Shapes of Things

"Time stand still-I'm not looking backBut I want to look around me nowSee more of the peopleAnd the places that surround me now 

Freeze this moment a little bit longerMake each sensation a little bit strongerExperience slips away..." ~ Neil Peart

Reflecting on the tragedy in Aurora, CO, today makes one think about how precious life is, how precious friendship is, and how precious family is.  I"m not going to discuss the tragedy, nor my thoughts on what happened, but to reflect for a bit.

I have great friends!!! I had great friends growing up, some keep in contact with me via Facebook, and some have decided my political views (or views in general) weren't of their liking so they cut me loose (their loss).  I have great friends who I met along life's path and glad I met them.  I have met a strong circle of friends on Twitter and enjoy conversations with them, too...

“Facebook is for friends that are now strangers. Twitter is for strangers that should be your friends."

Each day, I look forward to seeing what my friends have to say or what they are doing, whether it's the mundane or the funny or the sadness or joy.

Grand Designs

“Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans.” ` Will Rogers

There’s a lot of infighting, it seems, within the Democratic Party…  This includes the “Clintonistas”, “Firebaggers”, “DLCers” & “Blue Dogs”.  You see, I don’t give a rats ass about you, nor do I care what you think or what you do.  The only objective is to defeat the GOP this November.

I see this quit often on Twitter where one person may something about one candidate and another person will take offense to the tweet..  Sure there are self-centered bastards who blog or tweet – most of them have names, but I’m not going to name then because everyone knows who they are.  They need to suck it up and take one for the team.

Sure, the Clintonistas are still sore Hillary lost. Sure, the Firebaggers are critical of most everything President Obama is trying to do  (let’s see them try doing shit when with over 200 teabag obstructionists in the House and less than 60 Democrats in the Senate). Sure, The DLCers are fucking losers, but so are the Blue Dogs (They sold their souls to Wall Street).

So here’s a novel, and not so new idea:  Put away the bickering, put away the snide remarks, and most of all, put away the bullshit!!!  You are DEMOCRATS!!!  Act like human beings to one another.  Act together as a cohesive unit!! We have a Presidential election to win, We have to regain the House and keep a solid majority in the Senate. After the election, you can go back to being what you were, whatever that might be.  In the mean time, grow the fuck up!!!

 

If you're a DLCer, Firebagger, or a Blue Dog, you mean nothing to me. My goal is to defeat the #GOP... Once that's done, I'm coming for you!

— Paul in Vegas(@Bluesaloon) June 30, 2012

Freedom

“We can go from boom to bust
From dreams to a bowl of dust
We can fall from rockets' red glare
Down to "Brother can you spare-"
Another war-another waste land-
And another lost generation...” ~ Neil Peart

Or

“Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose,
And nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free” ~ Kris Kristofferson

Let me preface by saying I’m an American first, a Democrat second, and a self admitted bleeding heart liberal.  I make no bones about it and have stated as much in my previous writings.

When Thirteen Colonies declared their independence some 236 years ago from the British Crown, they did not know what the future had in store for them.  They only longed for the freedom to live where they made their own rules, lives as free men under a new flag.  They wanted to shed the King and totalitarian rule.  Although British by birth, in their hearts they were American.

Now, to this time and this place… Where thirteen colonies are now Fifty States…. Here in the 21st Century…

Cast away the royalty, but gain the rich and powerful…  my how times have changed.  They are still making the rules.

But what does it get you???  Lower taxes?? Sure – I’ll go without decent road and bridges to drive on.

More money for Defense??  Sure – let’s fire a few thousand teachers in the process.  Who needs teachers anyway – our education systems are failing, we’re near the bottom in math and science, we don’t teach music and we teach to a test….  Kids don’t need books…  But someone out there decided we need the biggest and the brightest bombs our tax dollars will buy.

No need to increase the minimum wage??  What about those starving people who can barely scrape by on the pittance they are paid working in a big box store or fast food joint!!!  The standard of living rises, but wages fail to rise with them.  Two dollars 20 years ago doesn’t buy what two dollars will today…  But hey, Freedom isn’t free!!!  Now you have to work 2 or 3 jobs – to make ends meet.

We don’t need Healthcare reform??  Tell that to the family who has to sell everything just to be well, even go bankrupt in the process. They didn’t need that house or car… But the rich and powerful insurance companies and corporate-owned hospitals got theirs, in not only money, but someone’s blood and dignity!!!  So much for “promoting the General Welfare” of the people.

Our nation spends more on defense that all of our allies combined, and who does it benefit??  Defense contractors.  Our roads are crumbling, bridges and schools falling apart, teachers having to buy supplies for their classrooms out of their own pocket.  That’s not Freedom – that’s Neglect!!!  Neglecting our own for the sake of what??  A fucking plane or bomb??  Where does it end.

We have starving people in this country – do they feel this Freedom??  No, they don’t.  They fall through the system.  They are the invisible citizens. Liberals look out for them, while  conservatives want to take it all away.  Mentally ill people walking the streets when they should be taken care of. Families evicted from homes, with no assistance from the Government sworn to protect them, yet the banks who loaned them the money are bailed out.

People cry about their god and Jesus and whoever else they might worship, but do not follow the teachings. Feed the poor, heal the sick, blah blah blah… Hypocrisy abound with these people.  What ever happened to love thy neighbor – now neighbors are suffering along the political divide; left vs. right, liberal vs. conservative, Democrat vs. Republican…  We will never agree, but there can be a common ground to work from – not against.

So, this Independence Day, one should reflect on what will make this country better and shine once again.  This downward slope we find ourselves on where the top 1% control what the other 99% do is out of hand.  It’s not a matter of left and right, it’s a matter of being an American.  We have to find it within ourselves to make changes where they need to be made.  Build schools, educate our young, make college affordable, fix our infrastructure, care for the sick, feed the hungry…  I know it’s asking a lot, but as a country, we cannot fail our own..  We must preserve our future…  That is Freedom!!!