My faith in America is renewed.
Thank you.
(and na na na na na).
Showing posts with label Elections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elections. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The Republican Campaign Against *GASP* COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS!
Duh, Duh Duh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I should start this post by mentioning that the proudest moment of my life thus far was election day 2004, when my staff and I helped turn out 45,000 people to vote in Flint, MI on election day. It was record breaking, it was ground breaking, it was inspirational - and it was all because I worked for ACORN / Project Vote. Therefore, I am heated and angry and offended and venting - so forgive my imperfect grammar in this rant because I am too angry over this topic to speak clearly.
I guess we should have seen this coming back in September at the Republican Convention when everyone mocked Obama for being a "Community Organizer." For Republicans it was a "Stop the Presses! He was what . . . no he couldn't be . . .not one of them . . . not a Community Organizer." The build up and the reaction from the right made me wonder if Community Organizer was synonomous for Child Molestor, Raper, Murderer, or as they want you to think, Muslim Terrorist.
According to Wikipedia, a Community Organizer is " process by which people living in proximity to each other, are brought together by an organizationto act in their common self-interest." According the Right Wing Media, us Organizers are socialists, anti-establishment, and fraudulent. So let's clear the air here from someone who not only talked the talk, but walked the walk.
1. Red States charge ACORN every 4 years of Voter Registration Fraud. The fact is, it's a double edged sword. In Nevada, where this years craziness is happening voter reg drive organizations are required, I repeat, required, to submit every card they receive. They are also required to notify the feds of suspected fradulent cards (as they submit them). As we will eventually see when noone is paying attention to this story anymore, is that ACORN Nevada did that, several times. They complied with the FEC, even asked for a meeting with them when they saw their own suspicions were not being followed up on. But that's not what we're hearing about. We're hearing about the evils of wanting to encourage participation on election day. We're hearing suspicions of people who are afraid Democrats will vote then hop back in line and do it again. It is the Voter Reg's job to complete the cards. It is the ciy/county clerks job to make sure everyone is registered correctly and to administer elections correctly. Any voter fraud of the type being alleged would be to blame of the city clerks - not the voter reg's.
And have we all forgotten the Voter Registration Purging that happened in Florida in 2000? Where was all of this outrage then? Right!
2. Alegedly Obama's campaign donated money to ACORN. Well, first I have yet to hear whether or not that is illegal and secondly, if it isn't - who cares? Project Vote is a 501(c)(3). What that means is you can register people to vote, but under NO circumstances can you tell them who to vote for. Do you know what it's like to register people to vote with the last name of BUSH in 2004? Trust me, ACORN enforces this law. And I'm not hearing of complaints that Project Vote was encouraging Obama votes, just registering people in their target communities.
3. Let's talk about the Communities. ACORN is the nation's largest grassroots community organization. They are basically a very large and powerful neighborhood watch. They are primarily funded by their membership dues ($10/month) and their organizers have mandated salaries based on seniority. I made 23,000 annually when I worked for them in 2004. The COO (Cheif Organizing Officer) can only make 3x what the entry level salary is. So in 2004, Wade earned approximately 69,000. Let's see a Corporation place such a strict earning cap on their top officers.
Let's talk about what ACORN does? When I was there we educated members about predatory lending (What? Predatory lending? You mean the stuff that's all over the news that led us into this fincancial crisis? But ACORN is evil, how did they know?), we fought the City of Detroit to enforce it's Living Wage promise for contractors, we registered 150,000 some people in Michigan to vote and hired thousands to canvass. Many of the canvassers are otherwise unemployable. Their addresses are homeless shelters, or someone elses home they are borrowing a couch from. They didn't graduate HS or obtain their GED. They are on probation and restarting their life. They are single moms who have a hard time finding a job and raising children. And canvassing helped them become employable. They had steady income, they had references, they learned job skills and improved their communication skills. Two of my top canvassers, turned orgainzers are still leading the cause in Flint, MI today. One became a manager at McDonalds. They were able to move on to bigger and better things. Not all, but many, and that is something to be proud of.
So what else has ACORN done? Let's check out their website www.acorn.org:
Affordable Housing: ACORN is working to make affordable housing available so people in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods can be homeowners. ACORN members demand more rehabilitation programs aimed at developing affordable housing and increased production of affordable housing.
Better Schools: All children deserve a quality education. The better their education is the more likely they will be able to enjoy a great quality of life. Parents' hard earned tax dollars are used to finance the public school system so their offspring should reap the benefits. ACORN members have been working to implement a platform to improve the quality of public schools.
Fair Housing: ACORN Fair Housing is a federally funded program through the Office of Housing and Urban Development’s(HUD) Fair Housing Initiatives Program ( FHIP) grant. It is our mission to prevent and eliminate discriminatory housing practices. ACORN Fair Housing Organization works to ensure equal housing opportunity by providing a variety of services through outreach, education and enforcement.
ACORN Fair Housing, while an independent organization , has it’s beginnings as part of ACORN, a 38 year old community activist organization.
Fair Tax Fees:For the last two years ACORN members have been waging a campaign against Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs). RALs are short-term loans with triple-digit interest rates that are marketed extremely aggressively to low-income families. Customers are often charged over $150, on top of the regular tax prep fees, just get to their own tax dollars back a week or so faster than they otherwise would.
ACORN’s campaign has attacked RALs in several ways, such as directly targeting tax preparers to change their practices, conducting door-to-door outreach to warn families about the high costs of RALs, operating VITA sites which offer free tax preparation, and working for legislation on the city, state, and federal level to protect consumers.
Foreclosures:Predatory lending has ignited a wildfire of foreclosures across the United States.
Foreclosures don’t just hurt individuals and families, they hurt entire neighborhoods and communities, leaving homes abandoned and vulnerable to vagrancy and crime.
No other organization has fought harder to increase access to credit for low-income and minority families than ACORN, but predatory lending is threatening to reverse the progress we have made. Beginning in the 1980s, ACORN fought against redlining and discrimination and for greater community investment. ACORN Housing was founded to provide free education and counseling to help low-income people become homeowners.
Gulf Coast Recovery:Hurricane Katrina's winds had hardly subsided before ACORN began organizing New Orleaneans to rebuild their beloved city on their own terms. Today, ACORN's national headquarters in New Orleans houses more staffers than ever and ACORN members are fighting to ensure the city's recovery. Though thousands of Katrina survivors are still displaced, the last year has seen a series of significant wins for ACORN in New Orleans and the struggle continues to fully resurrect the Crescent City.
Healthcare:Some 45 million people across the U.S. have no health insurance, with many more lacking adequate coverage. ACORN members are working to achieve affordable health care for all. Work is currently underway to get more hospitals to institute “charity care," or free care, programs and discounts. These policies can eliminate or reduce, hospital bills for families with low-and-moderate incomes. They often suffer from being uninsured or underinsured.
Immigration:The signs displayed in last year’s immigration marches said it so powerfully: We are America.
Immigrants care about their communities, their families and the future of the United States. They hope to achieve the American Dream. Because of their strong desire to become Americans, immigrants in 2006 joined rallies, marches and vigils all across the United States.
Living Wage:ACORN’s 2006 election campaign, "Raise the Minimum Wage," represented unprecedented victory for working families.
May 24, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 348-73 to approve a measure raising the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over the next three years. The Senate approved the increase, giving low-wage workers their first boost in a decade.
Paid Sick Days:Most people believe that U.S. workers have the right to paid sick days, yet according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost half of full-time, private-sector workers have no sick days at all. Government data also shows a national trend toward a reduction in paid sick days.
Workers need about seven sick days each year to manage their own health care. But for almost half of U.S. employees, the absence of sick pay is likely to cause them loss of income, a job or advancement, says the National Partnership for Women & Families.
Predatory Lending:Predatory lenders target low-income and minority homebuyers, capitalizing on buyers’ lack of understanding of the complicated transactions or use outright deception to close loans that inevitably lead to a loss of equity or foreclosure.
ACORN strives to end abuses by actively putting pressure on predatory lending offenders and advocating for legislation, regulation, education and research to end abusive lending practices.
Utilities:ACORN won reforms of utilities service practices nationwide in 2006, which helped low-income customers pay their bills and avoid service disruptions.
ACORN is working to impose moratoriums on shutoffs, so that families are not left without heat in winter nor refrigeration in summer. We are negotiating programs to create lower rates and delay payments for low-income families.
ACORN opposes deregulation efforts and works to lessen the impact on consumers when deregulation occurs.
Voter Engagement:Registering to vote is one of the first steps toward becoming a full participant in American democracy and a citizen who can influence change in a community. ACORN members and workers go door to door in low- and moderate income neighborhoods, approach people at shopping centers, grocery stores, and libraries, and visit high schools to talk to voting-age seniors because ACORN wants as many people as possible to participate in the democratic process.
ACORN has helped more than 1.68 million citizens to register to vote in past registration drives leading up to the 2004 and 2006 elections. For the 2008 election, ACORN intends to help 1.2 million people register to vote in 26 states across the country. We have already reached 177,000 registrations in 2007 and 2008 in what will be the largest, non-partisan voter registration effort in U.S. history.
And not to mention the smaller victories, the stop sign and speed bump on the corner that everyone runs. The fixed streetlight that was out for years. Destroying the abadoned home where children were raped.
Evil? Maybe if you don't care about the people, John McCain.
I should start this post by mentioning that the proudest moment of my life thus far was election day 2004, when my staff and I helped turn out 45,000 people to vote in Flint, MI on election day. It was record breaking, it was ground breaking, it was inspirational - and it was all because I worked for ACORN / Project Vote. Therefore, I am heated and angry and offended and venting - so forgive my imperfect grammar in this rant because I am too angry over this topic to speak clearly.
I guess we should have seen this coming back in September at the Republican Convention when everyone mocked Obama for being a "Community Organizer." For Republicans it was a "Stop the Presses! He was what . . . no he couldn't be . . .not one of them . . . not a Community Organizer." The build up and the reaction from the right made me wonder if Community Organizer was synonomous for Child Molestor, Raper, Murderer, or as they want you to think, Muslim Terrorist.
According to Wikipedia, a Community Organizer is " process by which people living in proximity to each other, are brought together by an organizationto act in their common self-interest." According the Right Wing Media, us Organizers are socialists, anti-establishment, and fraudulent. So let's clear the air here from someone who not only talked the talk, but walked the walk.
1. Red States charge ACORN every 4 years of Voter Registration Fraud. The fact is, it's a double edged sword. In Nevada, where this years craziness is happening voter reg drive organizations are required, I repeat, required, to submit every card they receive. They are also required to notify the feds of suspected fradulent cards (as they submit them). As we will eventually see when noone is paying attention to this story anymore, is that ACORN Nevada did that, several times. They complied with the FEC, even asked for a meeting with them when they saw their own suspicions were not being followed up on. But that's not what we're hearing about. We're hearing about the evils of wanting to encourage participation on election day. We're hearing suspicions of people who are afraid Democrats will vote then hop back in line and do it again. It is the Voter Reg's job to complete the cards. It is the ciy/county clerks job to make sure everyone is registered correctly and to administer elections correctly. Any voter fraud of the type being alleged would be to blame of the city clerks - not the voter reg's.
And have we all forgotten the Voter Registration Purging that happened in Florida in 2000? Where was all of this outrage then? Right!
2. Alegedly Obama's campaign donated money to ACORN. Well, first I have yet to hear whether or not that is illegal and secondly, if it isn't - who cares? Project Vote is a 501(c)(3). What that means is you can register people to vote, but under NO circumstances can you tell them who to vote for. Do you know what it's like to register people to vote with the last name of BUSH in 2004? Trust me, ACORN enforces this law. And I'm not hearing of complaints that Project Vote was encouraging Obama votes, just registering people in their target communities.
3. Let's talk about the Communities. ACORN is the nation's largest grassroots community organization. They are basically a very large and powerful neighborhood watch. They are primarily funded by their membership dues ($10/month) and their organizers have mandated salaries based on seniority. I made 23,000 annually when I worked for them in 2004. The COO (Cheif Organizing Officer) can only make 3x what the entry level salary is. So in 2004, Wade earned approximately 69,000. Let's see a Corporation place such a strict earning cap on their top officers.
Let's talk about what ACORN does? When I was there we educated members about predatory lending (What? Predatory lending? You mean the stuff that's all over the news that led us into this fincancial crisis? But ACORN is evil, how did they know?), we fought the City of Detroit to enforce it's Living Wage promise for contractors, we registered 150,000 some people in Michigan to vote and hired thousands to canvass. Many of the canvassers are otherwise unemployable. Their addresses are homeless shelters, or someone elses home they are borrowing a couch from. They didn't graduate HS or obtain their GED. They are on probation and restarting their life. They are single moms who have a hard time finding a job and raising children. And canvassing helped them become employable. They had steady income, they had references, they learned job skills and improved their communication skills. Two of my top canvassers, turned orgainzers are still leading the cause in Flint, MI today. One became a manager at McDonalds. They were able to move on to bigger and better things. Not all, but many, and that is something to be proud of.
So what else has ACORN done? Let's check out their website www.acorn.org:
Affordable Housing: ACORN is working to make affordable housing available so people in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods can be homeowners. ACORN members demand more rehabilitation programs aimed at developing affordable housing and increased production of affordable housing.
Better Schools: All children deserve a quality education. The better their education is the more likely they will be able to enjoy a great quality of life. Parents' hard earned tax dollars are used to finance the public school system so their offspring should reap the benefits. ACORN members have been working to implement a platform to improve the quality of public schools.
Fair Housing: ACORN Fair Housing is a federally funded program through the Office of Housing and Urban Development’s(HUD) Fair Housing Initiatives Program ( FHIP) grant. It is our mission to prevent and eliminate discriminatory housing practices. ACORN Fair Housing Organization works to ensure equal housing opportunity by providing a variety of services through outreach, education and enforcement.
ACORN Fair Housing, while an independent organization , has it’s beginnings as part of ACORN, a 38 year old community activist organization.
Fair Tax Fees:For the last two years ACORN members have been waging a campaign against Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs). RALs are short-term loans with triple-digit interest rates that are marketed extremely aggressively to low-income families. Customers are often charged over $150, on top of the regular tax prep fees, just get to their own tax dollars back a week or so faster than they otherwise would.
ACORN’s campaign has attacked RALs in several ways, such as directly targeting tax preparers to change their practices, conducting door-to-door outreach to warn families about the high costs of RALs, operating VITA sites which offer free tax preparation, and working for legislation on the city, state, and federal level to protect consumers.
Foreclosures:Predatory lending has ignited a wildfire of foreclosures across the United States.
Foreclosures don’t just hurt individuals and families, they hurt entire neighborhoods and communities, leaving homes abandoned and vulnerable to vagrancy and crime.
No other organization has fought harder to increase access to credit for low-income and minority families than ACORN, but predatory lending is threatening to reverse the progress we have made. Beginning in the 1980s, ACORN fought against redlining and discrimination and for greater community investment. ACORN Housing was founded to provide free education and counseling to help low-income people become homeowners.
Gulf Coast Recovery:Hurricane Katrina's winds had hardly subsided before ACORN began organizing New Orleaneans to rebuild their beloved city on their own terms. Today, ACORN's national headquarters in New Orleans houses more staffers than ever and ACORN members are fighting to ensure the city's recovery. Though thousands of Katrina survivors are still displaced, the last year has seen a series of significant wins for ACORN in New Orleans and the struggle continues to fully resurrect the Crescent City.
Healthcare:Some 45 million people across the U.S. have no health insurance, with many more lacking adequate coverage. ACORN members are working to achieve affordable health care for all. Work is currently underway to get more hospitals to institute “charity care," or free care, programs and discounts. These policies can eliminate or reduce, hospital bills for families with low-and-moderate incomes. They often suffer from being uninsured or underinsured.
Immigration:The signs displayed in last year’s immigration marches said it so powerfully: We are America.
Immigrants care about their communities, their families and the future of the United States. They hope to achieve the American Dream. Because of their strong desire to become Americans, immigrants in 2006 joined rallies, marches and vigils all across the United States.
Living Wage:ACORN’s 2006 election campaign, "Raise the Minimum Wage," represented unprecedented victory for working families.
May 24, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 348-73 to approve a measure raising the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over the next three years. The Senate approved the increase, giving low-wage workers their first boost in a decade.
Paid Sick Days:Most people believe that U.S. workers have the right to paid sick days, yet according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost half of full-time, private-sector workers have no sick days at all. Government data also shows a national trend toward a reduction in paid sick days.
Workers need about seven sick days each year to manage their own health care. But for almost half of U.S. employees, the absence of sick pay is likely to cause them loss of income, a job or advancement, says the National Partnership for Women & Families.
Predatory Lending:Predatory lenders target low-income and minority homebuyers, capitalizing on buyers’ lack of understanding of the complicated transactions or use outright deception to close loans that inevitably lead to a loss of equity or foreclosure.
ACORN strives to end abuses by actively putting pressure on predatory lending offenders and advocating for legislation, regulation, education and research to end abusive lending practices.
Utilities:ACORN won reforms of utilities service practices nationwide in 2006, which helped low-income customers pay their bills and avoid service disruptions.
ACORN is working to impose moratoriums on shutoffs, so that families are not left without heat in winter nor refrigeration in summer. We are negotiating programs to create lower rates and delay payments for low-income families.
ACORN opposes deregulation efforts and works to lessen the impact on consumers when deregulation occurs.
Voter Engagement:Registering to vote is one of the first steps toward becoming a full participant in American democracy and a citizen who can influence change in a community. ACORN members and workers go door to door in low- and moderate income neighborhoods, approach people at shopping centers, grocery stores, and libraries, and visit high schools to talk to voting-age seniors because ACORN wants as many people as possible to participate in the democratic process.
ACORN has helped more than 1.68 million citizens to register to vote in past registration drives leading up to the 2004 and 2006 elections. For the 2008 election, ACORN intends to help 1.2 million people register to vote in 26 states across the country. We have already reached 177,000 registrations in 2007 and 2008 in what will be the largest, non-partisan voter registration effort in U.S. history.
And not to mention the smaller victories, the stop sign and speed bump on the corner that everyone runs. The fixed streetlight that was out for years. Destroying the abadoned home where children were raped.
Evil? Maybe if you don't care about the people, John McCain.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Why Palin will cost McCain the election
Last night, my "Republican" boyfriend (he is really a Libertarian, but refuses to look into it because that would make me right) took down the "Another Family for John McCain" yard sign from my lawn and said "He's an idiot. He's not going to win. I'm done with him."
I was shocked - ecstatic, but shocked. This is from the same man who for months has been telling me how crazy I am not to support him and who has ignored common sense about why Obama should be the next President (not that I know whether or not his vote has changed).
At er this discussion on my lawn, he then said:
"Did you see that video with Palin down south somewhere? Some jerk in the crowd yelled 'Kill Him' when she was talking about Obama and she just smirked. She didn't denounce the outburst, she did nothing but condone it by smirking. That's just wrong."
And that in a nutshell is how Palin lost this election for John McCain. Behind her smooth, controlled exterior we get little peaks at who she is, and ultimately what she has turned McCain's campaign into. She is the bitter little Chihuahua yapping and snapping at your ankles so McCain doesn't look like the bad guy. And suddenly the Democrats complaints about Palin's lack of experience, have silently become the Republicans reason why she can get away with this lack of self control, self respect, and discipline in this campaign. It's like an abusive marriage where the wife is the perpetrator and the husband the victim.
She just keeps biting away at your ankles until you've had enough and eventually kick her off of you. And if that day comes, Obama becomes the abuser.
I was shocked - ecstatic, but shocked. This is from the same man who for months has been telling me how crazy I am not to support him and who has ignored common sense about why Obama should be the next President (not that I know whether or not his vote has changed).
At er this discussion on my lawn, he then said:
"Did you see that video with Palin down south somewhere? Some jerk in the crowd yelled 'Kill Him' when she was talking about Obama and she just smirked. She didn't denounce the outburst, she did nothing but condone it by smirking. That's just wrong."
And that in a nutshell is how Palin lost this election for John McCain. Behind her smooth, controlled exterior we get little peaks at who she is, and ultimately what she has turned McCain's campaign into. She is the bitter little Chihuahua yapping and snapping at your ankles so McCain doesn't look like the bad guy. And suddenly the Democrats complaints about Palin's lack of experience, have silently become the Republicans reason why she can get away with this lack of self control, self respect, and discipline in this campaign. It's like an abusive marriage where the wife is the perpetrator and the husband the victim.
She just keeps biting away at your ankles until you've had enough and eventually kick her off of you. And if that day comes, Obama becomes the abuser.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Country First: Why John McCain's Age & Health Matters
Watching last nights debate, I couldn't stop myself from thinking: "Wow, John McCain really looks old."
Now, you all should know that I was fortunate enough to meet John McCain after a speech he delivered in 2004 at the University of Detroit Mercy Law School. I was there representing 'Rock the Vote' and McCain made it a point to thank me for registering voters. We chatted for a couple of minutes. I remembered noticing then, his poor handshake (as a result of his treatment as a POW), his height (barely taller than I at 5'3 1/2") and his skin. Prior to his recent campaign for presidency and his new found loyalty to our current President, John McCain was always my favorite Republican. I may have even voted for him in 2000.
But last night, watching him walk around in the town hall setup, next to Barack Obama, his age was glaringly obvious, and not in a kind or flattering way. Let's face the facts, if he is elected, he will be the oldest president ever, and he has/had cancer.
I assume that by this point in their lives, Cindy & John have settled their wills, created trusts and funeral arrangements in order to make their passing more bearable or easy for their children. They put their "Family First."
John McCain claims to put "Country First" throughout this campaign, however his selection of Sarah Palin for VP running mate would hardly make the potential passing of a president easier on the children of this nation, the voters. His real strategy is "Election First." Had he chosen Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Tim Pawlenty, Tom Ridge, Olympia Snowe or the other host of people available to him, he could have continued his "Country First" campaign. They could have been his will, his trust, his estate. However, Palin seems uncertain of what McCain's strategy, desires, goals, and opinions are. How can she carry out what John McCain believes is best for this country if she herself is unsure?
Noone wishes death upon McCain, however, death in this election could be a reality. McCain should have used his judgement to make sure his children were taken of.
Now, you all should know that I was fortunate enough to meet John McCain after a speech he delivered in 2004 at the University of Detroit Mercy Law School. I was there representing 'Rock the Vote' and McCain made it a point to thank me for registering voters. We chatted for a couple of minutes. I remembered noticing then, his poor handshake (as a result of his treatment as a POW), his height (barely taller than I at 5'3 1/2") and his skin. Prior to his recent campaign for presidency and his new found loyalty to our current President, John McCain was always my favorite Republican. I may have even voted for him in 2000.
But last night, watching him walk around in the town hall setup, next to Barack Obama, his age was glaringly obvious, and not in a kind or flattering way. Let's face the facts, if he is elected, he will be the oldest president ever, and he has/had cancer.
I assume that by this point in their lives, Cindy & John have settled their wills, created trusts and funeral arrangements in order to make their passing more bearable or easy for their children. They put their "Family First."
John McCain claims to put "Country First" throughout this campaign, however his selection of Sarah Palin for VP running mate would hardly make the potential passing of a president easier on the children of this nation, the voters. His real strategy is "Election First." Had he chosen Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Tim Pawlenty, Tom Ridge, Olympia Snowe or the other host of people available to him, he could have continued his "Country First" campaign. They could have been his will, his trust, his estate. However, Palin seems uncertain of what McCain's strategy, desires, goals, and opinions are. How can she carry out what John McCain believes is best for this country if she herself is unsure?
Noone wishes death upon McCain, however, death in this election could be a reality. McCain should have used his judgement to make sure his children were taken of.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Women, hear us purr
Apparently, if Biden is tenacious, strong, condescending, essentially, if he beats Palin to a pulp tonight, metaphorically speaking, he will be viewed poorly. However, if he is gentle with her, and doesn't lead her to the waters of her own embarassment, then he will be viewed wonderfully.
Biden's Strategy: Go Easy on Palin
McCain Camp to Ifill, Go Easy on Palin
Who knew a female vice presidential candidate could push women back so many years?
Seriously, we have been fighting for EQUALITY since the inception of our country. Do you think Abigail Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Linda Chavez-Thompson, Jeanette Rankin or Shirley Chisholm asked to be handled with white gloves?
No, they came into the ring with their own set of boxing gloves and jabs and expected their counterparts to do the same. They were out to prove that women didn't have to exchange their boobs, skirts, heels or makeup to play in the big boy ring.
Mary Wollstonecraft, author of "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" said "Women are systematically degraded by receiving the trivial attentions which men think it manly to pay to the sex, when, in fact, men are insultingly supporting their own superiority."
And it's the truth. Yes, we want a woman on a ticket. Yes, we want a woman in the White House. But not just any woman, and not only does she have to deserve to be in the ring, but she has to earn it too.
But who in today's political culture is driving this "treat Palin unequally" ideal? Women, that's who! Women were the first to question if Palin can handle both MOM and VPOTUS. Women, the same ones who would consider decking their own bosses if they were treated with such little disrespect, are the ones today who will view Biden poorly if he is "mean to the governor."
Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels.
Biden's Strategy: Go Easy on Palin
McCain Camp to Ifill, Go Easy on Palin
Who knew a female vice presidential candidate could push women back so many years?
Seriously, we have been fighting for EQUALITY since the inception of our country. Do you think Abigail Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Linda Chavez-Thompson, Jeanette Rankin or Shirley Chisholm asked to be handled with white gloves?
No, they came into the ring with their own set of boxing gloves and jabs and expected their counterparts to do the same. They were out to prove that women didn't have to exchange their boobs, skirts, heels or makeup to play in the big boy ring.
Mary Wollstonecraft, author of "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" said "Women are systematically degraded by receiving the trivial attentions which men think it manly to pay to the sex, when, in fact, men are insultingly supporting their own superiority."
And it's the truth. Yes, we want a woman on a ticket. Yes, we want a woman in the White House. But not just any woman, and not only does she have to deserve to be in the ring, but she has to earn it too.
But who in today's political culture is driving this "treat Palin unequally" ideal? Women, that's who! Women were the first to question if Palin can handle both MOM and VPOTUS. Women, the same ones who would consider decking their own bosses if they were treated with such little disrespect, are the ones today who will view Biden poorly if he is "mean to the governor."
Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels.
Who's Censoring Who?
Today, in repsonse to questions about the debate America's Favorite Governor said the following:
Palin also claimed she was eager for the debate since the media had been 'censoring' her: "Getting to speak directly to Americans without that filter of mainstream media trying to I think maybe censor some of my comments as we lay out those contrasts between these two different tickets."
Do you really think it's the media censoring you or your #1 guy?
"Clock is ticking as McCain campaign hides Palin"
www.crooksandliars.com
"McCain hides Palin from Media"
www.drudgereport.com
"Would McCain hide Palin from the press if she were'nt a woman?"
www.newsvine.com
"'Pitbull Palin' hides from press"
www.tennesseefree.com
"Palin hides from press"
www.worldnews.com
"Sarah Palin meets world leader - Reporters kept away?"
www.abcnews.com
Palin also claimed she was eager for the debate since the media had been 'censoring' her: "Getting to speak directly to Americans without that filter of mainstream media trying to I think maybe censor some of my comments as we lay out those contrasts between these two different tickets."
Do you really think it's the media censoring you or your #1 guy?
"Clock is ticking as McCain campaign hides Palin"
www.crooksandliars.com
"McCain hides Palin from Media"
www.drudgereport.com
"Would McCain hide Palin from the press if she were'nt a woman?"
www.newsvine.com
"'Pitbull Palin' hides from press"
www.tennesseefree.com
"Palin hides from press"
www.worldnews.com
"Sarah Palin meets world leader - Reporters kept away?"
www.abcnews.com
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Joe Six Pack - Thanks, But, No Thanks!
Sarah Palin's latest defense against critics who complain about her lack of experience is as follows:
“I think they’re just not used to someone coming in from the outside saying you know what -- it’s time that normal Joe Six Pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency,” she said. “And I think that that’s kind of taken some people off guard, and they’re out of sorts, and they’re ticked off about it, but it’s motivation for John McCain and I to work that much harder to make sure that our ticket is victorious.”
Guess what Gov. Palin? You're absolutely correct! I DO NOT want Joe Six Pack running my country. It's nothing against Joe and his 5 other friends, I'm Jane Six Pack, and so are my friends. However, I think the people who govern the 300 million of us Americans should probably be better than average. I don't want a doctor who earned C's, a teacher who can't spell, or a lawyer with a criminal background, and I certainly don't want average or less for my President(s).
You don't have to be Joe Six Pack to get Joe Six Pack. Yo uhave to have similair values, ideals, families, homes and cars. Oops, was that plural. I mean Home and Car.
Here are some more reasons, Joe Six Pack should not run our country:
They vote in heavier numbers for American Idol than for the presidency
A whopping majority of them believed Iraq was responsible for 911
They care about what private and public citizens do in the secrecy of the bedroom
They lose when playing "Are you Smarter than a 5th grader?"
They're too embarassed to discuss the birds and the bees explicitly and inturn have pregnant teenagers
They purchase inflatable holiday decorations
They don't realize we are the only country, I repeat only country to drop TWO
nucleur weapons
YouTube and MySpace are ranked higher in hits than Wikipedia (also in top ten) and any news organizations.
Time Magazine is listed at 10 for sales and readership, but Readers Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, and even PEOPLE magazine are listed amongst 1-9. Playboy and ESPN Magazine appear in the top 25, but Time is the ONLY news magazine in the top 25.
Some of them, like you, even beleive, that working hard, earning scholarships and going to a top tiered, ivy-league school is no longer the American Dream.
So please, Joe and Jane Six Packs alike. We sit in the stands and watch the Major Leagurers play without any doubt that we could not do better. It's time to know our role and do the same with the Presidency; let the Major Leagurers run the game.
Guess what Gov. Palin? You're absolutely correct! I DO NOT want Joe Six Pack running my country. It's nothing against Joe and his 5 other friends, I'm Jane Six Pack, and so are my friends. However, I think the people who govern the 300 million of us Americans should probably be better than average. I don't want a doctor who earned C's, a teacher who can't spell, or a lawyer with a criminal background, and I certainly don't want average or less for my President(s).
You don't have to be Joe Six Pack to get Joe Six Pack. Yo uhave to have similair values, ideals, families, homes and cars. Oops, was that plural. I mean Home and Car.
Here are some more reasons, Joe Six Pack should not run our country:
They vote in heavier numbers for American Idol than for the presidency
A whopping majority of them believed Iraq was responsible for 911
They care about what private and public citizens do in the secrecy of the bedroom
They lose when playing "Are you Smarter than a 5th grader?"
They're too embarassed to discuss the birds and the bees explicitly and inturn have pregnant teenagers
They purchase inflatable holiday decorations
They don't realize we are the only country, I repeat only country to drop TWO
nucleur weapons
YouTube and MySpace are ranked higher in hits than Wikipedia (also in top ten) and any news organizations.
Time Magazine is listed at 10 for sales and readership, but Readers Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, and even PEOPLE magazine are listed amongst 1-9. Playboy and ESPN Magazine appear in the top 25, but Time is the ONLY news magazine in the top 25.
Some of them, like you, even beleive, that working hard, earning scholarships and going to a top tiered, ivy-league school is no longer the American Dream.
So please, Joe and Jane Six Packs alike. We sit in the stands and watch the Major Leagurers play without any doubt that we could not do better. It's time to know our role and do the same with the Presidency; let the Major Leagurers run the game.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Not an original, but one every Woman should read
John McCain is one of only a few Senators to earn a Zero percent lifetime rating from Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund, and he only scored that high because the organization doesn’t have a lower rating…. Let’s look at his record:
He voted against requiring health care plans to cover birth control (3/22/03).
He voted against comprehensive, medically accurate sex education (7/25/06).
He voted against international family planning funding (3/14/96).
He voted against funding to prevent teen and unintended pregnancies (3/17/05).
He voted against public education for emergency contraception (3/17/05).
And he voted against restoring Medicaid funding that could be used for family planning for low-income women (3/17/05).
NPR reported (2/2/08) that, “Many Republican voters seem to believe, incorrectly, that the current Republican front-runner, Arizona Senator John McCain, supports abortion rights.”
John McCain wants us to believe that he’s a moderate who supports improving the health of women in the United States, but in fact he’s among the most extreme members of Congress who voted against common sense measures on family planning, sex education and access to basic healthcare.
David Greenberg, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood in Oregon,
This is a forward I am proud to share. . . .
This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.
Remember, it was not until 1920that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.
The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed
nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking
for the vote.
And by the end of the night, they were barely alive.
Forty prison g uards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing
went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of
'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'
(Lucy Burns)
They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above
her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping
for air.
(Dora Lewis)
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her
head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate,
Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack.
Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging,
beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.
Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917,
when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his
guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because
they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right
to vote.
For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their
food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.
(Alice Paul)
When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks
until word was smuggled out to the press.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf
So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because -
-why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work?
Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?
Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new
movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle
these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling
booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.
All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the
actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote.
Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege.
Sometimes it was inconvenient.
My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history,
saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk
about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought
kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said.
'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use,
my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just
younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The
right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'
HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history,
social studies and government teachers would include the movie in
their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere
else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of so cializing,
but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think
a little shock therapy is in order.
It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.
The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'
Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know.
We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so
hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.
History is being made.
He voted against requiring health care plans to cover birth control (3/22/03).
He voted against comprehensive, medically accurate sex education (7/25/06).
He voted against international family planning funding (3/14/96).
He voted against funding to prevent teen and unintended pregnancies (3/17/05).
He voted against public education for emergency contraception (3/17/05).
And he voted against restoring Medicaid funding that could be used for family planning for low-income women (3/17/05).
NPR reported (2/2/08) that, “Many Republican voters seem to believe, incorrectly, that the current Republican front-runner, Arizona Senator John McCain, supports abortion rights.”
John McCain wants us to believe that he’s a moderate who supports improving the health of women in the United States, but in fact he’s among the most extreme members of Congress who voted against common sense measures on family planning, sex education and access to basic healthcare.
David Greenberg, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood in Oregon,
This is a forward I am proud to share. . . .
This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.
Remember, it was not until 1920that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.
The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed
nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking
for the vote.
And by the end of the night, they were barely alive.
Forty prison g uards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing
went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of
'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'
(Lucy Burns)
They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above
her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping
for air.
(Dora Lewis)
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her
head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate,
Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack.
Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging,
beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.
Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917,
when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his
guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because
they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right
to vote.
For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their
food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.
(Alice Paul)
When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks
until word was smuggled out to the press.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf
So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because -
-why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work?
Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?
Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new
movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle
these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling
booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.
All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the
actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote.
Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege.
Sometimes it was inconvenient.
My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history,
saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk
about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought
kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said.
'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use,
my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just
younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The
right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'
HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history,
social studies and government teachers would include the movie in
their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere
else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of so cializing,
but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think
a little shock therapy is in order.
It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.
The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'
Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know.
We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so
hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.
History is being made.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Why I support Obama
I received an email from an ol' College Buddy about why I support Obama and wanted to share:) Oh and I know there are probably misspellings and gramatical errors all over the place - but I only have 2 minutes left in my lunch!
Kim,
You're a bright/smart/up-to-date woman...tell me why should I be behind Obama?? I'm not giving you "shit" I simply don't follow politics as much as I need to.
What about McCain, what's his story.
Would love it if you could bring me up to speed and make me not so ignorant. (think its possible?) =)
November is approaching quickly.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first advice I always give people is to pick your top 3 issues and discover what each candidate thinks about them. Choose from there.
I take my politics very seriously (really, I have been learning about Obama since his keynote in 2004). Here are the reasons I support him.
The top 3 three things I look for in a candidate are:
Pro-Choice: This one speaks for itself - but I'll still defend it. The decision to offer choice to women with their own medical care is different than condoning abortion. Do I think abortion is wrong? Yes. However, what I think is more wrong is the idea that we can impose our values and morals on other people and the decisions that affect thier lives and sometimes even their health. Most republican led bills that pledge to end late term abortion DO NOT include "exclusion clauses" that protect a mothers life is she could die from childbirth. That is wrong. How about forcing a child or woman who just experienced the worst thing a woman ever could - being raped- and then forcing them to hash out that pain day in and day out for 9 months. That is just plain wrong.
Regulated Trade as opposed to FREE Trade: While I think trade and the globalization are important, America should export as much as it imports - if not more. Currently we import over 30 billion dollars more than we export. We'll never keep american jobs this way. Another point on this topic (since it seems like all we export anymore are jobs) is that currently we give companies who send jobs overseas tax incentives to do so. Barack Obama will end those breaks, and instead give them to companies who open and stay here.
Taxes: Usually, this one would be the environment, but after GWB I moved this one up. GWB's tax cuts only cut taxes for people who make over 250,000/year. Barack Obama will repeal this tax code, and give people who make less than 250,000/year the tax incentive - plus has plans to give each family a 1,000(i think) tax rebate to offset energy costs.GasI know I said 3 but I feel strongly about this one this time around too! While I am not 100% against off-shore drilling we have a problem and T Boone Pickens (oil tycoon) admits it too. USA consumes 25% of the worlds oil and our land only provides 3%. I due time, we will run out of American Oil. We need leadership who will not only help us now, but will help our future. We need to seriously invest in finding alternative sources of energy. Obama not only plans to invest hundreds of millions into this, because of the type of energy he is looking into (solar power, windmill) all of the jobs will be in American and he estimates it will take 5 million people to make that happen. Using 2006 CIA numbers, we have 15 million unemployed americans.
There are many other reasons I support Obama. As far as Commander in Chief responsibilities here are two:
He was one of the first people to recomend a timeline to leave Iraq, and the Bush administration and McCain both opposed the idea. The Bush administration just adopted a timeline to leave by 2011. It's basically the same timeline Obama proposed.
He said he would sit down and speak with Iran and use diplomatic efforts to stop their nucleur proliferation. The Bush administration / McCain had a field day with this calling him soft and out of touch with reality. Less than a month later the Bush administration sent Condeleeza Rice over to meet with Iran.
McCain has voted with Bush 77% of the time in the last 7 years (since Bush has been president) 90% of the time in 2007 and he says the fundamentals of our economy are strong and doesn't think that 47 million people without Healthcare is a problem. He supports bailing out the banks who are stuck with millions in foreclosure debt, but doesn't support changing bankruptcy laws that plague the thousands of people who lost thier homes due to predatory lending (ARM loans are predatory!).
I could go on forever and it probabaly seems like I have, but like I said, I'm a bit of fanatic:)
Oh and one more thing (I promise) while Obama is criticized for being a celebrity - I think it is awesome to finally have a politician and leader that can draw a crowd of 75,000 to one place to watch him speak. I think we need more popular people in politics. I prefer that to the stale same same ol distrust we have in everyone else.
Kim,
You're a bright/smart/up-to-date woman...tell me why should I be behind Obama?? I'm not giving you "shit" I simply don't follow politics as much as I need to.
What about McCain, what's his story.
Would love it if you could bring me up to speed and make me not so ignorant. (think its possible?) =)
November is approaching quickly.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first advice I always give people is to pick your top 3 issues and discover what each candidate thinks about them. Choose from there.
I take my politics very seriously (really, I have been learning about Obama since his keynote in 2004). Here are the reasons I support him.
The top 3 three things I look for in a candidate are:
Pro-Choice: This one speaks for itself - but I'll still defend it. The decision to offer choice to women with their own medical care is different than condoning abortion. Do I think abortion is wrong? Yes. However, what I think is more wrong is the idea that we can impose our values and morals on other people and the decisions that affect thier lives and sometimes even their health. Most republican led bills that pledge to end late term abortion DO NOT include "exclusion clauses" that protect a mothers life is she could die from childbirth. That is wrong. How about forcing a child or woman who just experienced the worst thing a woman ever could - being raped- and then forcing them to hash out that pain day in and day out for 9 months. That is just plain wrong.
Regulated Trade as opposed to FREE Trade: While I think trade and the globalization are important, America should export as much as it imports - if not more. Currently we import over 30 billion dollars more than we export. We'll never keep american jobs this way. Another point on this topic (since it seems like all we export anymore are jobs) is that currently we give companies who send jobs overseas tax incentives to do so. Barack Obama will end those breaks, and instead give them to companies who open and stay here.
Taxes: Usually, this one would be the environment, but after GWB I moved this one up. GWB's tax cuts only cut taxes for people who make over 250,000/year. Barack Obama will repeal this tax code, and give people who make less than 250,000/year the tax incentive - plus has plans to give each family a 1,000(i think) tax rebate to offset energy costs.GasI know I said 3 but I feel strongly about this one this time around too! While I am not 100% against off-shore drilling we have a problem and T Boone Pickens (oil tycoon) admits it too. USA consumes 25% of the worlds oil and our land only provides 3%. I due time, we will run out of American Oil. We need leadership who will not only help us now, but will help our future. We need to seriously invest in finding alternative sources of energy. Obama not only plans to invest hundreds of millions into this, because of the type of energy he is looking into (solar power, windmill) all of the jobs will be in American and he estimates it will take 5 million people to make that happen. Using 2006 CIA numbers, we have 15 million unemployed americans.
There are many other reasons I support Obama. As far as Commander in Chief responsibilities here are two:
He was one of the first people to recomend a timeline to leave Iraq, and the Bush administration and McCain both opposed the idea. The Bush administration just adopted a timeline to leave by 2011. It's basically the same timeline Obama proposed.
He said he would sit down and speak with Iran and use diplomatic efforts to stop their nucleur proliferation. The Bush administration / McCain had a field day with this calling him soft and out of touch with reality. Less than a month later the Bush administration sent Condeleeza Rice over to meet with Iran.
McCain has voted with Bush 77% of the time in the last 7 years (since Bush has been president) 90% of the time in 2007 and he says the fundamentals of our economy are strong and doesn't think that 47 million people without Healthcare is a problem. He supports bailing out the banks who are stuck with millions in foreclosure debt, but doesn't support changing bankruptcy laws that plague the thousands of people who lost thier homes due to predatory lending (ARM loans are predatory!).
I could go on forever and it probabaly seems like I have, but like I said, I'm a bit of fanatic:)
Oh and one more thing (I promise) while Obama is criticized for being a celebrity - I think it is awesome to finally have a politician and leader that can draw a crowd of 75,000 to one place to watch him speak. I think we need more popular people in politics. I prefer that to the stale same same ol distrust we have in everyone else.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
