Shut It Down

Today, the U.S. Congress once again abdicated their Constitutional duties, and passed a Continuing Appropriations Resolution, in order to avoid shutdown.  It is nearly a carbon copy (it may be, in fact) of the CR that passed Congress on 09.18.2014, a mere 377 days ago.  

Whenever the *threat* of a shutdown is broached, the fear mongerers immediately take to the airwaves and beyond warning that Social Security benefits, food stamps, and other federal payments will not be made.  In fact, back in 2011, the POTUS either lied to the American people with intent, or was ill-advised and/or ignorant when he said that Social Security checks would not go out if there was a shutdown.  Ignorance would seem to be out the window, given his position as the head of government, but perhaps he just missed a memo.  Obviously there would have been no way in the world for him to get in touch with people, it would have taken at least seconds to get that kind of information.  Besides, if he found out, then it would be a Lie, or he would have had to change his script.  Even without looking information up, or making a phone call, or sending a text, his statement  flew in the face of what happened during the government shutdown in the mid-90s, and what would happen during the 2013 shutdown.

So the question I always ask when a government shutdown is on the horizon is "Who cares?"  Outside of our military, whose job it is to protect us from foreign invaders, what job is essential?  Certainly no member of Congress, as they do their job just as *well* whether or not they are actually working.  In fact, I think time off would greatly improve the quality of output from most members of Congress.  A government shutdown is simply a threat used by a specific political party in order to achieve the means that they want to, and in this case, it leads to the minority party (Quick digression - I am using "minority" to identify the party that is not in power at this moment.  No other use of the word is intended.) having de facto rule, because the CR came from the previous session of Congress, when they had control of the Senate, and because most Republicans have less spine than a cestoda.

The lack of a proper government shutdown is a huge disappointment, in my opinion, because it means that the men and women who were sent to Washington, D.C. in 2014 are refusing to do the job they were sent there to do, namely reign in government control of their lives, and reduce the cost of government.  None of that is occurring as they act much more like liberal Democrats than the LDs could dream of behaving.  If Republicans are unable to live up to the tacit (and oftentimes explicit) promises they made in 2014, they will find themselves *out of power* when the 2016 elections occur.  If they continue to do their job in the same manner, it's no less than they deserve.  It's time for them to stop governing like they are afraid to lead, and fully time to actually start leading.

Either that, or head on home and watch the daffodils grow, as that'd be a more productive use of their time, though certainly a less profitable one.

The Fall Tussle

The Fall Tussle

Fall, let us discuss

the ways I loathe thee

first we can look at

what has become of my

magnificent tree

all summer long

it stood proud and green

you turned its leaves brown

now they fall to the ground

leaving it stark naked

and adding to my toil

do not think that this salvo

    goes unnoticed

truly you are the most

fickle of seasons

one moment a warning

of what is to come

the next a reminder

of glorious summer

that has departed

your nights consume

     our days

to the point

that the sun

becomes a stranger

this will not stand

there are those

who choose to

     defend you

  by comparing you

favorably to spring

but I never buy that line

spring comes with

the promise of summer

   and better days

you serve only

as a harbinger

for winter

and all that

may entail

you bring with you

      football

but take from me

      baseball

laughing at me

as if to suggest

this might be

a fair exchange

it is not

but rather is

another example

of the warped

sense of humor

you choose to employ

I am not amused

no, not at all

in my head

I conspire against you

plotting ways to foil

your dastardly deeds

but nothing comes to mind

perhaps if I brought in

      a ringer

  Leonard Susskind, for instance

a solution would arrive

but it would be

     just my luck

that he is

a fan of yours

no, I must go it alone

so I offer this small truce:

take your cardigans and corduroys

I'll send your cold, crisp mornings

and all I ask in return

is for a sliver of land to call my own

where I never have to hear your name

(Autumn or Fall?  Honestly, how pretentious can you be?)

"and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon"

These words were spoken by then-President George W. Bush, at the site of the WTC bombings, perpetrated by terrorists hell bent on destroying the American Republic, mere days after the bombing occurred.  To date, they have not succeeded, not in whole, at least, but to say they have made gains would be an understatement.  As the next generation of terrorists kills, maims, and destroys infrastructure the world over, it gives me pause to consider how much longer we'll be able to hold together our nation as we know it.

Great nations are not usually undone in one fell swoop, but in a series of soft jabs that in the moment may seem innocuous, but in reality, set the stage for the coming end.  Nations that understand the threat and face it head on - Great Britain under Winston Churchill's leadership comes to mind, as does the U.S. during the Reagan years as we battled against the U.S.S.R. to decide who would be the country that led the world surely is another.

Every year for the last decade or so, I've spent 9/11 going out in to the world to see what actions were taking place, and spending hours scouring the Internet for new to me things with regard to the Tragedy that occurred 14 years ago.  Often times it is a video of former President Bush, over the last few years it has been to follow along with former press secretary Ari Fleischer as he recreates that infamous day in a series of tweets, and always, I find something completely unexpected.

This year's 'find' is nearly as old as the Tragedy itself, and the words come from a man that I often times would find myself diametrically opposed to him in regard to any political comments I saw him make publicly.  However, 9 days after the Tragedy occurred, Jon Stewart gave this impassioned speech during the opening of his show, and I think he perfectly encapsulated the feelings of Americans at that time.  You should take the 9 minutes or so it takes to view it and while you're doing it, consider that we are still the United States of America.  We're not coming to an end any time soon, no matter who or what comes at us.  There will be times in the not too distant future to get back in to the politics that have harmed our Nation, and ideas that can help revitalize it, but in the moment, I'd rather focus on the Hope that Mr. Stewart attempted to imbibe on the American public nearly 14 years ago today.

Heroes

Heroes

Without a second's hesitation
death's evil grin is challenged time and again
            as molten steel bends
ceilings collapse, floors give way
fueling the rage and cacophony
screams engulf the peripheral
as smoke permeates
        the field of vision
professionalism, resolve, and focus
dictate that the sacrifice must continue
the tears and heartache that well up inside
must be saved for a future date
that might never be seen
the job at hand is far from over
clinging to life is a perilous proposition
a brief respite as another soul is saved
            -temporarily
        Ash fills the sky
Mt. St. Helen's explodes on a city skyline
        millions within its radius
the red line is their collective hope
they battle the blaze until well after dusk
        Four hundred and eleven was the final tally
   of those we lost in their call to duty
                Men and women whose only concern
            was protecting their fellow man
We should never forget their courage
                    nor the reason they were placed in harm's way

Lemmings Leap

 
Lemmings Leap

Jumping handinhand

Destiny determined

by outside forces

Knowing the pain

of going forward

Hopeful that it will

be of short duration

and less severe

than the pain

left behind

a searing sensation

the countdown to death

one final kiss

tears streaming down cheeks

then impact

no last request

Just eternal blackness

Expectations

    Expectations

in a time before now
when we still had our youth
and the world was uncomplicated
we looked out with bright eyes
and knew that it was ours
for the taking
then we grew up
and our lives became everything
we swore they would not
over run with details
that have thusfar
kept us from our rightful place
we are on the sidelines
passively watching others
as they move forward
with their vision
of what reality should be
there is still time
but the sands continue to run
not caring about our life's mission
nor the fact that there may not be
enough time to accomplish it

Louis Farrakhan Is Trying to Destroy America

The impetus of this article comes to the Hope that springs in my heart, even to this day, that we may somehow save the Republic that we were given by our forebears.  To say it more plainly, it is my Hope that we will somehow reclaim it, as all three branches of our federal government are out of sorts as to what exactly is their Constitutional responsibilities are.  It's also to get to the bottom of what exactly Louis Farrakhan was attempting to accomplish when he said:

So if the federal government will not intercede in our affairs, then we must rise up and kill those who kill us. Stalk them and kill them and let them feel the pain of death that we are feeling.

These remarks, and many others (he also calls for 10,000 blacks to volunteer to kill whites persons in the same *speech*) made by Louis Farrakhan initially led me to think that Farrakhan was attempting to incite a race war within the United States, just because.  My initial thought and reply to that would have been along the lines of perhaps it would be best if Farrakhan was actually interested in helping the black lives in these United States, then perhaps he would work together with blacks in the inner cities, places like Baltimore and Chicago to name just a couple.  Perhaps he would encourage black fathers and mothers to stay together for the sake of their children, who are often shuttled back and forth between family members.  Maybe he would instruct on the value of a 2-parent household, one where love was shown to all children, every day, instead of using his words in an attempt to cause disharmony. He might even push forward the notion, that yes, there are problems, but we need to come together and find a way to solve them together, not by murdering other, mostly innocent people.  He did not use his position of power to do that, despite the fact that he is now getting on in age (He is 82 years old currently), and could work on his legacy in the waning time he has left.

Then I realized my foolishness, it was never just about inciting a race war to teach white Americans about anything.  It wasn't about black Americans stepping up and becoming murderers because it beats the alternative.  At the moment of my realization, it dawned on me that Farrakhan is the leader of the Nation of Islam, and that the United States is considered the "Great Satan" by many followers of Islam throughout the world.

That's when it occurred to me:  Farrakhan couldn't care less about black Americans.  He couldn't care less about white Americans, Latin Americans, or any Americans, for that matter.  What he cares about is turning us against each other, in the basest way possible, in order to bring down the country that has provided him an opportunity to wreak such havoc.

The question that must be answered, then, is where are the criminal charges against Farrakhan?  How is it possible that such a man can call for 10,000 men to go out in to the streets of this Nation, and commit murder at his behest, remain free on the streets of the same Nation?  This is beyond the Theater of the Absurd, it is complete and total ridiculousness.

We are privileged, each and every one of us, to have our 1st amendment right to say anything we so choose.  Of course, there are consequences to certain words, in extreme cases.  The 1969 case, Brandenburg v. Ohio set the base line for what type of speech might not be used, and in so doing, it overturned the 1919 landmark case Schenck v. United States.  Brandenburg set the standard  "where speech is brigaded with action".  Ordering 10,000 persons to commit hate murders sure seems like 'speech...brigaded with action.'  I call on the Attorney Generals of the 50 states of the United States of America to bring charges against Farrakhan.  I ask that the Attorney General of the United States of America, Loretta E. Lynch to launch a federal investigation in to Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam for their attempts to bring down our Nation.

After all, it is only a small step from asking 10,000 persons to go in to the streets of the Nation to murder other citizens of the same Nation, and an outright Insurrection.

On a closing note:  to those who abuse positions of power, whether it is Farrakhan, or the incidents of police officers who are involved in criminal activity, or 'ordinary' citizens who commit crimes on the street and in the homes of other Americans:  there should be a price to be paid, and there is one, so long as there are men and women of strong moral fiber.

I'm not a huge fan of Glenn Beck (I should say, I don't read/listen to him at all, so I have no opinion of him whatsoever), but he led a, by the accounts available, peaceful march of 20,000+ people in Birmingham, AL last weekend that was resoundingly ignored by the national press.  Whether or not we agree with Beck, the fact that was pulled off without riots, without incident is something that should be looked to.  This is the type of positive behavior that leaders in name could be fomenting.

Instead, Farrakhan continues to spew his message of hatred and division.  America:  wake up, before it's too late.  The time for coming together is right now.

Rand Paul Takes a Big Step Forward

Rand Paul originally caught the eye of most of the general public because of his last name.  Having a father who is Dr. Ron Paul, the godfather of the modern American Libertarian movement has its perks.  Of course, being so closely connected with such a man has its drawbacks, too, namely that such a close association leads many to believe that all of latter's opinions have been handed down.

In the area that is most important - the Constitution as the leading document that should be followed with the original intent of its authors and signatories, is a huge deal.  Limiting the scope of government is another.  On these issues, both Ron and Rand Paul are without peer, which has been a huge part of why they have been able to gain such a strong following amongst the Gen Xers and Millennials.  These are the voters that Paul absolutely needs if he is going to remain in the race for the Republican Presidential race.


Most times, it is a candidate that is on the outside, and not in the upper tier of candidates that comes up with a catchy, witty slogan, or admission to help push their campaign forward.  Think back to Clinton in '92 with 'I smoked (marijuana) but didn't inhale'.  Once he became a 'serious' candidate, the campaign phrase was "It's the economy stupid."  In '08, it was Obama's 'Hope and Change' that propelled him (Also, the Republicans nominating John McCain played a big part in it) to the Oval Office.

Paul's official campaign slogan is "Defeat the Washington machine. Unleash the American dream."

This tapped in to the anti-establishment sect of voters, but in order to capture the White House, he would need to grab a larger swathe of potential voters.  For good or ill, his campaign took a giant step forward when it made this announcement via Twitter:

Dr. Rand Paul ‏@RandPaul 5h5 hours ago

Download our new app in the App Store and use the selfie feature! Then, send us in your photos and we'll retweet you. #selfieswithrand

While there are a certain amount of potential downsides to unveiling such an app, the upside is huge.  It will garner him large amounts of free press, and will lead to large gains with young voters, to boot.

Whether it's enough to get him all the way to the White House is unknown, but it's a bold step that certainly help him stay in the limelight.