The Republican Party is not satisfied with trying to undo 200 years of progress along the path of democracy so boldly forged by our founders. They are now the new Stormtroopers, silencing dissent with violence. The once Grand old party is now led by the likes of Sarah Palin and Sharron Angle, members of the supposed ‘fairer’ sex, who exhort their followers to violence, if necessary, to overthrow our government.
Today’s Republican leadership, combined with the hate, fear and violence-inspiring rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Sean Hannity and others is directly and unlawfully causing violence in our world. It is no exaggeration to now compare their tactics, including riling this dissension with outright lies and incredibly false propaganda, with the fascists of old.
The Brownshirts and Stormtroopers of Nazi Germany readily clubbed, shot or arrested all who dared oppose candidate Hitler, before he won the election. Upon taking power the attacks intensified. After so many acts of violence, the opposition—the ones who stood for truth, righteousness and justice—were indeed silenced for good. The monster thus unleashed and unopposed and in concert with Germany’s biggest corporations, devoured their world with ghoulish and ghastly brutality.
Life’s most vexing tragedies begin with unappreciated irony and innocence. Pretty Sarah Palin promoting guns. Sharron Angle (close to Angel) fomenting violent overthrow of the government. And now, right here in quaint picket-fenced Lexington, Rand Paul Brownshirts, big brawny men, wrestling down and stomping an innocent girl’s head into the concrete curb.
It must not be tolerated! The Attorney General must work with federal authorities to bring the full force of state and federal law to bear against not only the foot stomper but also the mouthpieces of destruction. Free speech is one thing, a precious thing to be protected. But exhorting followers that violence is justified to thwart a government they wrongly categorize as a threat to be exterminated is not.
18 USC 2385 is the Federal statute outlawing advocating the overthrow of the government. It says in part: “Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State…Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.”
Palin, Angle, Beck, Limbaugh and many others have already crossed the line. Where is the government these Republicans complain so loudly about? Perhaps afraid to do what it is supposed to be doing—protecting law and order in a civilized democracy—so as not to add fuel to their fire. Regardless, our government must act. Federal law enforcement authorities must confront any and all appeals to violence, to “Second Amendment remedies” or other calls to overthrow our government.
Our future absolutely depends upon it.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Armageddon Election
This is the Armageddon election. Should they retake Congress, as is likely to happen, Republicans will have ridden hypocrisy, hatred and home-schooled ignorance to victory and worse, America's demise. For this election is not merely a choice between partisans who are otherwise united around our social compact and the government that enables it. No, this election pits a post-Reagan Republican Party, taken over by radical tea partiers who, unlike responsible conservative leaders of old, are intent on destroying our government and reversing over 200 years of progress along the path our forefathers set for us, against the Democrats who have time and again come to the rescue of it.
This is no hyperbole. A nation cannot long endure the divisive stress of so many citizens opposed to their government, no matter how misinformed. When a majority of voters are either so uneducated, or so willfully misled to support a party that promotes the destruction of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and civil rights; that opposes federal government oversight and regulation of Wall Street, mines, drugs and many other areas of consumer protection; that promotes or by its silence tolerates a resort to guns and violence in order to instill their warped view of the Constitution; that vilifies gays, immigrants, the unemployed and welfare recipients; and that rushes to support the proven failed policies that twice brought our country to the brink of destruction, then that nation cannot stand, much less continue to flourish.
While this is my prediction, it most certainly is not my hope. I hope that enough Americans can see through the ruse and vote for the Democrats in this election. I hope that a new generation of Republican leadership will arise who accepts our social contract, our government and our democracy. I hope that all elected officials regardless of party will act responsibly and respectfully as trustholders for the people, and not for special interests or hard-held ideological beliefs.
Mostly I hope that a nation of mostly self-professed Christians would heed the true teachings of Jesus, and not the wayward traditions of man.
This is no hyperbole. A nation cannot long endure the divisive stress of so many citizens opposed to their government, no matter how misinformed. When a majority of voters are either so uneducated, or so willfully misled to support a party that promotes the destruction of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and civil rights; that opposes federal government oversight and regulation of Wall Street, mines, drugs and many other areas of consumer protection; that promotes or by its silence tolerates a resort to guns and violence in order to instill their warped view of the Constitution; that vilifies gays, immigrants, the unemployed and welfare recipients; and that rushes to support the proven failed policies that twice brought our country to the brink of destruction, then that nation cannot stand, much less continue to flourish.
While this is my prediction, it most certainly is not my hope. I hope that enough Americans can see through the ruse and vote for the Democrats in this election. I hope that a new generation of Republican leadership will arise who accepts our social contract, our government and our democracy. I hope that all elected officials regardless of party will act responsibly and respectfully as trustholders for the people, and not for special interests or hard-held ideological beliefs.
Mostly I hope that a nation of mostly self-professed Christians would heed the true teachings of Jesus, and not the wayward traditions of man.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
War no more!
Recalcitrant generals are the symptom. Bad wars are the problem. We should never have started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both are horrid abominations, immoral atrocities of a faithless people, who put their hopes more in their military might than in the God they proclaim so patriotically to trust.
The fact is that 9/11 scared America so much that it lost touch with reason, that sanctuary of fact and perspective that leads to truth and justice. The Bush/Cheney team had their own narrow agenda, long planned before 9/11, consisting of equal parts ideology (the neocon agenda per the Project for a New American Century), oil, the corporate military industrial complex and revenge.
Acting in a manner repugnant to both the Constitution and the Bible, the Bush team cooked the facts, and used its propaganda mouthpieces, including such local lapdogs as the Rush-infested WHAS, to mislead a weary, fear-prone populace to support their wayward wars as matters of self-preservation when the precise opposite was true: These wars make us less safe and jeopardize our long-term security. Even one human life is precious; we’ve wasted millions. Each tax dollar is vital, we'll have squandered trillions. And we tripled a military budget that was already more than the rest of the world combined when Bush took office. All on account of some rogue criminals, who did most of their 9/11 planning right here on American soil.
Our brave military soldiers are the real heroes. Like a well-oiled gun, their duty is to be ready whenever called upon to act. The bad leaders who wrongly call them to action are the guilty ones, and they must stand trial to answer for their crimes.
President Obama must get us out of Afghanistan and Iraq. We aren't wanted there. We can't change a culture, their religion or their history, nor should we. We are fighting natives who defend their homeland -- just as we would our own. Al-Qaida is long gone, and just may be a red herring in any case. (Bush/Cheney let bin Laden escape Tora Bora in November 2001.)
End the wars and use multi-national intelligence, economic and diplomatic tools to create stability there, security here and justice everywhere.
The fact is that 9/11 scared America so much that it lost touch with reason, that sanctuary of fact and perspective that leads to truth and justice. The Bush/Cheney team had their own narrow agenda, long planned before 9/11, consisting of equal parts ideology (the neocon agenda per the Project for a New American Century), oil, the corporate military industrial complex and revenge.
Acting in a manner repugnant to both the Constitution and the Bible, the Bush team cooked the facts, and used its propaganda mouthpieces, including such local lapdogs as the Rush-infested WHAS, to mislead a weary, fear-prone populace to support their wayward wars as matters of self-preservation when the precise opposite was true: These wars make us less safe and jeopardize our long-term security. Even one human life is precious; we’ve wasted millions. Each tax dollar is vital, we'll have squandered trillions. And we tripled a military budget that was already more than the rest of the world combined when Bush took office. All on account of some rogue criminals, who did most of their 9/11 planning right here on American soil.
Our brave military soldiers are the real heroes. Like a well-oiled gun, their duty is to be ready whenever called upon to act. The bad leaders who wrongly call them to action are the guilty ones, and they must stand trial to answer for their crimes.
President Obama must get us out of Afghanistan and Iraq. We aren't wanted there. We can't change a culture, their religion or their history, nor should we. We are fighting natives who defend their homeland -- just as we would our own. Al-Qaida is long gone, and just may be a red herring in any case. (Bush/Cheney let bin Laden escape Tora Bora in November 2001.)
End the wars and use multi-national intelligence, economic and diplomatic tools to create stability there, security here and justice everywhere.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Raise Taxes NOW!
Fellow Kentuckians—it is time for us to come to the aid of our Commonwealth. It is time to breathe life into our beloved slogan, “United we stand.” It is time to belly up to the bar of effective self government, so that we do not go belly up. Simply put, it is time to pay more taxes.
What goes for Kentucky goes for the nation. Overall, our taxes are lower now than they have been in decades. In fact, the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts have so starved the federal treasury ($1.7 trillion over 7 years) that more costs for essential services have been pushed onto the states, worsening our deficits.
The impetus for today’s plea is the coincidence of my work as a Guardian ad Litem representing dependent, neglected and abused children and the recent stories of Kentucky reaching yet another low by leading the nation in child deaths from such abuse. Plans to open family courts (now held in private for the protection of the children) may be worthwhile, but may also obscure a key issue: too few social workers, the real heroes who protect our children and help their parents get back on track.
Some social workers currently have up to twice the recommended national caseload. This means that many children—as well as their parents who need rehabilitative services—simply cannot get all the attention required, despite the yeoman efforts of overstressed workers. Other essential state agencies are similarly underfunded.
The governor and his team have done a fine job of eliminating waste and are now cutting into the marrow. Undoubtedly, more savings can be found by repealing wasteful tax breaks, adopting penal reform and other measures. But this will take time; a tax hike will hasten the task, while providing much needed revenue now.
Naysayers scream that taxes should never be raised, especially in a tough economy. Yet now is the perfect time, not merely to raise life-saving revenue, but to stand up and confront the utterly false notion that government is an evil to be, in the words of anti-tax guru Grover Norquist, “drowned in the bathtub.” Enough with letting such false voices of futility divide and weaken our nation!
The truth is that America was founded upon and has attained its current stature by virtue of a strong, citizen-oriented government. Thus, this call for a small tax hike (1% more on most, an additional 1-2% for the top wage earners) honors our heritage and stands for the bedrock truth that government is good and necessary, that its employees are truly exemplary public servants and that taxes are a noble expression of our devotion to our world-leading social contract, so boldly begun by our founding fathers over 200 years ago.
As my grandfather used to say, “Taxes are the cheapest rent we can pay to live in the greatest country in the world.” Let us come likewise together for our common wealth, our Commonwealth, our Kentucky home.
Richard Frank Dawahare 3/6/10
What goes for Kentucky goes for the nation. Overall, our taxes are lower now than they have been in decades. In fact, the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts have so starved the federal treasury ($1.7 trillion over 7 years) that more costs for essential services have been pushed onto the states, worsening our deficits.
The impetus for today’s plea is the coincidence of my work as a Guardian ad Litem representing dependent, neglected and abused children and the recent stories of Kentucky reaching yet another low by leading the nation in child deaths from such abuse. Plans to open family courts (now held in private for the protection of the children) may be worthwhile, but may also obscure a key issue: too few social workers, the real heroes who protect our children and help their parents get back on track.
Some social workers currently have up to twice the recommended national caseload. This means that many children—as well as their parents who need rehabilitative services—simply cannot get all the attention required, despite the yeoman efforts of overstressed workers. Other essential state agencies are similarly underfunded.
The governor and his team have done a fine job of eliminating waste and are now cutting into the marrow. Undoubtedly, more savings can be found by repealing wasteful tax breaks, adopting penal reform and other measures. But this will take time; a tax hike will hasten the task, while providing much needed revenue now.
Naysayers scream that taxes should never be raised, especially in a tough economy. Yet now is the perfect time, not merely to raise life-saving revenue, but to stand up and confront the utterly false notion that government is an evil to be, in the words of anti-tax guru Grover Norquist, “drowned in the bathtub.” Enough with letting such false voices of futility divide and weaken our nation!
The truth is that America was founded upon and has attained its current stature by virtue of a strong, citizen-oriented government. Thus, this call for a small tax hike (1% more on most, an additional 1-2% for the top wage earners) honors our heritage and stands for the bedrock truth that government is good and necessary, that its employees are truly exemplary public servants and that taxes are a noble expression of our devotion to our world-leading social contract, so boldly begun by our founding fathers over 200 years ago.
As my grandfather used to say, “Taxes are the cheapest rent we can pay to live in the greatest country in the world.” Let us come likewise together for our common wealth, our Commonwealth, our Kentucky home.
Richard Frank Dawahare 3/6/10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)