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.

Israeli Military And Security Forces Treat A Mentally Disabled Boy Inhumanely

Understand that while many soldiers in the +Israel Defense Forces are in a life-and-death scenario much of the time, they are part of a policy which is meant to dehumanize and excuse various acts of genocide towards the Palestinian people. I read this article on +Addicting Info and I personally find it sickening.

Read it for yourselves, and leave any commentary either on this blog post, or hit me up with your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter.

Republican Attempts To Suppress The Vote Just Before the Election Arrives

This is not a new issue, but more of an ongoing theme. The real reason for the need of voter ID laws as stringent as those in states governed by the +GOP: to prevent likely-to-hardcore Democratic voters (youth, minorities, single women, etc.) from going to the polls. This is one of the clearest forms of cheating in the history of election rigging.

This is not a surprise, but it's aggrivating to know that the Republicans will quit at nothing to dilute and ultimately destroy +The Democrats, and what they stand for. It's also happening, as demographics in our democratic/federal system are not on the Republicans' side. White (European) Americans are becoming a shrinking demographic in America, and other racial minorities are becoming the new majority. This is a massive problem for the Republicans in the sense that they count on the support of European Americans to keep them in power.

Additionally, the Republicans have no ideas for moving this country forward. Because they lack ideas, they can't compete for power against the Democrats, in the arena of politics and policymaking. They know this, and their way of making sure they stay in power: voter suppression. By suppressing the vote, and making voting more confusing for the electorate at-large, the Republicans can count on a low-to-very-low voter turnout. Only in low-turnout elections do Republicans perform very well.

Just remember this if you're in a state with a Republican Governor. Don't be surprised if you find yourself being intimidated to vote Republican if you want to remain alive.

+Jgsf1987

Why Voting Republican Is A Victory For Neo-Conservatism's Perpetual Warfare Abroad & Extremism At Home.

Let me start by saying that voting for a full Republican-controlled Congress is a disaster (potentially a nuclear one) waiting to happen. I don't mean to scare anyone with that kind of language, but it's the solid truth.

I want to begin by going back to the days of the GW Bush Administration and the extremism it launched in the aftermath of 09/11/2001, and look to that time period's strong entry into what would become the biggest bout of American nationalism/patriotism and militarism at home and abroad. If you were born before the year 1997, you'd remember the chaos of that ghastly Tuesday morning in September 2001, and the messages President +George Bush and Congressional leaders gave later on that same day. Needless to say, everyone was scared and infuriated by the attack, and there was a quickly and strongly growing desire for revenge. Revenge for the attack on our civilization, values, beliefs, etc., and a desire to take out the people responsible for the loss of many civilian lives. This desire for revenge fed into the Neo-Conservatives' narration for the need of permanent warfare and the need to take out the "Axis of Evil" that threatened everyone living in civilization. At first this meant the Taliban and its Al-Qaeda allies in Afghanistan, but soon evolved into Iraq, Iran and North Korea, the Neocons' 3 top targets. I think we can see where this evolution went, especially going into the Fall of 2002 and Spring of 2003, The Iraq War (Operation Iraqi Freedom).

Of course many wonder: "But +Jgsf1987, how does this tie back to the Republicans today?" A very observant question that requires a more illustrious answer. Many of the same Republicans in Congress today, folks like +Senator Lindsey Graham and +Senator Richard Burr, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the War in Iraq and for its supplemental funding outside of the national budget. In addition, many of these same figures, were egging the conversation onward that the Neocons presented that we need to be on a permanent war setting and be prepared to invade any country that even slightly disagreed with us. This meant provoking other nations unnecessarily, those with which we had peaceful, but slightly tense relations with. These were nations like Russia under the leadership of +Vladimir Putin, China under +Jiāng Zémín, and North Korea under +Kim Jong Il.

Today, many of these same figures are calling for a return of troops to Iraq, as well as the placement of troops into Syria and also Iran. That's in addition to permanently extending the tax-breaks of the Bush Administration for the very wealthiest Americans and American corporations, which are bankrupting us. Another aspect to bear in mind is that these same folks running the Republican Party are seeking to destroy the system of Civil Rights and the safety net propping up the very poorest among us. Doing this is going to put even more strain on the economy, and will only pull it downward. Also, look to whom they pay greater credence to: Big Oil, which includes the Koch Brothers. Think of it this way, you want to be able to have decent medical care, clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, clean food to eat, etc.? Don't vote for the +GOP, as they want to get rid of any and all safety regulations that are meant to keep us alive.

Why The Koch Brothers & Their Friends On The Far-Right Are So Keen On Purchasing America's Sovereignty

Think of the Robber Barons of times old, and you'll be able to understand what we're up against with the Koch Brothers throwing their weight around. Just like during the Gilded Age when wealthy corporate tycoons tried to purchase government influence, the same is happening right now.

Here's another way of explaining it: think of all the arguments made by the Republicans in favor of increased wealth concentration and how it will trickle down to us somewhere down the line. This is the same specious argument they've been making whenever their conservative wing assumes power. The last time anyone remembers the promise of Reganomics, it was that we would see everyone prosper with a lighter money supply. Yeah, 3 decades later, we're still digging ourselves out of a hole due in part to this economic theorum.

Well, combine the explanation for the calls of returning to supply-side economics, with the fact that many of these same wealthy individuals, feel it's their duty to fight the so-called "culture wars", as a means of denying people their rights, or to unleash an unconscienable target for people's pent up rage. This is sickening, and should not be who we are as a people. In any event, this is exactly what the Koch Brothers are looking to do, in addition to some of their friends. Think of the Walton Family of +Walmart as another example of right-wing extremism.

Much of the racism that we're seeing currently (the worst since the 1960s, but nowhere near the severity of the 1870s-1920s) has do with either the Koch Brothers, or one of the many organizations they founded (+American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), +The Cato Institute, +Americans For Prosperity), or any of the other billionaires throwing their money around as a means to distract us from revealing their true scheme.