An America Citizen

For the last couple of years, politicians like Rick Perry, Michelle Bachman, and the like have suggested that being a citizen of this country was to a certain extent about character. And although I have been willing to engage in their attacks on people like me now and then, I've been here for thirty one years, and I can tell you without hesitation, being a citizen of this country, is entirely about character.

For the record: yes, I am planning on becoming a card-carrying member of the ACLU like so many other Liberals, but the more important question is, 'Why aren't they?' Now this is an organization, whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question: 'Why would a Congressperson or a Governor, their party's most powerful spokespeople and candidates for President, choose to reject upholding the Constitution?' Now if you can answer that question folks, then you're smarter than I am, because I still can't fully figure that one out.

America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center-stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his or her right to burn that flag in protest." Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.

I've heard the right-wings shtick for years, and I'd been operating under the assumption that the reason they devote so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that they simply didn't get it. Well I was wrong, their problem isn't that they don't get it; their problem is that they can't sell it. We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, the right-wing is not the least bit interested in solving it. They are interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.

You gather a group of middle-age, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time and you talk to them about family and, American values and character, and you wave an old Bible around and you scream about patriotism, you tell them that God hates anyone who doesn’t think like them and that those of us on the left are to blame for their lot in life.

We Liberals have done nothing to you, right-wingers. We have done nothing, but put ourselves through school, represent the interests of public school teachers, fight for the middle class, and lobby for the safety of our work places and our natural resources. You want a character debate? You better start with your own reflections, because we Liberals are way out of your league.

We've got serious problems, and we need serious people to solve them. And if you want to talk about character, you better come at us with more than a burning flag and membership cards. If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when and I'll show up. This is a time for serious people, right-wing, and your fifteen minutes are up. My name is Mr Liberal, I AM an American citizen and I AM THE 99%!

(This Blog is a rewording of the speech given by Michael Douglas in the film 'The American President. I hold no ownership of the original wording, only the edits.)

The Dangers of a President Paul Part 1

I'll grant you that on the surface Ron Paul's Libertarian ideas sound pretty good. Cutting spending, ending the T.S.A, ending American involvement in war, legalizing drugs. But, when you look closer at what Ron Paul wants to do to this country you can see that though he touts freedom, we will lose even more.


Let's start with abortion.


Right now a woman has the freedom to chose whether or not to carry an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy through to birth or to end one. Under a President Paul we would see this freedom in the most danger it has ever been in. Paul plans to work to overturn Roe v. Wade and institute a "Sanctity of Life Act", stating that life begins at conception. This "Act" is, in and of itself, a dangerous idea, even more so if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned as Paul states he will fight to do. Conception is defined medically as follows, 

"Conception: 1. The union of the sperm and the ovum. Synonymous with fertilization."


This is the notion that most pro-life people love to tout, but what you may not know is that there are two steps to conception. The second being that the fertilized egg must then implant into the wall of the uterus. This takes around four weeks to occur, and in some cases it does not even happen at all naturally. This "Sanctity of Life Act" would in essence make the Plan B pill illegal, thus forcing a woman to carry an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy to term with Paul having Roe v. Wade overturned. This "Act" is not a medically based law, but it is a religious law. And as a religious law, it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Good bye freedom number one.


Now let us move on to Paul's stance on Healthcare.


Being a Medical Doctor one would think a President Paul would want all Americans to have the right to obtain healthcare. Wrong! As President, Paul would fight to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act  (Obamacare for those of you who only get your info from the mainstream media). Although not perfect, P.P.A.C.A makes it easier for Americans to obtain health insurance. Depending on your income level, you will enter into 'pool' that will determine how much assistance you need in buying a health policy. Sounds complicated doesn't it? What that means is the less money you make, the more help with healthcare you get. Now because this new system makes it easier for every American to have health coverage you really don't have a reason not to get it any more. But, for those who don't get health coverage there will be a tax increase to offset the extra tax money used to pay for the times when you need healthcare.


Other blessings of PPACA are that you will no longer be able to be denied health insurance due to a pre-existing condition and that insurance companies must use 80-85% of premium payment for actual medical costs. As President, Ron Paul would do away with this entirely, leaving us in pretty much the same place we are now, but with the same tax breaks PPACA provides.

Muppets Bomb Manhattan (satire)

BREAKING: The Muppet known as 'Crazy Harry' was arrested earlier today in New York City after it had been reported to the NYPD that a he had allegedly been seen piling up boxes of dynamite outside Fox News's New York studio. The police apprehended the slightly famous Muppet before he was able to activate the the dynamite plunger found connected to the large stack of TNT. As he was being placed into the back of a squad car, witnesses reportedly heard him say "Make the stupidity stop! I can't take it anymore!" 


This comes on the heals of Fox News personalities Eric Bolling and Andrea Tantaros claiming that "The Muppets", a new movie staring the outrageous Jim Henson puppets, was brainwashing children with liberal bias. Neither could be reached for comment by deadline.

A spokesperson for The Muppets stated that "...although we denounce the actions of Crazy Harry, we totally understand why he would do something so extreme. Have you heard the dribble that those people spew?" A public relations firm for fellow Muppet Rizzo the Rat released a statement saying, "This is the sanest thing Harry has ever done." Muppet frontfrog, Kermit the Frog, has yet to be reached for comment on the alleged bombing.