| Let Them Eat Cake |
[Jun. 6th, 2008|12:09 pm] |
So, I just had a little look at http://www.johnmccain.com/
First of all, nice ripoff of Obama's artwork. Secondly, the links on the top of the page (which aren't part of the jpg above) are:
Decision Center | General Election | Obama & Iraq | Golf Gear
Show Your Support for John McCain on the course. Click Here to Visit the McCain Store and Purchase Your Golf Pack Today.
GOLF GEAR?? The whitest dude on the whole planet is running against the first black candidate ever, and that's his angle? Wow.
He is fucked. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 25th, 2008|01:47 am] |
Want to go to Mighty Mic?
FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE (Students, Faculty, and all community members) ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT - FIRST COME FIRST SERVE - LINEUP AT BETWEEN 4:00 - 6:00 PM IN FRONT OF ACKERMAN GRAND BALLROOM on the UCLA CAMPUS - $10 Suggested donation - 100% of proceeds are going towards purchasing a mobile clinic!
for more info check out http://www.mightymic.org or email mightymicconcert@gmail.com
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| Planning is Power! |
[May. 16th, 2008|02:33 pm] |
Planning is Power!
Counter-protest on June 7 against "The Pill Kills" groups.
You might have heard about it in the news, but there are many people coming together on June 7 outside of health clinics that provide the birth control pill (particularly Planned Parenthood), to protest and raise "awareness" about the "dangers" of the pill. To do your opposition research, see www.thepillkills.com
We want to be out there in support of comprehensive sex education, access to health care and birth control, women's rights and freedoms, and the courageous work that Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and so many other organizations do every day to make women, children, and families safe and healthy every day.
Please join us on Saturday June 7 - nationwide.
In NYC, we're taking a "superhero" tactic - planning is power - so come with a cape and your super powers and your positive messages. Some suggestions:
"I believe in a world where all babies are loved and wanted"
"I believe in a world where teenagers are safe and know how to keep themselves safe"
"I believe in a world where women are free to choose their future"
If you want to lead something for your city, let me know and I can add you as an admin on our Facebook group. Spread the word!
Find us on Facebook: Planning is Power! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21854355978
Contact: politicalactiongroup [at] gmail [dotcom] |
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| Iran VS Israel |
[May. 9th, 2008|03:39 pm] |
| [ | I'm doing/ Listening to |
| | O.B.E.Y. - Romanec of misanthropy | ] |
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| NY State Family Planning Advocates Conference |
[Feb. 20th, 2008|10:52 am] |
Hi everyone - first time here, sorry if this is off-topic/in the wrong place, but I think it's something all angry hippies (at least those who live in NY State) can get behind.
This is information about attending the NY State annual Family Planning Advocates Conference in Albany on March 10th.
Hundreds to thousands of NY reproductive rights supporters will be filling the Capitol that day, speaking face to face with our representatives in support of the Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act. (See here for information about this Act from NOW , the ACLU, and the other side - which is becoming ever more vocal and organized).
In addition to our lobby activities, there will be a policy brunch with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, a performance by the Capitol Steps, and Governor Spitzer, along with other elected officials, will speak to the group.
Please pass this information along - the flyer below is from Planned Parenthood of NYC (who will be covering ALL costs of the trip for people who go from NYC), but like I said people will be coming from all over NY State.
So take a day off work, do something more than an online petition - I've heard this conference is an amazing, fun experience. If you have any questions, please feel free to conact me directly.
We're heading up to Albany for a day of advocacy and lobbying our state legislators...and we're taking our supporters with us! Don't miss the bus! 
Monday, March 10th Join us for Family Planning Advocates of New York State's 31st Annual Conference! Busses leave from New York City at 6:30am and will head back at 5pm. Once arriving in Albany, the conference will feature an educational policy brunch to jumpstart participants' day of legislative lobby meetings and workshops. Governor Spitzer tops the list of elected officials addressing this year's conference! Planned Parenthood of New York City will cover all transportation costs and provide snacks for the day's trip. Its up to us in '08 and we need as many supporters as possible to help make our voice heard in the New York State legislature! RSVP before February 27th and invite your friends! You will receive a confirmation email with further details. Questions? Call 212-274-7312 or email activists@ppnyc.org. Hope to see you all there! Keep up the good fight! Melissa Grassroots Organizer, PPNYC |
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
 Tell-a-friend!
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| To update your account settings, please click here. If you would like to usubscribe from the Planned Parenthood of New York City Action Network click here. |
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| Dear America |
[Feb. 5th, 2008|10:14 am] |
Do NOT fuck this up. If Clinton gets the nomination, she will lose to McCain.
If you do the right thing and vote for Barack Obama, he will be elected president. How do I know this? Let's just say that I have a fucking crystal ball (called logic and sense).
Thanks in advance for not voting like a bunch of dipshits.
Sincerely,
chuckdarwin, esq
[for a slightly less strident take on why Obama is preferable to Clinton, click here] |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 4th, 2008|10:25 pm] |
As you know, tomorrow is Super Tuesday, where more than 22 states will hold their primaries or caucuses—one state which will be California. I am voting for BARACK OBAMA because I feel that he has the necessary experience to serve this country and has also utilized grassroots efforts to engage and excite millions of people, transcending race, ethnicity, gender, ability, immigrant status, political party, etc. These past couple of months, America has seen someone who can CHANGE policies and the lives of many, give the ordinary person HOPE for a better tomorrow and has done so with INTEGRITY, RESPECT and POISE.
Counting down the hours before Super Tuesday begins, I wanted to share a new independent video about BARACK OBAMA. For me, it embodies the sense of inspiration that so many people feel about his candidacy. Words don't do it justice, you have to watch it for yourself
I hope you will join me in voting for Barack Obama. Find your polling place: http://my.barackobama.com/CAlookup
It's time to put an end to the say-anything-to-win politics of the past. Together we can face the challenges of the future with a new kind of politics and a new kind of leadership. If you already know where you'll be voting on Tuesday, take a minute to invite five of your friends to look up their polling place:http://my.barackobama.com/CAlookup or in CA you can call the state registrars office at 1-800-345-VOTE
Thanks!
BTW here are some pix from Fridays Obama rally outside of Kerckhoff Hall at UCLA with Tatyana Ali, Max Kennedy (RFK's son), Kerry Washington, and California State Majority Assemblymember Karen Bass + some pix from yesterdays Obama rally at Pauley Pavilion (UCLA) with Oprah, Caroline Kennedy, Michelle Obama, Stevie Wonder and surprise guest Maria Shriver
Most of the pictures are under the cut because they are pretty big
( Read more... )</center>
Here are a few details and rules that will help make the voting process run smoothly. Make sure to share these with your friends:
Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to at least 8:00 p.m. Anyone in line at the time the polls close is allowed to vote.
*Voters have the right to cast a provisional ballot even if their name is not listed on the voting rolls. If a voter is at the wrong polling location and has time to get to the correct polling location before polls close at 8:00 p.m., they should go to the correct one and vote with a regular ballot instead of voting with a provisional ballot at the wrong location.
*If you declined to select a political party when you registered to vote, you can still vote for Barack Obama if you request a Democratic ballot from the poll worker. Make sure you mark "Democratic" in the appropriate space or the vote might not be counted.
*Voters have the right to return a completed vote-by-mail ballot to any precinct in their county.
*If you have any difficulties, you can call the California Obama Election Protection Hotline:
o LOS ANGELES: (310) 801-9546 or (310) 779-0816
o SAN FRANCISCO/BAY AREA: (510) 520-5025
o OAKLAND/EAST BAY: (415) 606-6043
o SAN DIEGO: (619) 770-7105
*************
find your polling place in CA: http://my.barackobama.com/CAlookup or call the state registrars office at 1-800-345-VOTE
In other states please google your state registrars office or visit: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/statepages |
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 5th, 2008|08:51 pm] |
YOU CAN MAKE HISTORY NEW HAMPSHIRE!
Barack Obama represents real change we can believe in. Join us as we build the movement in New Hampshire and put Barack Obama on the path to the Presidency.
Many people on the left and right are counting on independent-minded voters in New Hampshire -- young voters, first-time voters, disillusioned voters, voters tired of an unending, unaccountable conflict in Iraq, tired of sacrificing their rights and freedoms, tired of politics as usual -- *NOT* to vote, because he believes that as long as enough people *DON"T* show up to vote, Hillary Clinton could win.
This is a close race, and the people of New Hampshire's participation on primary election night could make all the difference.
CHANGE THE NATION ON JANUARY 8th!
Independent/Undeclared voters participating in the Democratic primary:
You are eligible to vote & After voting in you may switch your registration back to Undeclared by signing the form provided at each polling location.
If you are not Registered, you can do so at your polling place on Primary Day
* In order to register, it is recommended that you bring a passport, birth certificate or naturalization papers AND either a New Hampshire driver's license, current utility bill or current phone bill.
* If you do not have these documents, you may still register by signing an affidavit at your polling location.
NEED A FREE RIDE TO YOUR POLLING PLACE? Please call 603-668-2008 for information about your polling place, voting hours or if you need a FREE ride to the polls.
To learn more about Barack Obama, find out about internships and how to volunteer over the next few days: http://nh.barackobama.com
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| Hillary the "Socialist"? |
[Jan. 4th, 2008|05:32 pm] |
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As we stroll into the Iowa Caucus today, I continue to be astounded by the amazing level of stupidity displayed by most Americans when they talk about Hillary Clinton. The nation's right-wing seemed firmly convinced that Hillary Clinton is, doubltlessly, a hardcore Marxist Socialist. For those not in the know, socialist seems to be the right wing's buzzword in this election cycle the use of which is intended to mock center-left or left wing candidates, since the word "liberal" has lost at least some of its negative connotation since the Reagan years. I cannot hear the condemnation of Mrs. Clinton as a "socialist" without immediately branding the user of this term an idiot, at least in my own mind.
Put very basically, the essential difference between pure socialism and capitalism is that, in a socialist system, the means of production and the profits are in the hands of the government (One working definition is that at least fifty percent of all production in a nation must be in goverment hands to qualify as a command economy, though 50% capitalism surely would have given Marx a headache). In a capitalist system, the means of production are in the hands of private industry, and the profits fall into the hands of the owners of those industries/businesses. Hillary Clinton, as far as any sane person knows, does not want to supplant capitalism in the United States with government ownership of every industry. I suppose the root cause of this comes from her healthcare plan, which would force the government to become more INVOLVED in that particular industry, but would neither dissolve private health care businesses nor take over the industry entirely in the name of the government. Even if her plan did dictate total government control over the health care industry, she still could not be considered a socialist, because it is but one industry among hundreds that exist in any capitalist society.
Do Hillary's "anti-socialist" detractors honestly believe that Mrs. Clinton would dissolve Ford, GM, and Chrysler, and remarket all American automobiles under one blanket "US Goverment" label? Do they believe that in a Clinton administration, one will no longer be able to dine at McDonald's, Arby's, Ruby Tuesday's, or any other eatery currently spread across the nation, as the signs will all be replaced with "GOVERNMENT CAFETERIA" and the managers all with bureaucrats? Do they all misunderstand "socialism" as being "any political position which is not firmly conservative"?
Were Karl Marx presented with Hillary Clinton as an example of state-sanctioned modern socialism, he would either fall onto the floor in a pile of hysterically raucous laughter, or he would sigh in woeful depression at seeing what "socialism" has apparently morphed into. Even the Communist government that rules the People's Republic of China is hardly socialist, with all the free-market industries that bloom there and have bloomed in the past twenty years. Thus I say to those who INSIST, quite idiotically, that Hillary Clinton is "most definitely a socialist" but never offer any real proof to support this claim, where IS the proof? I will answer that question. There is no proof. Simply because they do not understand what socialism is, nor does Senator Clinton. There are plenty of reasons to dislike Senator Clinton, such as the Iraq and Iran resolutions she shamefully voted FOR, but the imaginary and derisory fear of her brand of "euro-socialism" is simply not an acceptable reason, because it is not based in reality. |
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| (no subject) |
[Dec. 24th, 2007|11:57 pm] |
I watched this really cool documentary called The Corporation. It exposes and gives a lot of people a voice to speak out against major corporations, and the corporate take over of governments and essential commodities. There are a lot of interviews with people who work for these global, billion dollar corporations - CEO's, founders and everyday workers, and there are interviews with activists, journalists, authors and economists who are fighting corporate power. Milton Friedman, the "father of modern economics" even gets to talk. Some of my favorite people including Naomi Klein, Vandana Shiva and Michael Moore all appear in this film.
I've been pondering different questions since watching The Corporation. One question I have is on "branding". In the special features, there is a segment where the woman responsible for marketing the film talks and shows how the marketing team successfully marketed this film. As you can see on the cover, they have created a "corporation man", with a halo and devil tail. Is creating a brand anti anti-corporation? What about advertising in general? And a little off topic, what about chain restaurants and stores? Are small chains ok? What if I was a businessman, who was interested in social problems and my business was sustainable. Would it be ok for me to open a number of stores over a large area to get my "sustainable" products to a larger base of consumers and to increase my profits?
I'm not anti-capitalism, and I don't think that the film is sending a totally anti-capitalist message. But there does need to be change and reform in the economic system. We can't allow our products to be made by 13 year olds getting paid three cents a shirt. We can't allow our products to destroy our earth, and we cannot allow our foods to be replaced by chemicals and sprayed with harmful pesticides. I do, however, think that people need to be able to move between social and economic classes. Business shouldn't be totally controlled by government, but somebody or something has to regulate aspects of business that are going to impact society and civilization.
I haven't taken an economics class at my high school yet (next semester I will), and I wonder if we will discuss these things. I don't have answers, but this film opened my eyes even more to the evils of corporations whose only goal is to make money, at any consequence.
x-posted a few times |
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| Amnesty Writeathon, San Mateo |
[Nov. 30th, 2007|12:57 pm] |
Announcing that I'm hosting a local Amnesty Writeathon event - a group letter and petition and holiday card-writing day tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 8th from 12-4 (drop-in) in the Laurel Meeting Room of the San Mateo Library. 55 Third Street, in the downtown, off of South El Camino.
http://www.amnestyusa.org/Individuals_at_Risk/Global_Writeathon/page.do?id=1108452&n1=3&n2=34&n3=65
Designed to coincide with International Human Rights Day, the event involves writing letters, signing petitions, and sending holiday cards to forgotten political prisoners around the world who are persecuted for nonviolently expressing their political or religious or cultural viewpoints. In the past Amnesty has supported democracy activists, environmentalists, ethnic minorities, religious minorities, women's rights activists, and many others. Amnesty is nonpolitical and nonreligious in itself and simply advocates for freedom of expression and against torture, arbitrary jail sentences, the death penalty, etc.
I'll bring cookies, tea, stamps, international Putumayo music, preaddressed envelopes, and some stationery my supervisor gave me today at work to donate to this event.
This is listed on the Amnesty Writeathon web page - already received a couple emails from interested people. All are welcome and we may go out to dinner as a group afterwards if people would like.
In addition to supporting human rights, this event is a great way to network with intelligent, successful professionals! One never knows whose company may be hiring, or who may know of awesome events happening in the SF Bay Area, or who may have great ideas to assist your university's student organization, or who may know someone who knows someone who...etc.
For those unable to make the event in person I can post links in my journal to the letters and petitions we're writing so you can sign on or mail letters of your own (as well as YouTube links of some musical highlights supporting human rights).
Please comment here (or email me) if you are interested and I will keep you posted.
Would be appreciated if some people here helped promote this on Facebook or elsewhere on LJ :) |
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| H.R. 1955 |
[Nov. 1st, 2007|12:47 am] |
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed HR 1955 titled the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. This bill is one of the most blatant attacks against the Constitution yet and actually defines thought crimes as homegrown terrorism. The Bill passed 404-6.
This Bill criminalizes any act of, or promotion of, anything the Government interprets to be "radical" or "extremist." This may include Animal Rights, Environmentalism, Socialism, Labor Organizing, anything that may upset the status quo, hell anything that may upset a politician. And that's the scary thing here; it's entirely up to State interpretation.
Don't let this Bill pass the senate! Call your Congressperson, tell them you are NOT HAPPY with their vote. Call your Senators, tell them that if they wish to keep their jobs, they had better NOT SUPPORT this bill. Use every means available to you. Phone Calls, Letter Writings, Public Demonstration, Firebombings. Don't Let this Bill Pass. Talk to your friends, CoWorkers, talk to your Parents, your Professors, your Teachers. Talk to EVERYONE.
Educate. Organize. Mobilize. Make It Happen.
Read Up Y'all:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_House_Resolution_1955
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/10/25/18456040.php
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=110-h20071023-31&bill=h110-1955
( Here's a Copy/Paste Letter to Give to Media! Or Anyone! ) |
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| Do You Want LJ to "Monitor" Your Page? |
[Sep. 21st, 2007|06:35 pm] |
LiveJournal has quietly announced that they will begin data mining, effecting about 5% of users. This info-gathering will be done by a third party.
If you’d like to opt out, go to the Admin Console and type "set opt_exclude_stats 1" without the quotation marks.
If this is received as an inappropriate post, I will remove it.
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| Gulu Walk 2007 - Be an Icon |
[Sep. 18th, 2007|04:34 pm] |
Reposted from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) ugandacalling - I would like to invite everyone here to join me in a "virtual walk" where we get together and comment, read links, and send petitions (and fundraise/donate if able) to help those affected by the civil war in Uganda. The official Gulu Walk is October 20th, and I'd love to go in person and help out, but the day is hard for me as it tends to be the same as the Cancer Society's annual breast cancer walk, which I attend with my mom. But I'd love to help raise awareness for ending the Ugandan civil war anyway, please comment if you may be interested in some kind of virtual walk (we can just comment and sign petitions, no pressure to fundraise).
Just received an email from World Vision today encouraging people to keep signing their non-denominational petition for other nations to lend moral and logistical support to the peace talks in Uganda: https://secure2.convio.net/wv/site/Advocacy?page=UserAction&cmd=display&id=128
I also encourage as many people as possible to get involved with their local Gulu Walks, as they support organizations on the ground in Uganda assisting people with health, education, etc. http://www.resolveuganda.org/node/305
Even if you are not able to raise money, there are volunteer positions available on walk day helping people check in, find the route, etc. And just coming out shows support and can help make it more likely that people will organize a Gulu Walk next year in your city. Great project for a volunteer club, even one not specifically focused on Uganda.
I'd also like to see a virtual walk for people who do not live near a city with a Walk! This applies to me as I'm in the SF Bay Area and so far there does not seem to be a San Francisco walk yet. Let me know if anyone's interested in virtually walking, and I will contact the Walk coordinators. We can still fundraise and then email or chat via AIM on that day and all send petitions or something, or promise to walk on our own in the future.
Should you choose to sponsor me, here is my Gulu Walk page: https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/personalPage.aspx?EventID=12619&LangPref=en-CA&RegistrationID=351649
I quoted Neo from the Matrix and Gandalf from Lord of the Rings... |
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| 9/11/07 |
[Sep. 10th, 2007|11:50 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | in macbook | ] |
| [ | Tell the hippy. |
| |  grumpy | ] |
| [ | I'm doing/ Listening to |
| | The Dead, man, what else would i play!! | ] |
On some calenders it list tomorrow as Patriot Day, when was it declared such a holiday?
When are our leaders doing to our rights in this country, oh well, maybe we can schedule a naked protest for 9/11. |
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| I am a not a machine |
[Jul. 27th, 2007|08:02 am] |
I have feelings all the time. Even at work. We all do. The rich want to own us because they pay us to work for them. We are slaves for a paycheck. We have no choice unless we want to be homeless, even then we have to serve somebody to eat and if lucky a shelter for the night. As far as I am concerned capitalism will eventually fall as more and more people cross the bridge into the have nots. It's only a matter of time. The signs are there.
The only thing that might save our country is a balance of socialism. Or one day the rich will wake up to a rebellion like they have never seen. There will be blood in the streets and many good people will die as they try and contain us and continue their rule over us. Henry Kissinger once said if the american people really knew what was going on in this country, there would be a revolution. I will leave it there.
http://zeitgeistmovie.com/ |
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| " Put on your clenched acceptance face, we're going to Sorrytown!"" |
[Jul. 20th, 2007|03:51 pm] |
Ah, John Stewart, the master of the throwaway one-liner:
"I'm not a fan of personal vendetta gotcha-style politics," said Jon Stewart on Tuesday's Daily Show. "But there can be exceptions. Take Louisiana Senator David Vitter ... who came to prominence in the 90's demanding President Clinton's impeachment for the Monica Lewinsky affair. Well, it seems the condom is on the other foot."
"Last week, Vitter became the highest profile john implicated in the DC Madam scandal-gate," Stewart explained. "Kind of reminds you of the old saying, 'The only thing I trust less than a Louisiana senator sleeping with a hooker is one that isn't.'" The video can also be found here.
Now, I of course would never stoop to mere "gotcha" blog entries either. (What, Never? Well, Hardly Ever..).
In this particular case, I think this is a remarkably apt insight into what Republican values actually are. That is to say, you can pretty much assume that whatever public stance they take will be taken purely for personal political advantage and will have little or nothing to do with personal values or conviction. It's kinda like the Catholic Church in that way.
How many folks out there still think it's a good idea to leave their child alone with the parish Priest?
Well, folks, that goes for anyone who seeks a position of unquestionable moral authority and access to either your children, your vote or your wallet.
While that observation may well be true of political figures in general, Republicans in particular have been particularly active in trying to demonize, regulate and restrict YOUR libido, YOUR sexual practices, Your definition of family, and indeed, your reproductive choices, while undermining your right to privacy and your right to access information without trace or record. I don't see very many examples of Republicans living by the values they espouse - so to speak. On the contrary.
So perhaps all these protestation of high moral standing are mere pretexts and postures, not just in exceptional cases, but in general.
Any large group of people will have a few bad apples, a few "isolated incidents." But these are NOT "just a few" and they all share something similar; the overwhelming majority of these sexual crimes involve practicing the opposite of what they preached. That is to say, they violated the law purposefully and deliberately, and in the way that was most vile on the basis of their own public standards to demonstrate to themselves and to one another that they were above that law and could get away with violating it. Indeed, there seems to be the perverse drive to enact laws for the purpose of violating them!
Another disturbing theme of near equal weight is a consistent pattern of abuse - sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and the abuse of power in general - toward those who cannot fight back.
Here's a particularly odious example of such an authoritarian circle-jerk.
Don Haidl, Assistant Sheriff of Orange Country, in violation of California's rape shield law, led a smear campaign against the child his son poisoned and then violently gang-raped on videotape, adding up to 24 felony counts. He said that his son "acted accordingly" because the child was a "slut". The full gruesome story, with many newspaper articles.
And here's one that just reeks of depraved irony:
Earl Kimmerling, from Indiana, sentenced to 40 years in prison after he confessed to molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her. Anderson, IN, Mayor Mark Lawler and Republican State Reps. Jack Lutz of Anderson, IN, and Woody Burton of Greenwood, IN, supported him. Source Then there's the largest and highest reaching sex abuse scandal ever, probably in any nation, since roman times - and you have probably never heard of it. Read it and be amazed by The Franklin Credit Union Child-Sex Ring Scandal.
This sort of thing isn't anything new, in other words; it's actually part of long established Republican political culture. The blackmail operations detailed in the link above may well partially explain the spineless behavior of our current Congress's Democratic majority, and I'm SURE it explains the "dead-ender" behavior of a great many Republicans who can't be so politically tone-deaf as to think the President's lame-duck agendas in any way serve the cause of their own re-election to orifice office. Blackmail is about the only thing that could explain such a sudden and inexplicable altruism on the part of those who's focus has been squarely upon th main chance up to now.
What we need to do is to purge all levels of government of corruption, and we also need to send - as a nation of outraged and unforgiving Citizen-activists - a resounding message. Remember that the Republican majority came out of the so called "Republican Revolution" pledged to END corruption and cronyism - and has turned out to be more than willing to wallow in a system as corrupt and lawless as any Byzantine court and indulging in graft on a level that would embarrass Tammany Hall.
So, if you are a Republican - repent! Register as an Independent, or a Constitution party member. Get your name off their sucker list. This is especially true if you have ever been a "values voter." These are the values your votes supported. So either repudiate the party for it's lack of interest in values when it might affect a Republican in power, or consider yourself complicit in all the crimes that have been committed in the name of pure, unchecked and unaccountable power. Because that's the way ethics works - you are accountable for the choices you make and the messes you contribute to.
As for myself, I'm a registered Libertarian. I have no illusions that it's a party composed of inherently better people - but it is a party of strong essential principles that may work against the accumulation of personal power for a time. It's not a party that attracts as many authoritarians and opportunists, and it will take those folks some time to figure out how to subvert it to their own ends.
Likewise, I'm going to make a choice about where my money goes. My money is going, in terms of consumer goods, toward companies that do not support the Republican cause. Likewise, I will not enter any place of business that has a fish by the door - a device almost exclusively used by Religious Conservatives, unless I see something in the window that indicates they are opposed to the moral choices this government and this party have made.
What can you do?
You can spread this around. You can digg it up, stumble it, email it to your fundy family members. You can blog about it, create fliers to stick in your church's brochure box, you can wear a t-shirt or put a poster in your store window. You can talk to strangers at bus-stops. You can call in to talk radio. Hell, you can slip Air America a few bucks. Grab your video camera and vlog it onto YouTube and Google Video.
I'll tart this post up later with links to the most vicious and apt t-shirts, bumper stickers and any particularly useful and usable photos and graphics I can find.
Together, we can change the world. As long as enough good people refuse to stand by as evil is done, we cannot help but do so.
Xposted from Graphictruth
Technorati Tags: conservatism, Corruption, ethics, family values, John Stewart, morality, politics, Republican Party, Schadenfreude, sexual misconduct, unintentional irony |
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| The spinelessness of the mainstream Democratic party. |
[Jul. 10th, 2007|07:41 pm] |
"He is arrogantly out of touch with reality, he refuses to EVER admit mistakes, which means that so long as he is our president, we are doomed to REPEAT his mistakes. It is beyond incompetence, it is recklessnes!"
-Al Gore.
"This administration is the worst in history."
-Jimmy Carter
"Sometimes I feel as though Alfred E. Newman is in charge in Washington."
-Hiillary Clinton
Of course, we all know that after these comments were made, Gore, Carter, and Clinton did what democrats do best: They backed down. They backed down after a Republican media propaganda machine feigned outrage at comments that anyone with even an ounce of common sense can see to be blatantly true. Because according to them, when you hurt George Bush's feelings, you hurt AMERICA'S feelings. And when you do that, the United States Army turns into butterflies and kittens, Al-Qaeda puts Sarin Gas in your air-conditioner, and you get sent to Guantanamo Bay to watch "Li'l Bush" on Comedy Central for the rest of your miserable life.
If Jimmy Carter, who's been out of power since 1980 and obviously has no intention of ever holding public office again, cannot criticize president Bush without backing down, what Democrat CAN? I would like to ask the question: Why are Democrats so spineless? Is it the natural condition of having a slightly-less conservative platform? Is it because the Republicans can play the political game much better? Is it because few if any democrats are capable of taking a hard stance on the issue of George W. Bush's outrageous incompetence?
Bill Maher said it best when he stated that he wished Carter had responded to feigned Republican outrage differently, as thus: "No, I stand by what I said. And as the first citizen of Habitat for Humanity, let me get out the old Carter toolbox so I can build a house where we can meet and you can BLOW ME." If he had said that, I might be proud of my party registration. |
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