trouble with a capital T

trouble! (oh, we got trouble)
right here in river city (right here in river city)
with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for pool! (that stands for pool)
we've surely got trouble (we've surely got trouble)
right here in river city (right here)
gotta figure out a way to keep the young ones moral after school (our children's children gonna have trouble) Meredith Wilson - Ya Got Trouble, The Music Man.

About 8,000 attendees have registered for “The Response,” an event envisioned by Perry and billed as a day of prayer and fasting. As Perry described it in his initial promotion of the day-long event, "On August 6, thousands will gather to pray for a historic breakthrough for our country and a renewed sense of moral purpose."

The event is hosted by the American Family Association, a 501(c)3 organization that opposes pornography and abortion and describes homosexuality as the product of "a sinful heart."

"We believe the core goal of the homosexual movement is to abolish the traditional, Judeo-Christian view of human sexuality, marriage and family," the group writes on its website. Opponents of the Reliant Stadium event have pointed out that the association is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Also listed as a "national endorser" on the event's website is Pastor John Hagee, the San Antonio religious leader from whom 2008 presidential candidate John McCain(R-AZ) distanced himself due to Hagee's past controversial statements about Jews and gays. First Read, NBC News

A fast talking salesman, selling snake oil has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of a Republican party ravished by the marauding hordes of anti American Tea Baggers. He has placed his white cowboy hat upon his slicked down head of hair, and is promoting hate and distrust keeping us from them. He has found false words from false prophets to try and explain his God’s version of the United States and in doing so ticks off the names of groups he defines as sinners and soulless hackers of morals and deed. He knows what makes self victimizing people fearful and is doing so, along with his counsel of Godless pastors, preachers and parochial cowpoke. Rick Perry wants to be president of this here U-nited States and he wants to create a divide so huge and a chasm so deep as to demoralize and demonize anyone deemed to be the enemy. Screw that Commie crap called the Constitution.

His pool hall will be located in the Reliant Center in Houston Texas. His snake oil is called the Response. His soldiers of fortune are the bigoted, biased, religious zealots who consider God a manufacturer of hate and a communicator of violence. His audience, individuals who need others to think for them others to run their lives, others to explain away how incompetent and incoherent of a life they lead.. And his popularity is expanding and expanding.

Like all snake oil salesmen, keeping quiet about his direct responsibility in spreading lies is key in continuing on toward the next day. (Salesmen selling phoniness never like to be found out). And like the coward he is, Governor Perry is now a bit low key on his direct role in the Response saying, who me????

We got trouble, America, in River City and every other city, township and municipality in this nation and blaming certain folk for that just makes the trouble fester and fester. Finding enemies never leads us to solutions. But then when all you have is excuses and no plan to fix the trouble, hiding behind lies makes things look better.

I know, you are not Gay, or Jewish, or Black, or Old or Poor. I know you are not a woman wanting control of your reproductive rights, not an unemployed individual struggling to pay bills, not someone living on SSI. I know, this is America and Rick Perry can spread all the hate he wants with his cadre of self promoting bigots, racist, homophobes. I know, this too will pass…really? I know we got trouble with a capital T, and maybe praying it away can help. But then to whom are we praying with whom are we in the same company praying it away?

We thought we solved the issues of this nation by voting the bums out in 2010. We thought those we voted in office had our rights, our needs, and our desires at hand. We thought this kind of change was good. We thought we needed fresh new faces. And what did we get… a snake oil salesman and his henchmen of hate.

Oh, yeah we got trouble…big, big trouble!