17 June 2010
13 June 2009
Pam Geller Non-Sense
I recently received this post from a relative and thought about letting it go. However, it is the second such communication that I've received from this person regarding not only the legitimacy of Obama as President but also highlights the rampant Islamophobia and xenophobia that is beginning to rear its ugly head again in this country. Prejudice and the like has again come to the forefront this past two weeks because of the senseless acts of hate and ignorance by two insane nut-jobs purportedly representing the viewpoints of two right-wing interest groups.
The original post, by right-wing blogger Pam Geller, has spread like a virus on the internet. I did some backtracking on the article and found it all over right-wing leaning websites and posts. It is filled with lies and distortions. Geller not only has made a living trying to justify the denial of the right of Palestinians to have their own state, but also has gone so far as to deny the Bosnian holocaust made up by the liberal media!
I'm just going to debunk some of the rants in her "Wake Up America!" blog because I feel obligated to in order to set the record straight.
Lie #1: ACORN a Marxist group?
ACORN is actually a community organization that has helped tens of thousand of low-income citizens. Taken directly from their website, ACORN describes itself as:
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) aims to organize a majority constituency of low- to moderate-income people across the United States. The members of ACORN take on issues of relevance to their communities, whether those issues are discrimination, affordable housing, a quality education, or better public services. ACORN believes that low- to moderate-income people are the best advocates for their communities, and so ACORN's low- to moderate-income members act as leaders, spokespeople, and decision-makers within the organization.
Boy, sure sounds like a "Marxist" group to me! Helping low and middle incomers to better themselves and their communities! Right-wingers took one case of a couple ACORN canvassers accused of voter-fraud and turned it into a fiasco. The truth of the matter is that ACORN IMMEDIATELY informed federal election officials about the fraud!
Lie #2: ...we are at war with an enemy we cannot name for fear of offending people of the same religion who cannot wait to slit the throats of our children if they have the opportunity to do so..
This is pure ignorance and xenophobia at its finest. We are taking the actions of a small group of whackos (al-Qaida) and giving the "terrorist" label to an ENTIRE race and religion because of it. After 9/11, the threats and violence against Muslims and middle-eastern foreigners living in our country increased dramatically. The hate continues to this day.
Not to condone at all what terrorists groups like al-Qaida are doing, but if our region or country was occupied by a foreign enemy force on no provacation for centuries, we'd probably be doing the same thing!
Lies #3 and #4:
And now we have elected a man no one knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska . All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary. (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe is more important.)
First, let me break this lie into 2 parts......
Besides working at a Dairy Queen (supposedly) he's also....
* Authored two NYT best-selling books
* Won a Grammy for the audio version of the books.
* Worked as a community organizer with low-income residents in Chicago’s Roseland community and the Altgeld Gardens public housing development on the city’s South Side.
* Obama entered Harvard Law School in 1988.
* In February 1990, he was elected the first African–American editor of the Harvard Law Review. Obama graduated magna cum laude in 1991.
* After law school, Obama returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer, joining the firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland. He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School. And he helped organize voter registration drives during Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.
* Ran for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat. He was elected in 1996.
* During his time as Senator, he worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting legislation on ethics, expanded health care services and early childhood education programs for the poor. He also created a state earned-income tax credit for the working poor. And after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.
* Was one of the first and few to speak out against the Bush's Iraq War policy and the Patriot Act.
* Ran for the U.S. Senate open seat vacated by Republican Peter Fitzgerald. In the 2004 Democratic primary, he won 52 percent of the vote, defeating multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes.
* Delivered the keynote speech in support of John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
* Obama partnered with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana on a bill that expanded efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia. Then with Republican Sen. Tom Corburn of Oklahoma, he created a website that tracks all federal spending.
* Became the presumptive nominee on June 3, 2008. On November 4th, 2008, Obama defeated Republican presidential nominee John McCain for the position of U.S. President. He is now the 44th president of the United States.
And about that "civil defense corps"....
Obama's idea of a civil service corps is nothing new. It's been done by Franklin Roosevelt (CCC for example) and by Bill Clinton (AmeriCorps). The right-wing went berserk when Obama proposed some type of civil service program in exchange for tax credits for college. With service, Obama explained, came benefits of lowered college tuition, etc. He wasn't proposing putting a gun in every kid's hand and making them wear boy scout uniforms and placing them in re-education camps!
The Obama Administration wants to establish a new American Opportunity Tax Credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year. NOTE: no where in there does it say it's mandatory! If you don't want the tax credit, then don't do it! Students can still get financial aid through grants, loans and scholarships. Nothing is being withheld if they DON'T volunteer! He's also put emphasis on green jobs volunteering and is promising funds to go towards programs investing in innovation and non-profit sector jobs.
For more info see the White House's official policy on service.
The original post, by right-wing blogger Pam Geller, has spread like a virus on the internet. I did some backtracking on the article and found it all over right-wing leaning websites and posts. It is filled with lies and distortions. Geller not only has made a living trying to justify the denial of the right of Palestinians to have their own state, but also has gone so far as to deny the Bosnian holocaust made up by the liberal media!
I'm just going to debunk some of the rants in her "Wake Up America!" blog because I feel obligated to in order to set the record straight.
Lie #1: ACORN a Marxist group?
ACORN is actually a community organization that has helped tens of thousand of low-income citizens. Taken directly from their website, ACORN describes itself as:
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) aims to organize a majority constituency of low- to moderate-income people across the United States. The members of ACORN take on issues of relevance to their communities, whether those issues are discrimination, affordable housing, a quality education, or better public services. ACORN believes that low- to moderate-income people are the best advocates for their communities, and so ACORN's low- to moderate-income members act as leaders, spokespeople, and decision-makers within the organization.
Boy, sure sounds like a "Marxist" group to me! Helping low and middle incomers to better themselves and their communities! Right-wingers took one case of a couple ACORN canvassers accused of voter-fraud and turned it into a fiasco. The truth of the matter is that ACORN IMMEDIATELY informed federal election officials about the fraud!
Lie #2: ...we are at war with an enemy we cannot name for fear of offending people of the same religion who cannot wait to slit the throats of our children if they have the opportunity to do so..
This is pure ignorance and xenophobia at its finest. We are taking the actions of a small group of whackos (al-Qaida) and giving the "terrorist" label to an ENTIRE race and religion because of it. After 9/11, the threats and violence against Muslims and middle-eastern foreigners living in our country increased dramatically. The hate continues to this day.
Not to condone at all what terrorists groups like al-Qaida are doing, but if our region or country was occupied by a foreign enemy force on no provacation for centuries, we'd probably be doing the same thing!
Lies #3 and #4:
And now we have elected a man no one knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska . All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary. (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe is more important.)
First, let me break this lie into 2 parts......
Besides working at a Dairy Queen (supposedly) he's also....
* Authored two NYT best-selling books
* Won a Grammy for the audio version of the books.
* Worked as a community organizer with low-income residents in Chicago’s Roseland community and the Altgeld Gardens public housing development on the city’s South Side.
* Obama entered Harvard Law School in 1988.
* In February 1990, he was elected the first African–American editor of the Harvard Law Review. Obama graduated magna cum laude in 1991.
* After law school, Obama returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer, joining the firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland. He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School. And he helped organize voter registration drives during Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.
* Ran for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat. He was elected in 1996.
* During his time as Senator, he worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting legislation on ethics, expanded health care services and early childhood education programs for the poor. He also created a state earned-income tax credit for the working poor. And after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.
* Was one of the first and few to speak out against the Bush's Iraq War policy and the Patriot Act.
* Ran for the U.S. Senate open seat vacated by Republican Peter Fitzgerald. In the 2004 Democratic primary, he won 52 percent of the vote, defeating multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes.
* Delivered the keynote speech in support of John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
* Obama partnered with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana on a bill that expanded efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia. Then with Republican Sen. Tom Corburn of Oklahoma, he created a website that tracks all federal spending.
* Became the presumptive nominee on June 3, 2008. On November 4th, 2008, Obama defeated Republican presidential nominee John McCain for the position of U.S. President. He is now the 44th president of the United States.
And about that "civil defense corps"....
Obama's idea of a civil service corps is nothing new. It's been done by Franklin Roosevelt (CCC for example) and by Bill Clinton (AmeriCorps). The right-wing went berserk when Obama proposed some type of civil service program in exchange for tax credits for college. With service, Obama explained, came benefits of lowered college tuition, etc. He wasn't proposing putting a gun in every kid's hand and making them wear boy scout uniforms and placing them in re-education camps!
The Obama Administration wants to establish a new American Opportunity Tax Credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year. NOTE: no where in there does it say it's mandatory! If you don't want the tax credit, then don't do it! Students can still get financial aid through grants, loans and scholarships. Nothing is being withheld if they DON'T volunteer! He's also put emphasis on green jobs volunteering and is promising funds to go towards programs investing in innovation and non-profit sector jobs.
For more info see the White House's official policy on service.
29 March 2009
An Open Letter to President Obama on Afghanistan
March 29, 2009
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
I am writing to you today in response to your recent policy white paper and public statements regarding the conflict in the Afghan-Pakistan region.
I am gravely concerned that you and your administration are heading down the wrong path in terms of solving the myriad of ethnic, political and religious troubles that have plagued the “cradle of civilization” for thousands of years.
We are stepping from the flames of Iraq into the fires of Afghanistan. While I am in full support of your plan to drawdown in Iraq, I am at odds with your decision to shift that military focus to Afghanistan.
While I agree that there needs to be a full joint diplomatic push in the region involving the U.S., U.N. and numerous other world powers to redirect the opium trade, establish stable local and national governments and foster equal rights, it is not in our best interest to increase our military presence that has already threatened to undermine the progress that has been made.
While we have seen that torture and occupation in Iraq have been a recruiting mechanism for insurgents and terrorists in Iraq and surrounding regions, the same can be said about our continued and escalating military presence in the Afghan territory.
If we are to win the “hearts and minds” of the Afghanis, the first thing we need to do is show them that we are serious about changing course in the Middle East. You have shown your seriousness by prescribing to withdrawal in Iraq. It would be a terrible mistake to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, so to speak, by simultaneously ramping up our military presence in the neighboring region.
I am in full agreement that the quickest way to peace and reconciliation is through improvements in education, infrastructure, employment and political freedom. It is our responsibility to help provide a roadmap to the Afghani people, and let them run their country they way they want to run it. We cannot install a puppet regime and expect things to go according to plan. It didn’t work in Vietnam. It didn’t work in Iraq. And it won’t work in Afghanistan.
Lyndon Johnson’s presidency could have been remembered for his “Great Society”. Instead, he will be remembered for a failed military policy and a protracted war in Vietnam.
I am worried that you and your Administration may be heading down that same path with regards to Afghanistan. You were elected on a sea of change. While I recognize that you have been handed a red herring when it comes to foreign policy, the economy and America’s standing in the world, I urge you and your administration to take careful consideration and deliberation when it comes to this issue.
Do you want to continue to see flag-draped coffins returning home for another false or lost cause? Or do you want to seize the opportunity that your predecessor squandered after 9/11 when he had the world on our side? I realize that your job is not easy. You will never be able to please all the people all the time. However this is one issue in which there are tens of thousands of lives at stake.
I was electrified by your campaign and you have given me and millions of others hope in the American political system again. I have deep respect for you and know that you are the best man for the job of restoring America. The American people are listening, watching and trusting that you will make the right decisions.
Respectfully yours,
Scott D. Stoddard
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
I am writing to you today in response to your recent policy white paper and public statements regarding the conflict in the Afghan-Pakistan region.
I am gravely concerned that you and your administration are heading down the wrong path in terms of solving the myriad of ethnic, political and religious troubles that have plagued the “cradle of civilization” for thousands of years.
We are stepping from the flames of Iraq into the fires of Afghanistan. While I am in full support of your plan to drawdown in Iraq, I am at odds with your decision to shift that military focus to Afghanistan.
While I agree that there needs to be a full joint diplomatic push in the region involving the U.S., U.N. and numerous other world powers to redirect the opium trade, establish stable local and national governments and foster equal rights, it is not in our best interest to increase our military presence that has already threatened to undermine the progress that has been made.
While we have seen that torture and occupation in Iraq have been a recruiting mechanism for insurgents and terrorists in Iraq and surrounding regions, the same can be said about our continued and escalating military presence in the Afghan territory.
If we are to win the “hearts and minds” of the Afghanis, the first thing we need to do is show them that we are serious about changing course in the Middle East. You have shown your seriousness by prescribing to withdrawal in Iraq. It would be a terrible mistake to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, so to speak, by simultaneously ramping up our military presence in the neighboring region.
I am in full agreement that the quickest way to peace and reconciliation is through improvements in education, infrastructure, employment and political freedom. It is our responsibility to help provide a roadmap to the Afghani people, and let them run their country they way they want to run it. We cannot install a puppet regime and expect things to go according to plan. It didn’t work in Vietnam. It didn’t work in Iraq. And it won’t work in Afghanistan.
Lyndon Johnson’s presidency could have been remembered for his “Great Society”. Instead, he will be remembered for a failed military policy and a protracted war in Vietnam.
I am worried that you and your Administration may be heading down that same path with regards to Afghanistan. You were elected on a sea of change. While I recognize that you have been handed a red herring when it comes to foreign policy, the economy and America’s standing in the world, I urge you and your administration to take careful consideration and deliberation when it comes to this issue.
Do you want to continue to see flag-draped coffins returning home for another false or lost cause? Or do you want to seize the opportunity that your predecessor squandered after 9/11 when he had the world on our side? I realize that your job is not easy. You will never be able to please all the people all the time. However this is one issue in which there are tens of thousands of lives at stake.
I was electrified by your campaign and you have given me and millions of others hope in the American political system again. I have deep respect for you and know that you are the best man for the job of restoring America. The American people are listening, watching and trusting that you will make the right decisions.
Respectfully yours,
Scott D. Stoddard
01 February 2009
11 January 2009
04 January 2009
03 January 2009
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