Dear Mister President

Dear President Obama,

Here we are on the eve of a New Year, and the eve of the ending of a decade. Here we find ourselves perched on the edge of reflection of what was and standing upright to contemplate what might be.

I am just an average American with no name recognition, nor any fan base following my every move. I am a father, a partner (unable to marry in California or under Federal law) and a citizen who for 60 years has participated in a community of other Americans who wish for more, settle for less, and find the status quo sometimes uncomfortable, unsettling and unrequited.

I voted for “change we can believe in”, and thought by doing so, I could place the horrors of self serving, gluttony and greed behind me. I found potential promise in prose and phrases said by you, and thought we had a chance to start over again for the first time. For the first time in decades I found the same excitement for the newest President, as I had as a young man while watching JFK try to transform America.

Now I am dismayed and disillusion has begun to seep deep into my existence. I am once again wondering why bad seems to be triumphing over good; evil has gained ground over greatness, and bias, bigotry trumps altruism, and acceptance.

I am waiting for you, Sir, to regain the reigns of sensibility and sanity. For you to place the Politics of partisanship of those who seem only too anxious to please their own agendas on the dumpster floor. And for you to speak with intelligent and most importantly relevant words and ask all Americans to stop the madness and find a common ground to begin a walk to the next decade.

It seems during the campaign for your Presidency, your message was loud and clear. The murmurings of mindless others was drowned out and most of us heard your voice. Where are you now Mister President? All I can hear are the warbling, ranting, ridiculous, maddening machinations of Palin, McCain, Beck Demint, Cheney, Rove, and Limbaugh.

Why does it seem the self loathing, hate mongers have the last word?

In a few hours, my partner Joe and I will embrace one another, a glass of Champaign in our hands as we wish away the sour and saccharine and welcome in the promise and positive. We will trust our love for one another and the love and support of family and friends to guide us into the days ahead. But what lies ahead after the ball drops and confetti is flung?

There seems to be too few to trust anymore aside from self. You asked to be a leader of a nation greater than any in history, please don’t stand back and allow idiots; uneducated, fearful, self loathing lemmings lead the way.

I wish you and your family a New Year of good; please provide the same for all of us.

better to blame than fix

So, if any of the marriage institution maniacs are keeping score, another holier than thou mindless wonder, Karl Rove, has called it quits for matrimony, yet a second time. It seems Mister and Mrs. Rove have decided that the whole marriage thing is yesterday’s news for them. We were told by a spokesperson that due to their (the Roves) need for privacy no actual reason or rhyme would be given for the split. And we were asked to respect their wishes.

It would seem a reasonable request that we let the Roves mind their own business if Mister Rove had not spent the last 8 years minding mine and hundreds of thousands of other LGBT’s business when it came to our rights. I would not give a minute of cause or alarm to the Rove’s inability to maintain a healthy marriage or relationship if Karl had not unleashed his minions of mad men and women bent on hoping their marriages would remain intact by disallowing any LGBT marriage from ever coming to fruition.

Most bully’s never like being pushed back. Their (the bully’s) confidence is collected by never having anyone on the offense, just allowing the victim to be hurt and hoping then that the bully never returns to inflict more harm. Mister Rove was constant in his attacks, causing insecure, unsophisticated, immature bigots to publically and proudly proclaim their fear and turn it into hate. His offense was amazing, now is he man enough to receive what he giveth?

The problem in this country is we allow ad lib, innuendo, gossip, fact less fables to own the headlines of our news. We prefer the “he said, she said”, commentary to rule the broadcasts, and merrily smirk at what we hope based on fiction, to be the truth. Many of us prefer to blame others for our misfortune, and hardly ever own our issues. Finding scapegoats makes the boo boo better, until the infection spreads and then we are in real trouble.

It seems with the hypocritical ranting of Rove, or the irreverent statements and denials of Palin, or the fear mongering tactics of Beck, the bully’s seem to be one step ahead of those who care about the truth. It is easier to rev up the crowd, relying on their own fears insecurities and bigotry, then to try and talk sense and find the commonalities or causes of what makes us unhappy.

It is better to blame then to fix.

It is so frustrating that the Catholic Church or the Church of Latter Day Saints, or the powerful ministers of the Mega Churches, don’t stand at their pulpits chastise or cite their sadness and disappointments that public figures such as Rove, or Ensign, or Sanford, or Gingrich, or McCain, or Giuliani, have done grave damage to the sanctimony of love, to the reason for relationships, to the failings of family. Instead these biased fearful self identified religious dogmatic hypocrites who say they stand for God’s word, just insight the stupid, and proclaim the only way to save the Institution of Marriage is to deny the Gays and Lesbians the right to participate.

Once again we find someone who shapes policy for others ignoring his message to the masses, and lives his life as he wishes unencumbered by any moral or ethical value. No boundaries for Karl Rove, nope he is just one more groupie who promotes do as I say, but not as I do.

And the sad thing is too few pay any attention to his deeds, but plenty of time to his vile misshaped message.

arrogance of self importance

Senator Jim Demint (R ) South Carolina, is refusing to consider the nominee to head the TSA, because the nominee, Erroll Southers has not stated whether he is in favor of allowing the employees of the TSA to unionize or not. Senator Demint has made it very clear that underpaid TSA workers with little ability to receive fair and decent wages and or benefits make for safer airport security in America. The Senator assumes not allowing any TSA employee the right to complain, or bargain and or strike (because their work environment is poor, or their grievances go unheard) will motivate those who are hired to protect our safety be more concerned and do a more professional job. (AND the Senator knows that the majority of individuals in a union usually vote Democratic.)

Senator Demint, never once questioned how much money we were paying the legions of paid for hire (working there without having to abide by any U.S. laws) Blackwater mercenaries to fight in Iraq. The Senator never questioned the outrageous no bid contracts paid to Halliburton and their subsidiaries to supply everything from tainted bottled water to under protected vehicles being attacked by improvised explosive devices (IED’s). And the Senator never once commented on the misleading budgets presented by the Bush/Cheney administration allowing both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to be supplementary budget additions, (to make the deficit look less than it really was). (THESE expenses paid big money to corporations who were a part of his donor base.)

No, Senator Demint, sits upon his perch in Washington bathing in the arrogance of self importance. His decisions are not based on fact but on Politics. His choices in solving a problem are hard wired to being re-elected. His cause is not for the greater good but designed for the self serving desserts he must dine upon to sooth his hunger for being important. His arrogance, setting his needs above all else is His priority.

Senator Orin Hatch (R ) Utah, who has served in the Senate for 33 years, has said “…Six years ago it was standard practice not to pay for things…” During the Bush/Cheney dictatorship while the Republicans were in the majority of both the House and the Senate, spending grew, the deficit grew, and fiscal responsibility diminished. The Republicans were in the driver’s seat, and all the corporations paying fewer taxes, less wages, more lobbyist money to most (Republican) Politicians had a field day designing policy for America. The rich continued to get richer and gluttony was the main course. Senator Hatch never said “no” to any bill that helped the underwriters of his candidacy, and as long as the poor and middle class had little power, he (Senator Hatch) could rest assured few questions of his moral and ethical character would be asked.

The Senator has been an opponent of Health Care Reform and somehow can not allow millions of Americans to receive the same kind of benefits and coverage he has freeloaded for his family and himself for the past 33 years. (Wonder when the last time he had to worry about a preexisting condition, or deciding to by prescription drugs over, say food?!)

Now all of the sudden at the request of the Pharma-Conglomerates and the Health Industry Cartel, the Senator has decided that the Senate has to pay for things. So while he (Senator Hatch) voted for the funding of the Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, tax cuts for the wealthy, a continuation of his Government sponsored health care for 33 years, he has placed a line in the sand, and decided that those under insured, uninsured tens of millions of Americans will just have to place a stiff upper lip and wait a little longer for equitable, fair, affordable health care. This is America and you’ve got to earn your keep. (Maybe all those uninsured Americans should run for office and get free government health care like Senator Hatch.)

Senator Hatch, can comfortably sit in his ivory tower and pontificate about the ills of over spending, as long as the President asking for change in spending habits is a Democrat. He can suddenly become fiscally responsible and try and stop treating Americans as equals when it comes to health care. He can laugh about the good ole’ days and never paying for outrageous deficits because that was then and the Republicans were in charge. This is now and the Democrats are in the majority and who knows what recognizable humanity they may provide for the less fortunate.

Senator Hatch did not stay in office for 33 years helping the poor; nope he maintained his status as Senator allowing the rich to remain rich so he could remain in office. The arrogance of self importance! He has spent most of his professional career in Washington, among perks and privilege. When you are removed from reality for 33 years your arrogance helps create a sense of importance, and you no longer see yourself as anything but greater than.

The arrogance of self importance is not a trait owned by Politicians alone. Nope, as long as any individual can spend more, own more, yell louder than, get paid more than the common man/woman they assume they are entitled to be arrogant. As long as the common man/woman permits those who pontificate and proselytize, to perform with little scrutiny they grow more arrogant. As long as the common man/woman give up, give in, don’t give a damn, those who seek power take it and in return become more arrogant.

When do we stop this mad cycle and disallow this arrogance of self importance? When do we begin to make those accused of arrogance of self importance become accountable to more than themselves? When?

happy ever afters

A few days ago I sat and watched “The Wizard of Oz’ for perhaps the 25^th time; however much to my enjoyment and surprise this version had some vivid and impressive colorization in making it a movie watching experience even more enjoyable. I got lumpy as Dorothy said goodbye to her three pals, each of them expressing their love and gratitude to her and for her. And I was all smiles as she told Auntie Em that there is no place like home.

The day after my journey to over the rainbow, I sat in front of the television and gleefully smiled hard and watched for perhaps the 30^th time “White Christmas”, with Bing and Rosemary finally finding love and living happily ever after in a very snow drenched Vermont inn. All the trauma and disappointment of the past year melted as the thick white flakes mounted and made life merry and magical for all.

Then last night, I collected my Kleenex box and a big bowl of popcorn and watched “It’s a Wonderful Life for perhaps the 80^th time, sobbing and cheering on Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, as they finally realized the priorities and promises they could both collect together. It was a sappy, syrupy, good time for me as the two cleared the fog of the past and found the road to the future.

The thing I have always wished for was the kind of happy endings we witness in the movies, actually finding its way into our everyday existences; knowing that no matter how hard the road ahead there will be a rainbow, snow falling or an angel assuring us that the wait was well worthwhile.

There are skeptics among us, I being the leader of the pact, who doubt that good will triumph over evil. But somehow when the violins begin to crescendo, a chorus of sopranos begin to croon, the camera pans in on the mopey eyes turning bright, I also drop the cloak of negative and allow at least a ray of positive to beam upon me. After all the writers of the screen play had to believe that amid all the turmoil, each character could find their own peace and happiness. Each fictional character on film had to be given life by a real person. Why then can I not be the author of my own life and discover my own happy endings?

This has been quite a year and decade for that matter of topsy-turvy, no reason or rhyme, no sense or sensibility, but in spite of the difficulties, many of us still persevere to make the bad turn into good. I am frustrated with the circumstances of the world, but know that with what ever faculties and resolve I muster, I can find a happy ending. So I won’t stop and won’t allow the disingenuous, deranged, difficult demon like individuals stand in my way to find the rainbow, a mound of pure white snow, or an angel.

So for those who celebrate any of the festive holidays or events in December, have a “Wonderful, Over the Rainbow, White Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, Winter’s Solstice Life.” May all your dreams finally come true and may loud symphonies sound as you find as many happy endings the universe allows.

a decade behind, and before us

It is the end of the first decade of the 2000’s. Hard to believe 10 years ago we were being terrorized by the Y2K effect, being warned that the end of all we know could and might befall us at the stroke of the New Year.

As is usually the case, the closing of a decade, brings with it lists of the 10 best, the 10 worst, the 10 things of this and that and the 10 to the nth degree of lists of the mundane to the serious.

For me as I reflect upon the demise of the past ten years, I am hoping to find perhaps a phoenix arising in the ashes and debacle which had befallen this country from 2000 to 2009. As I perceive the past decade, I saw a ten year span of never taking responsibility for your own actions, walking away from the consequences of your own irresponsibility, not caring about the truth, and being rewarded for any chaos created as long as there was a positive bottom line in the midst of the havoc.

President Bush and his drunk with power side kick Dick Cheney decided to go to war. To provide for the proof of the necessity of war they both invented “weapons of mass destruction.” They redrew the boogie man from looking like a commie, menacing and mean living in any Soviet inspired nation to a persona similar to Saddam Hussein, and a bunch of other people deemed as Middle East devils.

They invented a new holy war with a newer with meaner weapons kind of Christian Crusades movement, finding new enemies and most importantly brought back to this country a true hate of anything or anyone who did not fit their description of true red white and blue.

Bush/Cheney lied about the casualties of the wars. Bush/Cheney, with the help of self serving mainly Republican Politicians hid the true cost of two wars. And Bush/Cheney insisted we were winning the war and as the long history of the wars wore on, reinvented the original purposes of going to war in the first place.

And now with 1000’s of Americans dead, tens of thousands coming home with trauma and stress related mental health issues, the economy drained on no bid contracts for supplies deemed useless the moment they hit the battlefields, both Mister Bush and Cheney are writing books, making speeches, and receiving tons and tons of dollars refusing to take any claim for the destruction of lives, loves and property. (Mister Cheney has even lamented the fact that he is a hero fighting for the true values of America.)

As if it is a surprise to most Americans struggling with bills, hoping some of their retirement funds are still surviving, making budget decisions of paying for food or health care, the boys on Wall Street and their counterparts from the Banking Biz, are crying about bonuses bouncing and salaries sliding...THEIRS!

We are told now that the brightest and smartest will have to leave the world of Finance and Investment because if we punish any of them for their reckless or selfish behaviors of the past, no one will want to step forward for the present and the future to lead America’s Money Making Markets. We are turning things around for the Banking Institutions and all the Fortune 500 companies and even though self serving, selfish, insincere behavior was practiced before, we need to turn the other check and reward those who robbed us. They with little conscience should not be punished for past discretions---which, after all is the bidding they did for what most greedy Americans wanted before the bottom fell out.

We are told by the gangs of gluttony that the recession is over and we need the brains and the big moves from the bullies on Wall Street to move ahead. (Ever wonder why the average American was the first to feel the pain and the last to enjoy its relief?)

No apology here, rather indignation in even considering that the criminal pay for the crime.

And then we have the Sarah Palin’s, the Glenn Becks, the John McCain’s, the Carrie Prejean’s, the Rush Limbaugh’s, the Chuck Grassley’s the Michael Steel’s, who like to rebel rouse, state, their opinion of fact, disrupt conversation, irritate the rational, and lie, but never wanting to be confronted with their behaviors or actions. They are always the victim in reverse when found out to be connoisseurs of fabrications or of anything smelling like the truth. They are always taken out of context, victims of the liberal press, misquoted, or just called wrong for speaking their minds---based on nothing but the imagination of their bigoted and biased minds!

Like a classroom bully, when confronted they cry, pout and never admit to fault. They become vicious when cornered and use any weapon necessary to slander, accuse, dehumanize and deride their perceived enemy. Throw in a few tidbits from the Bible, misinterpretations from the Constitution and some smoke and mirror magic tricks, and they deflect any criticism and walk away for the next batch of lies.

And then we have the boys who just like to do as I say, BUT not as I do! The ever ready Evangelical Christians fighting for God’s law and his dominion in the United States; Larry Craig, Marc Sanford, John Ensign, Tom Coburn, Newt Gingrich.

They will fight for the Institution of Marriage, the Value of Family, the Christian way of life, by denying anyone they deem unworthy, uncivilized un heterosexual, un white any access to their America. They will quote chapter and verse from the Scripture reciting their rewrite of Jesus’ way on Earth. And they all have the nose to sniff out a sinner. ( Just as long as the wind is not blowing in their direction.)

Sin is for the foolish not for the famed. And when caught with their pants, literally pulled down, they cower in the cover, never repenting for immoral or unethical actions. They admit sheepishly if what they did has hurt others hurt them then, well it is that the others misunderstood….., never saying I am sorry for what I did. They wage war against those who dare throw a stone at their glass house. And like weak kneed babies they cry demanding their actions were God inspired, God sent. And of course what they did is not as wrong as the other sins of all the other sinners.

We embark upon 2010. Is it an opportunity for a new chapter on semi clear paper to be written? Have we learned anything at all from the previous 10 years? Are we satisfied with liars, loons, and lousy leadership? Do we in America ever learn lessons from History? Are we able to turn inwards for change, and not blame others for our mistakes? Do we continue to need scapegoats to wipe the slate clean? Do we even deserve a chance to be better?

2009 comes crashing to a close in 8 days, will be able to find a phoenix ready to root, or just a bunch of damned debris choking the air we breathe? Why wonder what the newest year has in store for us, why not make it as we want!

dear senator coburn

Dear Senator Tom Coburn, ( R) Oklahoma,

Isn’t it about time you fessed up and told us all in the rest of America, just what kind of religion you pretend to be so darned attached to?

You call your self a Christian, but I’ll be damned if you don’t follow any “love thy neighbor” or golden rules espoused by most true Christians.

You seem to think that lying about facts, stretching the truth, and wishing ill to other Senators (of the Democratic Party type) is something you heard, personally from Jesus himself. You seem to think that rules of life were made for others and that the RULES you abide by are written in some invisible ink only you and perhaps the boys who share your dorm on C Street in Washington D.C. can read and understand.

Your little jaunt into the extra marital affairs of your C Street buddy, Senator Jon Ensign (R ) Nevada, made you the go to man for extortion and funds for infidelity. You pooh poohed the basic fact that according to most Christians a basic principal of marriage, “to honor and obey” was trampled on, and for the sake of Politics, ignored what was correct for Senator Ensign to do (come clean), by condoning the extra-marital affair and wishing it away with a bribe. You said there was a doctor client privilege when asked about your involvement in the adulterous affair Senator Ensign originated with the married wife of his staff person. Even though you, by education are an obstetrician you felt cocky enough to white wash any telling of the truth by saying your client, a cheating male, and you a baby doctor had a doctor patient private chat.

Then when confronted with evidence of the truth of your unethical involvement did a good imitation of Sarah Palin, and said the facts presented were taken out of context and misleading. I know a whole lot of good Christians Senator and for them the truth, no matter how hard to hear is the truth and a man with a conscience and a true relationship with Jesus, faces the consequences. A coward with little too few morals just hides and tries to justify his/her behavior by blaming others.

And what God is it you pray to who insists that facts don’t count? You stood before crowds of constituents, people who elected you because you told them you stood for good, for right, for honesty, telling them about “death panels”, and abortion clinics in the proposed Health Care Reform Bill. You espoused about issues that never once were real, and never once were ever going to be real. You would have rather denied other true Christians the benefits you have as a Senator relating to health care, just to deny any Bill from President Obama to come to fruition. Was it the hate for the President, the money from the anti reform lobbyists or your need to self serve before serving others that encourages your evil actions?

And now the latest of revelations from you on the Senate floor; saying to those Christians who actually do believe in a higher power, that the only thing left to do is pray that all the Senators do not make it to the Senate floor to vote on the Health Care Reform Bill. What were they supposed to pray for Senator Coburn, that their God maim the boogie men, bring plagues upon their homes, and slay them? And what for, so by voting to at least get the Health Care Bill to the floor enabling our Elected Officials to do what the American Constitution was usually known for... a fair debate on issues!

Thank goodness, Senator Coburn I do not live in your state. I fear for the people of Oklahoma as they have a Senator who thinks he is a God, who can lie, who can wish harm, and who has very little moral or ethical values.

If you had any ounce of dignity or character Senator Coburn you would ask the people of Oklahoma and the God you mock, Jesus Christ for forgiveness.

Tis the season Senator, and I wonder what a man so un- Christian in his behavior as you does to celebrate a time when hope and goodness prevail? You may quote the scripture Senator, but your words have very little relevance and meaning.

give gave forgot

Aw, the holidays of December. We frantically prepare to buy presents for people, hassled and harried, as we attempt to purchase something that fits, something they like or something just to say I sent you a gift in the first place.

We find faith in the billboards wishing a merry this or a happy that. We tune in or tune out the carols sung 24/7, and are reminded this time of year we all should stop and look around and find peace on Earth and maybe good will to men---at least until December 25^th.

Retailers spend amazing amounts of money on their Holiday decorations. Some elaborate and exciting, some basic and boring but all to promote some kind of festive atmosphere to remind us that IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR!

We have our favorite entertainers croon some tunes on television, spreading cheer and mirth while collecting lots of dollars from advertisers for spending a fraction of a milliliter of their time making happy the millions of viewers.

Churches spread the good word with creative messages on their sign boards, and remind their parishioners to at least for a few moments remember what great miracle happened; with Temples and Synagogues telling their Congregates the same thing reminding them that flame was bright because the cause was worthy.

We have volunteer opportunities to help feed the poor, purchase toys for tots, drop off slightly used gifts, or drop some dollars in a kettle for those less fortunate.

Jingle bells, holy nights, deydels, candles, are all sparkling and spinning. And from the day after Halloween to the night before Christmas, we are bombarded with bargains, begging, giving, getting, caring and concern. We spoil or kids, we satisfy our greed, we grab with gluttonous gloves, and we shop until we drop.

Then it becomes December 26, and suddenly all the glitter melts, the music silences, the mood mellows, and the reality of real life reels us in.

The poor still need food, the kids need clothes, the charities still must help those less fortunate, the unemployed need jobs, the under insured and not insured still get sick and sicker, the hopeless still desire hope, giving still needs to be given.

It is as if in this country we buy one great sheet of wrapping paper and cover ourselves in it during the post Halloween to Christmas Day season. We white wash the streets, we decorate the ills, we ignore the evils, we feel possessed to pretend for two months everything and all is alright.

We un-wrap the gift and leave the mess behind. We move forward never looking back, thinking someone else will clean up after us. We did our thing, and those we fended for now must once again fend for themselves. We wished them well, sent them cards, made them meals, but this is now January ahead and the grey of winter will have to be tolerated as best it can.

If only the energy, enthusiasm, excitement of the December holidays could be bottled for the rest of the year. If only the passion, the promise so inspired during the season of giving, could be continuously planted day in and day out if only the full heart would turn into an achy heart ; how different would living a life seem?

This is the time in our life when forced or fancied we think beyond ourselves, why just now?

triumph over

On my way to work, I try to overlook the traffic and congestion of LA roads by listening to NPR. If ever I want to hear real news, not tainted by the bias of a shock jock, or a clown pretending to be a journalist, or some talking head who repeats the same mundane nonsense sentence after sentence, NPR is the home of honest reporting.

Of course I have my views on politics and Politicians, and find some of the reports from NPR disturbing (especially when they interview people who are either lying about the truth, never cared about the truth, or try and influence the truth by repeating consistent in factual rumors), but a hearty helping of yelling at the radio, elevates any kind of road rage towards the idiot drivers on the roadways.

I usually can tolerate the news reports, (wishing however at times some large hand would sweep down from the heavens smacking the idiots, imbeciles, and morons who double speak or speak with forked tongue, scattering their lying bones out into the universe). If only there was a PolyGram machine attached 24/7 to politicians and world leaders that when a white lie turned any other color, the machine would cut off the blood flow of the lying liar until he/she repented and spoke the truth. I usually can tolerate the news reports, but today, Monday December 21, 2009, I could not.

I became so ill, so overwhelmed by the sound bytes from three Republican Senators Jim DeMint ( R ) South Carolina, John Kyle ( R ) Arizona, Sam Brownback ( R ) Kansas and one masked as an Independent, Joe Lieberman ( I ), Connecticut that I had to turn off the news, open the window, scream in a pitch so high a flock of pigeons threw themselves into on coming cars, and people pulled over thinking a slew of ambulances and fire trucks were bombarding down the street.

All four Senators have been trying to defeat the Health Reform Bill. As Senators they all have the obligation for due diligence and to interpret the pro’s and con’s of this bill and any other bill for its merits and its flaws. All four Senators as well as the remaining 96 Senators were elected under oath to “…solemnly swear (or affirm) to support and defend the Constitution of the United States…will bear true faith and allegiance to the same… take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion…” All four Senators are to serve the people of the United States not for their own personal financial gains, not increase their own power base, and not satisfy their own private need for greed or gluttony. Just serve the citizens who elected them not the lobbyists.

Today, as I smashed my fist against the radio dial to silence my ears from blasphemous B.S., insulting innuendo, and pre conceived fabrications, all four of these Senators once again seemed to forget their Oath of Office and continued their insidious harangues against the people of America.

Two quoted the scripture as the true voice of reason, the New Testament scripture, praising Jesus the Lord. Two made statements reaffirming we would open abortion clinics and continue to hold death panels for the elderly. One said that it would cost taxpayers much more and that it really was wise, right now for 30 million more Americans to receive any relief or coverage fro medical insurance. And one responded no matter what we will kill this bill.

Over and over the tactics have been to deny any reform to Americans that might cost the Health Insurance Cartel and the Pharma-Conglomorates a single dollar. Over and over again these four Senators and their colleagues have been recipients of lobbyist money, exchanging dollars for influence. Over and over again these Senators have confused the issue of separation of “church and state” as defined in our Constitution. And over and over these Senators have disguised the truth, avoided the real facts, and have tried to scare the average non thinking, self loathing; bigoted Americans into choosing a plan that will end up hurting most of them.

And over and over I have listened hoping saner, wiser, more honest people would come to the rescue and find consensus and make change.

But no, not this time.

I used to believe that good triumphs over evil, but sadly I am finding that there is no room for being right, just a lot more dollars for being wrong.

I have to journey home at the end of the day; I wonder what I will listen to on the radio?

1950's once again

I grew up in the 50's and was an elementary school student in the Pittsburgh Public School system. I grew up in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, and there were bout 3 schools located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood whose population of Jewish students had to be 80% or greater.

But being the 1950's and society being very black and white, and the understanding that America was a Christian nation and the values of the Christmas Holiday were made from truth and righteousness, we participated in Christmas Pageants, had a decorated Christmas tree and a creche scene in front of that in elementary school.

Being one of the shortest boys in my class I had the opportunity to play baby Jesus in the parade of come to life players of the Nativity Scene.

I still, to this day, know all of the stanzas of about fifteen Christmas Carols thanks to Miss Cyphers, music teacher.

I would come home from school wishing WE would celebrate Christmas, thinking just how wonderful a holiday it was, what with the colors, the pageantry, the music, the cute little baby and his homeless parents. Being Jewish must not have been too important if our school principal and all the teachers spent so much time and decoration on a Christian holiday.

By the time I became a 7th grader in the same school, Hanukkah was beamed on the radar, and more than one Hanukkah song was taught with more than one verse sung. So for the new kids to Linden School, in now 1962, it was kind of cool to be Jewish in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, or at least in the schools that had a population of Jews.

In Pittsburgh in the 1950's we also had something called the blue laws. A fine time in Pittsburgh where the bars were closed on Sunday, so every good Christian could find time to go to Church, celebrating the Lord's Sabbath.

The Jewish Sabbath began Friday evenings and ran through Saturday night at sun down. Apparently celebrating the Jewish Lord's Sabbath, was not a concern for the Government to close bars as either Jews did not drink, or weekend business at the bars was way too important to hinder.

In the fifties we were told a whole lot of things by the Government, whether it be about education, race, religion or masculinity. We were told that anyone differing with the rule of the Government could be a "commie"; are you now or have you ever been..." In the fifties a man was a doctor and woman a nurse. Being masculine meant football, beer, working 50 hours and expecting the "little woman", to clean, cook and keep her man happy. Women who worked could be secretaries, or the boss's "girl", and teachers, who mostly were Ms, so and so. Single men were called bachelors, a bachelor of two many years was a bit concerning, but as long as the bachelor had a long line of "babes" few questions were asked. And single women were considered "spinsters". Easier to be a single man (you just had a whole lot of ladies to love before settling on one, and if you were a single woman, make sure you wore enough makeup and jewelery (so no one confused you with looking like a man.)

In the fifties blacks, if on TV, played bad guys, or maids, and other than robbing people, or waiting on them, there was little back story, except if the white families provided them charity of some sort or other. Jews were laughable ugly looking people who were busy ripping you off as a lawyer, or wearing the garb of an Orthodox Jew with black hat and coat. There were still for black only fountains, locker rooms and and seats in the back of the bus. Jews had to create their own hospitals in major cities so they could practice as Doctor, and when sick not infect any other patients with a "jew' disease.

Homosexuals in the fifties could, if they were brave enough find some back alley with a door with no sign and maybe an address, and spew their evil ways among other "queers". But if the bar owner did not pay off the police, or the Vice department needed to help some Politicians be more Christian, the police would raid the bars and arrest the patrons for something as major as standing too close to another of the same gender.

And in the public schools in the fifties being a good student meant celebrating Christmas.

We are told there are lessons from history all nations could and should learn. Wars, pogroms, vilification of groups, segregation, too much of one religion taking power and control, and lack of respect for human rights, are circumstances that dominate the books of history. Wise men and women swear never again, and we will not make the same mistakes. Stupid men and women deny any of the causes for chaos and havoc and look outward for reasons never inward for resolve.

2009, five decades later, and if you read the headlines watch the news coverage listen to the radio, you might think that time has not moved forward but has found itself in a warp reminincent of a decade based on baseless facts, fear mongering, and on harmful hate.

We find ourselves once again mesmerized by men who seem to think they are a part of the masses, but mask the truth so mere mortals react, renounce and refute. These men lead he lemming, pounce upon the insecure and permit the personalized victimization of those who are accountable for absolutely nothing.

The religious are reminding us that our forefathers never really mentioned a separation between church and state, a true American is a Christian, and only God can make us whole.

We are reminded that blacks and gays are not like us, and given any more responsibility they will enforce their agendas and destroy anything good, anything right anything white.

Once again it is the 1950's, but this time it is going to stay that way. We somehow have moved backwards and in the move have forgone any education from history.

Wonder how they celebrate Christmas 2009 at Linden School?

tis some season

‘Tis the season we are told, for “peace on earth goodwill toward men,” and now in the 21^st century even women, (except in many of the Muslim countries where women are a form of chattel and for some religions who espouse the virtue of male, over the subservience of females.)

‘Tis the season we many times wish people Health and Happiness, Harmony and Hope. We write these heartfelt homilies on greeting cards, sing them in Holiday songs, speak them in passing to family and friends and now and then to a fleeting stranger.

Words are beautifully spoken, sung and written. The passion behind each sentence, each paragraph can be like prose and poetry. But I wonder more often than not in these days of greed and gluttony do those words have much weight or are they like helium and once said, just float into the stratosphere?

Health! There seems to be a cost to Health. It does not come free according to the Health Insurance Cartel and from the Pharma-Conglomorates. There are fees to be paid if you want to remain or become healthy, health does not grow on trees. Bottom lines are what maintains Health in this country, if you got the dollars you can be as healthy as you wish, without the bucks, you got to beg for that privilege.

Happiness! Abundant if you read about the sales each retail store is providing for consumers shopping pleasure. Not so abundant if you are unemployed, underemployed or poor. This is America spending your well earned dough can bake you a super sized list of happiness from house wares to clothes from autos to appliances. Ain’t got the cash, find happiness from a few charities, as long as they still have “no pre-owned” gifts to share, or room at the table for a meal.

Harmony! It’s like making beautiful music. We working together to find the right pitch, the perfect melody, the blending of chords encompassing the talents and skill of all involved. But in America of 2009, it seems to first even consider harmony; you have to take a litmus test. The Unofficial Official test demands you celebrate God the way we do. You concentrate on the appropriate biases based on lack of knowledge, education and openness. You hate differences. You renounce change.

Hope! ‘Tis the season for this for Hope! Like an invisible shield, not as strong as Teflon, not as durable titanium, and not as rigid as steel, it is however sizable. It starts out in infancy, survives during the rough and tough pimply adolescent years, and forges forward as we reach adulthood. For some it manifests itself in small miracle, getting you from one lousy day to a less lousy day. For some it becomes a road map to the hidden horizon. And for some it creates celebration that some how, in spite of not having the money for health, the funds for happiness, and the lack of harmony, there can and will be a brighter future.

Seems almost nothing in this American life comes for free. Seems what we speak about in humanistic terms, in what should be religious philosophy or in terms of a higher power, should be words that are easily made into reality.

But sadly there is a price tag. Pay for your Health, dole out dollars for your Happiness, or be a lemming with no questions asked and you find Harmony. Living just to survive so you can pay the next bill be it in hard currency or circumstance, it is hard.

We are lucky that all is not lost though often it seems abandoned, but Hope is still free.

I Hope that no matter how fat the “fat cats” get, no matter how much more selfish our Politicians become, no matter how puritanical our religious leaders grow, you and I can find the strength to fight forward and maintain the Hope to carry on and on and on.

such a fuss

One might wonder why all the fuss over one more heterosexual married male having an affair, or two or three?

History has proven that married heterosexual men have had illicit, adulterous, extra marital affairs for eons and decades. Kings have boasted about it, Athletes have shown off their latest “babes”, then of course repented, ( only after being caught by the press), and Politicians have rued the day they gallantly gavotted once too often in the open arms of some mistress for hire or some woman whose only expense was a night in a hotel room.

Heterosexual men have proudly worn the badge of MALE, allowing them to be the hunter and always looking for female prey while wearing a wedding band or secretly hiding the gold under the glow of bubbly Champaign or golden candle light.

We are told how fragile the “Institution of Marriage” can be and warned that any intrusion of that sacred “Institution” by homosexuals would wreck the lives of future generations and turn our children into… into some heterosexual males who stomp all over the values of marriage.

Tiger Woods is the latest victim of his own excess. No way to understand why he veered into the lustful world of womanizing, but his fame and fortune have plummeted him into the gossip web of want to be’s, want to be better than he’s, and want to show him he is not as good as he thinks he is’s. Most complaints heard regarding his romp into infidelity, are not that the “Institution of Marriage” is dissolving like the grease spot in a kitchen pipe as Drano is poured to wipe out the mess, but that as a role model how could this man behave as a heathen. The Children will be so disappointed.

When the litany of other cultural stars such as Kobe Bryant, or Elliot Spitzer, David Vitter, John Ensign found Viagra time was more convenient than to “honor and obey”, the “hub bub was more to diminish a shooting star than to chastise these rambunctious boys for degrading the fine and hallowed “Institution of Marriage”. And in recent times, the only spouse to come forward and claim the “Institution” had been damaged, was Jenny Sanford, who not only called her husband a cheat, but never stood by his side pretending that past discretions were not harmful or demeaning.

There was no pompous news hour by FOX noise shamefully pointing fingers toward the list of Republican male Politicians for chipping away at the moral mortar of marriage, no Rush Limbaugh despondent and dismayed at the audacity of the male species finding the company of female companions as they kissed their wives goodbye in the morning, nor any Evangelical Church leader or Mormon Tabernacle Choir, spewing the evilness of going against their interpretation of God’s will. These are “straight” guys, and straight men will be straight men.

Nope, the “Institution of Marriage” can only collapse when caused by the real devils among us… homosexuals. And all those pro marriage “grass roots” protesters have not raised one picket sign in front of the offices or homes of the wee little men who have little concern for their wives or families, and have a great big love affair feeding their own selfish needs and egos. I am sure somewhere in their source of sane the Pro Family and Pro “opposite sex marriage” groupies have found a passage or two either in the Bible or the U.S. Constitution proclaiming a straying man does not offend the meaning of marriage.

Ever since the greed of the 80’s through the gluttony of the 21^st century, we have lived by the golden rule of do as I say, but forget what I do. And in the land of hypocrisy seeped with great bigotry, we are told that marriage is only between one man and one woman. We are told that anything else will not only destroy the foundations of family and country, but it will insight God’s wrath. We are told that this is not an anti gay movement, or the dismantling of Americans equal rights, but a way to save the “Institution of Marriage.” Yet we are never told how infidelity, adultery, divorce by heterosexuals has made any dent at all in the sacred tower of marriage.

It is amazing how the long line of public figures finally turn honest in their anti marriage behaviors, reluctantly, but the truth of the act is hard not to see. But the anti “same sex” marriage opponents, refuse to admit that it DOES have everything to do with their fears, their insecurities, their feeling of loss of power, their bigotry toward homosexuals.

I wonder how we might resolve all these issues of marriage if we spoke the truth about them. If the cheating husband told his wife why he needs other women to feel fulfilled and maybe the two of them could try and fix the real cause, make changes starting with the truth. If those who proclaim the “Institution of Marriage” is not really about one man and one woman, but about the lack of education regarding homosexuals, or religious dogma regarding homosexuals, or ignorance regarding homosexuals, then maybe with truth we could begin a healthy conversation.

Such a fuss once more about wandering eyes, arms and bodies, such a mess about fame and fortune, such a fuss about being a role model; but never a fuss about Marriage and its glorious institution being flattened, broad sided and bulldozed by heterosexual men.

Shame isn’t it?

bullies and politicians

If you don't have the backbone to acknowledge your own insecurities, nor the conscience to admit when mistakes made, are errors created by you; you immediately reach out and try and find a scapegoat, someone who placing the blame makes it easier for you to not once look at yourself.

If you can't quite figure out what went wrong, blaming others for making you weak, or stupid, or accountable, finger pointing name calling and evil making is an easy fix for a failed personality.

Once again those self loathing, denial ridden hypocrites, who refuse to look in the mirror, loudly proclaim there is a conspiracy, a corruption of principle, and misuse of morals that make good turn into bad. It is never their own maneuvers or machinations that create havoc in the world, never their own lies or fabrications that ignite hate, and never their own bigotry and bias that start the problem. No it is the actions of others innocent who make the world bad.

Once again and it seems ALWAYS again, the Gay Agenda is popping its head as numero uno culprit in making straight people question their sexuality, little boys and girls turn into same sex purveyors, and the origin of the woes of any world worrisome and more dangerous.

Sometimes the Gay Agenda takes it power from the Evangelicals who love to be in the business of monitoring everyone else's sex life and gender preference. The Elected Officials who live in the C Street enclave (the place that practices a more beefier, and brutal form of evangelical Christianity), are prime culprits in promoting the Gay Agenda. The boys of the Bible have gone out of their way to stir up trouble in Uganda, blaming the Gay Agenda on everything from failed Governments, unhappy marriages, to the spread of HIV between married men and their female partners.

Senator James Inhofe (R) of Oklahoma, (who during his last run for office, proudly proclaimed there is no history of either divorce or homosexuality in his family dynamics), decided to promote pure Evangelical purity by telling the self loathing, blame others, bigots in Uganda that the reason for all their ills are due to the undermining of a Gay Agenda. He was joined by his colleague Senator Tom Coburn (R) of Oklahoma (of recent fame for trying to pay off the husband of the woman with whom another Senator and C Street frat boy, John Ensign (R) Nevada had an adulterous affair) in persuading the Ugandans to murder Gay men, and all bad will turn into good.

Kill the Gays and no more Gay Agenda.

If we recall history, (and it seems many of the Neo-Cons, 'born again's", evangelicals, only pick and choose the parts of history, like the passages from the scripture they want to look at), we know that a few other demographics supposedly had their own agenda: women in the U.S. they were chattel, possessions and God made them to obey men solution was to keep them on the farms or pregnant, the Jews in Germany, cure that agenda by placing them in a concentration camps, and the blacks in this country, who according to religious scholars in the 18th through 20th were not human and more animal like so slavery was the correct thing to do. The same answer for all those agendas was to either kill them enslave them, or deny them anything that came close to Constitutional rights.

Of course with all bully's when confronted with their culpability, they pout, become offended deny, avoid and say they were taken out of context.

But these good old boys, based on their interpretation of the Bible and lack of respect of human rights continue to spew the maligned, made up self loathing lies about the Gay Agenda. Never mattered that the other Agendas were made up by politicians, religious zealots, or low self esteem punks, try a new agenda again to create a new boggy man or woman. (that way all that our Elected Officials did wrong, or didn't do at all can be blamed away.)

I have had it with self proclaimed Messiahs, with I know Jesus better than you do bigots, with the Bible trumps the Constitution blow hard's, with fear of self, jerks, with head in the sand phonies.

No one has the right to talk about me as if they know me. No one who dislikes what they feel, or want, or are jealous of for not having, can ever take away from me my rights. No one who throws stones, throws Scriptures from the Bible around without reading the entire passage, no one who hates for the power of a vote can make me the bad guy. Their lack of self is not because of my ability to thrive.

This is the season, we are told of good cheer, good will to men/women, belief, miracles. Maybe for those of us who really function with a conscience, who seek the truth, who know better, can start telling those who DON'T to shut up, go away, STOP the lies, the blame, the bigotry.

Gay Agenda, yeah, mine is to bring honesty back to America.