Category Archives: other voices

other voices, Theirs

“Violence is unacceptable – and un-American.” (Hear! Hear!)

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Kudos to Heath Haussamen. Absolute madness has seized many extreme conservatives.

Violence is unacceptable – and un-American | NMPolitics.net – Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics

At least 10 House Democrats have reported “death threats or incidents of harassment or vandalism at their district offices over the past week,” the Washington Post is reporting. Bricks have been thrown through windows. Calls for the president’s assassination have gone out on Twitter.

The violent acts and threats against the president and members of Congress who supported health-care reform legislation are not only unacceptable – they’re simply un-American.

We are a nation of fierce independence, and I know many who believe the health-care bill threatens that. But we’re also a nation of laws. The bill was approved through a Democratic process that started with the election of a Democratic majority in the House and Senate and of a Democratic president.

The pendulum swings. It’s been doing that since our nation was founded. It should be no surprise to anyone that Democrats would try to pass reform many conservatives don’t like, just like the previous administration succeeded in securing the approval of legislation that’s abhorrent to many, such as the Patriot Act.

Violence is unacceptable – and un-American | NMPolitics.net – Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics

other voices

This Week’s WTF?!

Socialist Makeover Complete
IF “OBAMACARE” becomes law, we will have to change the name of our once great nation to the Union of Socialist States of America (USSA).
       Our metamorphosis from a capitalist nation to a socialist one didn’t happen overnight. It began with FDR’s New Deal. It grew with LBJ’s Great Society, which gave us Welfare.
       President Obama hastened the transformation at warp speed with government ownership of banks and automakers. Now Obama wants to nationalize health care, 14 percent of the economy. …
       The problem is the mindset of liberals. They never saw a problem that couldn’t be solved with a new government program. … Winston Churchill summed it up best: “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”
       If the voters don’t wake up in time for the next election, welcome to the USSA.
LEROY CHAVEZ Albuquerque

Fear and ignorance are contagious, Leroy. You’re spreading both like mad. peace, mjh

other voices, WTF?!

WT-Swift-F?!

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Revived Anti-Gun Arguments
        All the tired old anti-gun rhetoric is floating to the surface again ("Obama Must Shoot Down the Gun Lobby" column by E.J. Dionne Jr.).
        How about a new perspective? How about a calm, objective reassessment of the First Amendment? After all, First Amendment freedoms have (damaged the) fabric of our democracy (more) than guns ever could.
        For example, so many journalists have been discovered fabricating news that it is entirely reasonable to require that all journalists be officially licensed. Licenses could then be denied or revoked — en masse if necessary — in order to ensure the integrity of the media. …
        And who could be opposed to the registration of computers? … And clearly, a system of background checks needs to be in place for anyone desiring to gain access to the Internet. Cyber-stalking, child pornography, malicious blogging — all could be reduced if some reasonable bureaucratic controls were introduced.
        Nobody had a "need" for more than one television set. Period.
        Let’s take a rational, common-sense approach to regulating the out-of-control beast we euphemize as "free speech." Surely the founding fathers had no inkling of the destructive power of the modern media.
        All honest, decent people would have to agree that the gain in emotional security would be well worth giving up a few archaic rights. After all, the Constitution is a "living" document, isn’t it?
        BOB CHRISTENSEN
        Belen

ABQJOURNAL OPINION/LETTERS: Substitute First Amendment in Revived Anti-Gun Arguments

Satire is hard. Christensen is a frequent contributor to Letters to the Editor. This is one of his longer works. I would read his blog.

However, I believe he just suggested that there is no difference between speaking and shooting. I’m glad we don’t hang out together. After all, saying what I think is no different than taking a shot at him. And, as a gunnut, he’s got a god-given right to shoot in self-defense. Don’t mention my name if you tell him about this. peace, mjh

other voices

Quote of the Day

Anne Kass, former judge:

Language is vague and subject to different meanings and interpretations, but these Originalists, and WWJD people, insist that they have an inside track on what the Founding Fathers (who didn’t even agree with each other, back then) would do, or on what Jesus would do, if he/they had been faced with today’s problems. The Founding Fathers are not available to be questioned or to speak for themselves so people like Scalia just make shit up and project it onto them.

Democracy for New Mexico: Anne Kass Guest Blog: Scalia in Albuquerque

other voices, WTF?!

This Week’s WTF?!

The signs that were distributed said “Obama Bin Lyin’ IMPEACH NOW”:

impeach.gif

The “tea party” protests nationwide are being coordinated by the conservative public relations firm Freedom Works, which is run by former Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX). The tea parties are also being supported by Newt Gingrich, through his organization American Solutions For Winning the Future. Members of Congress, such as Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH), have appeared at previous rallies. In addition, Fox News’ Glenn Beck promotes the protests, and has launched a website publicizing the events.

other voices

This Week’s WTF?!

Read on for three examples of the meaning of ignoranus:

       THOSE WHO fear Rush Limbaugh wants President Obama to fail, need not worry. Obama is succeeding, succeeding at what he always sought to do — destroy this country. Here is your hope and change, Obama voters. I am sure you will be happy to see America in ruins. — A.V.P.

[mjh: Don’t know how AVP failed to work socialist into this nonsense. As much as I hate the views of people like AVP, I don’t think they are out to "destroy this country." That is in spite of all the damage they have actually done.]

       IS IT TIME yet to claim that the Obama administration is being run by a sinister cabal of “neolibs” whose philosophy is “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste; prolong it”? — B.E.

[mjh: Wait 8 years. In the meantime, STFU.]

       I DO NOT listen to Rush Limbaugh. He’s too liberal for me. — T.K.

[mjh: I do not listen to TK — he’s too scary for me.]

other voices

Amen

Some blacks forgot sting of discrimination – Leonard Pitts Jr. – MiamiHerald.com 

No, the black experience and the gay experience are not equivalent. Gay people were not the victims of mass kidnap or mass enslavement.

No war was required to strike the shackles from their limbs.

But that’s not the same as saying blacks and gays have nothing in common. On the contrary, gay people, like black people, know what it’s like to be left out, lied about, scapegoated, discriminated against, held up, beat down, denied a job, a loan or a life. And, too, they know how it feels to sit there and watch other people vote upon your very humanity, just as if those other people had a right. So beg pardon, but black people should know better. I feel the same when Jews are racist, or gays anti-Semitic. Those who bear scars from intolerance should be the last to practice it.

Sadly, we are sometimes the first. That tells you something about how seductive a thing intolerance is, how difficult it can be to resist the serpent whisper that says it’s OK to ridicule and marginalize those people over there because they look funny, or talk funny, worship funny or love funny. So in the end, we struggle with the same imperative as from ages ago: to overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. But if last week’s vote taught us nothing else, it taught us that persistence plus faith equals change.

And we shall overcome.

Some blacks forgot sting of discrimination – Leonard Pitts Jr. – MiamiHerald.com