Price of Democracy
How many Americans see this message/image and say, “How do I get some of that money?” That might be big part of why our Democracy is no longer functioning as a Democracy.
This popped in my feed and I have to agree…
Democracy, doesn’t that mean one vote per citizen and that every citizen’s vote counts equally? Today marks a dark day in overt voter suppression when one population was being systematically blocked from exercising their constitutional right to participate in the political process. Neither political party has a sterling historical record when it comes to suppressing the freedom of citizens to vote when the group being suppressed was part of the opposing party’s power base. It was shameful in 1964 and it is shameful today. It may not be as overt as it was in 1964, and it is often cloaked with new-speak fearmongering terms like “preventing voter fraud,” but it’s just the same ol’ political games designed to discourage or block citizens from voting. Tactics like off-duty law-enforcement officers near the entrances of polling places, shorter-voting hours, fewer polling places, less-early voting opportunities, gerrymandering … nothing as drastic as the murder of three civil rights workers whose mission was to help African Americans register to vote, but the intent is pretty obvious. It’s shameful for those who claim to hold Liberty in such high value, to deny the same Liberty to their fellow citizens.
Please checkout The Southern Poverty Law Center’s FB page for more info on the ongoing struggle and the following NPR article on how voting district maneuvering has countermanded the basic democratic promise that all citizens votes are count equally.
Resources:
I was looking for something non-political and just a little bit non-PC for the day after Fathers’ Day… here you go… lots of dads being dads and failing on camera. Enjoy.
I ran out of “understanding’ this morning when a conservative friend posted an image connecting the Orlando shootings with an unrelated tragedy. Ugh. I feel bad about it, but it was the last straw.
No… I’m calling you in this conflation of lies… Talk about missing the point & politicizing tragedy. No, no, no. Sorry, these are not remotely similar and shows an amazing lack of empathy and lack of basic decent humanity. I feel sorry for those who have to live & work with you. It must take a lot for them to put up with such heartless rhetoric. People died this weekend, people are grieving. Please shut the fuck up.
I don’t exactly agree with every point of this essay, but LaMonte M. Fowler pretty much spells out many of my thoughts… One of my biggest feelings is that if your largest effort is on complaining and/or blaming others and not in finding solutions I’m pretty much done with all of the Internet whining. Thank you very much. I’m generally willing to listen, I understand your concerns, but I also know that some folks are all about the fear… sad. jbb
By LaMonte M. Fowler:
I feel the need to drop a little truth on y’all. So buckle up…I’m about to be politically incorrect.
We don’t need to take America back. No one stole it. It’s right here…you’re sitting in it. Chillax.
Mexico isn’t going to pay for the wall and we’re not going to deport millions of people and break up families. If you think either one is a good idea, you’re not smart and probably not a person I want to hang out with.
We don’t live in a democracy. Technically we are a Federal Republic. But in reality we are ruled by an oligarchy. If you don’t know what that is, look it up. Reading will do you good. You probably need to do more of it.
FoxNews, CNN, and MSNBC have an agenda and are not “fair and balanced” or in any way unbiased. I’ll reiterate…read more. Read newspapers (even online ones). Read lots of opinions and sources and then (stay with me here), THINK! Form your own opinion based on as many facts as your can brain can tolerate.
Speaking of facts…there actually is a difference between facts, opinions, and propaganda. You should learn the difference. (Another opportunity to show off your mad reading skills.)
Science is real. We know things because of science. Don’t be afraid of it. You have an iPhone and Facebook because of science. It’s your friend.
Global warming or “climate change” as the cool kids call it IS REAL. Anyone who tells you it’s not real is not a smart person and probably should not be dressing themselves or caring for children.
Racism exists. And you are probably a little racist and should work on that. Seriously.
American Christians are not under attack. We are not being persecuted. We wield so much power in this country that politicians pretend to be Christian just so we will vote for them. No one is trying to take your bible away from you. The gay people are not destroying our families—we don’t need any help from them, thank you. We do a fine job of that by ourselves. So stop saying we are persecuted. You sound stupid.
Poor people need help. If you’re not helping them but complaining about how the government helps them with your money you are not a nice person.
Be nice to the people who teach your children. Don’t send them nasty emails or yell at them. Their job is 10,000 times harder than your stupid job. You are not a professional educator so just shut your mouth and be thankful someone is willing to teach your offspring.
You don’t know what Common Core is. You think you do, but you don’t unless you’re a teacher. So stop complaining about math problem memes on Facebook. You can’t do the math anyway.
ISIS is not an existential threat to the United States. We do not need to rebuild our military. Our military is the strongest, scariest, most badass killing machine the world has ever seen. So stop being afraid and stop letting politicians and pundits scare you.
Guns do in fact kill people. That’s what they are designed to do. If you feel you need a gun to protect yourself in America, you are probably living in the wrong neighborhood and should move before you go out and buy a gun. There are like a billion places to live where you won’t need a gun, or even need to lock your front door.
If you do own a gun, then make sure you know how to use it really, really, really well. Seriously…get some training because you still don’t know how to record stuff with your DVR. Go to the gun range and shoot the thing a lot. Learn how to clean it properly and be able to disassemble it and reassemble it with your eyes closed. It’s a freaking gun and it deserves that level of care, proficiency and respect. And for God’s sake, keep it locked up and away from your kids.
If you are even a little bit crazy, sad, or pissed off…you shouldn’t have a gun. And the Founding Fathers would totally agree with me.
Stop being suspicious of American Muslims. I guarantee the guy sitting next to you in the cubicle at work is probably more of a threat to you than any Muslim. He has to listen to your uninformed ranting day after day and has probably already imagined very colorful and creative ways to end you.
Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and all the rest are ENTERTAINERS! Stop getting your opinions from them. (Here’s where that reading thing can really be an advantage.)
Stop sharing Facebook memes that tell me to share or else Jesus won’t bless me with a laundry basket full of cash. That’s not how prayer works. And I don’t want money delivered (even from God) in a laundry basket. Nobody ever washes those things out and they just keep putting nasty dirty clothes in them. Yuck!
We are the United States of America and we can afford to house every homeless veteran, feed every child, and take in every refugee and still have money left over for Starbucks and a bucket of KFC.
Unless you can trace your family line back to someone who made deerskin pants look stylish and could field dress a buffalo, you are a descendent of an immigrant. Please stop saying that immigrants are ruining our country. Such comments are like a giant verbal burrito stuffed with historical ignorance, latent racism, and xenophobia all wrapped in a fascist tortilla.
That’s all for now. I feel better.
LaMonte M. Fowler
Daily Random Shit for 2016-03-24My Post:This is NOT greatness in action. I know of only one conservative friend on FB who has spoken out against trump. I challenge all of you who have always believed in the GOP, the country needs to hear you disown this brand of hatred. This guy is not helping your party or where you believe the country should. The world thinks that we’re idiots because of this guy and he’s your party’s leading candidate. I challenge you to speak out against the hatred. We don’t need our own American Hitler.
[media-credit:Jason Nicholas – Trump Event by Jason Nicholas
Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 7:14pm Tucson, AZ
Today I went to the Donald Trump rally here in Tucson out of sheer curiosity with three of my friends. The four of us went as neither supporters nor protestors, but merely bystanders. It was one of the scariest and most uncomfortable things we have ever experienced. I saw things that will be forever burned in my memory.
Multitudes of people were thrown out while Trump supporters yelled and booed at them, some with racial slurs, saying “fuck you”, “go back to Africa”, “go back to Mexico”, “get a fucking job”, the list goes on and giving them the middle finger. There were fights! Peaceful protesters were punched in the face! Every race was attacked by Jan Brewer, Joe Arpaio, and Trump himself. I was right in the middle of the freak show.
And on top of that, it was far from accessible for the disabled. Bernie’s rally in Tucson last night had an ENTIRE section reserved for the disabled and two ASL interpreters were provided. But Trump’s rally? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Very telling.
My friends and I became so uncomfortable that we left a little early. We were mocked by people as we walked up the stairs through the crowd to leave (“goodbye!”, “go back to your mommy and daddy’s house”, etc). We all are white and did not have a sign or anything to indicate that we weren’t Trump’s supporters but I think the disgusted look on our faces gave us away.
I have never seen so much hate and ignorance in one room. It was just horrifying.
I am utterly scared shitless of America’s and our future.
Please, please, do not vote for this disgusting, vile human being (if you call that scum a human being).
[EDITED TO ADD: Ever since I posted about my simple yet honest experience at the Trump rally here in Tucson, I have received numerous hate messages from his supporters. I have already gotten a death threat. I have been called stupid, loser, idiot, and a liar (even though there are countless photos and videos that substantiate what I wrote). I have been accused of being paid to do this (lol, what?) and of being a Muslim (how is that an insult?). I’ve had to block numerous harassers already.
I debated taking down the post, then I thought… that’s exactly what they want me to do so I won’t.
All the name-calling just shows how intelligent (or the lack thereof) and ignorant some of the conservatives are. It also shows that they’re unable to effectively communicate as civilized adults. I guess with no logic and education, they have nothing else to turn to.
Trump has created a very toxic atmosphere with an entire army of over-entitled, angry, violent bigots. He needs to be stopped.]
Rick Krenz: I support Ted Cruz. I honestly believe that the United States is at a Constitutional crossroads. Trump says a lot of things which get his myrmidons fired up. (Don’t worry, they won’t know that I insulted them). A Trump Presidency would be a crazy, scary isolationist circus. Cruz wants a return to a Constitutional role of the Federal government. He wants Liberty and Freedom and Opportunity for all citizens. Trump scares me. Oh, and his wife takes a LOT of nude photos. Just sayin…
Joe Bustillos: Thanks Rick, you’re the one conservative friend who’s taken a stand again trump. I’m waiting for the others…
Rick Krenz: You may be waiting for some time. Trump struck a cord with some on the right with his non-PC discussions. But, if you take a good close look, he very rarely exceeds 35% in any caucus or Primary. His negative numbers are THROUGH THE ROOF with every demographic. Hence, my myrmidons statement. Have a Blessed Easter weekend! We are going to get another foot of snow! Gotta love life in the Rockies!
Joe Bustillos: You have to wonder how many of these Sunday Cowboys really have the “cajones” to defend this country (versus taking over undefended bird sanctuaries). Their man never served.
Enjoy the snow. We’re beginning our rainy season here in Central Florida (which will build up to hurricane season, ending in November … ). Sunshine state, my ass! That said, I love that this country has every possible climate and people who love where they’re from or where they’ve freely chosen to be.
Rick Krenz: Absolutely, Joe. Enjoy your liquid sunshine and I’ll enjoy mine frozen.
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