THAT IS MY TAKE - YOU DECIDE

After nearly two years of writing this blog, receiving almost 2200 hits and being read in countries from Iran and Iraq to Malaysia, Russia, China and about 30 other countries. Countries I never would have dreamed of reaching.  I finally got one person who didn’t argue with what I was saying only that I was saying it and it “junked up his mailbox.”

Friends should not get into political discussions. I agree. But I am not trying to persuade, well maybe, but I am trying to affect some thinking. Some of what I write is based on personal experiences and, frankly has no right or left view attached. Some of what I had written has to do with baseball, sports seasons, and personal points of view on some of the commercials we all see on TV.

Am I guilty of writing about the social-economic situation on this country? Yes.  I write it as I see it and I always state that it is my opinion, decide for yourself. None of this is dogma. I recently wrote about the Republican race as being like a clown car. Lo and behold Bill Maher and several other commentators used my analogy after I published my blog. I may have readers that I don’t know about, but I do know that I am followed on Twitter and I know not how to use that account. 

I write about things that truly upset me – such as the right wing war on women. This is blatant. It is disgusting, this is overt and I blanch to see women that are supporting it. As a father of two daughters, a daughter-in-law, a wife, three granddaughters and a step granddaughter I cannot stand for the possible torture of these people as prescribed by some of these newly enacted laws. Want to be GCBs, OK – but keep your probes and hands off of my kids!

I do my research. I actually read about this stuff. One article I wrote was prompted by a friend who said that he resented that he would have to pay a $1500 tax when he sells his home to pay for the Affordable Care Bill. Rather and argue, who knows, I researched it – no such tax exists and I proved it to him.

This blog is posted on  Facebook and  it is Tweeted. You have choices – read it or not. The same as if I e-mail it (actually Blogspot captures some e-mail addresses from my Contact List and sends it)- just hit “Delete.” It takes less time and effort than sending me e-mails telling me about too many e-mails that you are receiving. That is when I hit “delete.” 

The good news is that the e-mails I get are really nice. The writer does not always agree with my point of view but does respect the fact that I illustrate my view with respect (Clown Car article excepted). Others have enjoyed the blogs about the Super Bowl, Spring Training and other articles  that are lighter in their tone and subject.

That is the beauty of electronics and digital transmissions. There is almost unlimited storage in the mail box. Even room for junk! So, if my words are “junking” up your inbox, I will try to eliminate your e-mail address from the auto send. I have looked into this and so far I haven’t found a way to do that. It appears that I will continue to “junk” up your mail box, sorry!

We live in a society that allows for us to say what we think. That is a wonderful way to live and I want to insure that it continues. This is the best way I know how to get involved, to communicate my thoughts, to ask you to think about it and to create some levity from time to time. 

That is my take – you decide.

WOMEN MUST REVOLT - WITH A VOTE

Women who vote for right wingers such as Santorum and others who want to control how a woman cares for her body or for life, do not deserve this – they know not what they do.

These are the same right wingers that have railed against Sharia Law in their states or communities even though no one  has proposed Sharia law – except maybe them. These right wingers that want women to submit to a sonogram and wait a day before getting an abortion. These are the right wingers that say if there is a heartbeat no abortion even if the term is well under the first trimester. These are the same right wingers that want to abolish Planned Parenthood. These are the right wingers that want to and have killed doctors that care for women.  So, ladies, if that is what you want, then vote for the Santorums, the Kyls, Canters and Romneys and others of like minds. They will be sure to accommodate what they think is your need for less freedom and more control.

These people see women as property of man and man controls the state so the state can create laws that regulate women’s activities with regard to their own bodies. These are the right wingers that are now following the Sharia Law (Muwatta’ Malik 28.22.52).

Women are inferior according to Sharia Law. The right wing of the United States also believes that or they would allow a woman to make her own decisions with regard to her life, health and body. According to Sharia Law two women have the same intelligence as one man. ( I do recall something like that in our own constitution regarding black men – and that was changed). According to Sharia Law women have deficient minds.  According to the right wing women have no right to make up their own minds. Is that not the same?

The right wing of the United State is not apologetic and neither are the women or men who endorse that attitude.

The only way to revolt is to vote them, those anti-woman people, out of office. Who are these people that need to be voted out of office: Diane Black ( R –Tennessee), Kelly Ayotte (R- New Hampshire), Jean Schmidt (R- -Ohio), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen  (R- Florida), Sue Myrick (R – North Carolina). Candice Miller (R- Michigan), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington), Cynthia Lummis (R- Wyoming), Virginia Foxx ( R-North Carolina), Mary Fallin (R-Oklahoma), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) and of course the wing nut of wing nuts, Michele Bachmann (R- Minnesota). I have a hard time believing that this list is so long!

I suggest that you research these ladies  and read what they want to impose on their fellow women. It will scare you or it should. Why didn’t the ERA become a law. Because women like these, that belong to the Tea Party or just right wingers tend to vote against their own best self interest. As a father of two daughters and three granddaughters, the last thing that I want is for these women and their male counterparts to tell my children how to live. That is Sharia Law – the law that these people are so afraid of – except When it suits them.

That is my take, you decide!

I FEEL BETTER ABOUT THINGS

When the GOP candidates say that the Obama presidency is a failed presidency, I immediately know that it is not. When I hear these guys rail that the economy is bad, then I know that it is not. When they say that Detroit was rebuilt on tax payer money they are right but GM did not become number one with tax dollars, it was consumer money that propelled the company to number one in the world.

It really amazes me that these guys  think we are stupid. They think that we can’t see what is in front of us, they believe that just what they tell us is reality. Two and a half million more kids have healthcare with this “failed” program. For the first time in 50 years, healthcare spending was down – 4% - now that is what I call failure?!

They tell us that our foreign policy is a failure. Ask Ben-Laden and the rest of Al-Qaeda. We only got most of them – failure. Quaddafi is laughing at our failures – from the grave.  North Korea is asking for food from us, Iran is being squeezed so tight they want to talk (am not sure form which side of their mouth they will be speaking). Students in Russia are speaking out and while there appears to be no real peace talks in the Middle East, Palestinians and Israelis are cooperating in everything from high technology to strawberries. Now that is what I call a failure of leadership! If this is all failure what do they suggest is success?

Romney will repeal the healthcare program – go fend for yourself America, he says. He will roll back student loan programs – go fend for yourself young Americans. Santorum will tell women how to live according to Rick. Paul says, screw it  - dump it all. I am confident that none of that is going to happen so I am feeling more confident about things. We have the best candidates that the public could have – guys that will self-destruct.  We have candidates that are clueless.  The business man Romney knows how to make a buck firing people. He claims not to care about the poorest of our society so he will create even more poor. He knows how to run a business. That serves him well but does he recognize the difference – a government is not in it to make a profit. A government is there for the common welfare of its people.

The commonwealth is based on getting healthcare, maintaining a defense from enemies, protection from crime. Wall Street types of crimes or just plain robberies and murder (I am not sure that there is a difference here). Let’s face it, the biggest bank heist in the history of man took place in 2008 and the Willie Suttons of American banking are still vacationing at the Hamptons and not at Rikers. If we want more of the same, send the former CEO of Bain Capital to our capitol. That is when we will see real failure.

Further, the commonwealth should also be protected against bad meat, dangerous drugs, hazardous roadways, unsafe air traffic control and more. To show you how insensitive these people are, the latest Romney endorser said that people who have suffered as a result of a natural catastrophe should not have lived there. Too bad, the federal government, government of the people, by the people, has no business helping them out. That is their attitude – they invite failure.

With people like that in power, why do I feel better about things? Because other people are recognizing that these people should be put out of power.  They are doing it to each other – eating away at each other every day. Four years ago Santorum endorsed Romney. Today he just goes after him every day with another charge. The only difference I see between Santorum and Romney is that Santorum wears his magic vest outside for his shirt and Romney wears his under his shirt. They both are pro-America but both are anti-Americans.

Then there is Rush. Whenever anyone was critical of Rush they had to apologize, genuflex and pick an area on his abundant posterior to kiss. The biggest of the big had to kneel before the Oxycontin kid. One young lady just brought him down. Way down. As of this writing 28 sponsors said Adios, baby.  Even some stations have dropped him!

These right wingers have no hand grip to hold on to with which to attack the president. So they say he failed. At what? Oh yes, gas prices! His oil refineries are not producing enough gas. The problem here is doesn’t own any refineries. The problem here is we are still suffering the results of the Dick Cheney energy policy that he and the energy companies had secretly constructed. They say you can’t still blame the Bush administration, that was 11 years ago. Then why do the southern politicians still blame Lincoln for reducing their available, cheap work force?  The current right wingers are still blaming Roosevelt for “entitlements.” These are “entitlements” that we, as citizens pay for!

I guess that failure means that creating more than two million private sector jobs is a failure. I, for one, am tired of hearing how we are in the midst of doom and gloom. Everything is bad and getting worse. It aint’. Romney keeps getting richer every day! Gingrich has Addelson and he gets richer every day, too. He gets his money from people with discretionary income. According to Romney, Santorum and Gingrich people are too poor to have any discretionary income. Things are bad and getting worse, haven’t you heard?

Here’s the point. If Romney says the president failed, then you know that the president is doing well. If the right wing says things are bad, then you know things are getting better. Whatever they say, then the opposite is true. Yes, there are some people hurting, but who is hurting them? Ask Olympia Snow! Yep, the more they say doom, I say boom.

Another failure – increasing natural gas and oil drilling by 400% in three years.  We drilled, baby and we are still drilling. By reducing our dependence on Arab oil from 60% of our consumption to 40% we have failed to keep our middle eastern friends happy.  General Motors failed to overtake gasoline as the biggest export commodity – that’s  a failure, even if GM is number one in the world! Here’s a real big failure – refined gasoline is the number one export of the United States.

Aren’t you asking the question why are the oil companies exporting gas rather than creating better costs for the citizens of the US? It would take a law to do that and you know what happens to laws in the congress that favors the people – they fail. When we don’t insist on them we all fail! As citizens we are waking up to these realities – that is why I am feeling better about things!

That is my take, you decide.