“W”hat type vehicle do you drive?

How many (miles / dead soldier ) does it get?

“W”hen are we going to take conservation and fuel efficiency serious?

Real Courage!

Today it is hard to find a person with real courage in public life or private. It doesn’t take any courage to go along with what the powers that be profess or advocate. So many dittobrainiacs just parrot what right-wing neo-cons and our president say. They take it at face value and never stop to think or reason through the truth or validity of what they hear. No, they just go for the cheap machismo and media bravado on Sunday morning talk shows that pass for courage these days. It’s the same people at work who fawn over everything the boss says just because he is in a position of authority over them and they seek to gain favor by agreeing with anything that is said regardless of the ethics involved. They show no intelligence or integrity by using critical thinking and questioning what is told them. Courage is not office tough-guys being cheer-leaders for opportunist politicians and demagogue talk show hosts. It takes someone who puts their money where their mouth is and personally takes the risk to stand for what they believe by advocating and giving themselves to the cause they say they support. For all those chicken-hawks who fully support this war yet refuse to volunteer or serve for it, you have no courage. You are frauds! That includes our present neo-con politicians and media types who have never been willing to sacrifice their lives for anything other than money, fame and power. They advocate the violent takeover of world resources and cultures but refuse to do any of the necessary dirty work that they send others to do and die for. They have no moral authority to force other citizens to do anything they refuse to do themselves.

I remember a guy in second grade standing up to the class bully one day on the way home from school concerning the picking on of a smaller class mate. This guy looked like he could shave in the second grade and was twice the size of his nemesis. The little guy didn’t back down in defense of his friend. He was wiry and willing to take on anyone regardless of his chances of success. Even though he was beaten badly and ended up being dragged down the sidewalk as he still held his legs around the big guys waste in a scissors lock and refused to give up. He was much like a little dog who fights any other dog that comes in his yard. Dogs have no understanding of proportion and probability of success. All they know is they will defend their territory regardless of the consequences. I respect the courage of those kinds of people. Brut power and winning battles doesn’t automatically grant you respect and legitimacy in the eyes of the world. We need more politicians and citizens who understand that today. Cindy Sheehan is a good example of courage. Many others exist but are not held up by our media or society as courageous people. Democrats could us some of those types today. You will never succeed until you are willing to sacrifice all for what you believe. You can’t hedge your bets and expect others to follow. You have to risk it all. That is why so many Muslims are considered courageous within their society. They give it all to their cause. That is not to say I agree with their cause but they are willing to sacrifice all just like the Japanese kamikaze pilots in WWII. They knew they were going against a far superior force and going to die but still went ahead.

Cowards are abundant and running our country. Courageous leaders are hard to find. Some have shown great courage in the military or other areas in their young lives but unwilling to risk the security of their money, fame and power later on to follow through with a continued life of service. Some devoutly religious followers of Christ mock their savior and call him a liar by supporting lying politicians who wage unnecessary foreign wars that kill thousands of innocent civilians. They also wage campaigns against the poor in their own country and use the name of Christ when doing it. They are called hypocrites.

It takes no courage to cheer lead those fake political Christians who slander the teachings of Christ. We need a “John the Baptist type leader” today to proclaim the truth and be willing to sacrifice his head for the cause of truth and justice rather than ones who would further enrich the well off and continue the build up of the huge military industrial complex in order to wage war and rule the world. Power that is not used for justice and compassion to help all those around the world survive is evil. We as a country should not be a part of it. We should realize that is why much of the world hates us. We have drifted so far from what out founders intended it is shameful. One very wise man once said, “If you gain the whole world but lose your soul what good is it?” That is a good question and one we should be asking more and more. Show courage and stand up to bully’s even if they are part of your own family or country. We have a higher calling as Christians. Be still and know.

Mocking Cindy

It seems that mocking and criticizing Cindy Sheehan is the latest preoccupation for all the right-wingers in America these days. The true nature of these unpatriotic hypocritical chicken hawks comes through loud and clear. They don’t want to go to Iraq to fight. They also don’t want to send their children to die in Iraq but they don’t have any qualms about impugning the character and integrity of a grieving mother. She has stood up to the president and made him look like what he truly is, a callus, detached and cold-hearted puppet who can’t admit any error. He is terrified of facing the public on this because he is wrong and people know this was a mistake. The more these ditto heads and other right wingers savage Cindy, the better for her cause. More Americans are waking up to the realization that this “W”ar is a fraud and they have been lied to. It has not made us safer and only encourages more terrorism. It was a mistake in the beginning and it is a mistake now.

” America is not only a Christian nation, it is a right-wing fundamentalist evangelical Christian nation in which Attorney General Roy Moore will police the judiciary to assure the Protestant God and 1612 Kings James Bible are instituted in every public school, hospital, bar, motel and courtroom in the land. George Bush has an approval rating of 98%, has never told a lie, didn’t use drugs and is not an alcoholic. After killing 150,000 “w” receives the Nobel peace prize and is having his face carved into Mt. Rushmore as we speak. There is no such thing as separation of Church / State and every citizen is required to subsidize Church Bingo games, Christian schools, and Sanctuary building programs by tithing their tax dollars an extra 10%. All gays are lobotomized and imprisoned but pious self righteous adulterers, on the take from lobbyists, run Congress. There is no Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare or private employee pension funds any longer since “w” and the Republicans seized them to finance the next round of tax cuts for our top 2% citizens. There are no environmental regulations and global warming is just a hoax perpetuated by liberal democrat scientists who think just because the polar ice caps have melted that it somehow proves their point. The Cato Institute is in charge of reproductive rights. All contraceptives are banned and thousands of women die from back alley abortions just like in the good old days. Jesus is a close personal friend of “w’s” and is returning next week as the poster boy for war and bigotry in this administration. He will replace Donald Rumsfield as Secretary for Defense of War and Sec. of Church / State Offensiveness. He comes highly recommended by Orin Hatch and Tom Delay as a no nonsense moral leader who will destroy all American enemies like, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Homo’s Peacenik Jews, Democrats and ACLU liberals. George Bush is writing a book on economics to show that deficits are actually a good thing and endless debt is the preordained destiny of this Calvinist elect nation. Oh, Oh, Cough! Yawwi! Arf! Woof! Ouch, Those defibrillators sting! Wow! Boy, that anesthesia during my surgery really messed up my brain. I haven’t hallucinated like that since Clarence Thomas was appointed to the Supreme Court. What a nightmare! There for a minute I thought I had died and gone to right-wing paradise or as rational people call it “HELL!” Thank goodness I was just dreaming, eh?

With the issue of science and evolution such a topical subject these days I thought it might be appropriate to weigh the views of both sides. We all know what “w” thinks. He is anti-science and his policies reflect that. He doesn’t believe global warming is factual and thinks the jury is still out on evolution and steroids. On the other hand where would we be without science and modern technology? The miracle of space travel, computers, cures for many diseases and breast implants have revolutionized our world. Just think, without all that, there would be no Pamela Anderson or Jose Conseco.
All those “know it all PhD’s” just love to rub scientific facts in the face of devout Christians in order to disprove the Bible. Not to be outdone, the Christian right has recruited their own so-called scientists and experts on evolution and science. Case in point is Ken Ham and others, who are in the process of building theme parks to teach impressionable God-fearing children the truth about science /history and the Biblical version of creation, in his opinion. In order to disprove the scientific fact of evolution Mr. Ham has a replica of modern man riding a dinosaur so all the little children can have their pictures taken riding a stegosaurus with a couple of blades missing off his back where a saddle can fit. The only problem is, many dinosaur fossils and bones have been found from millions of years ago but none have been found with spurs and a saddle from the early cowboy era. I wonder why that is? It is also interesting that many new species such as rabbits and apes do not exist in the fossil remains of the same time frame as dinosaurs. Mr. Ham’s theme park is expected to do quite well with a certain segment of the population even though it is not based on any scientific evidence, just his vivid imagination and religious superstitions. In order to prove the world is only six thousand years old and that evolution is a lie, many evangelicals insist that some similar form of creationist or intelligent design theory explains all these questions. The Garden of Eden will be located at the entrance to the park. All variety of local snakes and fruits will be featured with Adam and Eve strategically hidden behind some bushes; no, not the presidential Bushes. I suppose he will also have an interactive display explaining how the sun revolves around the earth, how “carbon dating” is an abomination as defined in Deuteronomy and how science lies about man and chimps having 98% of the exact same DNA.. If this weren’t so pathetically comical it might be scary but this is the upside down world that our right-wing Neanderthal leaders have led us. After all, some educationally progressive red states like Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas and Kansas are changing text books to reflect the ignorance and political clout that the religious right has in today’s world. Hopefully, after a few more years of this anti-intellectual theocratic crusade, the one species of religious political thought sure to go extinct will be the right-wing evangelical fundamentalist mindset. If not, modern day right-wing Evangelical Republicans will become the Shakers and Amish of the future. I think it was Darwin who said, “The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” “Use it or lose it!”

Berry Season

We all wish for good experiences for our children during their early years. I know all my children have benefited greatly from jobs, sports and Church activities they were involved in during their summers between school sessions. They have all thrived from their public education here in Henderson. I didn’t have that opportunity. As a little kid I first went to public school at the old Central Elementary School but they said I was too religious. Then I went to a private Christian school and they said I was too secular. I didn’t even know what that meant so I just went home to Mom and was “hoome skoulled.” She was real nice but didn’t have much to work with. Recently I went home to my thirty-sixth high school reunion. It was just me and Mom sitting around the punch bowl listening to Joe Cocker, and the Jethro Tull all night on my old LP’s.

I am so proud of our Community and the teachers who make a special effort to educate our children. It takes a special person to be a teacher and we have some of the best. They have nurtured and been good examples for our kids to follow.

I want to especially mention a family that has made my son’s last couple of summers unforgettable. He and his cousin, Bryan W, were born three days apart in 1990 and work in George's strawberry patch, which is located next to Community Baptist Church on Pebble Creek Drive. They have learned valuable lessons that can’t be found in books but that will follow them their entire life and build the character that is much needed in all kids. George, Lisa, Madison and little Kennedy all work at the patch during strawberry, blueberry, black berry and asparagus season. They allow my son, Bryan and my Mom to help in what ever way is needed. My son has learned the value of dependability, hard work, honesty and contributing to the business in more ways than just putting in his time. They pick the strawberries, drive the mule to chauffeur the pickers, work the register, baby sit Kennedy, be a gopher for George and make the best strawberry milk shakes in West Kentucky. My Mom is no spring chicken, just 10 in dog years, but picking strawberries and supervising the boys keeps her young and exhausted. She lives to pick berries of all kinds from Georges’ patch in town and Aunt Bugs’ patch at Baskett. She’s always around directing the pickers to the best spot for the sweetest berries. I think her Mom and Dad knew how much she would love picking berries and they arranged to have her birthday right in the middle of berry season. It is a delight to see my family so involved with the Warrens and I appreciate their patience with the boys and teaching them how to be responsible and know the value of work.


Now this is not an advertisement for the W’s berry patch but I must say if my son doesn’t save enough money to buy his Apple laptop computer this summer I’m afraid his head will pop like a blueberry on steroids.

To me, heaven will be seeing my son come home at the end of a long day after mowing lawns and picking berries, dirty, sun burnt, and sweaty with a couple pints of berries. He, my wife and I eat them with shortcake and cream on a hot June evening in H-son KY.
That’s what memories are made of and this is only one of many made right here in this town. There is nothing like the kids and families here in H-son and we grow some good ones.

It’s too bad President Bush didn’t choose a woman to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by Sandra Day O’Conner. It just seems that she was such a mediating source on the court that we should try to have more women in all of politics. I know it’s a generalization but most men would rather fight and butt heads with opponents rather than compromise. Scalia, Rehnquist and Thomas are perfect examples. On the other hand women’s maternal instinct seeks to bring opposing sides together and resolve the conflict in a peaceful manner. Can you imagine a woman lying about Iraq’s W.M.D., exposing CIA agent Valerie Plume, and going to the extreme to start a war the way Bush and Cheney did? Women don’t want to sacrifice our children in unnecessary wars. Men want to destroy their political enemies ideologically and physically. Testosterone is a deadly chemical it seems. It has been the downfall of many men and nations. I guess that’s why men don’t live as long as women. I hope when Rehnquist resigns soon that Bush will replace him with a moderate woman like O’Conner who was a uniter rather than a divider like “w’s” arrogant administration. We could use a little more moderate reasoning and less ideological extremism in our country right now. We need one who would seek consensus and find even- handed solutions to today’s issues. The President and the Supreme Court are supposed to represent all the citizens of this country and not just a small extremist minority. Let’s hope our new justice “Roberts” understands that. This would also be a good time for the U.S. to elect a woman President to help move our country back to the center and get us out of conflicts with other cultures and extremist groups. Some right wingers seem threatened by this idea. Condi Rice is an intelligent woman but needs to get married and raise some children first. Her maternal instincts aren’t the greatest and her blind allegiance has gotten in the way of her sound judgment. After all, she was one who read the specific FBI warnings of terrorist planes flying into buildings four years ago and ignored them. There are plenty of women who would make excellent presidents though. Given men’s track record throughout history, how could a woman do any worse?

Like many Greek tragedies, pride and arrogance have been the downfall of leaders and nations. Our country is not exempt from these human weaknesses. Now that most people in America (64%) and even right-wingers with a modicum of honesty realize; the Bush administration misled the nation to promote the war in Iraq. Now, that is a real reason to impeach a president and 45% of the truly patriotic public agree. Instead of just admitting there were no WMD and saying, “Oops, I guess we were wrong about that,” then leave, “w” makes up other superfluous reasons to continue his war. Now we are less secure than before. He could have just said, “thank you” and be on his way, then declare “mission accomplished again.” He could go back to his Texas tea parties where deep down they don’t want to admit the truth because, “They can’t handle the truth!” Their pride gets in the way. After all, we know he will never admit to any mistakes because God talks to him and tells him what to do. This is the arrogance and perverted reasoning they use and then expect the public to believe we are exporting democracy to Iraq. They have had civil war between the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds for centuries. They want us out. The only reason the terrorists are there is because they know they can keep knocking off our troops a little at a time and drain our federal budget just like they did with the Russians in Afghanistan. The cost of war in lives and money was too much for Russia. We will end up the same if we don’t acknowledge our mistake and get out. By the way, why haven’t we heard about “you know who?” Remember him? You know; the guy responsible for 911four years ago; the guy that Bush ignored the warnings about flying into buildings. If we told Iraq that U.S. troops would be gone at the end of the year, they would have to fight it out themselves. With us gone the terrorists would have no reason to be there just like before. We abandoned Viet Nam and they’re OK. They make some of the best Nike’s in the world today. Staying in Iraq just emboldens the terrorists. It is the best recruiting tool Bin Laden could have dreamed of. Why go to the U.S. to kill Americans when they can just let the American’s come to them? Think of the billions of dollars we have wasted compared to the pittance terrorists spend fighting us on their terms and in their global strongholds. They can beat us by bankrupting us and they are well on their way to doing just that. Iraq, Egypt, Libya and many other Muslim countries weren’t a threat before Bush’s war and they will never be democracies like we want. We can’t even get our allies like Saudi Arabia to be democracies. How do we expect Iraq to ever be one? We need to concentrate on real threats like Iran and N. Korea who do have real weapons of mass destruction. I think “w” may have misunderestimatated the common sensicalessness of the American people. They are beginning to wake up to the deception of the last four years. They don’t like being lied to and tricked when it comes to their money, jobs and the lives of their children. This whole sordid “W”ar just a lie. It is indeed a sad Greek tragedy.

When you boil it right down to the bare essentials the world of today’s right wing conservative evangelical consists of basically three issues. Let’s take a hypothetical local Church called “the 1st Assembly of Southern Republican Baptizers led by lay minister, Bro. Crawdaddy T. Lipschitz. The right Reverend is by weekday a registered cleaning expert who will remove the worldly stains from your carpet and drapes at a modest sanctified predestined fee and on the Sabbath he is an ordained fundamentalist slobber mouth preacher who will remove the spiritual stains from your vile and wicked souls by instilling the twisted truths of his 1612 King James Bible into your soft and impressionable brains. After all he is in the cleaning business. Vote for him next election and he will clean up the whole city before the rapture comes.

First and foremost is the issue of homosexuality. They think God goofed when he created homosexuals and that Jesus’ fatal error was not mentioning and condemning them during his ministry. Their goal is to rid the world of homosexuals by casting them into a living societal hell at the first possible opportunity. Anyone defending fair treatment for them is definitely not a Christian and also will be included as a homosexual by proxy. While attending Sunday school class each week members compare notes on how to discriminate against homosexuals in their work place. They have an orgy of bigotry and hate for anyone in the community who doesn’t join them in discriminating against all the gay radicals who are attempting to take over our country and brainwash our kids. Actually Jesus said the whores are closer to the kingdom of God than the self-righteous but I would wager a bet that isn’t preached too often.

Next on the list of top gospel political hits is abortion. They are against any form of abortion from conception on but don’t find it hypocritical to use birth control pills or I.U.D.’s which also destroy fertilized eggs. They want to go back to their Pollyanna world view days of botched back alley abortions which killed and maimed untold numbers of women in this country before 1973. They think all women and doctors involved in such deeds deserve death that is unless their daughter comes home pregnant after being knocked up by the high school football stud. They would vote for Satan himself if he said he was anti-abortion but won’t consider changing their own birth control methods.

Last on the must do list of fundamentalist hedonism priorities is to rid our public schools of ungodly evolution science and the so called separation of church and state lie. They will force school systems to teach Biblical creationism as though it was science and then fire any so called educated monkey man Biology intellectual for leading their impressionable child astray from the truths of Genesis and not praying to their right wing Protestant Jesus. Yes once Bro. Lipschitz gets all his flock indoctrinated and the country gets these three critical issues resolved through rewriting the U.S. Constitution by only voting for godly republican family values politicians we can all rest easy knowing that God is in his place and all is right with the world. Amen and Amen.

Merry Christmas to all real Christians and
Burn in Hell you Secular Humanist Homos

One would think that after arguing on ad-nauseum concerning the false notion that the U.S. Constitution is a religious document and contains many references to God and Jesus that the ill-informed evangelicals would be red faced with embarrassment rather than blue in the face. They don’t seem to be able to admit when they are wrong or ever make any mistakes just like their hero “w.” These hardheaded fundamentalist right-wingers have their minds closed to historical reality and continue to delude themselves into believing there is no “separation of Church and State.” The Federal government has primacy over all state governments regardless what any particular State Constitution says just as it did with Civil Rights and other legislation. They need to cut down on the number of hours of right-wing radio they listen to every day if they ever want to improve their appreciation and understanding of history. They seem to be as out of touch as a rabid UK fan insisting that the Wildcats have the #1 college football team in America, much less in Kentucky. No one is saying that our forefathers wanted a purely secular society but they did agree that we should have a purely secular Constitution and that we should keep government and religion separate. That is a fact. The treaty of Tripoli negotiated by John Adams and approved by Congress specifically states to the Muslim nation that America was not by any means a Christian nation. It couldn’t be more clear. At the time of the writing of the Constitution some argued to include references to God and to pray during their deliberations but our forefathers refused. They insisted on Congress meeting on Sundays and even Christmas day and that mail always be delivered on Sundays so as to demonstrate that the government didn’t show favoritism to any particular religion. They didn’t state that our country or Constitution was ordained by God, but by the common sense and reason of man. They knew that if their new country failed, God would not be to blame but only the people who governed it. Our original money and the pledge of allegiance did not contain any references to God until the 1950’s. So who is changing our founder’s intentions? Our most influential founding leaders were deists who did not accept today’s evangelical view of Jesus as God or founder of this country. Many can disagree with that on religious grounds but none can deny it as a historical reality. This is not a theocracy and we cannot force our own particular view of religion on other citizens through governmental decrees or laws. The government has no right to presume to speak for all its citizens concerning God or religion. That is a simple and enduring Constitutional fact much to the consternation of our present day right wing theocrats. They debated the idea of all these religious issues when writing the Constitution and concluded that we must keep it secular so as to guarantee freedom of and from religion. This issue was settled by our founders but today’s right-wingers refuse to capitulate to reality. It has served us well for over two hundred years. Just because a politician invokes God in a speech does not mean he is speaking for all Americans but when he tries to make a law concerning religion which would speak for all Americans it would be unconstitutional and unworkable. What is it about that simple concept that conservatives have such a problem with? Do they want to legalize forcing their religion on everyone? That will not happen under our present Constitution. We have something called free will and choice. The evangelical agenda may be to force a different Constitution on all Americans but they can’t distort our present one into their Biblical view because history doesn‘t lie. Merry Christmas and God bless all true free choice loving Americans. You too, right wing evangelicals.
Hypocrite anti-abortionists better stop aborting all those fertilized eggs with your birth control pills or Santa won’t bring you anything for Christmas. Love ya!

One would think that after arguing on ad-nauseum concerning the false notion that the U.S. Constitution is a religious document and contains many references to God and Jesus that the ill-informed evangelicals would be red faced with embarrassment rather than blue in the face. They don’t seem to be able to admit when they are wrong or ever make any mistakes just like their hero “w.” These hardheaded fundamentalist right-wingers have their minds closed to historical reality and continue to delude themselves into believing there is no “separation of Church and State.” The Federal government has primacy over all state governments regardless what any particular State Constitution says just as it did with Civil Rights and other legislation. They need to cut down on the number of hours of right-wing radio they listen to every day if they ever want to improve their appreciation and understanding of history. They seem to be as out of touch as a rabid UK fan insisting that the Wildcats have the #1 college football team in America, much less in Kentucky. No one is saying that our forefathers wanted a purely secular society but they did agree that we should have a purely secular Constitution and that we should keep government and religion separate. That is a fact. The treaty of Tripoli negotiated by John Adams and approved by Congress specifically states to the Muslim nation that America was not by any means a Christian nation. It couldn’t be more clear. At the time of the writing of the Constitution some argued to include references to God and to pray during their deliberations but our forefathers refused. They insisted on Congress meeting on Sundays and even Christmas day and that mail always be delivered on Sundays so as to demonstrate that the government didn’t show favoritism to any particular religion. They didn’t state that our country or Constitution was ordained by God, but by the common sense and reason of man. They knew that if their new country failed, God would not be to blame but only the people who governed it. Our original money and the pledge of allegiance did not contain any references to God until the 1950’s. So who is changing our founder’s intentions? Our most influential founding leaders were deists who did not accept today’s evangelical view of Jesus as God or founder of this country. Many can disagree with that on religious grounds but none can deny it as a historical reality. This is not a theocracy and we cannot force our own particular view of religion on other citizens through governmental decrees or laws. The government has no right to presume to speak for all its citizens concerning God or religion. That is a simple and enduring Constitutional fact much to the consternation of our present day right wing theocrats. They debated the idea of all these religious issues when writing the Constitution and concluded that we must keep it secular so as to guarantee freedom of and from religion. This issue was settled by our founders but today’s right-wingers refuse to capitulate to reality. It has served us well for over two hundred years. Just because a politician invokes God in a speech does not mean he is speaking for all Americans but when he tries to make a law concerning religion which would speak for all Americans it would be unconstitutional and unworkable. What is it about that simple concept that conservatives have such a problem with? Do they want to legalize forcing their religion on everyone? That will not happen under our present Constitution. We have something called free will and choice. The evangelical agenda may be to force a different Constitution on all Americans but they can’t distort our present one into their Biblical view because history doesn‘t lie. Merry Christmas and God bless all true free choice loving Americans. You too, right wing evangelicals.
Hypocrite anti-abortionists better stop aborting all those fertilized eggs with your birth control pills or Santa won’t bring you anything for Christmas. Love ya!

While getting pelted upside the head with tootsie rolls and candy canes at the Christmas parade last week I commenced to thinking on my conservative critics. I know I’m not real smart and highly educated like these intellectual Kentucky Republicans but why won’t they acknowledge that our Constitution doesn’t mention God or Jesus instead of attacking me and calling me hurtful names out in the Christian community. I’m real sensitive and cry easily. I didn’t hit the genetic lottery when it came to brains and looks but at least my wife and kids still sort of like me. I know the first thing my critics do when they read one of my letters is they get out their dictionary to see what all those big words mean and then they commence to copy my phrases and sayings to use in their letters. I guess I should be flattered. When they make broad sweeping generalizations about ACLU liberals such as me and any of their other avowed ungodly enemies, I get real pacific in my analysis of them. They don’t seem to like objective views of their prejudices and flawed religious and political reasoning. Like many Republicans and evangelicals they would rather be popular than factually correct. That’s why this country is in the sad shape it is in today, relative to war, fiscal policy and hypocritical morality. Capitulating to four more years of lies won’t help our situation. It’s just sad that we can’t have an honest dialog concerning our secular Constitution and Biblical truths. My conservative detractors seem incapable of acknowledging the reality of our secular Godless Constitution. As with “w” they don’t seem to be able to admit they are wrong about anything. They can’t seem to help directing their hatred of me for stating the truth about the separation of Church and State when in reality they hate our Country’s founders for not writing the Constitution in a way that supports their facetious and fallacious theocratic arguments. I still love them even though they are on the wrong side of Constitutional truths and the liberal foundations of U.S. history.
Merry Christmas!

It is obvious that many conservatives didn’t perceive the point of my letter about them being against free will and choice. That fact is as true today as is was then and their letters confirm it. The pathetic nature of my detractors is that they don’t hesitate to say that if one doesn’t agree with “w’s” politics then you hate America and are for the terrorists but when that logic is turned around and directed at them the way I did concerning the Constitution they can’t take it. If you dish it out you have to be able to take it but most of them can’t seem to deal with that notion. The distinction they don’t seem to comprehend is that I don’t advocate the issues they hate. My advocacy is for the freedom and liberty guaranteed in the Constitution. It is the height of intellectual dishonesty to deny the secular nature of the U.S. Constitution and no one has ever claimed that we should have a purely secular society. We are a religious people and we will continue to have a religious society as long as that is the case. To twist what I said and claim I said something I didn’t is very deceptive but typical of these conservatives. It’s ironic that conservatives today argue against our liberal founding fathers’ secular Constitution but at the same time get most of their ideas from an immoral right wing drug addict radio talk show host. I am a Christian who holds very similar religious views as my Christian friends but some falsely assume that since I don’t go along with their political views that I support the morality they rail against. Nothing could be further from the truth. My faith doesn’t think gambling, pornography and many other vices are moral but I don’t push to have my religion enacted as law. There is no virtue in NO freedom of choice. There is much disagreement in our society as to when human life begins and ends. If you want to believe it begins at conception, fine, but don’t expect everyone else to agree with you. Flesh and blood don’t define human life. The soul does. One would think that religious people would understand that. When the soul enters and leaves the human body is subject to debate and varies from person to person. Today fundamentalists want to force women to carry a fetus to term even when they have been raped or as a result of incest. They also believe in capital punishment for women and doctors who have abortions or perform them. There is much disagreement about this so why allow extremists to force their narrow religious views on everyone? Liberals don’t force their views on others by enacting laws to force euthanasia on individuals. Most liberal patriots I know only want to maintain the Constitutional freedoms and liberties as intended by our founders. They feel that each person has a right and responsibility to make choices using their own conscience. They don’t think the government should interfere in personal private matters. When did the Republican Party become the party of big brother interfering in the private lives of its citizens? It is comical how conservatives moralize about their favorite issues but ignore others. For example, how can we allow homosexuals to threaten the sanctity of divorce? I think Jesus had something to say about divorce but I don’t recall him mentioning homosexuality. Heterosexuals don’t have a very good record of maintaining the sanctity of marriage. Who are they to cast stones? Just because alcohol is legal doesn’t mean you are forced to drink alcohol. It is a choice you are allowed to make. That is free will and liberty as guaranteed in the Constitution. I don’t teach my children to not murder or steal or support unnecessary war and the killing of innocent civilians in Iraq because of a law. I teach them Christian values because my faith and my Savior taught that. I don’t expect the government or our public schools to do what the Church and the family are responsible for. You can enact as many laws as you want but it will not do any good until the heart of people are changed. The government can’t do that. That is God’s purpose and should be the goal of God’s people. Many evangelicals have the warped view that we must enact laws and attain more political power to force people to change. How ironic that they seem to have more faith in the political power given by man than they do the power of God. That has been tried throughout history and it hasn’t worked in Christian Europe and now in the middle-eastern Muslim countries. Extremist religions which gain political power, whether they are Christian or Muslim or any other have been the cause of more wars and violence throughout history than any other. Why are we making the same mistakes in this country that so many others have? Why don’t we learn from history? The irony of my letter seems to be lost on those partisan conservatives who assume that God is only on their side politically. Their ignorance of American history is astounding. They continually use revisionist history to support their false views of Constitutional foundations. I personally don’t believe God takes part in politics and I don’t believe Christians should use God as a political tool in order to gain votes. That is unethical for politicians to do and blasphemy for ministers but it doesn’t seem to stop them from doing it. I realize many politicians quote scripture and call upon God for guidance but that is a far cry from saying that our Constitution is based on Christianity. It is not. Lincoln was severely demonized by the religious people of his day because he refused to join any church or religion. Anyone with even a minute knowledge of his life would know that. He was under intense pressure from evangelicals and placated them by invoking God in his speeches as many politicians do. He understood the secular nature of the Constitution and refused to change it to conform to the fundamentalists of his day. I wonder how he would fair in the Republican Party today? The argument we are still having today by fundamentalist evangelicals has been settled. Our founding fathers settled it. They decided not to have a Christian Theocracy or a religious democracy. They intentionally made our Constitution secular. There are many historical facts to prove this. Read the book “the Godless Constitution” and see for yourself. It does not contain the name of Jesus or God and I still challenge anyone to prove otherwise. They are not arguing with me. They are arguing with the reality of the Constitution and its founders. Many politicians try to claim that God supports them. Bush himself claimed God called him to be president and then he asked fundamentalist leaders to lay hands on him as though he was being anointed as a religious president. This is the ultimate act of self serving heresy by a politician. Using God as a political prop is despicable. Many fundamentalists have fallen for the ploy and follow “w” down the road to anti-Christian political policies. I strongly believe in separation of Church/State and feel our religious leaders have lost site of its importance. I know our country’s founders wanted it and insisted on it but today our leaders lack the wisdom to understand how it not only benefits our secular government but also it assures the freedom and independence of our religions and Churches. After all without it there would be no tax exemption of Churches. Is that what religions want? Close examination of our country’s history shows how fundamental the separation of Church & State is to our being. The 1st Amendment guarantees it and the Supreme Court has consistently upheld it. Without it religion becomes just another weapon for politicians to abuse so please don’t let politicians drag Almighty God into the mud of partisan politics. Our faith should steer clear of man made corrupt politics. No one person or party holds an exclusive contract on God’s grace and will. Don’t be fooled by politicians who claim they do. It is a lie. Our government is a man made civil secular creation. That was done intentionally. They had suffered under religious/political tyranny in Europe and they understood how oppressive and evil government could be when controlled by the Church. They insisted on our country not making the same mistakes so many others had by mixing religion and politics. Let’s keep both strong and independent by keeping them separate. We don’t need another Spanish inquisition so don’t follow politicians and preachers who justify their agenda by using God for political purposes and declare any who disagree with them as being unchristian and unworthy to hold office. That is a lie and will only lead to our loss of freedom and independence as a sovereign nation and people.
Now, let’s all hold hands and sing “Kum Ba Ya”

Why can’t “w” admit that he is ever wrong or has made any mistakes? Well, when you say that God told you to go to war and that God led you to invade or to cut taxes and bankrupt the Treasury then God would be the one making the mistake and we all know that can’t be. So what is it? Has God told “w” to do all which he has done or is “w” just using God as a prop for his own partisan desires? I think “w” and his evangelical followers have painted themselves into a corner with this kind of logic.

I am torn between wanting to see “w” get another term and face the consequences of all he has brought down on this country in the last four years or actually seeing Kerry in office who I believe will honestly work to improve conditions for all Americans. Bush has done so much harm to every facet of our economy, culture and standing in world affairs that I feel it is his just reward to reap what he has sown. Our next few presidents will have to work hard to clean up the catastrophe that “w” has left our country in much the same way Clinton did after twelve years of Reagan/Bush. The “spend and borrow credit card” mentality of “w” leaves all the pain and payments to future generations and none of Bush’s’ plans will reverse the downward course we are on. “w” thinks we can have two wars, huge tax cuts with no spending cuts to balance the books. He took the largest surplus in history created by Clinton and created the largest deficit ever. Millions have lost good jobs and more have no insurance. The stock market is lower than it was four years ago. We are hated by the world and are less secure today than when he took office. More terrorism has occurred during the last four years than at any time in history. He allowed the conditions which led to 911 and has no plan to change his wrong headed war against a country that did not attack us on 911 and Osama Bin Laden is still at large. Bush and his people make no secret about their intention to bankrupt the Treasury so they can eliminate Social Security, Medicare and other programs they have fought against over the years that serve working America. So don’t be surprised when the budgetary bubble bursts and working America is left with no safety net. Yes, I think the best punishment for “w” would be to make him face the results of his and Dick Cheney’s “Major League Cash Hole” decisions over the next four years. The perfect example is how state and private employees have continuously had to accept weaker and weaker medical insurance and benefit programs. Get used to this because all pay and benefits are headed in the same direction and “w” will try to make you feel grateful to have any benefits at all. After all, workers in China have no benefits and we need to be competitive. If you complain you are unpatriotic. Conservatives say, Hey Liberal, Love it or Leave it. “w” has no one to blame but himself and his Republican counterparts in the Senate, House and Supreme Court. They control it all and have created the hole we find ourselves in. I know “w” never admits mistakes nor does anything wrong because he falsely believes God tells him what to do but the facts tell a far different story. Many gullible people have fallen for his lies and are ignoring the reality of the results of his policies on the future. So who ever is unlucky enough to win the prize in November will have to face the harsh reality of dealing with the failures of the last four years. You might get a $200 tax cut and a $200 trillion debt you and your kids can pay off for the rest of your life after being outsourced from you good job at an early age so you can work part time at a fast food joint or Wal-Mart for no benefits until the day you die. The ultimate moral question for our time is what kind of world we leave to our children. For this immoral administration the answer is only endless debt, reduced liberties, WAR and diminished expectations. Enjoy!

Angry White Guy Convention

Well the Republicans never fail to disappoint those bigots who want some red meat for their diet of hate, lies and videotape. When watching the convention speakers I was struck by the anger and look of viciousness from Cheney and Zell Miller but “w’s bug eyed look of puzzlement was just plain weird. What kind of medication is he on these days? I am accustomed to Cheney’s scowl and speaking from one side of his mouth when he tosses his lies and threats but after watching Zel for a few minutes I fully expected him to start barking. He looked like a rabid dog howling at the moon. Wow, that guy is a certified loon. If he represents “w’s” Southern conservative supporters then God help us. He made Cheney look like a puppy dog in comparison. I turned off the volume on each of them just to get the visual impression and it was scary. I guess the idea was if these guys came before “w” then even he would look calm and semi intelligent by comparison but in reality that didn’t happen. The lies and distortion of facts on the economy and foreign affairs was amazing. They rewrite history like it is child’s play. I guess they truly believe most of the public just accept everything they are told without questioning but couldn’t the media start challenging them on their endless list of lies? When the public is not informed they are ripe for manipulation. Rush does a great job of echoing all the administrations lies three hours every day so why do the rest of the media do the same? Is news only about ratings rather than facts? Does the truth matter anymore?

This administration is in “w’s” own words, “a catastrophic success.” Yes that’s right it makes no sense and is contradictory but this is how our president described our actions in Iraq. Everything they have done, from the economy to starting unnecessary wars has been very successful in being catastrophic for our country economically and militarily. They don’t deserve four more years of this chaos, death and bankruptcy to prove that they are tuff guys. We need leadership that is intelligent, measured and wise. Four years ago America was in the best shape economically, domestically and in foreign affairs in my lifetime and this administration came in and destroyed everything that had been created in six months. They don’t deserve any more chances. Get rid of them now!

Credit Card President

One of the ongoing economic and psychological illnesses of today’s generation is their affinity to obtain every material desire immediately without concern for how it will affect their future condition. They have an attitude that all their impulsive desires are due them just because they deserve it by virtue of the fact that the media has convinced them that they are the chosen ones. Live for today and pay tomorrow or let Mom and Dad pay. This is the same for our president. He lived his life this way and continues to this day. Daddy gave him everything from material riches to unlimited political power to require others to fight wars that he didn’t even have the courage to fight when he was expected to. He was raised in a life of privilege and pedigree and when he was given the power to govern he chose to serve only those who like him held all the keys to success, wealth and power. Yes some liberals were raised the same way but they chose to use their power to aid those less fortunate or those who were not given all the privileges and perks in life. But to “w” there is no virtue in that attitude. It’s for losers not winners like him and the rest of his elitist base. He governs in the same way. Rather than use his undeserved power to help those who need help he chooses to give more to the greedy and powerful. Rather than choose responsible monetary and environmental policies he chooses to transfer the costs to future generations and leaders. Rather than act in a wise and reasoned manner toward war and foreign affairs he does the expeditious thing that gains him immediate political gratification and popular opinion in the polls at the expense of those who have to die for his mistakes. Our future and our children’s future have been ransomed by this president’s reckless and shortsighted decisions. He is not a leader. He is a misleader and many people have fallen for his lies and deceptions. He cannot admit when he errs and we suffer for his recalcitrant and inflexible mentality. The huge credit card payment for his irresponsible actions will come due soon but he will be long gone and not have to pay for it. We and the next administration will. His life has been a repeated series of this same scenario and the culmination of it will upset those same blind voters who presently defend him. When it happens I won’t have any compassion for their pleadings. You get what you pay for and you will pay and pay and pay.

Obviously many people didn’t perceive the satire of my letter. The irony of my letter seems to be lost on those partisan conservatives who assume that God is only on their side politically. I personally don’t believe God takes part in politics and I don’t believe Christians should use God as a political tool in order to gain votes. That is unethical for politicians to do and blasphemy for ministers. My letter asked the question, “Sound familiar?” because I mimicked past commentary and preaching from evangelicals in the 96 and 2000 elections who railed against Clinton and Gore but promoted Bush as a God given Savior to their cause. Bush himself claimed God called him to be president and then he asked fundamentalist leaders to lay hands on him as though he was being anointed as a religious president. This is the ultimate act of self serving heresy by a politician. Using God as a political prop is despicable. Many fundamentalists have fallen for the ploy and follow “w” down the road to anti-Christian political policies. In my letter I intentionally reversed candidates and issues that right wingers used in the last two elections and claimed that God endorsed them to illustrate what it feels like for others with diametrically opposing political views to use God as a political tool against their party and candidate.
I strongly believe in separation of Church/State and feel our religious leaders have lost site of its importance. I know our country’s founders wanted it and insisted on it but today our leaders lack the wisdom to understand how it not only benefits our secular government but also it assures the freedom and independence of our religions and Churches. After all without it there would be no tax exemption of Churches. Is that what religions want? Close examination of our country’s history shows how fundamental the separation of Church & State is to our being. The 1st Amendment guarantees it and the Supreme Court has consistently upheld it. Without it religion becomes just another weapon for politicians to abuse so please don’t let politicians drag Almighty God into the mud of partisan politics. Our faith should steer clear of man made corrupt politics. No one person or party holds an exclusive contract on God’s grace and will. Don’t be fooled by politicians who claim they do. It is a lie. Our government is a man made civil secular creation. Neither God nor Jesus is mentioned in the Constitution. That was intentionally done by our nation’s founders. They had suffered under religious/political tyranny in Europe and they understood how oppressive and evil government could be when controlled by the Church. They insisted on our country not making the same mistakes so many others had by mixing religion and politics. Let’s keep both strong and independent by keeping them separate. We don’t need another Spanish Inquisition so don’t follow politicians and preachers who justify their agenda by using God for political purposes and declare any who disagree with them as being unchristian and unworthy to hold office. That is a lie and will only lead to our loss of freedom and independence as a sovereign nation and people.
Now, let’s all hold hands and sing “Kum Ba Ya”

I am writing in response to a letter and comments concerning my letter of April 9. I stand by everything I said in the letter but it appears that some people apparently didn’t read it very carefully. First, I do not hate and I did not refer to all evangelicals, just a small minority of them. It is frustrating to have to defend things I did not say. I pointed out specific fiscal policies of the bush administration that have put our country in extreme debt and will impact our children and the taxes they will be required to pay in the future. Everything I stated is factual and well documented by governmental agencies. Bush blew the huge surplus left him by Clinton and now we have the largest deficit and debt in history. This is a fact. Every time I quote facts concerning bush or the “right-wing evangelical” base of the Republican Party many people take offense. I am an evangelical Christian as many other people are but we do not support the hypocritical and non-Christian political policies of the bush administration. Why is it that any time someone points out the contradiction of what Jesus taught and what right-wing Republican evangelicals enact into law and institute as fiscal policy then they are somehow seen as abhorring the Christian faith? This is ridiculous. Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone who claims to be a Christian and wants to institute religion into law should be subject to criticism since our form of government is guided by the “Separation of Church and State.” To deny that is simply to confirm ignorance on the issue. Jesus certainly did not endorse or use politics or laws to promote Christianity and I think more Christians agree that it should not be done in our present civil society. That is the work of the Church. To use partisan politics to enforce a narrow view of Christianity demeans the power of God and his Spirit and blasphemes the teachings of Christ. The intention of my letter was to point out the inconsistency of “Right-Wing Evangelical Republicans” politics with the teachings of Christ. I keep trying to find the “right-wing Jesus” many Republican extremists claim to follow but I have not found him in my Bible. Jesus was beyond politics and any other man made institution. He was very much a liberal in his time and even would be considered more of a liberal today. He threatened the religious establishment then as he would today. Many right-wingers don’t see that but it is true. Just read your Bible and see.
I take serious what Jesus taught. I am always willing to help any fundamentalist preacher or congregation learn about the true Jesus of the Bible. Just call and ask for “Deacon T. Glenn.” Love ya!

Like many Greek tragedies, pride and arrogance have been the downfall of leaders and nations. Our country is not exempt from these human weaknesses. Now that most people in America (64%) and even right-wingers with a modicum of honesty realize; the Bush administration misled the nation to promote the war in Iraq. Now, that is a real reason to impeach a president and 45% of the truly patriotic public agree. Instead of just admitting there were no WMD and saying, “Oops, I guess we were wrong about that,” then leave, “w” makes up other superfluous reasons to continue his war. Now we are less secure than before. He could have just said, “thank you” and be on his way, then declare “mission accomplished again.” He could go back to his Texas tea parties where deep down they don’t want to admit the truth because, “They can’t handle the truth!” Their pride gets in the way. After all, we know he will never admit to any mistakes because God talks to him and tells him what to do. This is the arrogance and perverted reasoning they use and then expect the public to believe we are exporting democracy to Iraq. They have had civil war between the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds for centuries. They want us out. The only reason the terrorists are there is because they know they can keep knocking off our troops a little at a time and drain our federal budget just like they did with the Russians in Afghanistan. The cost of war in lives and money was too much for Russia. We will end up the same if we don’t acknowledge our mistake and get out. By the way, why haven’t we heard about “you know who?” Remember him? You know; the guy responsible for 911four years ago; the guy that Bush ignored the warnings about flying into buildings. If we told Iraq that U.S. troops would be gone at the end of the year, they would have to fight it out themselves. With us gone the terrorists would have no reason to be there just like before. We abandoned Viet Nam and they’re OK. They make some of the best Nike’s in the world today. Staying in Iraq just emboldens the terrorists. It is the best recruiting tool Bin Laden could have dreamed of. Why go to the U.S. to kill Americans when they can just let the American’s come to them? Think of the billions of dollars we have wasted compared to the pittance terrorists spend fighting us on their terms and in their global strongholds. They can beat us by bankrupting us and they are well on their way to doing just that. Iraq, Egypt, Libya and many other Muslim countries weren’t a threat before Bush’s war and they will never be democracies like we want. We can’t even get our allies like Saudi Arabia to be democracies. How do we expect Iraq to ever be one? We need to concentrate on real threats like Iran and N. Korea who do have real weapons of mass destruction. I think “w” may have misunderestimatated the common sensicalessness of the American people. They are beginning to wake up to the deception of the last four years. They don’t like being lied to and tricked when it comes to their money, jobs and the lives of their children. This whole sordid “W”ar just a lie. It is indeed a sad Greek tragedy.

One day a man went into the barber shop since he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. The barber, "said if you want the best shave you'll ever have let her do if for you." Well he did and if felt so good. He woke up the next morning and it still felt good. As a matter of fact he didn't have to shave at all that day. The next morning he woke up and it was still smooth. He was amazed. He was telling everybody he met about it. He woke up on the third day and it still felt wonderful. He had to go back and tell the lady who shaved him how much he appreciated it but he said, "how can this be?" She replied, "Well, I am Grace and once I shave you you'll never have to be shaved again." "Once shaved always shaved"

It is comical to listen to some right-wing politicians and evangelicals rage about science and evolution. I looked up a chart on the ascent of man and it showed man’s oldest precursor to be the apes, next Proconsul, then Patenleather knuckle-dragger fundamentalists, Austrailapithecus, homo-erectus, Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon, and finally modern man. When did the human form develop a conscience and soul? That is a matter of religious belief. Not until modern man was science developed. It included gathering facts based on scientific observations rather than superstition and fear. Are we going to advance any further in our educational institutions or are we going to regress to earlier forms of man? I fear the later.

I followed a car into a shopping center the other day and it had a couple of bumper stickers that said, “I pray and I vote.” In addition it had a “w” sticker on it and an icthus with an anti-evolution ditty. The not so subtle message is that if you are a Christian then you would only vote for Bush. This should be an affront to any independent thinking person but all too many today agree with this perverted logic. Well, I struck up a conversation with the lady and what do you know. She was a war loving, anti-science right-wing Christian. I mentioned the lies Bush has told concerning the war, the economy, his drug history, the anti-Christian harm to those in need and the political dirty tricks he and Rove use against their enemies. She didn’t want to discuss it. In her mind he could do no wrong because God speaks to him. She didn’t want to weigh the issues or reason with the facts. This seems to be the typical mindset of Rush/Hannity right-wingers and many extremist evangelicals. I told her I was a Christian and didn’t vote for Bush. She said I couldn’t be a Christian if I voted for anyone other than Bush. I just laughed. I thought; is this where we are today? What a narrow-minded bigoted attitude. What confused and ignorant bliss many of our voters are in today. No wonder Bush caters to the extreme right. They could use a course in “logic or critical thinking.” They seem to be the most gullible and unquestioning group in the country. I have decided to get my own bumper stickers made up that say, ”I Think and I Vote, therefore I am - Liberal” right next to my ACLU and Christian Darwin stickers. When are Red State clones going to start reasoning and thinking for themselves instead of being led around by the nose with lies and deceit?

If the media doesn’t cover a war does it really exist? To watch Fox news these days one would not know that there was a war going on in Iraq; Quite ironic since they were one of the prime supporters of going to war in Iraq. Almost four years ago right wingers said, “911 changed everything.” When questioned about anything their response was always 911, 911, 911. To dissent or analyze was to dishonor the dead but how about honoring the dead soldiers and Iraqi civilians who have been killed needlessly? ABC’s Nightline was chastised severely by conservatives for naming the nine hundred soldiers who had been killed at the time. Why ignore this ongoing death machine? To watch Fox News this summer is just like the summer of 2001. It is all about news alerts for shark attacks and tawdry murders of American white girls. Now back to “The Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancée.” 911 was an event that transposed our country and was supposed to have united us but it has been used as a political tool by the right to attack anyone that dare questions them. If you didn’t agree with all they did you were for the terrorists. They wouldn’t even allow a real bipartisan investigation concerning why it happened like we did after Pearl Harbor. When asked about the WMD and why our troops don’t have proper armored vehicles the administration just says 911, terrorists, Saddam, 911, but ignore the question. The only sacrifices we are asked for are to buy $1 yellow ribbon decals for our cars, always vote Republican and keep paying over $2/Gal for gas. If Fox and the right wing don’t like the way the war is going then they don’t cover it or whitewash the truth. We were supposed to just swagger into Iraq, kick Saddam’s butt, get all the WMD’s, take the oil, be greeted as liberators, declare, “Mission Accomplished” and swagger back out of Iraq like “w” does to and from his helicopter. Our boys would all come home unharmed and ready to carry “w” around on their shoulders while drinking beer 24/7 and scoring with all the chicks. But it is slowly beginning to dawn on Americans that we were lied to and don’t have a plan to pay for the war or leave Iraq. They are now saying we will probably be there for twenty years or more. I wonder how fast that would change if all our senators and the president were required to have their kids go to Iraq? In one sense this war is somewhat like Viet Nam except that this war has been sanitized by the administration and pictures of the reality kept from the American people. Even the caskets of our dead are not allowed to be shown so we can honor them. Many on the right said that we rejected the Viet Nam War when body bags began appearing on TV but today the media is an instrument of government propaganda and that would never happen. After we lost Viet Nam and walked away with the country in tatters, thirty years elapsed and it is doing just fine. They make some of the best Nike’s in the world without us there. I think the same could be said of Iraq except the oil they possess is priority numero uno to the powers that be in Texas. We knew as far back as Jimmy Carter that the day would come when we started running out of oil but refused to plan for alternative fuels. If oil is the reason for the death and maiming of over twelve thousand Americans why didn’t Chevron send an Army there? Iraq posed no threat to anyone under the sanctions that were being imposed on them prior to the war and they were not a haven for terrorists like Afghanistan was and still is. We created the quagmire that Iraq has become. I am not a pacifist like Christ. I don’t have the will to allow others to harm me or my loved ones. There are times when it is necessary to go to war but we need to grow up when making the decision. We need to question and make sure war is needed instead of being threatened by politicians who will call us unpatriotic if we don’t swallow their lies, hook, line and sinker. We need to see exactly what war does. Anyone that has been there knows. So rather than watching shark attack warnings and fake reality shows all summer maybe we should insist on the real reality of this war and some accountability from our leaders.

To all those right-wing talk show hosts and ditto-clones who think the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and Bagram Air Base is mild and the subject of jokes; tell that to our soldiers who have been prisoners of war. To paraphrase V.P. Cheney who has never been in the military, “we aren’t any worse than other countries.” That sounds like the logic of a five year old. Our future war prisoners can expect the same kind of treatment we are giving those in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Geneva Convention treaty, the U.N. Convention against Torture and finally the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice which obligates us to humane treatment of prisoners is the standard we have used for decades until the administration of George W. Bush. To skirt the agreements and treaties we have promised to abide by, Bush has danced around every possible loophole to exempt us. F.B.I. agents documented that our soldiers have tortured many prisoners, and beaten them to death. They reported that we have knowingly sent many prisoners to other countries for the sole purpose of torturing them and performing acts that are not allowed on our soil. That is like the Mafia putting a contract out on someone. You are just as guilty as the one who actually does the deed. There is no indication that this behavior will stop. Actually Gen. Sanchez who has presided over the scandal is being considered for a promotion. Some Congressmen justify all these actions by saying that these prisoners don’t deserve humane treatment because they are accused terrorists but no proof or trial has been given and they are held indefinitely. Couldn’t that be said of any war enemies throughout history? Ashcroft’s Justice Department argued that Bush’s authority could trump treaties and federal law. What happened to the last president who thought he was above the law? Most Americans have a sense of ourselves as a moral and religious people and they want to project that view to the entire world. The cost of our actions against human rights makes hypocrites of us all in the eyes of the world. How can we expect other nations to admire and emulate our form of government when we so easily discard the values we espouse? It is very much like vengeful Christians who are capital punishment proponents. How do you prove killing is wrong when you kill? The circular logic escapes them and dooms them to “an eye for an eye” get-even existence. Not exactly what Christ taught.

Relative to the basic foundation of our democracy, the law; how do we justify excluding ourselves from the very laws and treaties we make? We say no government or politician is above the law but conveniently discard it at will. Justice Brandeis said, “If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law.” Contempt for law leads to anarchy. Anarchy destroys nations. Too bad we don’t heed the wisdom of Brandeis today.

I have given much thought to what positive things the present administration has done that have improved the quality of my life or security of our country and I haven’t been able to come up with anything. Unlike many right-wing partisans I am an independent who tries to be as objective as I can concerning politics but right-wingers accuse me of being unpatriotic because I don’t agree with them on every issue. I remember how they demonized and hated Clinton for the peace and prosperity he brought to America. Now they don’t want anyone to criticize them or “w”. I honestly can’t come up with anything that Bush has done that has helped me or the majority of people in this country. He is great at dividing people instead of uniting them by using the prejudice many people have for others that are not like them. He seems to bring out the bad nature of people and has instituted class warfare against the have-nots while at the same time giving more and more to those who don’t need it. In just about all areas such as the budget, war, deficits, environmental, security, church/state issues and social issues he has made the problems worse or has pasted on the problem to future generations to resolve and pay off. America is hated more now than before he came to office because of his arrogance and unwillingness to consider other points of view. We can never be loved by everybody or have no problems but we could surely do better than what we are now. Nineteen of the twenty 911 hijackers were Saudi Arabian and we attack Iraq but remain loyal friends with Saudi Royalty while at the same time paying double for oil than what we did before 911. Where is the logic in that? Anyone with even a modicum of intelligence should see the reality of this point.

I find it very interesting the attitude of most right-wingers regarding the Terri Schiavo autopsy results. In the face of the cold hard facts of this case they still refuse to acknowledge reality. It seems so typical of their close minded tunnel vision on most all issues relative to politics, religion and morality. They do the same concerning truth about Iraq, the budget, deficits and environmental / global warming science. These immoral zealots would prefer to impose their personal views on a wide range of issues by making laws forcing others to follow their narrow views. They don’t want to just be allowed to act out their own convictions; they want to force everyone else to follow them. Most right-wingers don’t believe in free will and personal freedom or choice whether it is about smoking, drinking, gambling or control of your own body. They insist on imposing their views on everyone. President Bush and many right-wingers in Congress are shameless in their pursuit of making political statements rather than respecting the privacy of the individual and the doctor-patient relationship. Where will all this intrusive moralizing end? I thought conservatives wanted the government out of citizens’ personal lives. Now that they have political power they hypocritically act like those they used to demonize. How do you reason with those who refuse to accept reality and the truth? Instead of addressing the message they attack the messenger; the tactic of losers.

I appreciate the comments of some citizens recently concerning the historical achievements of past presidents. I think it is interesting how the younger conservative observers think they see history in a more clear light than those who actually lived it. For those who came of age during Reagan’s era they erroneously believe that Reagan single handedly destroyed the USSR. I know how simplistic and comforting it is for blind partisans to believe this but it fails to account for the endless work of the six previous administrations and the 40 year cold war that took place in order to weaken Russia before they collapsed under their own weight. At the same time these partisans ignore the treasonous actions of Reagan and his people in the Iran/Contra crime. I find it comical how some right-wingers continue to twist and distort reality relative to the present imperial presidency and other previous presidencies. It makes one wonder if they truly believe the garbage disseminated daily by the likes of the uneducated blowhard drug addicts like Rush / Hannity or are so naiveté they just don’t know any better. They write letters but fail to see that the thing they criticize is exactly what they espouse themselves. Some have no clue what critical thinking is and make comparisons between errors of politicians that are presently in office with those actions made when some are out of office and the real time consequences of those mistakes on the U.S. The fact that the present Bush Administration (Rice, Cheney, Bush & Co.) failed to heed the specific warnings of 911 months before it happened and the fact that this administration lied repeatedly about WMD’s and going to war with Iraq which had nothing to do with 911is all the evidence one needs too make a judgment of their honesty and discernment skills. Any president under the same circumstances would have gone after Bin Laden. It doesn’t take a cowboy hero to take the country to war but I don’t think many would start an unnecessary war on a country that did nothing to us except horde oil that “w’s” corporate pals want. On a positive note I feel the present administration PR men are masters at manipulating the media and diverting attention away from their endless failures and scandals like no WMD’s, the Downing Street memo and unarmored Humvees for our troops. “w” won’t even ride in an unarmored limo in America much less in Iraq. Why should he ask our soldiers to? During exposure of bad news which comes out daily on the corruption of this administration Rove and the right-wing talk show mannequins are masterful at changing the subject and making the media spend all their air time on gays, Michael Jackson or Terry Schiavo. They truly believe that the best defense is a strong offense. Mumme tried that at UK to no avail and it won’t work now for the Neocons either. Even under previous administrations like Clinton’s, right wingers were successful in diverting attention away from the unprecedented peace and prosperity generated during the 90’s to impeachment because of a trivial affair. Sounds like the little ditty about the Pharisees casting Jesus’ miracles in a negative light doesn’t it? The Clinton administration stopped over 100 terrorist attempts including the millennium bombing plan but received no credit for their achievements. They passed on specific information about terrorist activities and plans when Bush came to office but they ignored it. The results speak for themselves. The media ignore all the lies about going to war and killing over 100,000 civilians unnecessarily. We are less safe today than five years ago with Mint Lee Ill in Korea and the Ayatollah’s of Iran with nuclear weapons as well as unprotected nuclear materials in Russia but all the press wants to talk about is gossip and fluff. I thought this country might wake up after 911 but it appears they just pulled the covers over their heads. This administration has consistently avoided having to answer the tough questions and being held accountable for their actions and mistakes. It’s never too late to begin before they do any more harm.

Could a “Deep Throat” Mark Felts; exist today in the Bush era? It is doubtful that it would be possible given the unchallenged power this administration wields. If you thought Nixon was the worst president to form an imperial presidency and force all supposed independent government agencies like the CIA/ FBI to bow to the executive branch of government think twice. What Nixon couldn’t do “w” has done. Bureaucratic independence and integrity has never been at this low level in the modern history of our republic. Nixon’s grand plan was to concentrate executive power in an imperial presidency, politicize the bureaucracy and crush its independence, and invoke national security to wage partisan warfare. According to William Saffire, Nixon wanted to reshape the Republican Party by forging a purge in the government and press. Nixon himself declared in his own memoir that to achieve his ends the “institutions of government had to be “reformed, replaced, or circumvented. The end justifies the means. I think we all know what he meant by circumvent. He established his own secret police which broke into and spied on his political enemies. Only because some brave government employees leaked this plot to the press did his lies and plans come to public knowledge. The rest was history and our republic survived and was stronger as a result of the proper balance of power between all branches of government and the press. All that has changed since Bush has been in office.
One month before the Watergate break-in J. Edger Hoover died and Nixon feared no one in the Federal government. It was his for the taking and he tried. Now George Bush is building anything beyond what Nixon imagined. Today Bush has declared himself by executive order above international law, the CIA is being purged, the Justice Department is breaking down the wall of separation of Church and State, the EPA suppresses scientific studies, and the Pentagon destroyed intelligence and diplomacy, leaving the U.S. with only blunt military force as its chief foreign policy. The three main architects of Bush’s imperial presidency came from the Nixon white house. Donald Rumsfield and his deputy, Dick Cheney, served as chief of staff to Nixon’s successor, Gerald Ford. Cheney remarked in 1976, “Principle is OK up to a point. It doesn’t help if you lose.” During the Iran Contra treason of Reagan’s years, Cheney said any Congressional oversight of the presidency was an encroachment on executive authority. Does that sound familiar today? Remember secret intelligence on exactly the location of Iraqi WMD, the connection of Saddam with 911 and energy meetings with oil executives to mention but a few. Carl Rove was another player that cut his teeth during the Nixon era. He was an agent of Nixon dirty trickster Donald Segretti. Today the Republican Congress has essentially abdicated its responsibilities of presidential oversight. I wonder why they didn’t take that position when Clinton was president.
Nixon learned the necessity of muzzling the press. Today the white house has neatly neutralized the press corps and used some gay prostitute conservative partisan journalists for their own assets. All the lies concerning weapons of mass destruction and Iraq’s so called involvement in 911 was funneled into the press from the main stream press of NBC, CBS and ABC to FOX news on the right. What we have in the press today is much like Russia’s press, a propaganda machine controlled by the administration in power. We’ve come a long way baby, since Nixon, and the scary thing is the public doesn’t really care. When these abuses of power are ignored and the balance of power shifts to this extreme can the demise of our democratic republic be far behind?

Whenever I find myself in a theological discussion with a right-wing evangelical the first thing they want to know is what religion or denomination I am, as though that makes a difference about my opinions or the validity of my beliefs. It does change their perception of me because most of them want to judge me based on that. I have always been rebellious toward any religion or denomination that employees dogma and requires adherence to uniformity of beliefs in creeds as a requirement to be a part of the Church. That is why I am a Baptist. We used to believe in “the Priesthood of the Believer” and “Autonomy of the individual” but most SBC Churches today don’t claim these historical Baptist traditions. They have become a very top-down authoritarian organization unlike the original Baptist Denomination which was very democratic and a Bottom-Up fiercely Independent group of self-governing Churches. That has all changed since the Southern Baptists have gone the way of an extreme conservative neo-political action committee which forces the beliefs of its leadership at the national level onto all its members at the bottom. They must adhere to the religious and political views of the present leadership or risk being excluded from the Church. The case of the pastor in North Carolina kicking out members based on their politics is typical of most Southern Baptist Churches today but most of these SBC Churches are more discreet and low-key than the one in N.C. This is the result of mixing religion and politics. It is ugly.

This has brought about my conversion to being catholic, with a small “c”. Oh, yes I now attend an independent traditional Baptist Church but ours are few and far between in this area of the country. By being catholic I make the claim of being inclusive, tolerant and accepting of all other Christians. I don’t insist on everyone else believing just like me. I believe in universal catholic Christianity without all the organizational and hierarchical strings that serve to exclude and separate people rather than bringing them together. Am I wrong? Is this not the way it’s supposed to be? Maybe I should call myself a baptist with a little “b” but I can’t find that word in the dictionary.

I thought Bush was supposed to bring dignity and honor back to the Presidency. Recently Laura was telling the White House correspondents a story about how “w” masturbated a horse. It was so cute. She went on to tell them she, Mrs. Cheney and Condi Rice went to a male stripper club to see the Chippendale men show their liberal assets to the Secretary of State and first ladies. That was only the beginning. Between “w” lying about war, the budget and social security, and Cheney using the “f” word telling members of the Senate to “f – off” while taking advice from Enron’s Ken Lay about energy policy and Tom Delay taking bribes from lobbyists every other day we have quite an administration to be proud of don’t you think? Thank goodness we have righteous and holy leaders back in charge at the White House. Keep buying stock in those 2 gal/mile Humvees with big Republican tax breaks, $2.50/Gal. gas oil companies and industries defaulting on their employee’s pension benefits. I bet we’ll be back to Republican normality real soon. Maybe we can start another unnecessary war and kill a hundred thousand more if we’re lucky. I’m sure the “religious right” is real proud of their poster boy for morality, “w.” After all, God tells him what to do. How can he be wrong about anything?

Conscientious objectors to moral diversity in this country are obligated to allow free-will in the private decisions of others. Recently some anti-abortion pharmacists from none other than that refuge of freedom, Texas, refused to fill birth control pills because they said it was tantamount to killing. In Oregon some right-wing pharmacists decided they would not sell certain drugs to people that they suspected were going to use it to commit suicide. What a dilemma. I guess one could use most any pill, alcohol, cigarettes, or Twinkies in large enough quantities if they wanted to commit suicide. What would you do? As an ACLU Libertarian, I feel that if they don’t want to fill a prescription maybe they shouldn’t be a pharmacist. What is it about right-wingers that make them want to dictate their morals to all those around them? Why can’t they accept that people are different and are allowed to have the freedom and liberty to live the way they want? That was generally the case until “w” and his right-wing moralists took control of the country. If you don’t want smut on the radio don’t listen to Howard Stern or Rush/O’Reilly. If you are against pornography don’t subscribe to “Hustler.” If you are anti-abortion, don’t go to an abortion clinic for a pap smear. If you are a right-wing Republican fundamentalist evangelical and don’t believe in science, separation of Church and State, evolution, sex-ed, birth control, energy conservation, economic justice, truth about global warming, brain dead patients, WMD / unjust war and intellectual understanding of the Bible and History, then keep attending fundamentalist Churches and voting for Bush family Republicans. If you are a Biblical literalist and believe the world will end soon, live by the Levitical laws, handle snakes, drink poison to prove your faith and believe America should be a Christian Theocracy, fine. You have the freedom to choose what you believe and how you want to live. Just don’t expect me to agree with you because the Constitution sure doesn’t.

For some reason whenever the subject of religion, politics or sex comes up some local right-wing fundamentalists seem to lose all perspective and objectivity. Some get so upset when others don’t agree with their views that they end up in the nervous hospital, just like when Louisville beats UK or Rex Chapman tells the truth about racism in this state. Why is that? They want to force others to believe the same as them and make the laws according to only their view of morality. Are they so insecure and unsure of their faith and beliefs that they resort to these tactics? How does me being a Baptist threaten your fundamentalist religion? How does your lesbian friend at work threaten your children and family? It makes no sense. My 31 year marriage is not threatened. Why do we need laws to force conformity on everyone? It’s odd how most right-wingers assume that since I am a voice that will come to the defense of those who believe differently about politics, sex or religion that somehow I am an atheist gay communist. People who know me and my family know that is ridiculous. Why is it that right-wingers insist on this kind of categorization of anyone who doesn’t agree with them? Their arguments are so weak that they seem to always attack the messenger rather than the message. Why are they so afraid of the truth about politics, race, religion and sex? Don’t we all have a right to have different points of view? I respect their beliefs about these issues until it comes to them imposing it on others through our laws. If this is a free country, why don’t we practice some freedom of expression, belief and speech? Does “w’s” administration have you so intimidated by saying, “you are either for us or against us” that no one is allowed to disagree with those in power? They are called terrorist lovers, anti-American and much worse? It’s the same pathetic mentality that conservatives used when Nixon was in office. “America, love it or leave it.” I believe our liberties and freedoms are big enough to allow for dissension and diversity of opinion. If not, how are we different than other Totalitarian Dictatorships?

Some people are under the erroneous impression that we God-fearing ACLUers hate extreme right-wing evangelicals. Let me be clear. We hate the sin but love the sinner. We may not agree with their lifestyle but we accept them and pray for them to turn from their wicked ways. It’s never too late for them to change and go straight into a life of fulfilling political and religious moderation. Just look at the result of right-wing evangelical Baptists in North Carolina. Any members that didn’t support “w” during the election or that was not a Republican was kicked out of the Church. The pastor went Mid-Evil on his congregation. I wonder what Jesus would do with that fundamentalist flock? I know many right-wingers and they are proud of what they are. They are flaming fundamentalists that constantly try to push their agenda onto unsuspecting citizens. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but most normal people choose not to live in the wretched, bigoted world of fundamentalism. They can live the way they want in the privacy of their own homes and Church meetings but what I detest is the promulgation and permutation of the fundamentalist agenda on the social fabric of our society and especially our impressionable children. That is unforgivable. I fear for an even further deterioration of the traditional nuclear family and the danger associated with teaching this kind of radical lifestyle in our public schools. I know people say that they choose the right-wing fundamentalist lifestyle but I really think they can’t help it. I feel God just made them that way. If there is a hell, to me it would be being locked in a pew of a right-wing fundamentalist Church and having to listen to never ending preaching on politics from these slobber-mouth heretics like Falwell, Robertson and the like, who distort the teachings of Jesus and call it the only true religion and theirs, the only correct interpretation of the Bible. That’s just sad. The next thing you know they will be demanding special rights, like their own TV/radio stations, school vouchers, government money for their Churches, tax exemption and endless political concessions from Republicans. Woe be the day when that happens. I fear that God’s wrath will rain down with a mighty power and fury upon us and inflict punishment on the country which sanctions and legitimizes this arrogant, rebellious, in your face, sick theocratic lifestyle. For God said I am the Lord and vengeance is mine to all those who try to pervert my will and purpose, even you self-righteous right-wing Pharisees. They must turn from their wicked ways before it is too late. The end is near. God said it. I believe it so that settles it. Amen and Amen! Sound familiar?

For right-wing evangelicals to use Jesus as a poster boy for bigotry and partisan politics is heretical. One example is the Baptist Church in North Carolina which kicked out members for not voting Republican in the last election. Another is Highview Baptist in Louisville which hosted the highly partisan “Justice Sunday” recently. Al Mohler, the opportunist president of the Southern Baptist seminary in Louisville was one of the main speakers along with several preachers and politicians at the “Justice Sunday” rally and he stated that not only should our Justices and elected representatives be moral persons, they should also be strong believers in Jesus Christ and rule likewise. Atheists, Jews, Muslims and other assorted non-believers need not apply. Is this what we have come to: A religious test for government office? I thought there was something in the Constitution forbidding that? That old Constitution is such a nuisance isn’t it. Excluding any Church member differing in their views relative to politics, war, sex or when life begins and ends is the epitome of religious demagoguery. So much for the concept of “free will” and “priesthood of the believer” in today’s fundamentalist Churches. That Baptist preacher in N.C. looks just like the preacher on “Ripley’s Believe or Not” that said he had been abducted by aliens and anally probed before being returned to his congregation. Why am I not surprised? These modern-day Christian frauds would very likely banish Jesus from their Churches and condemn him as an unpatriotic liberal if he returned today, the same way the legalistic Pharisees did 2000 years ago. Why they insist on painting their Savior as a right-wing, bigot and warmonger I’ll never understand. Have they ever read and do they actually believe what Jesus said in the gospels or is their religion just a front to their lust for political and religious power? Is there any doubt they are pushing for a Theocracy? How much more evidence is needed to convince those skeptics and few sensible Southern Baptists that still remain in and support their local SBC Churches? Why are they afraid to speak up and question their leadership about what is happening in their religion?

Rev. Al Mohler, the questionable leader of the once great Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, clearly stated the radical evangelical agenda at the “Justice Sunday” service at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville recently. He said, “It is not that we are asking our judges just to be moral persons, we want them to be strong believers in Jesus Christ and rule likewise.” Many Republican politicians were there and whole heartedly agree with him. If that is not the definition of a theocracy, what is? When you support the present Southern Baptist Convention and vote for these Republicans, you vote for this radical agenda. To all my Christian brothers and sisters, think about it.

In response to the letter of April 23, I wonder if the author has really ever read the Bible. He states that Jesus said to his flock, “Go forth be fruitful and multiply.” Well, I wasn’t aware Jesus ever said anything in the Old Testament book of Genesis 35:11 which is where this scripture is found. Jesus wasn’t even born until centuries later. From this scripture, he infers that anyone who is incapable of bearing children is less of a person in God’s eyes. That is a contemptible and theologically unsound view of God but I guess one has a right to their own personal bigotry. Throughout history Christians have used scripture to justify many evils like slavery, oppression of women, gays, & the poor, extreme nationalism, religious bigotry and war. How they can distort Jesus’ words the way they do, I can not comprehend.
I can proof text the Bible with the best of any fundamentalist but this doesn’t seem to be the place to play that game. The letter referenced is typical fodder from these extremists and demonstrate the kind of theological demagoguery and erroneous self-righteous attitude of many present day right-wing evangelicals. I made one small comment in my letter about Jesus not condemning homosexuals and he focuses most of his letter on that. His obsession with and paranoia of any mention of homosexuals shows he has issues and maybe tendencies toward them. These extremists are a small minority but control the Republican Party today. They don’t speak for me and millions of other Christians. If you want to quote Jesus I suggest you try reading the gospels. They are the first four books of the New Testament. Until then maybe you need to stick to bush politics. Being truthful, honest and factual has never prevented him from succeeding in the Republican Party. After reading the logic of his followers, I understand why.

“Culture of Death”
“W” is always piously claiming that he is for a “Culture of Life.”
If you look beyond his typical self-righteous posturing and Rovian
P.R. you will see a much different story. Of course he claims to be
pro-life and will use the lives of brain dead coma patients to gain
political points but look at the facts. He says he is against abortion
but the facts show that as a result of his policies, unwanted
pregnancies and STD’s, nationally and especially in Texas have
gone up. During the nineties the trend of abortions was down nation
wide as a result of reasonable sex education, birth control, more
jobs and college availability. Bush’s abstinence only education plan
for school children has had the opposite affect it desired. Of course
in a perfect Polyanna world, teenagers don’t have sex and make
unwanted babies but we all know that is not reality. It is unrealistic
to think some teenagers aren’t going to continue to have sex in an
irresponsible way. To think otherwise is to stick your head in the
sand. Undeterred, “w”s right-wing evangelical base insist on this
approach. As a result, unwanted babies and abortions happen
even to conservative Republican evangelical kids believe it or not.
As to “w”s “culture of Death” reality, just look at the number of
executions in Texas under his watch. He mocked Carla Fay Tuckers’
pleas for life after she gave her life to Christ and before she was to
be executed. He just smirked and laughed at her. The number of
suicides nationwide under his watch, the number of deaths from aids
under his watch, the number of infant mortality deaths as a result
of his health policies, the torture of thousands of Islamic prisoners
and last but not least the huge increase in needless deaths from an
unnecessary war in Iraq are of his making. Over a hundred thousand
civilian deaths have occurred so far to the Iraqi people with even more
seriously wounded. Not to be left out are the thousands of brave U.S.
soldiers that have been killed and maimed for life as a result of our leaders
lies. Our service men and women always do their duty and sacrifice
themselves for the word of our leaders. We should only start a war
when absolutely necessary, not on flawed and trumped up intelligence.
In “w’s” and Cheney’s “Culture of Death” world view we have incurred
far too many deaths and needless sacrifices. This Memorial Day let’s
pray that in future people will look beyond political P.R. and
image illusions for a man of character who will honor our highest
trust and ideals because the last five years don’t represent the best
of what this country is all about. To say you are for the lives of
pre-born babies but ignore the needs and lives of living, breathing
humans with souls already in the world is the highest degree of
hypocrisy one can foist on the American people.