You’re Killing Our Democracy

Every time you share a meme on Facebook that's designed to inspire rage, you're helping kill our democracy.  Let me explain.

No matter your political/moral/social views, you will be angry when you see and share a meme made to inspire a particular point of view.  Here's an example.  I recently saw a meme that purported to show a homeless vet living in a car.  The text said something to the effect that our government should help homeless vets before helping refugees.  "Share if you agree" is usually a part of these inflammatory posts.

If we agree with the meme, it means that we're against refugees.  If we disagree, we're against homeless vets.  Either way, you're pitting human being against human being and working to split us apart in a very real way.  That's exactly what the Russian troll farms intended to do, and we have all fallen into the trap.

If you must express your opinion, how about writing it yourself and not sharing a meme or article that shares your view?  If you believe that homeless vets need more help, volunteer.  Or cite statistics (real ones) that show what and where the problem is.  Start a conversation.

Otherwise I'm simply going to believe you've fallen under the thrall of an entity determined to hurt us.

 

Dear New Employee Trump

Dear new employee,

Your 322,762,018 bosses welcome you and wish you well on your challenging new job.  Let me introduce you to those who you work for.

Half of us are women.  Please remember that more than 3 times the number of people that showed up to celebrate your first day came out to tell you that women matter.  Those same people told you that people with disabilities matter.  LGBTQ people.  People of color.  People that belong to the same church as you and people that don't.  People that believe in a higher power, and people that don't.

And you also work for people that didn't show up to march in the streets.  The people who just want a job.  The people that want unborn lives to be protected.  Some people that want to get richer, even if it means destroying the earth for their grandchildren.  You work for them too.

Please make wise decisions that will help all of people you work for, not just some that think like you, look like you, or are as rich as you.  Please remember that your words matter.  Evil dictators are listening and just might pick a fight with all of us because of what you say.

And more than anything, please remember the rules.  You have the freedom to speak your mind, but remember, we do too, and you work for us.  The press will be watching you - they have the right to report on what you say and do, honestly and fairly.  ALL the press - not just the media outlets that agree with you.  We, your bosses, have the right to performance reviews, and if some of us don't like what you're doing, we have the right to tell you.  That might take the form of removing some of your buddies and replacing them with new employees.  We also have the right to take to the streets if we disagree with you.

This is a temporary position, and we will be watching.

Getting Your Facts From Facebook Memes

I think I finally get it.  The otherwise lovely, sane, reasonable people who rabidly follow Trump get their facts straight from Facebook.  It's really the only explanation.  I see the memes - the ones that claim that President Obama is a Muslim, was born in Kenya, compared to a monkey.  Or the "news" stories on sites that claim to be reporting real news, but instead are slanted one way or the other.

When I posted something from FactCheck.org once (a legimate, non-biased site), my FB friend sent me an article claiming something different.  Rather than just accepting it, I checked it out.  Turns out the site was a DATING SITE!

So this is where you're getting your news from?  I get it; if you have certain beliefs, you're not going to alter those beliefs.  I'm not going to try and change your mind, even when I disagree with you.  But for Pete's sake, do some research on the candidates, one of which will be the leader of the free world.

Trump finally admitted today that Obama was born in the USA.  No apology for dragging the entire nation through the mud with him for the last 5 years; instead he tried to take credit for finishing what Hillary Clinton started.  If he says that often enough, people believe it.  The fact is that Clinton never said such a thing.  Ever.

So go ahead and believe in conservative principles.  But don't try and explain away the fact that you support this clown.

Religion in a Job Interview

I'm a bit of a political junkie these days, watching both the Republican and Democratic races intently.  My own values, which center around treating all humans well and preserving the earth for future generations, make me a liberal in most circles.  But I want to understand both sides of the issues, and here's something I just don't get.

What does religion have to do with running the country?  Why are most of the speeches laced with "In Jesus' name", or "God Bless"?  The Republican VP nominee starts every speech by saying that he's a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.  How exactly does that qualify you for the job, and don't the Republicans (and some Democrats) realize that this language alienates half of their constituency?

Imagine if the presidential race was instead an interview for an IT company and the applicant stated on his resume that he's a Christian, conservative, and Republican, in that order.  That's nice to know, but what exactly are your qualifications for the job?

And now imagine if the interview panel (the American people) was composed of Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, and Wiccans?  What's your guess on whether the applicant lands the job?

 

Then They Came for Me

Today I went to the German labor camp Sachsenhausen, less than an hour outside of Berlin.  Many times moved, at times disgusted, always sad, there were a couple of things today that struck a nerve.

Before entering the gates, our guide talked about the liberation, when the Red Army rolled in.  Countries hurried to come collect their countrymen; sending buses and trains to bring their people home.  After all, this camp was full of everyone from Norwegians, to French resistance fighters, to Dutch POWs.  Probably the biggest population at the time were Soviet prisoners of war.  Stalin didn't rush to get his men; he considered them cowardly allowing themselves to be taken prisoner instead of dying bravely for the cause.  Does that remind of you of anyone?  Trump has said almost the same thing about John McCain, who was captured during the Vietnam war and held prisoner.

When we reached the "special prisoners" prison, we learned that some famous men had been housed there, including Georg Elser, the man who tried in vain to assassinate Hitler with a bomb.  People leave gifts and flowers in the outline of his barack to this day.  Another famous prisoner there is someone you've probably never heard of, but is remembered for something he once said.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemoller was a prominent Protestant pastor who was jailed the last 7 years of WWII because he spoke out against Hitler and the Nazi rule.  Again, his saying reminded me of the dangerous situation in our country today, where some people are okay with what Donald Trump says because they're not Mexican, Muslim, or a woman.  He's not targeting them.  Yet.

 

So You Think You're Not a Socialist

Socialism is a term that has come up more in the past few months because we have a self-proclaimed democratic socialist running for president.  You say you don't believe in socialism?  Okay then.

Your kids can no longer go to a public school.  We taxpayers pay for that privilege even when we don't have kids of our own.

Forget about calling 911.  I've never had to call the police for help, and my house hasn't burned, yet I pay my taxes to ensure that you're safe.

And speaking of being safe, who do you think pays the salaries of our men and women in the armed service?  25% of my taxes do.  And I gladly pay for their benefits after they leave the service too.

Wanna mail a letter, or get packages delivered right to your mailbox?  I guess you could count on UPS or FEDEX from now on, but the US Postal Service is taxpayer funded.

Socialism isn't facism.  It's not communism.  It's a concept that we've already embraced where we all pitch in a portion of what we have to ensure that the entire community is educated, safe, and well fed, whether they paid or not.

Oh yeah.  In case you want to leave the country to avoid socialism, better not use a road.  We paid for those too.

 

Presidential Candidates on Animal Welfare

If you are an animal lover and still undecided on what presidential candidate you favor, this article might help you make up your mind.Facts about the presidential candidates' voting records and positions on animal rights and welfare.

Source: Presidential Candidates on Animal Welfare - Rescue Revolution

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

I don't think we can deny the truth any longer.  The likely GOP nominee will be a billionaire businessman who is best known for his disgusting quotes about women, Mexicans, and prisoners of war.  This is the same party that produced Abraham Lincoln.

I keep hearing that people are angry, and "voting with their middle finger".  I get that.  I'm angry too, at a congress that can't seem to work together.  I'm angry that the gun violence continues unabated, and that any reasonable suggestions to slow it down are either ignored, or ridiculed because they come from a sitting President that is reviled by the right.

But, angry as I am, I'm not about to be stupid when it comes to my future.  If I have a bad day at work, I don't tell my boss to take this job and shove it.  If the market has a downturn, I'm not going to sell everything, go off the grid, and build a bomb shelter in my backyard.

So why are so many Americans making the decision to support a racist, narcissistic, misogynist?  I'd like to think that at heart, 99.9% of people are good, decent, hardworking folks that just want to live their lives.  So are the people voting with their middle finger poorly educated (the billionaire LOVES the poorly educated; he said so himself), or are the cockroaches of America coming out to feast in the darkness?

Cockroaches eat what is available to them: cockroaches that inhabit sewers feed on sewage, while species living on dead trees consume decaying wood.  So is America rotting internally, or will this election period shine a light on everything that's wrong with this country and send the cockroaches scattering?