Bravo, Zero G!

In this world, "money" looks out for "money." God bless the child that's got his own, so the song goes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_1LfT1MvzI

I just realized: I could be an illegal alien!

My mom's Canadian, and my dad's birth certificate says he was born in Hawaii!

I'm back...Thanks Nigel!

This was posted yesterday after the show ended, such that it went unnoticed, and thus unresponded to. Since we cannot allow ignorance to fester without making at least an effort to end the same, let me repost, add my commentary and open the floor to the rest of us. Let's see if Mr, Signalmanarizona comes back:

The law in arizona has yet to take effect.This state is being over run with illegal aliens and something had to be done. The federal government has not taken action and that includes both reps and dems.There are many legal ways for people to become citizens all they have to do is follow the law.Maybe the President of Mexico should concentrate on fixing his country and stop worring about the state of Arizona is doing.Then he might be able to find jobs for all his citizenery if Mexico was such a great place to live may they would not want to cross a dangerous desert in the 100 degree heat.Secure the border and then we can talk about what happens next.

Mr. Signalmanarizona, you claim that there are many legal ways for people to become US citizens, do you have any idea of the hoops that must be jumped through and the waiting times involved, especially for people from South of the Border without the educational skills that we grant visas for? You seem to feel that the Mexican President could provide jobs for his citizenry (and I have plenty of criticism for the Mexican government) yet you don't reference the dumping of GMO corn and other crops by the US into Mexico destroying their local agriculture. Nor do you reference US trade policies in general, which propped up maquiladoras along the border, only to have those jobs shipped off to Asia, leaving many poor Mexicans near the US border without any means of support. You do not mention the US providing half a Billion Dollars in military aid, in support of the US failed War on Drugs, which has killed over 10,000 just since Mr. Calderon has taken power.

Before NAFTA, many Mexicans were able to live on subsistance farming without jobs. It is the process of Globalization which is destroying the means of Indigenous peoples everywhere to live simply such that others may simply live. It is our gluttonous lifestyle which is destroying the very Earth we depend on.

Ya'll come back now, ya hear...

@Nels -

... and dats all what you am!

Nels - Are you Popeye the Sailor Man??!!

Oh and even if the @ DOES mean "I'm talking at you" (which really IS different than talking TO someone, or talking WITH someone) can you detect ANYTHING in Gerald's post that had anything to do with anything I've said in this venue this week??

HEY! Maybe we should call him Gerald Non-Socha-uetor! :-)

@Bajabob - LOVE it!

@Gerald - (1) The @sign at the start of a post means "I'm replying to something you posted recently." I find NOTHING in your post that begins with "@mstaggerlee" that pertains to ANYTHING I posted in here today. (2) I do not agree that it is common practice for individuals to hate other individuals with whom they have no prior acquaintence here in the United States of AMERICA (you may continue to call it what you want to, but don't expect any blind followers hereabouts). However, it does seem fairly common to hate GROUPS of people, and then carve our exceptions for certain individuals within that group, e. g., "Damn, I hate them Jews, but that Seinfeld guy's OK."

Nels,

While it might seem premature to be concerned with the outcome of November's elections, I find myself increasingly wondering, Is anything really to be changed by elections?

The majority of Americans who were voting for change last time around ended up with the contintued reign of Ben Bernanke (Fed,) and Robert Gates (War.) How's that for a kick in the teeth?

And even in the Democratic Party, in the so-called progressive wing of that party, we find the voices of Lynn Woolsey, John Conyers and Henry Waxman supporting the blue-dog (best Republican in the Democratic Party, her words) Jane Harman. It is party over policy. It is power and position over meaningful change at every turn. It is never time to put on the table the main course. Sure, we will have a debate over immigration, without ever mentioning NAFTA or the Drug War. Just as we debated health care, without letting single-payer advocates a seat at the table, for there threatens profit, the ugly bugaboo behind. We may even pull out of Iraq, leaving the Embassy and troops over the horizon, without ever holding to account those whose deliberate prevarications led us there, and certainly not questioning American Exceptionalism and the militaristic bent of the whole American Endeavor.

Even now, as we feebily try to push the Chinese to make some accomodation with the Tibetans and their Spiritual Leader, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, (whose brother was CIA trained, armed and parachuted back into Tibet in the 50's with a contingent of men) the Chinese can point to the treatment of our own indigenious populations, and ask whose kettle is black.

In Iran, we talk about the mullahs holding sway as to who is elegible to run for office, and we collectively bemoan that, but here, we have the same gatekeepers, only they are the corporate-funded media telling us who can participate in the debate and to what degree. Sigh....

Ah the Golden Rule, he who has the Gold Rules! I thought that's what we were practicing though?

Since Americans are not interested in practicing the GOLDEN RULE, we are a damned people and a damned nation.

I meant to say that this education was occurring fifty years ago.

I don't know if I agree with the opinion that the majority of Americans are stupid, I might buy ignorant though. In truth, I would have to admit that I'm one of the ignorant too. The politicians play a game in which what we're told, and what they do are not the same (doesn't matter if its right or left, my side or their side). So knowing what will actually be done is pretty much improbable. I'm also concerned about voting machines, as anyone who has any information on them should be. Being that I don't know what will be happening in the political theatre in Sept and Oct, and I don't believe anyone who claims that they do, I would say it's premature to be worrying about election returns of Nov.

I think any progressive that wants to improve this country should really concern themselves over every voting issue, whether its voting machines, campaign finance reform, or excluding people from voter rolls. Honest elections are both the right wings weak spot and the left wings strong spot. Focus like a laser on it first, then worry about other issues second. IMHO.

N

@Gerald -

Your list of reasons that the Democrats will fail in 2010 were all in existence in 2006 and in 2008, when they gained control of Congress and the White House. So why should the same tactics that FAILED to squash Democrats in the 2 previous elections succeed in the next?

Those comments were people's opionions, Gerald. Your post expresses your opinion. The only way an opinion can be bogus is if the person stating the opinion does not really believe it. In about 6 months time, we'll find out whose opinion is mistaken, but even then, the opinions will not be bogus.

I'm Chris, the caller from earlier today. I didn't get to complete my thought on concecal and carry.

No, I don't think it makes the people I know personally feel safer, particularly women. It's a false sense of security. The neighborhood where the serial rapist has struck is loaded with destination party bars. Unfortunately, it's prime real estate for women to be victmized. The 5 victims are all white and live in the neighborhood. All 5 lived alone in single-family houses with poor security features; unlocked doors and windows, no exterior lighting, untrimmed shrubs, etc. The suspect is black. Several inncocent black men have been profiled by police and rather militant neighborhood watch members.

The statistics still stand that you're more likely to have your weapon taken away and used on you than successfully defending yourself. Your best weapons are awareness of your surroundings to prevent an incident and a no-apologies attitude/self-defense skills in defending yourself when necssary.

Not so incidentally, all the people I know that conceal and carry are also racist, radical republicans that idolize Sarah Palin. I don't know if they're active members of any tea party but they certainly support the sentiments of the most extreme branch of that movement.

I don't know a single progressive-minded women that carries a weapon or desires to do so. Rape whistles and pepper spray are all they will carry along with taking self-defense classes.

Police officers aren't exempt from bigotry or sexism. Like the woman caller a few weeks ago that repeatedly called the police on her neighbor with the dangerous dog. When the police finally took her seriously and showed up, they wound up arresting her while nothing happened to the neighbor or dog.

DISCLAIMER: I have family members and friends that are in law enforcement or are retired, so I've seen both sides, the good, bad and ugly.

I've been profiled several times on several different occassions for absolutely no valid reason. In every instance, a white middle-aged or elderly male was the perpetraitor of verbal assault, battery and/or trespassing. The police NEVER sited any fo these men, derrogatorily patronized me as an "hysterical female" and the good old boys go on doing bad things. Male police by and large treat women as second-class in my experience. Even when I called to report my father beating my mother and older brother to near death. They did little but arrest him only to release him after convincing my mother to drop the charges. After all he couldn't support the family if he went prison (sic).

I reported a drunk driving neighbor that's a repeat offender. He uses his car as a weapon to scare folks in the neighborhood. I called the police when he tried one too may times to run me down while I was in a brace and on crutches. That time I had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. The officer profiled me and threatened to arrest me because I was still shaking and upset. It was my own skills of communication that I defused the officer, not the other way round. He did absolutely nothing to the drunken neighbor!

I've had my office invaded by radical rights, tearing the place up, scaring patients and accusing me of witchcraft because I'm an acupuncturist and chiropractor. I heard every kind of insult and threat. My strongest weapon has always been my voice and courageous stance that shouted them out of my office, not a gun.