archived: 6 - 12 Feb, 2005 Back Next
JUNKIE
“1 Shot, 1 Kill, No Remorse, I Decide''
Radical Republicans are fostering racism, bigotry and hatred throughout America. TPJ featured an article this week of successful Republican efforts in Arizona and emerging efforts in Arkansas that, in part, ban medical care for pregnant illegal aliens even though their children born in the US will be US citizens. Even the Republican Governor of Arkansas labeled the proposed legislation “"inflammatory ... race-baiting and demagoguery.” If you missed the story, you may read it here:
“A DIFFERENT KIND OF JESUS JUICE”
Republican bigotry directed against gays fans the growing cancer of intolerance. The Westboro Baptist Church is issuing brochures thanking God for the 3,000 gays killed in the 9/11 terrorist attack and most recently for gay Swedes and Americans killed in the Asian tsunami.
The brochure is reprinted from Raw Story.
Republican students at Marquette University initiated a fundraiser to “Adopt a Sniper” with T-shirts sporting the slogan “1 Shot, 1 Kill, No Remorse, I Decide.''
Adopt a Sniper is:
a group of police and military sharpshooters raising money for their U.S. counterparts in Iraq and Afghanistan. . . .
``We thought that it was the most direct possible way to help the troops,'' said Brandon Henak, the student group's chairman. ``What really touched us and was one of the big deciding factors on choosing them was the fact that they give (the snipers) the very body armor that enables them to stay safe.''
Posted on the ``Adopt a Sniper'' Web site are thank-you letters from U.S. sharpshooters abroad and a list of items - everything from rifle accessories to knives to Black Hawk strike gear. Supporters can make cash donations or buy a memento such as an Adopt a Sniper Challenge Coin for $15 or an Adopt a Sniper bracelet for $20. – Guardian Unlimited
These examples of radical Republican extremism are typically dismissed or marginalized by Democrats as the acts of a few on the fringe of American politics.
Yet, reports such as those above are surfacing in the larger context of a society that is losing its concept of core American principles. For example:
A disturbing study released this week by the Knight Foundation of more than 100,000 students and 8,000 teachers and more than 500 administrators at 544 public and private high schools reveals a high level of misunderstanding of their First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and the press. If an informed electorate is one of the keys to a healthy democracy, America's schools are clearly failing their students and the nation.
Almost three out of four students said they took the First Amendment for granted or didn't have any particular opinion about it. Their general indifference and misunderstanding took tangible form in the belief of three out of four students that flag-burning was illegal and almost half believed the government had the right to censor the Internet. Once the First Amendment was read to them, one third of the students felt it went "too far" in granting free speech and one half thought that the government should have the right to approve news stories. . . .
According to [Mark] Goodman, [executive director of the Student Press Law Center,] one of the problems is that "today's [school] administrators are more corporate CEOs managing huge budgets than educators." What is particularly troubling is that school administrators in the last five years are not only interfering with student publications more and more frequently, they are increasingly asking for prior approval of their content. . . . In 1985, the Student Press Law Center received only 371 inquiries from student publishers and their faculty advisers nationwide. In 2003 these inquiries had spiraled up by almost a factor of 10, to 2,796.
At the high school level covered by the Knight survey, courageous teachers who served as publication advisers have lost their jobs for resisting pressure from school administrators. Randy Swikle, a director of the Illinois Press Association Foundation who taught journalism for 36 years in the Johnsburg School District and served as a publication adviser, says, "Administrators preach democracy and practice hypocrisy. No wonder the kids get cynical." – Chicago Sun-Times (emphasis added)
In a nation that is losing its concept of core constitutional principals, extremism finds more fertile soil. In “framing” issues, the Democratic Party should first engage in the larger cause – to stand and work to build a Party that advocates true constitutional democracy and civic tolerance.
THE ANONYMOUS NET
Junkie: A TPJ reader forwarded the following anonymous email that is circulating around the internet. TPJ edited and formatted the material slightly to conform to TPJ’s standards of publication.
The anonymous author makes a compelling point. TPJ readers frequently ask for material that they can cut and paste to send to their friends. As the anonymous author would say, “Keep it going.”
__________
GET A BILL STARTED TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY.
This must be an issue in "2008" Keep it going.
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.
Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.
You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan.
No congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.
For all practical purposes their plan works like this:
When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.
Except, it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments.
For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives. This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries. Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.
Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA....ZILCH....
This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds:
"OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!”
From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer), we can expect to get an average of $1,000 per month after retirement.
Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made. That change would be to:
Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us.
Then sit back . . . and watch how fast they would fix it.
Last Update: 03/23/2006