Hunting Rex Rammell

Rex Rammell must have rolled off the STUPID side of his bed when he said he’d buy some “Obama Tags.”   If you are not a hunter, then I will clarify.   You buy tags for animals you are going to hunt.

He has lamely attempted to spin this by saying it was just a polite response to someone else’s joke.  But that is only a “polite response” if you happen to be a neo-nazi.  I have heard Idaho is becoming a haven for racists, but I will reserve judgement till the results of his election are over.

It is simply never acceptable for a politician to publicly announce that they would hunt a President.  We are watching you Idaho, show us what you are about.

The Grand Intolerant Party (GIP)

The GOP strategists should not worry that ideologues are bad for its future.  Because there is ample proof that ideologues have been bad for its past and present.

To validate this, simply look at the last election.  A large number of Republicans deserted the Party during the last election.  I was one of them, and it is not likely that I will return.   As Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, and Glenn Beck lead the GOP deeper into the wilderness, they ensure its irrelevance and final extinction.

Just watch this video and listen to the fellow identify where he gets his marching orders from.  It’s about 1:50 into the video:

So GOP, maybe it is TIME you fired Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Sarah Palin.  If you choose not to, they will be like weights around your neck dragging you to the bottom of the ocean.  You see, they do not care about your survival, only for their own.

Whole Foods Boycott Update

Summary:

• Customer Driven Boycott in Progress
• Unions join Whole Foods Boycott
• Opposition Initiates Buycott
• Investment Group Wants Mackey Out

Two interesting articles analyzing the boycott/buycott:

• The Whole Foods boycott/buycott showdown
• Whole Foods Boycott: The Long View

Keep the pressure on, and do not let up.

Guns and Nutjobs – NRA Inspired Madness

A Simple Simian

I love weapons.  I love knives, axes, clubs, rolled up newspapers, pencils, nuclear tipped rockets, bows, rocks, beer bottles, and whatever else man can imagine as an implement of death and fear.  And that includes pistols and rifles.

There is nothing more satisfying than dropping a mortar down a tube and watching the puff of smoke with the delayed bang returning from downrange.  And don’t get me started on the Mark 19 automatic grenade launcher.  It will always have a special place in the part of my heart that enjoys destruction.  Would you be surprised to learn that I was an expert with the pistol and rifle?

What you should know about me though, is that I am a creative being.  I prefer to create.

One of my personal mottoes is: “If you want to tear something down, then know what you want to replace or reconstruct it with.”  In other words, “Senseless destruction, is stupid and immoral.”

A Monkey’s Message

I know a little about America’s Constitution, and even a little regarding legislation about militias.   The second amendment to the Constitution reads:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear ARMS,
shall not be infringed.”

So if you can read, and are reasonably sane, then it sure looks like America’s Founders intent is that citizens, as part of a well regulated militia shall maintain the right to keep and bear arms.  So if the “well regulated militia” becomes the U.S. Army National Guard, then there really is no requirement for the average citizen to keep and bear arms.  And do NOT even try to argue to me that the Reserve Militia is “well regulated.”

It is the National Rifle Association, which is the political arm of our ARMS MANUFACTURERS, that continues to perpetuate the mistaken belief that it is the every citizens right to keep and bear arms.

Now take a look at these folks, are they SANE?:

No, folks like these are not sane, and do not deserve the right to keep and bear arms.

What about folks that decide to shoot every member of their families, and then turn the weapon on themselves?  Are they SANE?  No, they should have turned the weapon upon themselves FIRST.

What about folks that decide to shoot women in schools and gyms, and then turn the weapon on themselves?  Are they SANE? No, they too should have turned their weapons upon themselves FIRST.

Am I condoning SUICIDE?  No, but if you are going to do it, do not take anyone else with you.  If you are mentally unbalanced, seek mental health treatment and do not give up until you receive it.  No matter whether your health insurance covers it or not.

What about folks that decide to show up at political events with weapons?  Are they normal?  No, they are simply bullies attempting to influence others through fear.

You should be getting my point about now.  There are a number of citizens in America that simply should not be keeping and bearing arms.

What should America Do?

The NRA is a strong voice.  American politicians will not make any move against it unless there is a strong counterbalance to it.  Create a National Weapons Control Association and grow it.

Then legislate the following restrictions:

• Potential and current owners must prove suitability for weapon ownership/use through psychological testing
• Owner must qualify expert on weapon throughout effective range
• Owner must prove ability to secure and prevent unauthorized weapon use
• The three requirements above should be met every three years, or as deemed appropriate by law

There are valid reasons for keeping and bearing arms (militia is just not one of them):

• subsistence
• self-protection

But if you cannot meet the requirements I have listed above, you should not have one.  Period.  I do not currently own a weapon.  I will probably own one in the future.  I would accept the restrictions recommended above.

Chuck Grassley’s Republicans Demand Public Option

Will our politicians serve us, or the special interests?

Tom Ridge Attempts to Untell The Truth

Tom Ridge used to have my begrudging respect.  He seemed to me, despite being a hardened partisan, to be an honest and earnest public servant.  And that opinion was only strengthened when I learned he raised the curtain on the Bush Administration’s politicization of America’s terror alert system.

But now that he has begun to untell the truth that he told,  I will toss him on the trash heap that is littered with disgraced and self-serving conservative republican politicians.  One can only imagine the pressure and arm twisting that went on behind the scenes to get Tom to reverse himself.  A man of strong character would have been unswayed.

I understand what’s really happening here.  There is real pressure for conservatives and republicans to deny that the Bush Administration politicized issues inappropriately.  Especially since Dick Cheney is in the cross hairs for authorizing and advancing the use of torture for political gain, which by the way is against the law.  There never was a solid Saddam / al-Qaeda link to support the invasion of Iraq was there Dick?

Dick is in a world of hurt and he knows it.  It’s just sad to see he’s successfully drug Tom down.

Glenn Beck Boycott Backfire?

It has been said the boycott against Glenn Beck will certainly backfire.  There is a real possibility that the boycott will increase interest in him.

I do not believe it will backfire.  And even if the boycott attracts more followers to him, they were potential followers anyway.  It is better to do something, no matter how small, than nothing at all.

So don’t just sit there, do something!

Dick Cheney is Not a Big Boy

One of the Big Boy Rules, is that a Man accepts responsibility for his mistakes and pays the price for them.  The Price is directly related to the magnitude of the Mistake.

Directing American soldiers and agents to torture, is a Big Effin Mistake (BFM). Now it’s time to pay the effin piper.  Nixon found out the hard way that he could not break rules without paying for them. It’s time for you to learn that lesson.

So Dick, quit bitchin’ and whinin‘, act like a Man, and take whatever Lumps you get.

Torture – A Tool Used By Oppressive Regimes

The Bush Administration called it Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, or EITs for short.  I call it torture.

The United States of America ratified with reservations, the Geneva Conventions.   From the ICRC:

“The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are international treaties that contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war. They protect people who do not take part in the fighting (civilians, medics, aid workers) and those who can no longer fight (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war).”

If you have not read the Geneva Conventions, you should know that the U.S.A. had absolutely NO reservations regarding the restrictions on torture when it ratified them.  If you are looking for a current background on the U.S.A. and the Geneva Conventions relative to the Bush Administration, you can find it here.

Whatever your position on the morality of torture, the U.S.A. signed an international treaty prohibiting it.  By torturing detainees it has broken international humanitarian law.  The U.S.A was supposed to be a World Leader.  One of my personal definitions of Leadership, is “doing the right thing when no one is looking.”  And torture, America, is never the right thing.  Just ask those that have served professionally in the military.

Torture was illegally authorized for two distinct reasons.  First, to collect intelligence which could be used to prevent future attacks and second, to attempt to link Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda.

The fact is, the Bush Administration ignored multiple warnings leading up to the attack on the Twin Towers in New York city.  It is therefore arguable that they would not have found themselves hastily approving torture, had they simply acted on the intelligence they had.  Understandably, after allowing the attack on the U.S.A., they felt pressure to act.  But acting like a common thug, torturing detainees, did more harm than good.  And although Dick Cheney continually asserts that torture was necessary, we know that it was in fact NOT.  Torture was NOT necessary.

What is most disturbing, is that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, pushed personnel serving the U.S.A. to torture for political gain.  Having lied to the world about weapons of mass destruction (WMD), they needed to prove they had a real reason, that Saddam’s regime was linked somehow to the attack on New York city.  They were not able to make that link, with or without torture.

Now that both reasons for torture have been thoroughly debunked, some are making arguments such as “What about the next time?“  To those self-serving political hacks, I would say:

“If there ever is a next time for Republicans / Conservatives, set aside your arrogance and listen to your intelligence officials.  And if you instead give them what they need, instead of crippling them, the intelligence you get will be the stronger for it.  Acting like a bully in the world schoolyard, is simply not acceptable.”

It will not be easy for the Obama Administration to repair the damage the previous one did, but I expect that they will continue to demonstrate REAL leadership.

Glenn Beck – Love or Hate

I do not think Glenn Beck is evil. I do not think Glenn Beck is stupid. I think Glenn Beck is a snake oil salesman. And the Snake Oil he is selling is something you will either Love, or Hate.

If you are a freethinking human being, you can choose for yourself whether his message is creative, or destructive.

If you are not a freethinking human being, then you should never watch Fox News, or read the Wall Street Journal. Both of those are owned by Rupert Murdoch. He represents old-time aristocratic values.  If you wish to pay the ultimate fools tax, then continue to support his media.

Back to Beck.  He has polarized the American population.  He has energized  dark and destructive forces within America, and he has also energized bright and constructive forces.  The colorofchange.org folks are just a part of the bright and constructive forces, you are the remaining part.

Here’s the latest email from our friends at ColorOfChange.org:

Dear <Activist>,

Glenn Beck is finally paying for his race-baiting and fear-mongering, and we’ve got Fox News on the ropes.

It’s all because of you and more than 165,000 other ColorOfChange members who connected the dots for Glenn Beck’s advertisers and called on them to stop supporting his show. Thirty-six companies–many of them major household names–have now pulled their ads and otherwise made sure that their ads won’t run on Beck’s show.

The New York Times called the campaign “unusually successful,” given the history of such efforts in the past.¹ And stories about the campaign have run on MSNBC², The Colbert Report³, National Public Radio (NPR)⁴, and major newspapers/sites^5,6 and blogs^7,8, including a piece over the weekend by the Associated Press (AP)⁹–all of which puts more pressure on advertisers.

First, we want to say thank you and let you know about what’s been happening (read more below). We could also use your help. We brought on additional staff for the campaign in order to drive as many advertisers away as possible. We need to keep them in order to maximize the number of advertisers that drop Beck and to make sure none come back — and it will cost $20,000 over the coming months to do so.

Anything you can provide will help us get there–whether $10, $20, $50, or more. Just click on the link below to make a contribution and help move the campaign forward:

https://secure.colorofchange.org/beck/support/?id=1996-553279

“Unusually successful”

There hasn’t been an exodus of advertisers in response to an organized effort like this in decades. Here are the companies that have stopped their ads from running on Beck: AT&T, Airware Inc. (maker of Brez anti-snoring aids), Allergan (maker of Restasis), Ally Bank (unit of GMAC Financial Services), Ancestry.com, Best Buy, Blaine Labs Inc. (maker of Dr. Blaine’s brand skin treatment products), Broadview Security (Brink’s Home Security), CVS, Campbell Soup Company, Clorox, ConAgra (maker of Healthy Choice brand foods), Ditech, The Elations Company (maker of Elations nutritional supplement), Experian (FreeCreditReport.com), Farmers Insurance Group, GEICO, Johnson & Johnson, Lawyers.com, Lowe’s, Men’s Wearhouse, NutriSystem, Procter & Gamble, Progressive Insurance, RadioShack, Re-Bath, Roche (make of Boniva), SC Johnson (makers of Ziploc, Off!, Pledge, and other products), Sanofi-Aventis (maker of Ambien), Sargento Cheese, Sprint, State Farm Insurance, Travelocity, The UPS Sto re, Verizon Wireless, and Wal-Mart.

Demanding accountability

After we emailed you a few weeks back, our staff began contacting advertisers to convey your concerns and to ask them to stop supporting Beck. Most advertisers decided to do the right thing after hearing about what Beck is doing, and that so many people are concerned about it. Some needed evidence of the level of outrage, so we flooded them with your comments. Others needed a picture of what it would look like for their company’s name and brand to be publicly associated with Beck’s rhetoric, so we showed them that too.

Then there were those that refused to answer our calls or respond to our emails. Red Lobster, Vonage, Clorox, Lowe’s, and Experian fell into that category, and we asked some of our members to give them a call.

By the end of last week, ColorOfChange members made more than 2,800 calls to those five companies, and in just two days, three out of the five–Experian, Clorox, and Lowe’s–pulled their ads. We’re still waiting to hear if Red Lobster or Vonage have changed their minds, and we’ll follow up with them this week.

Building on our success

This campaign has already been far more successful than many people expected–but we won’t stop here. Our staff is going to continue reaching out to Beck’s remaining advertisers to make sure they understand the growing number of people asking that their ad dollars stop supporting hate.

And it’s not just about stopping Glenn Beck’s divisive rhetoric–it’s about drawing a line in the sand with FOX and anyone else that thinks it’s fine to peddle hateful propaganda under the banner of “news.”

Moving forward

We are dedicated to moving this effort forward, and we’ll be calling on you to help–whether it’s making focused calls to other advertisers, signing another petition, or taking some other action that will help expose what Beck represents and marginalize his voice.

Today, though, financial support is what we need most. A contribution from you–whether $5, $10, $20, or more–will help us maintain the staff we’ve brought on to help with this effort. We know that for some folks it’s a hard time to give, but if there’s any possibility you can make a donation, please do so. This is a time we can really use your support, and it will help us keep the pressure on. Click here to donate:

https://secure.colorofchange.org/beck/support/?id=1996-553279

Again, thanks for what you’ve done so far. Your effort is what’s made this possible. And it’s definitely making a difference.

Thanks and Peace,

– James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
August 25th, 2009

References

1. “Host Loses Some Sponsors After an Obama Remark,” The New York Times, 08-13-09
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/business/media/14adco.html?_r=1

2. “Geico pulls ads from Glenn Beck show,” Countdown with Keith Olbermann, 08-12-09
http://tinyurl.com/n5dg37

3. “Glenn-Harried Glenn-Lost,” The Colbert Report, 08-13-09
http://tinyurl.com/mwp8nl

4. “Color Me Offended,” National Public Radio, 08-21-09
http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2009/08/21/03

5. “Advertisers deserting Fox News’ Glenn Beck,” MarketWatch, 08-14-09
http://tinyurl.com/loro3x

6. “Is Glenn Beck too right wing even for Fox News?” The Independent (UK), 08-19-09
http://tinyurl.com/ktvp8z

7. “Walmart, CVS, Best Buy, GMAC Among 8 Major Companies To Pull Ads From Glenn Beck Show,” Huffington Post, 08-17-09
http://tinyurl.com/p3ways

8. “Wal-Mart, CVS, Best Buy ditch Glenn Beck (plus 5 more companies),” James Rucker for Jack and Jill Politics, 08-17-09
http://tinyurl.com/o4zoxt

9. “Attack on Obama riles Beck’s advertisers,” Associated Press, 08-23-09
http://tinyurl.com/oxxn5v

Additional resources:

“Schott’s Vocab: Beckxodus,” New York Times, 8-20-09
http://schott.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/beckxodus/

“More Advertisers Pull Ads From Glenn Beck’s Fox News Show,” Broadcasting & Cable, 08-13-09
http://tinyurl.com/pykpuu

“Fox Runs House Ads to Fill Empty Slots in Glenn Beck Boycott,” BNET Today, 08-18-09
http://tinyurl.com/n8sl9q

“P&G Didn’t Buy Time in Glenn Beck’s Show, So How Did Its Ads End Up There?” Advertising Age, 08-13-09
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=138461

American Morning, 07-31-09
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907310008

Morning Joe, 08-14-09
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908140005