’re aware of the way bills become laws at the federal level, you know it’s not that easy. Now a joint committee made up of both Senators and Representatives must work out a compromise bill or “reconciliation” which will go to the President’s desk for his signature.

I confess that my knowledge of how all that is done is very lacking. But I do know this in this particular case — which, of course is not a hypothetical example, but a reality — the House health care reform bill and the Senate health care reform bill have some major differences, and reconciliation will be NOTHING like simply walking to your local medical clinic to by a medical assistance program membership or something like that.

I have my personal theory about why this is all so difficult: Simply put, insurance companies, various medical systems, pharmaceutical firms, and probably bucket loads of lawyers will not easily give up the power and money currently flowing their way. Serious, legitimate health care reform has nothing to do with such silliness as “socialism” or all the other warning cries. It simply has to do with too many billions, even trillions, of dollars at state for vested interests.

But I remain very hopeful. I hope that Representatives and Senators will do something good together for the country and make a useful, helpful health care system for all.

Well, sort of hopeful.

We’ll see soon, won’t we?

Big showdown nears on health care reform in Senate

If you’ve seen any news to speak of in the last couple of days, you know that Senate leader Harry Reid is calling for a vote on whether they will allow discussion and a vote in the Senate on a health care reform bill. I think this vote to discuss and vote is coming tomorrow, Saturday, November 21.

Regardless of how you feel about all this health care rhetoric with all the half-truths, myths, and PR surrounding the matter, surely you can agree with me that it’s a sad day when something the majority of Americans want done cannot get done because of political squabbles.

Maybe we need to start all over on this health care issue and call it something different than “reform.” I’m reminded of the way tobacco sellers can take something as nasty smelling as your typical cigar — and transform it into something less offensive by naming it differently. (I’ve never smoked and have no plans to. If I DID smoke cigars, I would imagine I’d be more attracted to a product named “Swisher Sweets” than I would if they were named “Smelly Cigars.:)

The problem I have with health care reform, however, is that I cannot personally think of a euphemism more acceptable than “health care reform.”

I wish the politicians on both sides of the health care reform issue would get down to seriously representing the people who sent them to Washington, instead of padding their wallets and stroking the big insurance companies or posturing for reelection in some other way.

But I doubt that will happen in the real word where we live. As I said months ago, I’ll be astounded if any real, useful “health care reform” ever gets done in this nation. The politicians won’t do it. And certainly the insurance/medical/pharmaceutical cabal will never do it.

News overload? Probably time to give it a rest

One thing I’m learning about myself since starting this blog — it’s really easy to get burned out about all the idiocy going on in today’s world. You can take it to seriously, develop strange physical ticks and muscle twitches, stress out, and grow large dark circles under your eyes.

Or you can occasionally say, heck with it all, turn off the cable news channels and actually QUIT reading the papers (online or offline papers) for awhile.

I’ve chosen in recent weeks to do the latter. It began when I finally couldn’t endure the idiocy of all the anti-everything crowds who rail against everything at the so-called “tea parties.” It grew into a compelling need for me when I listened to politician after politician spout silliness about health care reform. When something like 60 percent of all Americans surveyed want SOME sort of “public option” heath care and the politicians shout “SOCIALISM! SOCIALISM!” about the idea — well, then you just know some insurance companies and HMO/PPO people have politicians paid and stuffed nicely in their rear pockets.

So the final straw came for me a couple of days ago at one of the “tea parties” where most of the House Republicans showed up to rail against health care once more, and the somewhat odd “mis-speech” by Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio). While waving a copy of the U.S. Constitution in his hand and proclaiming the importance of it, and calling the House health care bill the worst violation of U.S. freedoms he’d ever seen — he proceeded to quote the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

Except what Boehner REALLY quoted was the opening of the Declaration of Independence.

None of his colleagues standing behind him noticed the error, or if they did they never gave him a heads-up or wink or nod to inform him of the gaff. Perhaps they either 1) didn’t know the difference, 2) didn’t care about the mistake, 3) were too cowardly or “weasily” to make the correction, 4) were so patronizing about the dedicated patriots at the rally to think they would know the difference, or, 5) all of the above. LOL!

Whatever. At that point, I decided it’s time to take a break from my news overload. Have you thought about doing so, too?

My best guess: ‘Real-life’ health care reform is dead

My very best guess about health care battles currently dominating our nation would be this: In “real life,” we are not going to get truly significant health care reform.

It’s easy to get caught up in all the excitement, and to be overwhelmed by the sound and the fury surrounding this crucial issue. At that point, I know I tend to forget a couple of issues. I think these are the issues which truly determine such major matters as health care in America:

1. There are too many billion dollar insurance companies (maybe even trillion dollar?) and billion dollar HMOs, etc., for anything serious to happen that will benefit the average “Joe Six Pack” (or “Joe the Plumber” or any other “Joe) when all the dust has settled. These corporate robber barons have too much power to manipulate the politicians at every level for any serious reform to get done. Because serious health care reform, i.e., eliminating pre-existing conditions, stopping insurance companies from dropping high-risk patients, and making health insurance both comprehensive and affordable.

2. MOST politicians are, well, politicians. They go whichever way they need to go so as to 1) retain office, and, 2) reap all they can from lobbyists and other money interests because that’s how they remain politicians. Are there any real “statesmen” out there who live, work, and vote according to serious moral principles and ethical values? Well, rumor is that there are and that there always have been.

But the older I get, the more skeptical (cynical?) I become about such critters as honest, selfless politicians — or honest, selfless corporate leaders, as far as that goes.

So don’t look for any really helpful health care reform. Not in our lifetimes, I suspect.

(Caveat: I’m the same guy who said America would never elect an African-American president in my lifetime. Got that one wrong, didn’t I? He he he.)

So-called ‘birthers’ display continued ignorance, arrogance

Not long ago, I posted a video dealing with the idiotic so-called “birthers” and their insistence that President Obama’s was not really born in the U.S. and is, therefore, constitutionally disqualified to be president. These folks (I’m no longer even willing to call them “good folks”) are continuing to publicly display their ignorance and arrogance.

That video referenced above, taken from no less than Lou Dobbs’ CNN show, seemed pretty conclusive to me that the whole idiotic mess questioning Obama’s American heritage is, well, an idiotic mess. But, of course, as an old saying I love goes: “Nothing is foolproof because fools are so ingenious.”

The fools who choose to revel in conspiracy theories around every corner seem to thrive on the idea that Obama is either 1) secretly a Muslim, 2) a blatant socialist, 3) a godless man leading America down the path to eternal destruction, 4) a foreign-born thinly disguised terrorist of some sort who captured the presidency, and/or 5) all of the above.

(Let’s not forget the flip-side: Many out there still believe Obama is some sort of Messiah or Messiah figure who’s going to solve all of the world’s problems; while others see him as the Anti-Christ.)

In reality, he’s a highly intelligent, well-meaning “freshman” president seeking to deal with the mess our nation is in. I voted for the man and would give him high marks in many ways. I am NOT in love with the huge financial tab he’s running up. I’m not sure his policies to confront our economic crisis and our health care crisis are the best, nor am I convinced they are working.

But I’m also willing to cut him a bit of a break and say he’s only been in office less than a year.

This “rant” about those who question Obama’s citizenship began this morning when I looked at an online reader’s poll run by our local newspaper. (You remember newspapers?) They asked the question: “Do you believe President Obama has adequately answered allegations that he is not an American citizen.” Appallingly, they got over 700 responses (large for their polls) with only 44.1 percent saying “yes,” and 55.9 saying “no.”

I was astounded at the general ignorance and eagerness to believe idiotic drivel and lying gossip (that’s exactly what the so-called “birther” movement is). But then I remembered something important that puts this in perspective: We live in the land of Jay Leno’s late famous “Jay Walking” episodes. If you ever watch Leno on “The Tonight Show” stopping people on the street and asking them basic, obvious questions related to American history and/or politics, you know exactly what I mean.

People in our nation are overwhelmingly ignorant and uninformed/misinformed about our history and our politics. Not because they lack access to facts and reality, for the most part, but because they simply do not want to learn and (to paraphrase that famous Jack Nicholson line): “They can’t handle the truth” on so many issues.

End of rant. For today, anyway. I feel much better now. How about you?