Open carry for me, but not for thee

The decision not to indict the Officer who shot down a 12-year-old in Ohio is a horrible way to wrap up 2015. Charles Pierce (via Esquire)says what needs saying:

Is there any real point in being angry any more? Is thre any real point even to be surprised? There certainly is no point in emphasizing the damn irony that Ohio is an "open carry" state so, even if the cops assumed Rice was 18, and they also assumed his gun was real, they had no cause even to stop him, let alone open fire. Listen to the spiel that Wayne LaPierre unspools every time he's in a room with more than four people listening: arm yourselves, because the world is a hellscape of violent Others who are coming for you and your children. At its heart, open carry is about open season on the people who scare you. It's certainly not about an absolute Second Amendment right that applies to black people as well as white. Open carry is about You and the Others, and so is the training of our modern, militarized police forces. If only Tamir Rice had not been born with that congenital ability to become huge and threatening the way he did in the mind of Timothy Loehmann. If only…

These guys are okay to carry anything, but a child who is darker can't have a toy gun without being shot down like a dog.

Hobby Lobby and the Supremes

Shorter version of the Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision:

Corporations are "people" with religious freedom under the Constitution. Women? Not so much.

Dinner, anyone?

(Via The Daily Funnies)

I am Bradley Manning

So close to the truth . . . . .

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Senate Republicans today vowed to filibuster a controversial bill supporting the right not to get shot.

G.O.P. leaders lambasted the bill, arguing that the right to go to school, work, or one’s home without fear of being shot was not guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

“The Second Amendment makes it very clear,” said Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming). “The right to bear arms shall not be infringed by a tiny minority’s desire not to be shot.”

But according to the pollster Harland Dorrinson, of OpinionFact Polling, the right not to get shot, while controversial, is beginning to gain traction with the American electorate.

“Like gay marriage, not getting shot is an idea that has taken some getting used to, but people are starting to wrap their brains around it,” he said.

Poll numbers notwithstanding, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said today that he would join the effort to filibuster any not-getting-shot-related bill: “The only way we Republicans can protect our democracy is by preventing a vote.”

Freedom for me, but not for thee:

Ya know, I'm all for a new civility and respect in our public discourse, but it seems like a lot of folks aren't (via Alternet):

The father of one of the young victims of the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown gave testimony last night at the Connecticut General Assembly, but was interrupted by gun advocates. [3]

Neil Heislin, whose son Jesse was killed by Adam Lanza during the school shooting, was speaking to legislators to urge them to make changes to laws around guns. The teary father said [4] “changes have to be made...The worst day of my life was the day when this happened...Why do we need 30-round magazines or cartridges?” Heislin also said that "the sole purpose of those AR-15s or AK-47s is to put a lot of lead out on the battlefield quickly, and that's what they do. And that's what they did at Sandy Hook Elementary School on the 14th."
The CT Mirror reports [4] that when Heislin “wondered aloud how such guns [like the AR-15 and AK-47] could be privately owned, someone shouted, ‘The Second Amendment!’”BuzzFeed notes [5] that The Connecticut Post [6] “put the number of hecklers at ‘as many as a dozen.’”

The heckling came even as “Heslin spoke while holding a gilt-framed portrait of him and his son, taken when Jesse was a baby,” the CT Mirror notes. [4]

Here is a father who has suffered incredibly as a result of our inability to stop gun violence, and he is heckled by Second Amendment fundamentalists. Well, let me exercise my First Amendment Rights to say: FUCKING ASSHOLES!!!!

 

The rights of citizens to be safe, to have their children be safe, these rights mean nothing to the self-centered jerks who scream "Second Amendment" at a grieving father. They are cowards and jackasses.

Here's a Mother's Day Story for You:

Via Crooks and Liars

I have a fundamental problem with the Stand Your Ground laws popping up around the country--including a long-standing version already in place in my home state of California--which is that it essentially codifies vigilantism in the most dangerous of possible ways, resulting in what police organizations warned would be legalized hate crimes.
Unfortunately, you have the NRA and its ALEC compatriots wrapping SYG laws with the sacrosanct mantle of the Second Amendment so that any kind of nuanced, intellectually honest discussion is impossible. However, what makes these bills so heinous is how inconsistently they're applied. For someone like George Zimmerman, he simply invokes it in a police interview and he's released without an investigation even though he's killed an unarmed boy simply walking down the street. For someone like Marissa Alexander--who had direct knowledge of past acts of violence and a threat against her life by the man she shot a warning shot at--it's dismissed out of hand.

Why does this not surprise me? I thought at the time that if Trayvon had had a gun and shot Zimmerman (for which it would seem he would be justified), he would have IMMEDIATELY been arrested for murder. Color still makes a difference in this country, folks.

Papers, please . . . .

It's already been said, but it bears repeating:

The so-called "Conservative" movement has given the police in Arizona the mandate to stop people and demand proof of citizenship, but calls Health Care reform fascist. These folk don't really know their history very well, do they?

Maybe next in Arizona they will make immigrants wear something to identify themselves—oh, I don't know, a star or something?

Yeah, that is just what these simpletons want. There are echoes of the Nazi Aryan supremacy all over the arguments for this law.

And all those folks who love the Constitution so much? Are they going to be screaming about how this impinges on people's freedoms? Does the Fourth Amendment ring any bells? Or is the Second Amendment the only one these jackasses remember?

The "tough shit" response

(Via Media Matters)

Right-wing media figures have mocked Democrats' descriptions of hardships faced by their constituents who lack health insurance, including a story Rep. Louise Slaughter told about a woman who wore dentures that previously belonged to her dead sister. For example, Rush Limbaugh said, "So if you don't have any teeth, so what? What's applesauce for?"

On his February 26 radio show, Glenn Beck played an audio clip of Slaughter's account then said, "I am wearing George Washington's dentures right now. I'm wearing his teeth right now." He later added, "I just like wearing dead people's teeth. But in America -- I'm sorry, I didn't know that that was -- I've read the Constitution before. I didn't see that you had a right to teeth." Echoing Limbaugh's remarks the previous day, Beck stated, "The environmentalists should be all over Slaughter. 'How dare you say that?' My gosh, they're just recycling. They're just reusing."

I thought a few years back there was something called "compassionate conservatism" that was lauded as a way to help people. Apparently, at least for these two jackasses, not so much any more. This kind of horseshit is just plain mean.

This also may show the underlying reason that the Republicans and the right wing oppose and form of healthcare assistance: they want poorer people to suffer so they can feel superior.

I mean, what's the point of being rich if you can't look down on those less fortunate, eh?

Quote for the Day (Journalistic Division)

Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one. - A. J. Liebling

Quote for the Day (Comedian Division)

The Second Amendment says we have the right to bear arms, not to bear artillery. - Robin Williams

Flush Dimbulb: Rewriting the Constitution

(Via Huffington Post)

We believe that the preamble to the Constitution contains an inarguable truth that we are all endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life. [Applause] Liberty, Freedom. [Applause] And the pursuit of happiness. [Applause] Those of you watching at home may wonder why this is being applauded. We conservatives think all three are under assault.

Limbaugh, it seems, meant to say "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," which, of course, is in the Declaration of Independence.

(SNIP)

In the end, of course, Limbaugh's gaffe was just that: a rhetorical hiccup in an otherwise long (the speech went on for 90 minutes) and brash address. Still, in the process of accusing Obama for a lack of reverence of the Constitution, it would have undoubtedly served him better to have properly recognized the Constitution himself.

Yes, the supposed defenders of the Constitution don't even know what the document contains. Not so surprising coming from the Flush-boy, though. After all, his president, Dubya, referred to the Constitution as "a piece of paper." And with the current revelation about how the Bushies intended to undermine the rights protected in that piece of paper (is that hemp fiber?), it's hard to keep it all straight.

That Flush is the de facto leader of the Repug-lickin's is sooo appropriate. A man who never was elected to anything, who makes fun of Michael Fox and wants Obama to fail, and who ducked his own chance to serve due to "anal polyps" (code for head-up-his-ass?), is the embodiment of the mean spirited hypocrisy that is the GOP.

Proposition 8: The Musical!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Get over it!!?!

(Via Newscloud)

The Italians have a word for assholes like Scalia: douche bag!

(Okay, that's actually two words . . . .)

George Bush confesses to war crimes!

While the media has had a hissy fit about Obama's "bitter" remarks, this is what else is going on:

(Via Crooks and Liars)

In a stunning admission to ABC news Friday night, President Bush declared that he knew his top national security advisers discussed and approved specific details of the CIA’s use of torture. Bush reportedly told ABC, “I’m aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved.” Bush also defended the use of waterboarding.

“We have always known that the CIA’s use of torture was approved from the very top levels of the U.S. government, yet the latest revelations about knowledge from the president himself and authorization from his top advisers only confirms our worst fears,” said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. “It is a very sad day when the president of the United States subverts the Constitution, the rule of law, and American values of justice.”

This is amazing, more for the fact that Congress, the media, and the courts are not up in arms about it than that Bush has finally admitted that which we already knew. If you are sick of this travesty, let your Representatives know you want action. Go here to send an email via the ACLU Action Alerts page. Silence is acquiescence. Let's prosecute Bush and his fellow criminals now!

Bowling vs the future of our country

(Via Glenn Greenwald)

In the past two weeks, the following events transpired. A Department of Justice memo, authored by John Yoo, was released which authorized torture and presidential lawbreaking. It was revealed that the Bush administration declared the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights to be inapplicable to "domestic military operations" within the U.S. The U.S. Attorney General appears to have fabricated a key event leading to the 9/11 attacks and made patently false statements about surveillance laws and related lawsuits. Barack Obama went bowling in Pennsylvania and had a low score.

Here are the number of times, according to NEXIS, that various topics have been mentioned in the media over the past thirty days:

"Yoo and torture" - 102
"Mukasey and 9/11" -- 73
"Yoo and Fourth Amendment" -- 16
"Obama and bowling" -- 1,043
"Obama and Wright" -- More than 3,000 (too many to be counted)
"Obama and patriotism" - 1,607
"Clinton and Lewinsky" -- 1,079

It is becoming more and more evident, as if it wasn't already, that as citizens we cannot depend on the media to show us the important issues. It is incumbent on us to search out the truth, as the press is far to enamored with the sound of its own voice to decide that for us. Maybe this is really the way it is supposed to be, anyway, but God help us all if we can't see that destroying our Constitutional rights is more important than Obama's bowling score.

One other point to note about all of this is that these fixations are as skewed as they are vapid. Barack Obama is an exotic elitist freak because he went to Harvard Law School and made $1 million from his book. Hillary Clinton can't possibly have any connection to the Regular Folk because her husband, who grew up dirt poor, became quite wealthy after being President. John Kerry was completely removed from the concerns of the Regular People because his second wife was rich.
By contrast, George W. Bush was a down-home, salt-of-the-earth Man of the People despite being the grandson of a U.S. Senator, the son of a President (who greatly magnified his riches in his post-presidency), and the by-product of an extremely wealthy, coddled life. Ronald Reagan was pure Americana despite spending most of his adult life as a very wealthy Hollywood actor (and converting his post-presidency into far greater riches still). And John McCain is as Regular a Guy as it gets, even though he dumped his first wife (the mother of his three children) after she was disfigured and disabled by a near-fatal car accident so that he could marry his much younger, much prettier, and extremely wealthy heiress-mistress, whose family riches then launched his political career and sustained a life of luxury for almost three decades (that's how McCain's rustic "Sedona cabin" -- i.e., his sprawling compound -- came to be).

It would be bad enough if our political press were obsessed with such trivialities. The fact that they do so in such a Republican-leader-worshiping manner makes it only that much worse, particularly given that it's this dynamic, more than anything else, that determines the outcome of our elections

It seems that to the media, torture is fine, but don't you dare get a low bowling score. What a load of crap!

The next merger: AT&T and Homeland Security

(Via the Billboard Liberation Creative Group)

Seeing Double

One of the most interesting things about the way Republicans are trying to shift the public discourse is becoming a new double standard:

1. It is wrtong and unpatriotic to criticize Bush, the administration, generals, or other people who agree with the party line.

2. It is okay to mock, vilify, attack and smear injured children, mothers who have lost a child in Iraq, poor people, and soldiers who question or criticize the party line.

In other words, it is fine to slam those without power, but it is wrong to slam those with power. This is an outrageous perversion of the spirit of America, which talks in the Declaration of Independence (a document the Bushies show no more knowledge or respect for than they do the Constitution) of our "duty" to resist the abuse of power---and abuse of power is what the current administration is all about. AND it is absolutely counter to the way the Republican Party acted when they were running up against the Clinton Administration.

I'm certainly not the only one to notice this, and it seems so utterly obvious, but when do they get called out by the MSM on it?

The 4th of July in My Town

After all the bullshit that has happened to our country, it's nice to live in a small town where diversity is celebrated and put on display for the Fourth of July:

People gather early, waiting the parade that our town presents each year.

Even animals, like this goat, like parades.

There's the traditional fare, like Smokey . . . .

And the old warriors of the VFW . . . .

But our town has its own slant on things . . . .

A man and his miniature cow and duck. The duck stuck with him through the whole parade!

Lady Liberty, battered but not beaten!

Another mermaid for peace . . . .

A surprise appearance by the "No Clothes" Brigade . . . .

That's a man in a George Bush mask helping death sort out the crosses representing the dead Americans in Iraq.

Paul Bunyan still shows up, but he's already gotten most of the trees.

Our town goes from about 1500 to 5000 during the parade. Where do they all park?

Then on to the ball field for a party. Happy Independence Day, everyone! Stay independent, and keep safe!

A message for the 4th

(Via Truthout)

Keith Olbermann:

The twists and turns of Plame-Gate, of your precise and intricate lies that sent us into this bottomless pit of Iraq; your lies upon the lies to discredit Joe Wilson; your lies upon the lies upon the lies to throw the sand at the "referee" of Prosecutor Fitzgerald's analogy. These are complex and often painful to follow, and too much, perhaps, for the average citizen.

But when other citizens render a verdict against your man, Mr. Bush - and then you spit in the faces of those jurors and that judge and the judges who were yet to hear the appeal - the average citizen understands that, Sir.

It's the fixed ballgame and the rigged casino and the pre-arranged lottery all rolled into one - and it stinks. And they know it.

See the whole thing. It's a manifesto, a broadside. And god help us all if the actions Bush has taken don't result in him losing the office he has so awfully defiled. If we do not rise up in outrage, we deserve these assholes.