Bullets Don't Kill if You Duck

You have undoubtedly been told by some of your associates and friends that "Guns don't kill, people do". Do guns aimed at people propel the bullets by man power? Do bullets shot from guns enter a body by human power? Do bullets entering a body kill by the force of human power? Of course not. Bullets won't kill if you duck. Guns don't kill. The power of bullets is generated by man power. The problem is not restricting the use of guns. The solution to murders is the elimination of humans not guns. There we finally have it right. Next time you see a bullet coming your way duck! Unless that is you are already dead and it that case the bullet can't hurt you.

Can We Be Free Without Free Thought?

Land of the free occupied by media zombies who try to saturate our brains with their preferred versions of B.S. Politicians who quack endlessly about their righteous beliefs and pronounce them as truths. We the quagmire of people who open our ears to this mindless menagerie of 24 hour propaganda without batting an eye and seemingly accepting one viewpoint or another without critical thought. Or closing our minds to all this babble without thinking at all. Can we be free without free thought?

The framers of a our Constitution, all thirty nine of them, comprised of thinking male gentry from different walks of life created a document that requires thoughtful consideration and life long analysis. Read it again if you haven't done so lately and think about the relevance of the words for today. Read the Bill of Rights and all the other amendments to our Constitution and consider how thoughtful humans considered the shortcomings of the original Constitution and amended it to fit the times and growth of independent thinking. True political leaders staked their political futures by advocating changes that included the right to vote to women, and citizens of all colors, both ignored by the original framers of our Constitution as was slavery.

We have traveled a long distance since July 1, 1971 when the 26th Amendment to our Constitution was ratified that gave the vote to any 18 year old citizen who was already eligible to be drafted to serve and die for our country in times of war. We as a nation recognized the hypocrisy of our own Constitution and fixed it.

Today we are faced with similar life and death issues and hypocrisy concerning the availability of health care for all our citizens. Perhaps a constitutional amendment is needed just as for the right of all citizens to be free and to vote at an age when they are called to die in wars. Are not all citizens entitled to health care if for no other reason than to keep us healthy enough to fight the wars we are sent to fight by the politicians we elect? They occupy Congress and the Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats seem to believe that we have the duty to die in wars but not the right to have health care that they give themselves with our taxes.

And many of us seem to accept this bunk without thought. Can we be free without free thought? Seemingly we can be free to die without health care so why not be free to reject the call to die in a war as well? Think about this paradox and then decide to support universal health care for all citizens. We have the right to free thought so use your mind to decide what is right.

Was Abe Lincoln a Racist? Are We All Racists?

"All persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free..." Did this quote from Abraham Lincoln prove that he was a racist? Probably yes, according to another Republican, Sen. Jeff Sessions from Alabama who is describing Judge Sonia Sotomayor as a racist for her belief that her Hispanic heritage added depth and better understanding to her application of our Constitution and laws.

It seems that Sen. Session considers that any statement favoring or enabling any group is a statement of racism. What would have Sen. Sessions have said had he been a contemporary of Abraham Lincoln when Lincoln not only favored the slaves but also a possible rebellion carried out by them to free themselves. Seems safe to say that Sen. Sessions would have gone into a raging fit of anger against Abraham Lincoln.

We all are products of our heritage whatever that may be. We are all shaped by our early life and the influence of parents and others who were around us. Thus we all have prejudices of one sort or another that are ingrained just as did Abe Lincoln and as has Sen. Sessions who was exposed to the racial antagonisms in Alabama where he lived as a child.

Our individual life experiences have shaped us in ways that we cannot fully understand, and we all harbor some remnants of prejudice and distrust. The first step in understanding our deep rooted prejudices is to confront them and become aware.

Abraham Lincoln did that as he prepared the nation to end slavery even if it meant war and rebellion by those who were enslaved. Sen. Sessions has not faced his own deep seated and racial prejudices and therefore he attempts to demean a women who has lived and faced racial prejudices as a child and young adult. Sen. Sessions is a product of the deep South when outright exclusion of non-whites was practiced openly and proudly by many whose skin color was near white. If he was truly color blind he would recognize his prejudice and stop the harangue against Judge Sotomayor.

Perhaps Old Abe will arise from his grave and shake some reality into Sen. Session's brain and soul. We could all benefit by a good shake by Abe.

Humanitarian Politicians--Rare but Necessary

We are exposed to vociferous proclamations by politicians of differing allegiances. Political posturing is common when a particular politician attempts to garner votes or praise by opposing the contrary party or advocating there own position. The words and body language employed are selected for the occasion and consistency is inconsequential. Getting re-elected is all important. If principle was predominate then we all would be treated to a real discourse based upon what is in the interest of all our people. Unfortunately, self-interest and lobbyists interests generally dominates and the people's needs and interests are relegated to inferior status that is undeserving of intelligent and meaningful consideration by those we elect to represent us. Politicians are indeed a different slice of humanity carved out of ideological stone that defies reshaping or empathy with the citizens that they represent.

The above comments do not apply to all politicians. There are a few very dedicated political servants who truly consider the needs of the people first and political ideology last. These few are recognized by there willingness to buck the overwhelming dominance of their party leaders and speak out independently for the people. Senator Feingold, WI and Sen. Sanders, VT, and Sen. Snowe, ME are three such individuals. They are Senators of courage and principle who deserve more attention and broader following. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, is another politician who deserves plaudits for representing the interests of her constituents even when her party disagrees. These and a handful of others in Congress are part of the group of humanitarian-politicians who must be heard and listened to by all of us.

Their voices echo the true meaning of government and our Constitution, "government for, by, and of the people". Unless the majority of elected politicians adhere to this basic purpose of governance we will continue to be swept along by self-interest and inhumanity.

Your support of the humanitarian legislators is essential to create a country where the typical citizen is recognized as the bulwark of our democratic system. Only then can humanity prevail, and our country truly be guided by the Preamble to our Constitution as enunciated by our humanitarian ancestors who wrote these word on September 17, 1787: " WE, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION, ESTABLISH JUSTICE, INSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY, PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE, PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE, AND SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY TO OURSELVES AND OUR POSTERITY, DO ORDER AND ESTABLISH THIS CONSTITUTION FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA".

One of the most noteworthy and seldom emphasized part of our Constitution is the absence of the singular word, "I". Our Constitution is for "WE", and that means all Americans and all humanity that we hope to influence by our deeds and actions. Humanitarian Politicians are required to accomplish this. Seek them out and support them for the sake of our country and the world.

Wars of Choice

While addressing the Islamic peoples world wide from Egypt a few days ago, President Obama referred to the war in Iraq as a "war of choice". Sanctioned by our Congress and the UN the war indeed was a war of choice. The Choice was made by our country and the Bush-Cheney administration based upon lies and bad intelligence. However, whether based upon lies or not, all wars are wars of choice. Wars do not just happen as do natural calamities, they are man made and started by deliberate aggressive actions of humans who happen to be in leadership positions.

The concept of a righteous or good war is delusional. No war is good or righteous although it may become necessary to defeat a greater evil. WW II was the latter. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and many other war locations since the conclusion of WW II were all wars of choice based upon delusional or false claims by so-called leaders.

The choice to start war is often one-sided and the act inflames the other side to respond similarly. Once ignited wars seldom come to an end on their own. One side or the other choses to give up or both sides agree to a cease fire.The leaders of warring countries or groups make these decisions sometimes pressured by the people to do so.

Wars have infected humankind since ancient times and seem to be the most common way to achieve an objective that leaders favor. Leaders of groups or countries are able to mobilize people who do the fighting and killing so that their objectives are attained.Every war and response to attack is the result of deliberate, although often maladjusted, thought processes. Random thought will not start war. Only deliberate thought and action leads to war and always by choice of the leader or leadership group.

President Obama attempted to erase his futile opposition to our country starting the Iraq war by referring to it as a war of choice. Although, it was not his choice and he consistently opposed it, the consequences are in his hands. It is his war to end as he has promised. However, as the leader of our country, the choice to go to war in the future is in his hands, and that will always be a CHOICE.

Stopping Abortion by Committing Murder

How can a so-called civilized society that advocates the sacredness of life create an atmosphere in which murder is justified for the sake of stopping abortions that are legal? Have we as a society become what we deplore? Have we allowed the demons of hate and revenge to consume our humanity? Or are we witnessing the emergence of our inhuman side as a dominant part of the American culture. Read this link about a murder in a church and decide for yourself.

Health Care and the ME and WE Parties

A pandemic is coming, yells Governor Perry of Texas. Send help. I need anti-viral drugs from the US government. Close the boarder he demands. Bring in the troops--US Army of course. I will secede he clamors. But wait. Your help is needed Uncle Sam. I will secede later. The same mantra echoes from the mouths of right wing conservatives that includes virtually all of the Republican Party in the USA, and many Democrats too. Government is too big--until I need the Federal Government to help. What does the Republican Party and conservative Democrats represent? Seems to me the answer is: "What's good for ME at the moment". The Republican Party is not the party of "no". It is now the party of "me, me, me". Whatever I need when I need it is what counts and nothing else. Give ME health care, give ME anti viral medicines, give ME , give ME, give ME. WE others have become the victims of more than 8 years of "ME" thinking and action perpetrated by the ME Party, euphemistically referred to as the Republican Party with some shady Democrats under their umbrella. But "Republic--ans" or "Republicrats" or whatever you may call them the are really the ME Party. The ME Party is only focused on what is good for me. To hell with everyone else.

Most of the rest of us belong to the WE Party and it is time to speak out and let all politicians know that WE demand the right of Health Care for all citizens. WE, the only real party of the people demand action to provide universal health care underwritten by our taxes not doled out by insurance companies who fatten their profits by denying coverage and charging exorbitant fees that few can afford. WE demand a health care system that is based upon the Hippocratic Oath, not the "Bottom Line, $$$$$$, Oath" that demands huge profits for the private Health Care insurance companies who pay themselves (their executives) many many millions of dollars compensation plus bonuses for their ability to gouge WE.

Just as the ME Party allowed the financial and investment corporations to manipulate and deceive the WE Party (composed of the working Americans and their families), they are now defending their ME approach to health care. If they, the ME Party, gets their way WE will continue to lose health care and be forced to pay their profit driven Insurance Company fees or be denied even rudimentary health care.

WE must tell President Obama and those who we elect to make the health care decisions in Congress that the Insurance Companies health care dominance is over. WE demand action now to provide universal, single-payer health care for all of our citizens. The United States is the only advanced country in the world that does not provide non-profit single-payer health care for all their citizens. Why? The ME party (including many Democrats and virtually all Republicans) are beholden to the Insurance Corporations and their lobbyists who donate money for their political campaigns so that their vote against single-payer universal health care is assured by legal bribery. The same corporations attempt to scare the public at large with lies and distortions similar to the Financial Corporations blatant distortions that preceded the economic debacle we are now mired in. WE must awaken and recognize deception and greed for what it is. Tell the ME Party that WE are no longer accepting the "bs" and WE demand non-profit health care for all citizens NOW.