Black Lives Don't Matter? Yeah, Right! They Matter Just As Much As White Lives!

I really can't understand how the +GOP and its various right-wing cohorts are continuing to paint the picture of Black lives not mattering at all, and that the best kind of African American is a dead African American. What the heck is this thought process doing in one of our nation's two major political parties? Really? Is it that sickening to many of the right that Blacks should have equal rights to Whites and that Black lives do matter?

This is not to say that the whole Right-Wing is racist, as it's not. I know plenty of conservatives that are actually not that into the whole dog-whistle style of politics. However, there are plenty of folks on the right that are seeking to install White supremacy. I'm talking figures like +Ted Nugent and +Sarah Palin. I want everyone to see something, that +Dennis Kucinich posted on his Twitter feed. It speaks volumes as to why we need to keep pushing to end the terrible legacy of Jim Crow and racism in America. Don't be under any illusions that the +GOP will look for any means to repeal any and all civil rights legislation, because they will.

This is precisely why I've said in some previous posts about my concerns with the Koch Brothers and others from the far-right controlling the Republican National Committee, it's because I, like many in this country, am seeing the implementation of the platform of the +John Birch Society and also the reimplementation of the old +Confederacy on a national scale, not just in the South. This is scaring me to no end, and I'm sure it's scaring many of you as well.

Ferguson & The Need For Judicial Reform

I'll start off by saying that I'm by no means shocked or surprised to see that the Grand Jury in Ferguson, Missouri voted the way it did. I'd say given Darren Wilson's status as a police officer made the likelihood of him being let off with no consequences that much more feasible.

That being said, I think there was a major misjustice that took place. First off, from what I read on +Addicting Info, +PoliticusUSA, +Raw Story, and Forward Progressives, the Ferguson Police Department lied about the trajectory that Darren Wilson's gunfire took when he fatally shot Michael Brown. The fatal shots travelled a full 148 feet (about 45 meters), instead of the 35 or so stated by the Department. However, that's not the part that pisses me off though. What really gets me infuriated is that Mike Brown's family can never have closure for the fact that certain groups, such as the +Ku Klux Klan, decided to insert themselves into the case just to see another African American family needlessly suffer. Additionally, I find it infuriating to know that Darren Wilson was running threats against other Black residents in Ferguson, and that he's spilled the fact that he has ties to the KKK. It makes me think that the lack of accountability is another means for upholding White supremacism, which really has no place in our lives. I find that the people sworn to uphold the law in Ferguson obfuscated their duty to do so.

I feel for Michael Brown's parents, and I want them to know that I not only share their pain, but extend to them my love and wishes that they find peace. They should not have to continue to deal with the hell after their son's senseless murder, and I think it's a sign of strength that they're giving back to the community that has rallied around them in their time of great pain.

Michael, Sr. was right to call only for peaceful protests following the Grand Jury's decision, and to make the case that rioting will not make anyone's voices heard. I don't hold the Governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, accountable for the failings, but I do hold the St. Louis County government accountable for its failure to address the underlying tensions surrounding the use of racial profiling at both the city and county levels by police.

Republicans & Jim Crow's Likely Return

At the moment, I only see the Republicans trying to revive Jim Crow in order to win elections. If you look very carefully at what the Republicans are doing with their majorities in various state legislatures is the same and/or similar actions taken by the Democrats in the South. That's what makes the Republicans' maneuvers so infuriating, the fact that they're old tactics which used to happen in the past.

Now let's be very clear, not all Republicans are these reactionary, White-Supremacist, variety. Most are actually fairly reasonable, and would be more than willing to do what's necessary to move this country forward. But the ones largely calling the shots at this point are from the reactionary, White-Supremacist faction (aka, +The Tea Party). I mean think about it, how many times have you heard various individuals, and/or the faction itself, make all kinds of racist, homophobic, etc, remarks? I'd say several, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I can only see this trend getting worse over time before it gets better.

I'd say once +Barack Obama leaves office in 2017, do not expect a Democrat to return to the Presidency for a good while. I'm saying this because of the various Voter ID laws (which are unconstitutional on the grounds that they're poll taxes) and their impact on likely constituent groups who would likely vote Democratic.

Katie Cole's New Single

I listened to +Katie Cole's new track Shout, and it's very well-done. You can find Shout here. Listen to it, as she really shouts while singing to give the cover some I'd say very well-enhanced dramatics. Props to her for creativity, and I think that +Tears For Fears would likely agree on that. It's also heartening for me to see where she's placing purchases of Shout: +Susan G. Komen® Foundation for researching a cure for breast cancer. It's worthwhile, knowing that someone very close to her suffered this terrible disease.

My Top 3 For 2016

Hey all, thought I'd share this with you from +Democracy for America: My 3 Picks. If you plan to vote for +The Democrats in 2016 presidential race, you should definitely give your input.

On to 2016!

+Jgsf1987

What To Expect From The 114th Congress

With the +GOP in control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it's fairly clear that we're in for a world of mayhem come January 2015 (possibly even January 2017). Here's to expect out of the 114th Congress when it convenes in January:

1. No relief for student loans and retransferring their control back over to the same banks that sank the economy in 2007-9.
2. No relief for homeowners on their mortgages, especially when those mortgages are worth more than the property invested.
3. No relief for the working poor in terms of extending the earned-income tax credit and food stamps, or by raising the minimum wage.
4. No relief for the unemployed with an extention of unemployment insurance.
5. More red-tape for trying to file for a patent.
6. More tax-cuts for the wealthiest individuals and corporations.
7. More tax-hikes on everyone else.
8. More red-tape to gauge any kind of government services.
9. Higher likelihood of finding contaminated food in market due to loose regulations and hampering USDA's ability to inspect plants.
10. Higher likelihood of finding contaminated water due to gutting Clean Water Act and defunding the Environmental Protection Agency.
11. Higher likelihood of breathing contaminated air due to gutting Clean Air Act and defunding the EPA.
12. Higher likelihood of workplace injuries and deaths due to defunding Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
13. Higher likelihood of industrial disasters due to defunding the Chemical Hazard and Safety Board.
14. Increased speculation on Wall Street due to weakened oversight from defunding the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Consumer Protection Bureau, and gutting Dodd-Frank.
15. Possible cleared bill out of Congress to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and on to +Barack Obama's desk (which he'll veto).
16. More hearings over ludicrous conspiracy theories.
17. Attempts to impeach the President for doing his job.
18. No attempt to pass any budget, and more attempts to shut down the government so that nothing gets done.
19. Eliminate affordable housing for people with fixed-income.

This is a basic outline of what to look for, as there's more than you can look up yourselves on +Google or Bing. You can also look up other outlines of what the Republicans plan to do on +PoliticusUSA, +AlterNet, +Raw Story, etc., who will have even more detailed descriptions.