the same old song

‘Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little,
cheep, cheep, cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more’. (“Pick a Little”-The Music Man-Meredith Wilson)

Blah, blah, Tucson, Blah, blah, murder, Blah, blah innocent, Blah, blah what is next, Blah, blah remember when, Blah, blah moment of silence, Blah, blah must stop. Blah, blah we spoke enough who needs action.

‘The beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain’
La de da de de, la de da de da’ ( ‘The beat Goes On Sonny and Cher)

It is the rights fault; it’s the left’s fault for accusing the right. We need bipartisan politics and you had better be the side that starts doing just that. It happened in our history before and was not taken out of context then why start now? We must come together, begin again. And if for the hundredth time if it doesn’t take hold lets try it again. We need a commission to study this.

‘I started a joke. Which started the whole world crying.

Oh but I didn’t see that the joke was on me…oh…no’ (‘I Started a Joke’ Brothers Giibb)

It was never meant to be cross hairs on a map and besides any SANE person would know I didn’t mean to really go out and kill a Congress person. Yeah, it is our God given right and that also in the Constitution to carry a gun, even at a political rally; you never know when the Government will control us. We really never meant that if the ballot doesn’t work use a bullet, and if we did this IS America and we have the right to free speech.

‘Now it's the same old song
But with a different meaning
Since you been gone
It's the same old song
But with a different meaning
Since you been gone’ (Same Old Song-Four Tops)

After all the ringing of the hands, the dramatic music, the deep but solemn voiced announcer, the showing of the flags at half mast, the 80^th recollection of the terrible, horrible, unacceptable, murder, killing spree in Tucson, after all of that we are just as divided and derelict in discussing what really happened. After shock and awe we are still denying that we have a problem in this country. After all of that, we are told that all of us are responsible when in fact that not all of us are responsible, yet many of us are. After all of that we ignore that what happened NOW has happened BEFORE and when it happened BEFORE we acted then as we acted NOW, claiming the sky is falling and someone else caused it to break apart. And after all of that nothing then had been solved and so far nothing constructive but blame, denial, accusations have been uttered and ownership is left hiding in some safe deposit box and no one has the key.

Words have little meaning if they are said after an action--- caused by them--- takes place, and new words have not been found to stop that action from EVER taking place again. How amazing, an action has taken place and all we find are words accusatory and incendiary but never healing or remedial. How inane and insane to refuse the reality of the situation and sugarcoat it in slurpy sticky gooey words hoping they will stick to someone else but you, me, us.

As has been the case in this country, if the wrong words are not replaced with the right words history will repeat and repeat and repeat itself. Why is it ONLY words to the same old song?

mrs nauhaus's classroom

Mrs. Ida Plant Nauhaus was my 6th grade home room teacher at the Linden Elementary School. She was a very tough lady, and tolerated no nonsense in her room. Kids did not talk back, act out, misbehave, or do anything while sitting at their desks that Mrs, Nauhaus did not permit.

When a kid actually found the guts to act up, act out or misbehave, Mrs. Nauhaus responded immediately, instantly and without any hesitation. Even while she was writing on the chalkboard back to the classroom, her keen eyes in the back of the head eyesight spotted the perp and within the sound of light she turned and called out his or her name.

There were kids who caused trouble and kids who supported the kid causing the trouble, and the few followers who thought it might make them more popular if they acted as if they too thought causing trouble was cool.

At first, Mrs. Nauhaus would call the culprits name in a voice so deep it made the sound of Regan, the young possessed girl in the Exorcist movie sound like a soprano. Then Mrs. Nauhaus would pause and ask, rhetorically, (I was too young to understand that kind of question), who else is guilty, who else prompted this behavior?

The first person to become indignant was of course the kid causing the interruption in class activity, followed by his/her immediate cronies and then a smattering of the want to be popular followers. The good kids, the non involved kids, the kids who understood the rules, regulations, limits and consequences remained silent and said nothing at all. If they were not guilty, why even say a thing. If they did not abide in the mayhem, support it, or condone it, they had nothing to argue with.

Although the question was rhetoric in nature, the answers made it quite easy for Mrs. Nauhaus to then deliver the consequences. Justice in Mrs. Nauhaus classroom was simple, the culprit stood inside the cloakroom and the rest of the class had a homework project writing an essay on irresponsible behavior.

There was a shooting, murders in Tucson, no one knows the real reason for this horrendous action, many are contemplating why. No one has been called out by the likes of Mrs. Nauhaus, but many cronies and followers of the Republican/Tea Bag community seem to be shouting, we are not responsible, it wasn't us, we didn't do it.

Just curious how life imitates life...

NOISE

Noise! Lot’s of it echoing, bumping into walls, cascading escalating into anger. We are like chickens running around as if the sky IS falling, all running around as if our heads have been chopped off, all looking elsewhere never within. Moments of silence, questions of what caused this, what do you think, I didn’t do it, it was just a crazy person, we should make change, but just talking, just wasting time deciding if we should do anything at all.

People who said that Health Care was a Socialist plot to take over the Government who bullied political officials at town hall meetings, who carried guns to political rallies, who carried signs of using a bullet if the ballot didn’t work, we talked and talked and talked about them and did nothing but talk, nothing at all.

People who were ready to form their own militias, to arm themselves, to pick and choose who they thought were Americans, based on their own biases and bigotries, ready to take on the Illegal Immigrant situation in the nation. We talked about them, and rung our hands, and sighed, but did nothing at all.

People who knew that it was all Muslims, anyone who believed in Mohammad and not in Jesus, who were giving all their money to terrorist causes, who only wanted Jihad in America, we heard their paranoid, malicious banter, saw their angry mobs, listened to their unreasonable facts and we did nothing at all.

It’s the Tea Baggers, it the Progressives, it’s the Church, its Sarah Palin, its Keith Olbermann it seems to be anyone to blame but ourselves. How much foreshadowing, how many times does history have to repeat itself, how many names have to be called, how far right or how far left do we have to wander, until we realize we should stop the madness?

Today there was a moment of silence in Washington. Today and tomorrow there will be little legislative work done in Congress, the repeal of the Health Bill has been postponed, and angst ridden Congress People and their spouses are chatting about better security for them and their families.

No one from Washington has stepped forward to say, I wonder what I have done to exasperate THIS violent, virulent, vitriol that helped lead to THIS mad man shooting and killing people. No one in Washington has said I need to look at my actions and find the connection between what I do and what has been done. It is always someone else’s fault, or never connection between my actions and acts of insane violence.

All I hear is noise, a loud hard din of I didn’t do it, don’t blame me, and then nothing at all after that.

NOW

“What me? If you think that what I said hurt you, then I will try not to hurt you again... Its happened before, it has been said before, I am just repeating what others have said before me... Point your fingers toward yourself, not me... They are trying to make it a political hot button...Lets discuss this after things settle down...Well you did it first... Don’t look at me!”

Six people killed, one targeted 5 others to be killed, 14 innocents shot and wounded, and all we hear is it is you who caused this, it is you who did this, it is your fault. Ringing of hands, words of prayer, talking heads talking, denials, accusations and TOO few people saying maybe it is what I said, what I inferred, how I communicated, how I hated, how I ignored, how I plotted and planned that made THIS happen.

We can be arrested if we shout fire in an occupied theater, but we are just living up to our 1st and 2nd Amendment Rights when we place cross hairs on maps, bring our guns to a political rally, create signs that say there is the bullet if the ballot doesn’t fit our needs. We love to divide and conquer, using God as our guide to sanctify us in identifying villains, can hate with only subjectivity, and scapegoat at will never proving the positive but highlighting the negative.

And when something, someone goes wrong, directly or indirectly from our words, our deeds our intentions, we are insulted, inflamed, irritated that our cause had this affect. I didn’t do THIS.

Whether the mad man who killed 6 and wounded 14 had political purpose or religious zeal, or Constitutional chagrin or a personal vendetta based on on psychological illness, his actions have finally pushed a question ignored in America during the 2010’s and until the tragedy in Tucson ignored in 2011.

And all we are hearing is don’t blame me, I didn’t do it, he was just crazy, its not us, its you making more of this than is necessary. We need to discuss this.

So, lets open a dialogue and discuss it. Let’s place everything on the table, tell truths, blab about bias, and bigotry, get honest and deny the liars and fabricators from marketing more murders.

NOW!

in Tucson

Congress Woman Giffords was shot while speaking to her Constituents in Tucson Arizona. Sadly some others in the audience and on the podium were also attacked and some killed. Sadly lives have been lost, hurt and forever stilted.

I watched MSNBC and heard the various reports about the incident, some facts and some fiction, all with intention to provide the news, but sometimes to present the news first. Sadly, in trying to present the breaking news some real facts were omitted, and revised and spoken about again. Perhaps in this 24 hour news-rating land in which we live first trumps fact.

In reporting about the shooting and murders in Tucson the MSNBC reporters interviewed both Republican and Democratic politicians trying to infer that this shooting of a Democrat Congress Person was not a partisan action and in fact a bi-partisan concern.

I want to believe that many Republican politicians who found camera time to shake their heads and ring their fingers are sincere in their response to this tragedy. I want to believe that no matter what your party affiliation life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is an American value and a human trait. I want to believe that those who found impassioned words about this horrific incident want to make change.

I am quite amazed however, that the majority of politicians interviewed by MSNBC are Republicans. And I wonder why while having all those Republicans on the air, open to dialogue not one reporter has asked any of these Republicans, do you think when people like Sarah Palin, Sharron Angle, Glenn Beck, talk about taking aim, make a target, second amendment rights can cure the problem, that someone who has taken aim has any connection? When violence first started during the debate on Health Reform and many of those in favor of Health Reform had their offices targeted with rocks, or hate mail, I wonder why the Republicans were not asked if this bit of violence was a carry over from the Republicans never saying anything negative about that violence?

We don't know why Ms Gifford's was shot at and why those killed had to die under the gun of some mad man. We do know that ever since the rise of the Tea Bagger revolution embraced by the Republicans tyranny and treason has been the rallying call. We do know that during many a Tea Bag candidate rally mention was made that if ballots don't work bullets may have to do the job. We do know that the denizens of deceit via the Conservative right wing talk jocks mentioned that target practice, taking them out anyway necessary was a possibility and a hot topic.

I am presenting no conspiracy theory, but I am presenting a fact that the angry rhetoric or using violence to fix the political situation has been and still is loud and proud. I am presenting the theory that when some inane, insane incident, like the shooting and murder of politicians and innocent bystanders takes place and no one evens asks what relationship it has to crazy right wing threats, something is wrong.

Since the Republicans and Democrats found time to talk today about the incident in Tucson isn't it time they be honest and talk about the roots of hate planted by both.

reality show

2010 saw a plethora of reality shows, each more absurd than the previous. We had Bridalplasty celebrating the American way to be beautiful, pay for it. We had Jersey Shore celebrating the fact that if you drink, get drunk, beat up girls, have sex on any surface you are a teen age heart throb. And Sarah Palin’s Alaska celebrating quitters, liars, and deniers.

As with all reality shows there is an opportunity to change the channel, turn off the television or read a book if you don’t want to put up with the ugliness of people pretending to be real.

But premiering in January of 2011 was a new reality show that somehow defies turning off any television or reading a book to ignore it, it is the reality show called the 112th Congress and its protagonist is the newly installed Speaker of the House, John Boehner.

Like other reality super stars and Diva’s as Snookie, the Situation and Sister Sarah, Mr. Boehner subscribes to the adage the truth is of no consequence, facts are useless, and do as I say not as I do reign supreme.

As Mr. Boehner convened the the 112th Congress he took his overly large gavel holding it, kind of stroking it in a very phallic manner and conducted a very weird first installment of this new reality show.

The Speaker said he would keep an open debate alive in the ‘peoples house’. He would be transparent, (much more than those socialist dems ever were), and encourage healthy discussion. But then in an interview after he opened the 112th Congress, Mr. Boehner said maybe not so transparent with all bills. And the maybe not all bills had to do with one major bill coming up for repeal, the Health Care Bill. Liar liar your pants are on fire!

An extra bonus to keeping the ’people’s house’ American as apple pie, the first bit of business Mr. Boehner and his Republican Tea Baggers asked for was to read the the Constitution. But the Constitution being read did not include all of the Constitution, it was decided to leave out the parts that were amended, and the parts that didn’t discuss the aspects of the Constitution the Repubs, and the Baggers didn’t care for. (they have a habit of selective reading, just like when they quote the New Testament).

And when the Congress read aloud Article 2 Section 1 stating the President must be a ‘natural born citizen’ a loony lady who is well known as queen of the birthers shouted from the gallery “...not Obama, not Obama, Jesus help us...” She was able to get a few more choice words out before being removed from the chamber, and one has to wonder why she was even permitted to be seated)

And Mr. House Speaker Boehner when asked (as he left the Congress while they were still reading from the Constitution, so he could do an interview while the the ‘people’s house’ was still in session) did he believe the President was a natural born citizen, Mr. Boehner said he believes so. And then asked if he believed the President was a citizen, would Mr. Boehner insist that his colleagues stop denying that fact, Mr. Boehner said he can’t tell his colleagues what to do or what to think. The Speaker of the House the majority leader in the House, the man who for the past 2 years insisted on NO who kept his mindless minions on a tight rope said they all had free will to think as they wished.

Most reality shows are on television because advertisers pay to air the programs. Many advertisers realize the potential for market share from the viewers and are willing, no matter how inane or insane the reality show to keep them on air. The advertisers have a product, there is sucker born every minute, the suckers buy the product no matter the content, and bottom lines are met.

For the newest reality show, the one called the 112th Congress there are advertisers who had and continue to fund its existence. They are the Koch brothers, the Financial, Health Insurance and Oil cartels. They paid for the lies, the innuendo, the fabrications that got the majority of the 112th Congress elected. their money is plenty and they will continue to back this reality show for as long as possible.

Reality shows! I am sure when cultural historians review the beginnings of the 21st century, they will rub their heads and wonder how could America be so non creative, find such losers to represent the common man, and permit the dumbing down of a culture. Most reality shows have a limited life and will fade into the sunset of awful television. But the newest reality show, the 112th Congress, will leave us with some risky ramifications, and ruinous results. And worst of all no matter how bad the script we can’t turn it off, at least for the next two years.

When does this reality show nightmare end?

some words

Words have very exact meaning. We invented adjectives to help us better define the true way we interpret some words. Words have been bandied about used as weapons to disenfranchise, divide and diminish the truth. Perhaps we need to read from the same script to understand the common meaning of words, and then decide after acknowledging their meaning, how we use those words to define some with whom we disagree.

We have a new Congress in session, and they have been proponents of using words to describe their vision of reality and their version of what just happened during the past two years. They were elected to power by a part of the population that sometimes just listened to words and never bothered to find their meaning. They were also elected by a group of people who never stood behind their word to keep change alive and decided to stay home and not vote.

We are told by the 112 Congress that they are doing the people’s business. But why is that they are so select as to which people they are working for? The 112the Congress wants to repeal the Health Care Bill, they want to pay for tax cuts for the ultra wealthy by cutting back on social security, pensions, education. We are told by the 112 Congress that they want to treat all people the same but they refuse to discuss same sex marriage, a fair immigration policy, and want the term a Christian nation to be the norm for all of the citizens of the United States.

I listen to words spoken on cable TV from the Right and the Left, I read words written by journalists on the Left and the Right. I hear words spoken by Evangelical preachers to Progressive Agnostics and worry that sometimes when spoken, read or heard their words are lacking a common understanding.

Right now as I listen to House Speaker John Boehner and his newly elected majority in the House certain words, adjectives come to mind. I wish they wouldn’t, but somehow some of these adjectives just seem to resonate loud and scary:

ca·pri·cious Adjective: Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior. impulsive and unpredictable;determined by chance,impulse or whim

fal·la·cious Adjective: Containing a fallacy; logically unsound: fallacious arguments. deceptive; misleading: fallacious testimony.

vin.dic.tive Adjective: Having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.

dis·hon·or·a·ble Adjective: Characterized by or causing dishonor or discredit. Lacking integrity; unprincipled.

de·lusion·al Adjective: Suffering from or characterized by delusions, affected with emotional disorder.

de·ceit·ful. Adjective: Deceiving or misleading others, Intended to deceive or mislead.

I was hoping that after all of our distress, recession, hate mongering bias and bigotry, Americans would wake up and elect a Congress that used the following words on both sides of the aisle:

con·sen·sus Noun: general agreement, the judgment arrived at by most of those concerned

com·pro·mise Noun: settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual

con- ces-sions, Noun: something intermediate between or blending qualities of two different things

eq·ui·ty Noun: justice according to natural law or right; specifically : freedom from bias or favoritism

¹fair Adjective: marked by impartiality and honesty: free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism

All of these words have to do with my observation of the incoming newly elected 112th Congress. Words they say worry me oh so much.

112th U.S. Congress. Noun. Elected in 2010 by the American population who decided to vote.

In the Senate the Democrats retain the majority control 51 (D), 47 (R), 2 (I)

Republicans hold a 242-193 conservatives' majority in the House and have pledged to challenge President Barack Obama both with legislation and with their power to investigate. The first salvo is expected next week, a bill to repeal the sweeping health care law that Democrats pushed to passage 10 months ago and have vowed to defend.

Reid signaled as much, and more, in a speech marking the beginning of a new two-year Congress in which he outlined an agenda of building on the past two years "We have to do even more to help middle-class families, to create jobs, to hasten our energy independence, to improve our children's education and to fix our broken immigration system," he said. (yahoo news)

In the next two years a whole lot of words will be spoken, just like a whole lot of words we heard during the past two years. We all need to be verbal this time around to make sure we are speaking the same words with the same meaning.