The Creeping Danger Of Religion As Government

(Photo courtesy of Flickr.)

There was a day in America when the general population was leery of electing a Catholic president…yet John F. Kennedy was indeed elected.  The arguments against included how “we” couldn’t allow the Catholic Church any access to political power or else the Pope would be directing American politics.  

On September 12, 1960, Kennedy spoke these words:

 "I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for President who also happens to be a Catholic. I do not speak for my Church on public matters – and the Church does not speak for me."

He promised to respect the separation of church and state, and not to allow Church officials to dictate public policy to him. 

By the 1980’s, Protestant - Catholic tensions had eased enough for the two religious groups to come together to form the "moral" coalition that put Reagan into the White House. But it wasn’t all a bed of roses, since Catholic Bishops were still imposing a test of religious loyalty by denying communion to politicians who advocated a pro-choice political position.  The New York Times, in 1980, warned Bishops they would jeopardize “the truce of intolerance by which Americans maintain civility and enlarge religious liberty” if they didn’t change their practices regarding communion.

It hasn’t been all love and tolerance between the faiths since the ‘80’s, however.  As recently as 2002, billboards in Oregon claimed the Pope was the anti-Christ, on behalf of an Adventist splinter group.  But generally, we don’t currently view Catholics as the enemy, even though we have not elected another Catholic president since Kennedy.

Now, we have GOP candidate, the Reverend Jodie Hice, who hopes to represent Georgia’s 10th U.S. House District, saying that the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty does NOT apply to Muslims.  While I’m sure that the Reverend Hice would also have a problem with a Catholic presidential candidate, he isn’t mentioning that in today’s world.  (Maybe it’s just not that trendy, or perhaps it wouldn’t be the worst of the worst…)

Hice is a good conspiracy theorist. Along with Michele Bachman (R-MN) and Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Hice thinks the Muslim Brotherhood is secretly infiltrating America to impose Sharia law on all of us.

In Hice’s recent book, It’s Now Or Never, he writes, “Although Islam has a religious component, it is much more than a simple religious ideology.  It is a complete geo-political structure and, as such, does not deserve First Amendment protection.”

As The Daily Kos points out, as far as geo-political structures go, you can’t beat Vatican City, which has its own ambassador.

But the issue here is our First Amendment’s sanctity.  If we allow people like the Reverend Hice to promote and enforce the idea that a religion isn’t deserving of First Amendment protection, we allow the so-called “Christian” right to dictate which religions are deserving of Constitutional protection.

And we have seen plenty of examples of how intolerant the Christian right can be.  Do we really want a faction of the American populace to get a toehold on power, when that power is so coveted for the purpose of re-classifying many Americans’ beliefs as not American enough?  Do we want this judgmental faction to have the authority to enact and enforce laws, morals, and policy relating to education, social welfare, or human rights?

It is a very dangerous place we find ourselves in.  The America we know and love is being fractured by religious fanatics and terrorists…and I do not refer to the Muslim Brotherhood.

I would fight to the death against ANY incursion by the Muslim Brotherhood to impose Sharia law on all of us.  And I’m certain most of us would do the same.  So why aren’t we as concerned with the Christian right, and their effort to pervert our freedoms in the name of their particular brand of faith?

Now let's turn to the issue of the geo-political structure behind many of today's groups, businesses and ideologies.  Is ALEC not a geo-political structure?  Well, it sure is!  Does ALEC  not have an anti-American bent?  Well, it sure does!

Aren't religious groups becoming highly political?  They sure are!  Aren't they trying to impose Christian law on the entire country?  Yes, they fucking are.  For Hice and his cohorts to push a conspiracy theory about the nature of Islam on us for the purpose of enacting their petty conspiracy against us is appalling.  It is the height of manipulation.

We need to keep our eyes open.  We need to watch out for these religious plots to bring down our ACTUAL Constitutional freedoms.  The minute the Christian right gets its bloody hooks into the power structure of this great nation, we are doomed to a life of PTL and "Merry Christmas" ONLY.

That is NOT what America was founded for, or about.  These fanatics are only getting a toehold on politics because they are OUR fanatics.  If they hailed from elsewhere, we would not give them an inch, lest they take a mile.

image credit Economist.com

THE TRUTH ABOUT PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS

(Photo courtesy of WikiMedia.)

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

I believe even my most staunch Republican friends are interested in accuracy. No one likes to find out they’ve bought into bad information, right?

So, to that end, I’d like to take a moment to provide a FACT: President Obama has issued fewer Executive Orders than he is credited with … far fewer. The following information is from The American Presidency Project, a project at U.C. Santa Barbara, which offers a wealth of information about our presidents.

All 43 presidents (Grover Cleveland held two, non-consecutive terms, so I am counting him once) are represented in the link, above. A total of 22 presidents issued fewer Executive Orders than President Obama. With the exception of George Bush (Sr.) who issued 166 during a single term, every president who issued fewer Executive Orders held office prior to 1892.

In President Obama’s two terms, through January 20, 2014, he has issued a total of 168 Executive Orders, rather than the over 900 claimed by the media.

Presidents issuing greater than 1,000 Executive Orders include: Theodore Roosevelt (1,081), Woodrow Wilson (1,803), Calvin Coolidge (1,203) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (3,522).

Executive Orders issued by modern presidents, in reverse order, are as follows:

Barack Obama 168 (through 01/20/14)

G.W. Bush 291

Bill Clinton  364

George Bush 166 (in one term)

Ronald Reagan 381

Jimmy Carter 320 (in one term)

Gerald Ford 169 (in less than one term)

Richard Nixon 346

Lyndon Johnson 325 (in less than one term)

John F. Kennedy 214 (in less than one term)

So, now that we all have the facts, we can flaunt them anytime someone tries to perpetuate a lie they want to believe in!

Another issue I'm hearing from my Republican friends is that President Obama's executive orders are illegal. That is patently untrue. An executive order has the full force of law when it takes authority from a power granted directly to the Executive by the Constitution, or is made pursuant to certain Acts of Congress. Like statutes or regulations (by regulatory agencies of the government), executive orders are subject to judicial review and may be struck down if deemed by the courts to be unsupported by statute or Constitution.

Executive orders are allowed, people. The fact that several of our President's executive orders have been struck down through judicial review proves that our system of checks and balances is working as intended.

Knowledge is Power!

Part Two -- Do Not Feed The ...

(Photo courtesy of WikiMedia.)

… HOMELESS?

On June 11, 2014, I wrote an essay about the various anti-homeless things humans do to the homeless community.

In my paper’s LOCAL section (The Press Enterprise, Sunday 06/22/2014, 'Panhandlers will get pamphlet, not cash,' by Jan Sears), there was a story about how my town plans to address the issue of panhandling.

Apparently, the homeless are the number ONE topic of complaints to the local police department from residents and business owners, according to our police Commander, who points out that it is not against the law to be homeless (though many don’t seem to realize that fact). Considering that the complaints generally relate to aggressive panhandling, public indecency and loitering, it is time to confront the issue head-on, according to the article.

(My town has not yet enacted laws against sitting on a public bench, thank goodness.)

Although our town of around 70,000 has a homeless population of only 60 to 80 people, according to a 2013 survey, the article suggests this small group is capable of being the number one problem we face. (For some reason, that fact seems kind of cool.)

Aggressive panhandling is the homeless offense that gets most police attention, and the P.D. can and will issue tickets to those caught. Our police Chief reports that a good panhandler can earn several hundred dollars a day. A story circulating among police says a panhandler told an officer that he earned $500.00 in his spot just that day, so a ticket for a couple hundred dollars is affordable.

So, this summer, residents are encouraged to give panhandlers a pamphlet that provides information about social services available, and where to find them close by, instead of giving cash. We are encouraged to say, “I can’t give you $2.00, but I can give you this, which is a lot better.”

We are encouraged to press a 4 inch pamphlet into their palms, providing 12 pages of information about where to get a meal, health care, haircuts, showers and housing assistance. This seems like great information. There’s even a map showing how to get to each location. Residents are encouraged to donate to one of the organizations listed on our city’s charitable resources coalition.

I find myself liking the concept, even as I feel a bit disturbed.

The article mentions that our city is considering providing transitional housing for people who want some time -- 90 days -- to get off drugs or alcohol. After 90 days or so, the plan would be to refer the newly sober on to someplace that might offer a more permanent solution. Apparently, we are trying to address both real and perceived problems from the homeless population, in order to prevent our downtown from suffering economic health issues. This may be valid, and it is convenient that most of the resources for the homeless are located near the downtown area.

But it doesn’t escape me that (and the article mentions it outright) the goal of handing out pamphlets, as opposed to a couple bucks, is to make our city less friendly to the homeless, and to help encourage them to move on down the road.

Right Wing Conspiracy Theories, Pt 3

(Photo courtesy of WikiMedia.)

This is the third part of a series discussing right wing conspiracy theories. This article will discuss the issues of Common Core and education, as well as conclusions presented in Newsweek magazine's recent article, “The Plots to Destroy America,” written by Kurt Eichenwald.

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Common Core is the newest educational gimmick proposed and accepted by most states in the U.S.  Only Texas, Alaska, Minnesota, Nebraska and Virginia have not accepted the plan that was developed by the National Governor’s Association.

Typical right wing fear mongering meme.
Image Credit educationnews.org

Despite Common Core's very common beginnings as a brain-child of the nation's governors, that fact hasn't stopped conspiracy proponents from calling it “Obamacore.”  I’m not a huge fan of Common Core, but I do understand that it is meant to advance educational standards and to identify the math and literacy skills every student should possess based on their grade level.

Common Core is a topic that deserves debate, but such discussion has been destroyed by those who claim Common Core is a secret agenda to promote homosexuality brought to us by anti-religious groups.  Many Christian right-wing parents are railing against Common Core because they foolishly think it teaches anti-Christian, anti-Catholic and anti-American beliefs.

Terry Bratton, a Tea Party activist, is quoted as saying, “We don’t want our children to lose their innocence, beginning in pre-school or kindergarten, told that homosexuality is OK and should be experienced at an early age and that same-sex marriages are OK.”

Since Common Core required reading consists ONLY of the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and Lincoln’s Inaugural Address, it is difficult to understand why opponents are so worried about a homosexual agenda.  

image credit Eric Owens; govtslaves,info

Then again, with images like these going around on social media, it seems clear enough where the paranoia originates from. These images are designed to provoke an emotional response (fear). Once the emotional response is triggered, many people have difficulty thinking critically. This type of emotional exploitation is not accidental. It's purposeful, and it can be easily identified as psychological manipulation by those who aren't entirely susceptible to it. 

Right wing fear-mongering has taken a toll.  Common Core may be perfectly worthwhile (even though I’m not a fan so far), but because of the more than 200 bills about Common Core filed by legislators to slow or stop the adoption of Common Core, we may never know. 

This is the same tactic the right wing uses to advance other purely partisan political agendas in Washington, including phony scandals and carrying out their non-stop partisan investigations and hearings on everything from 'Fast and Furious' to Benghazi. Unfortunately GOP representatives abuse their positions, using the power of their elected positions to 'legitimize' all kinds of conspiracy theories such as those previously mentioned, like Agenda 21 and Obamacare death panels, as well as an entire spectrum of other fringe ideas. 

The obvious tactic here is that followers of these bogus conspiracy theories can then say 'Look there was an official hearing on this," or "See, there was a bill introduced on this in Washington." The sad thing is the bills introduced and the investigations carried out are no more based in reality than the memes on social media. 

The GOP has a long history of abusing the power of government to advance bogus conspiracy theories, from McCarthyism to the John Birch Society, to the modern day Tea Party: photo credit motherjones.com

Once again, fear trumps any rational debate of pros or cons.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has conducted research into where conspiracy theories come from.  In tracing the origins of the “Aztlan Conspiracy (which holds that Mexico plans to invade the U.S. and take back 7 southern states), it was determined that the theory started with a radical anti-immigration group consisting of about half a dozen Americans.  The idea was picked up by other groups and promoted until finally, Lou Dobbs mentioned it on CNN.

The SPLC says this is the typical life-cycle of a conspiracy theory.  A fringe group believes some farcical idea, which then spreads outward among other groups until it jumps into a more mainstream group’s awareness, circulating until it ends up being reported on national news programs.

image credit thelastofthemillenniums.com
Debunking Republican Conspiracy Theories

Once a theory appears on TV, it cloaks itself in legitimacy and upsets every attempt to discuss the real issues.  Because a conspiracy preempts logic, trying to debate an issue becomes all about trying to disprove something that isn’t real, to people who refuse to abandon their fantasies of plots and their fear of domination by shadowy overlords.

News outlets have proliferated, even as investigative journalism has declined.  But it is the impact of social media and the Internet that has caused conspiracies to spread like wildfire.  These crazy ideas are like contagions, infecting the brains of more and more people who find support in each other, and feel legitimized when the nutty conspiracy gets attention on national television.  They feel that all information that doesn’t support their theories are part of the plot against them or their ideas.

Research has shown that even intelligent people can get caught up in conspiracy theories.  While we used to write off such ideas as dumb, and those who believed in them as ignorant, it has been shown conclusively that even highly intelligent people can find confirmation of their thinking everywhere once it hits the airwaves.  At the root of this problem is that we are all prone to wanting proof of the things we want to believe in.  So even a Mensa level IQ can be swayed into belief of a theory once the theory is discussed on their news show of preference, whether or not the coverage supports the theory.

Researchers have found some very confusing things to be true about those who believe in conspiracies.  One study showed that people who believe Princess Diana was murdered in 1997 are also more likely to believe that she is still alive.  Another study showed that people who believe Osama bin Ladin was dead before Seal Team 6 raided his compound in 2011 are also more likely to believe he escaped.  The conclusion is that the ability to hold two conflicting thoughts goes to the nature of those who believe in conspiracy theories, as well as that of the theories themselves.

The only consistent way to predict who will believe in a conspiracy is whether that person believes in other conspiracies.

Let’s go back to Sarah Palin and her death panels.  A study conducted exposed participants to Palin’s allegations, then provided information showing Palin’s claim to be false.  People who dislike Palin, or who had little political knowledge, were able to conclude that her claims were false.  However, people who were politically knowledgeable and supported Palin could not be persuaded that death panels are a fantasy.  Such people grew more convinced that death panels exist the more facts were presented to the contrary.

This means some folks will just never be able to be convinced that their conspiracy of choice is false.  What to do about extreme conspiracy theorists is a matter under discussion.  In groups who might be mobilized to commit violence, it’s possible that “cognitive infiltration of extremist groups” could be effective in raising doubt among members.  The potential danger is, of course, that infiltrating such groups can backfire, adding to the legend of the conspiracy.

Kurt Eichenwald, author of the Newsweek article made light of the likelihood that, by publishing this article, Newsweek will be viewed as part of the conspiracy by those who succumb to such theories.

So, in an effort to ward off any similar accusations, I’d add the disclaimer that I am merely reporting on what is out there, and am neither promoting or mocking any specific theory.  However, I will go on record by saying, bollocks to all of them!

Read part 1 
Read part 2

image credit themindunleashed on facebook

Right Wing Conspiracy Theories, Pt. 2

(Photo courtesy of WordPress.)

Conspiracism: "A form of scapegoating that portrays the enemy as part of a vast insidious plot against the common good. Conspiracism assigns tiny cabals of evildoers a superhuman power to control events, frames social conflict as part of a transcendent struggle between Good and Evil, and makes leaps of logic, such as guilt by association, in analyzing evidence. Often employs common fallacies of logic in analyzing factual evidence to assert connections, causality, and intent that are nonexistent. A distinct narrative form of scapegoating, conspiracism uses demonization to justify constructing the scapegoats as wholly evil while reconstructing the scapegoater as a hero. Sees secret plots by tiny cabals of evildoers as the major motor powering important historical events."

Part One of this series discussed Newsweek Magazine's recent article, “The Plots to Destroy America,” written by Kurt Eichenwald.  Part Two will also refer to this highly informative article, addressing "Death Panels" and autism.

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image credit thedailybeast.com

We all remember Sarah Palin, the former Alaskan governor, beauty pageant contestant and Wasilla mayor (who didn't serve out her elected term in office). Palin went on television in 2009 and coined the term "death panel," saying the ACA (or, with sneer-filled intonation, "Obamacare") would call for bureaucrats to decide whether Americans - kids with Downs, say, or the elderly - would be worthy of receiving medical care.

image credit NewsBusters

Palin pointed to Section 1233 of H.R. 3200, which would have allowed doctors to be paid for discussing such things as living wills, advance directives and end-of-life care options with their terminal patients, as support of her death panel plot. (Apparently, the idea of doctors providing comfort and information to their dying, aged patients was just too much for Palin to abide by.) The conspiracy theory's wide reach (almost 30% of Americans who'd heard the pitch believed it at the time) successfully resulted in this section of the bill being stricken. No longer would the ACA include a provision for paying doctors for their time spent offering information about pain management, resuscitation or religious support.

Have we benefited from this conspiracy theory? 
Not at all.

image credit vaccines.com

Even our children’s health is fair game for conspiracy theorists. Actress Jenny McCarthy’s son was born with autism. McCarthy, like any mom, wanted to know what could have caused her son’s autism and searched for answers. She must have scoured the internet in order to arrive at the conclusion that vaccinations were to blame, and has campaigned tirelessly against vaccinations since. She claims a causal relationship exists, even though the theory has been debunked.

The scientist who started this theory, Andrew Wakefield, has been thoroughly discredited, and his work has now been deemed an “elaborate fraud.”

image credit thinkstrangethoughts

Wakefield lost his medical license for a variety of acts, including paying kids at his son’s birthday party to donate blood for his experiments. Wakefield has gone so far over the edge that he headlined at a rally called “The Masterplan: The Hidden Agenda for a Global Scientific Dictatorship.” Presenting their theories were 9/11 Truthers, One World Government conspiracists, and anti-fluoridationists.

Additionally, other scientists who had jumped on the anti-vaccine bandwagon and who offered “cures” for autism have also now been outed as snake-oil salesmen.

While we do not yet know precisely what causes autism, we do know that there are several genes that are involved in autism spectrum disorder. Some cases are directly linked to some genetic disorders, in other cases genetic changes may make kids more susceptible to autism, or create environmental risk factors. Other genes may affect the way brain cells communicate, or they may determine the severity of symptoms. Some genetic problems are inherited, while others seem to happen spontaneously.

Environmental factors are thought to contribute, such as viral infections, complications during pregnancy, or air pollutants, but studies are still being conducted in the hope of finding verifiable results. Environmental factors are thought to act as triggers for the disorder. And though we don’t know with certainty THE cause of autism, scientists find no link whatsoever to vaccines.

image credit vaccinenews.net

Anti-Vaccine Body Count, a site dedicated to the effects of the anti-vaccine agenda, reports that, between June 3, 2007 and June 14, 2014, there have been  134,405 Americans who have suffered preventable illnesses, and 1,393 who have died, because they were not vaccinated. The site also reports that, thus far, there have been no cases of autism linked to vaccinations.

Add caption

Whooping cough was just declared epidemic in California, with the CA Dept of Public Health stating that 3,458 cases have been reported this year alone. The medical journal Pediatrics has determined that areas hit hard during the last state epidemic contained “statistically significant clusters” of parents who refused to vaccinate their children.

While McCarthy may think the lack of a definitive understanding of the causes of autism does not rule out vaccinations, NO cases of autism can be linked to vaccinations.  

So, has her campaign helped us? With the measles and whooping cough on the rise in the U.S., I’d say certainly not.

Please look for my next installment on the conspiracy theories America is struggling with currently...

More conspiracies will be discussed in Part Three of this series.

Sources:
http://www.newsweek.com/2014/05/23/plots-destroy-america-251123.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_panel
http://www.jennymccarthybodycount.com/Anti-Vaccine_Body_Count/Home.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-mnookin/need-for-reliable-science-journalism_b_1183429.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/basics/causes/con-20021148
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/14/california-declares-whooping-cough-epidemic-after-staggering-increase-in-cases/

Right Wing Conspiracy Theories, Pt. 1

(Photo courtesy of WikiMedia.)

CONSPIRACY THEORIES COULD RUIN OUR COUNTRY
(or at least make us crazy in the meantime!)

A May issue of Newsweek magazine included “The Plots to Destroy America,” written by Kurt Eichenwald.  This article put forth a reasonable and logical argument that the numerous conspiracy theories Americans have bought into could lead to our ruin.  (A link to the article will be provided, below.)

image credit Fred's Bible Talk

Vaccinations, education, Agenda 21, New World Order, death panels, etc. are creating an environment in this country that is not sustainable.  The level of distrust many Americans have toward their government and each other is preventing us from engaging in real discussions about issues that are of vital importance to us all.

What makes this so disturbing is the apparent clout that some of the proponents of such conspiracies have.  Public figures, national figures, actors…it’s not just the nutters anymore.

Agenda 21  is a U.N. non-binding tract that 178 world leaders signed, including our own George W. Bush, in 1992.  It provides information on how to manage urban development with a minimal impact on the environment.  Ideas that, at the time, both mainstream conservatives and liberal politicians supported, and thought were no big deal.  (In my own hometown, building plans can be hotly contested, because citizens want to maintain our small town atmosphere and sense of community.  Agenda 21 is not our enemy!)

Imagine!  New development that could help our environment through eco-sensitive land-use policy!  Diabolical!  Definitely New World Order plans launched by the United Nations.  No doubt...say those who are looking for something to be frightened of.

image credit University of Toledo

Somehow Agenda 21 is now widely viewed as a plot to destroy individual property rights, impose communism and send Americans by rail to secret camps.  A purely made-up conspiracy theory is now causing communities to fight against things they previously supported, out of fear.  

image credit Jack Shafer, Reuters.com

In Baldwin County, Alabama, residents cheered and sang “God Bless America” when an award-winning plan to provide guidance for private-sector developers was voted down.  According to the Newsweek article, every member of the zoning commission resigned, disgusted by the public’s inability to understand the value of the plan.  These people let fear and suspicion ruin a perfectly good plan to better meet the needs of the community through management of future development.  Because they bought into a really silly conspiracy, laid out in a Glen Beck fiction novel, designed to inflame their fears of the government.

Some extremist organizations claim Agenda 21 is a plot to seize private property, that Agenda 21 will lead to “death maps” to dictate where people will live, Agenda 21 gives trees the same rights as people, Agenda 21 will allow electric companies to spy on their customers.  Don't these ideas seem insane?  It's because they are.

image credit wallstreetonparade

In 2012, the Republican National Committee adopted a resolution stating that Agenda 21 is an “insidious scheme” to impose “socialist/communist redistribution of wealth.”  The RNC’s rhetoric became less inflammatory by the time the Republican National Convention occurred, but the GOP continued to characterize Agenda 21 as “insidious” and “erosive of American sovereignty.”

Today, when local zoning boards propose plans to prohibit unchecked, disorganized development and protect the natural resources of a community, or when state transportation agencies propose highway construction to ease traffic congestion, or when a state proposes a plan to restore a natural habitat, or when a city proposes the addition of bike paths, it is likely they will be confronted by citizens protesting against "sinister international conspiracies."

image credit Media Watch, Daily Kos

When Cliven Bundy made the news for his supposed refusal to leave his ranch or give up grazing rights he’d been granted by the government and hadn’t paid for, an Idaho woman wrote to the Coeur  d’Alene Press to warn of President Obama’s intent to use Agenda 21 to

“steal your land and rights via zoning changes.”  I wonder who the conspiracy will demonize once President Obama is out of office?

image credit Kelly and Geoff

It’s notable that this letter to the press wasn’t ignored completely.  (In the past, obviously paranoid letters from people who had no recognized authority on a topic, were dismissed.)  Instead, it was printed in the paper under an impressive headline, suggesting it was based in fact.  The local news outlet failed to do the job of journalism.  Had the Coeur d'Alene Press staff done the slightest research, they would have found that U.S. Grazing Service (BLM's predecessor) policies were enacted in 1934, over half a century before Agenda 21’s introduction.  Readers of the paper and critical thinkers in the region failed to recognize that Agenda 21 had no impact on the government’s intent to enforce decades old policies regarding land-use.

In fact, this irresponsible printing of a fear-fueled local's letter disguised as news seems to have further bolstered those who participated in the Bundy ranch episode.

image credit Wrapped In the Flag by Claire Conner on Facebook

In order to further show how poorly the media fact-checked any of Clive Bundy's claims before running with them, take10's Randa Morris reported in April that Cliven Bundy's historical claims are totally false. In fact, historic records prove that Cliven Bundy's family lived in the state of Arizona and did not move to Nevada until 1948, 2 years after the BLM was established. In addition, Bundy was never granted water rights under any agreement. What's more, the Bundy family did not begin to graze cattle on BLM land until 1954, a decade after the BLM was established. Read more about Cliven Bundy's bold faced lies here. 

Has the national media made any real effort to expose any of these facts about Cliven Bundy's historic claims? The fact that just about everyone has heard of Cliven Bundy, but few people realize how much he has lied to the media and the public, indicates that the media is promoting an agenda, but one which isn't benefited by facts. Hence the facts get left out when they interfere with the 'story.'

Please look for my next installment on the conspiracy theories America is struggling with currently...

More conspiracies will be discussed in Part Two of this series.

image credit Politusic

Sources:
http://www.newsweek.com/2014/05/23/plots-destroy-america-251123.html

What Does Cantor's Defeat Really Mean?

AN ALTERNATE VIEW ON CANTOR’S LOSS

image credit USA Today

Many people are very concerned about Senate Majority Leader Eric Cantor being booted out of office.  They view it as a bad omen…the Tea Party rising.  Which would be a very bad thing, indeed.

Here is a different thought on the subject.

It is equally possible that Cantor lost because his people were lulled into a false sense of security by the fact that he was so far ahead in the polls.  Surely, many Cantor supporters felt confident he would prevail, and felt a diminished sense of urgency as a result.

Imagine if a whole bunch of Cantor supporters felt so confident in his imminent victory that they stayed home on election day in droves, by the dozens, by the hundreds, by the thousands.  It is entirely conceivable.

On the other hand, Cantor’s opponent created a grass-roots movement, and real people supported his campaign.  THOSE people did NOT stay home on election day - no way!  With a budget of about $200,000, Dave Brat and his people managed to eke out a victory that unseated one of the most powerful men in politics.

image credit Salon.com

Of course, the Tea Party sees this as a huge victory, and as a prediction of future success at the primaries.  They have to view this astonishing upset as a testament to the validity of their nutty party.  But I predict that few primaries will result in such outright victory for the Tea Party.  (Unless the momentum they must feel right now is captured effectively…)

I have a hard time believing that Cantor’s campaign was in that much trouble.  I find it so much more plausible that his base got lazy, because they did not perceive a threat from Brat.

What this means to the more moderate Republicans in upcoming primaries - You can NOT allow your base to feel safe or comfortable!  They need to vote, no matter how far ahead it seems you are.

More importantly, Democrats need to learn this lesson NOW.  Democrats need to vote often, and vote well.  Vote every opportunity you have.  It is the only way to share your voice, and it has become more important, not less, with Citizen’s United in effect.

Democrats need to get out the vote!

image credit Wally's Wicked World

DO NOT FEED THE…

...HOMELESS?

Thirty-three cities across this nation have enacted laws prohibiting citizens and community organizations from feeding the homeless, including:

Daytona Beach, Florida; 

Raleigh, N.C.; 

Myrtle Beach, S.C.; 

Birmingham, Alabama; and

Hayward, California.

New images of homeless-prevention systems are making rounds on the internet.  Designs that would render any dry, possibly warm spot to cozy up impossible to use are becoming fashionable in major cities around the world.

image credit weaponizedarchitecture

Benches exist with warnings that only upright and seated positions are acceptable.  The latest image shows benches

with spikes that can be recessed for money.  Once your time is up, the spikes are engaged, forcing butts off benches. 

image credit themarysue.com

Bushes are verboten.  No loitering or lingering in wooded

image credit clubxb.com

areas.  Doorways?  Forget it.

I suppose if you prevent a homeless person from sleeping under freeway overpasses, they will get a job, rent an apartment, and become respectable.  All so YOU don’t feel uncomfortable.

Homelessness is a problem.  Veterans, singles, teenagers, families, the elderly…. ANYONE can become homeless.  Take a look at your carefully structured world, and ask yourself -

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE, WHAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN, FOR ME TO FIND MYSELF HOMELESS?

Years ago, a close family member realized she was a breath away from becoming homeless.  Failing health of a spouse, no more income earned by the spouse, hospitalization of the spouse. Then her home was foreclosed on out of the blue because she’d been unaware that the mortgage had gone unpaid (it was her husband's job, but he'd become more ill than she'd known).  

She downsized in a quick move with no notice and very little help.  And there it was - the realization that it just doesn’t take that much to find yourself in a position of potential homelessness. Things worked out, as they often do, but it was the realization that struck, well, too close to home.

image credit pearlsofprofundity

Flash forward to today in America, and all over the world. Homelessness is criminalized, ostracized and demonized. What are people who are down on their luck to do?

image credit Adam Ezra Group Ramble

This is OUR problem, and how we address the issue reflects

directly on each of us.

Today's GOP/TP seems determined to spend less and less to assist the poor, who are living on the edge.  What should be obvious to everyone is that the costs associated with treating the conditions of homelessness are staggering, and could be addressed in a more economical way, if we took seriously the obligation we each have to improve the lives of others.

Utah has started to place homeless people in people-less homes remaining after the housing-bubble burst leading to huge numbers of foreclosures.  This program has proven to be more cost effective than programs that provide housing referrals and vouchers. 

The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates

"the 2013 Housing Wage is $18.79, exceeding the $14.32 hourly wage earned by the average renter by almost $4.50 an hour, and greatly exceeding wages earned by low income renter households."

Medical issues suffered by the homeless are primarily treated at emergency rooms, which cost far more than any other venue for the delivery of healthcare services.  Communities that have addressed this area of cost management have found success in reigning in costs for meeting the needs of this under-served group.

As take10's JEM recently reported, a compassionate approach to homeless is proving to be far more effective than the cold and callous non-solutions presented above.

Before we judge, condemn and criminalize, let's make sure we have the facts.

image credit homelesshouston.org

Sources:

https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/ahar-2013-part1.pdf