With apologies to the group, Stealers Wheel, I believe I've found the perfect anthem for the Tea Party. At least from my perspective. Though not all the lyrics are reflective of the Tea Partiers, the above certainly casts them in the right light. And me, living in the Reddest of the Red States (Not one county in Oklahoma voted for Obama in the general election) and being surrounded in my own neighborhood by people who openly admit they support this incredible group, I definitely feel "I'm stuck in the middle with you", the title of the song that includes those lyrics.
Yesterday, of course, being April 15th, otherwise known as tax day, brought out the crazies in mass. They held their signs and protested just about everything going on in government these days. One of their main causes yesterday was their perceived feeling that President Obama was assaulting "their taxes". None obviously noticed that the president has actually lowered taxes for 95% of the American public since taking office. The other 5% whose taxes were, or would be affected negatively, earn in excess of $200,000 annually. To learn such facts, these folks would have to read a newspaper, a weekly news magazine, or perhaps switch channels from their beloved Fox News channel.
One of the great signs I saw yesterday amid the rubble was one held up high. It said: "Don't steal from medicare to support socialized Medicine". Again, it makes you wonder exactly what the sign-holders concept of "Socialized medicine" is. For if Medicare isn't a part of that nasty "Socialized" program that was pushed through congress by arm-twisting LBJ in the 1960's, I'm at a loss to explain what is. Interesting too, that a great number of these same folks enjoy both their Medicare AND SOCIAL Security benefits while protesting against health care reform.
They are still griping that they will lose their Health insurance and have to take insurance that government imposes on them. Nowhere in the actual bill is this said or implied. One woman here locally also inferred that she would be victim of a death panel when the time came. Still stuck on Sarah Palin 1.0, I guess. I can't understand why these folks think making insurance companies NOT exclude people with pre-existing conditions is a bad thing. Nor making insurance available to people that can't afford it now is bad. After all, they are already paying for it through increased bills via the care hospitals give in providing free care to people that are unable to pay. I mean doesn't everyone know Insurance companies have been ripping us off for years? And hospitals have been padding their bills?
The other sign that caught my eye was this one. It had a lovely message on it: "Gee, a whole lotta white people here today". How nice. On the day civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin Hooks passed away.
The Tea Baggers try to claim that they are NOT bigoted. Not a bunch of crazies. Yet people in their crowd continue to exhibit both bigotry and uninformed messages. They brag that they carry their guns and their religion with them as their standards. Yet, they carry messages of hate and lack of understanding.
These Tea Party people need to stop drinking caffeine-laced tea, and switch to Sleepy Time.
Old Fart Mike
Friday, April 16, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Being a "Liberal"
I had told someone that my next topic was going to be the Catholic Church. After all, I am a Catholic, and much has been going on in this august body lately. But, some other things have just set me off recently, so I felt I had to, once again, comment on being a - here comes that dreaded nasty word - LIBERAL.
Perhaps it's because I have received so many negative e-mails in the last few days from "Conservatives" or people who just hate Obama or Democrats in general. Or maybe it's because one of my neighbors recently said to my bride, "If you like Hitler, you must love Obama". This person was attempting to coerce my wonderful wife, who is much less liberal than I, into attending a meeting of the Tea Party that is coming up. Fortunately, my bride is also highly intelligent and knows when to say no to invitations such as these.
In any case, I consider myself a "Liberal". That word, and philosophy, was once considered to be honorable. But during the last 25 years or so, it has become hated. My belief is that it really got ugly with the rise of talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh who, when Clinton was elected President, began a daily assault on him with his (Limbaugh's) "Day 126(or whatever) of America held hostage", coinciding, of course, with Clinton's inauguration.
Many of the same people who send me such hated-filled, vitriolic e-mails seem to be both uninformed and hypocritical. Here's a recent situation:
Regarding Health Care Reform, I received a particularly nasty e-mail from a long-time friend recently that strongly criticized Government "Take-over" of health care and "all the damn entitlement programs" - while also saying not to touch his Medicare. When I pointed out that Medicare is a Government run program - and also an entitlement program that he was benefiting from, he responded with, "Yeah, but that's different. These Democrats are socialists." I further pointed out that both Social Security (Franklin Roosevelt) and Medicare (LBJ) were initiated by Democrats. He just got mad at me.
In fact, we Idiot LIBERALS were responsible for Social Security. Medicare. Voting Rights for Women - and for African Americans. Civil Rights too. Welfare for our poorest citizens - and Then Welfare Reforms(under Bill Clinton). Food Stamps. Entitlements? You bet. They are protections for those of us who have fallen on hard times. And regardless of what the so-called "Compassionate Conservatives" might say, most of us utilizing the entitlements aren't doing so just to beat the system. It's because the system beat us.
So, yes, I am a liberal. I am tired of defending my position of being one too. I wish the Democratic party would simply grow a pair; start waging the same kind of non-stop P.R. Campaign that the Republicans and Conservatives have done for the last 25 years; admit being Liberal, and wipe the shame off the word once and for all.
They need to put this quote in front of themselves:
"If by a “liberal” they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a “liberal,” then I’m proud to say I’m a “liberal.”
– President John F. Kennedy
Old Fart Mike
Perhaps it's because I have received so many negative e-mails in the last few days from "Conservatives" or people who just hate Obama or Democrats in general. Or maybe it's because one of my neighbors recently said to my bride, "If you like Hitler, you must love Obama". This person was attempting to coerce my wonderful wife, who is much less liberal than I, into attending a meeting of the Tea Party that is coming up. Fortunately, my bride is also highly intelligent and knows when to say no to invitations such as these.
In any case, I consider myself a "Liberal". That word, and philosophy, was once considered to be honorable. But during the last 25 years or so, it has become hated. My belief is that it really got ugly with the rise of talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh who, when Clinton was elected President, began a daily assault on him with his (Limbaugh's) "Day 126(or whatever) of America held hostage", coinciding, of course, with Clinton's inauguration.
Many of the same people who send me such hated-filled, vitriolic e-mails seem to be both uninformed and hypocritical. Here's a recent situation:
Regarding Health Care Reform, I received a particularly nasty e-mail from a long-time friend recently that strongly criticized Government "Take-over" of health care and "all the damn entitlement programs" - while also saying not to touch his Medicare. When I pointed out that Medicare is a Government run program - and also an entitlement program that he was benefiting from, he responded with, "Yeah, but that's different. These Democrats are socialists." I further pointed out that both Social Security (Franklin Roosevelt) and Medicare (LBJ) were initiated by Democrats. He just got mad at me.
In fact, we Idiot LIBERALS were responsible for Social Security. Medicare. Voting Rights for Women - and for African Americans. Civil Rights too. Welfare for our poorest citizens - and Then Welfare Reforms(under Bill Clinton). Food Stamps. Entitlements? You bet. They are protections for those of us who have fallen on hard times. And regardless of what the so-called "Compassionate Conservatives" might say, most of us utilizing the entitlements aren't doing so just to beat the system. It's because the system beat us.
So, yes, I am a liberal. I am tired of defending my position of being one too. I wish the Democratic party would simply grow a pair; start waging the same kind of non-stop P.R. Campaign that the Republicans and Conservatives have done for the last 25 years; admit being Liberal, and wipe the shame off the word once and for all.
They need to put this quote in front of themselves:
"If by a “liberal” they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a “liberal,” then I’m proud to say I’m a “liberal.”
– President John F. Kennedy
Old Fart Mike
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