by Darin Lowery

On that awful day in 2001, when the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center collapsed in a furious mass of deadly smoke and debris, the keening at my office was out of control. No one understood what was happening, despite the nonstop news coverage gleaned from an antiquated, rolled-in Motorola. The state of shock was palpable, a numbness shared with the rest of the country. A heavy smoker then, I found my lighter and headed out the side door but was stopped by a tear stained, anxious young woman in a too-bright print dress. Oh my God, she said, why do they hate us so much? Why do they hate us so much?  I shrugged and ignored her. The Pentagon was in flames, a tight lipped reporter droned; another plane had crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside. The 1993 Trade Center bombing was reviewed in depth- it had been a matter of when, not if, another attack would transpire.

Why, indeed, do they ‘hate us so much’? To answer that it’s important to look at who we are- an almost impossible task (as most introspection is) when one is an American who resides in the United States. As an American- a white male, no less- the privileges are unlimited and explanations for our behavior are rarely expected. As a society, we expect a high standard of living as our due, regardless of our level of education or work experience. One result is credit card debt which amounts to $2,000-$15,000 per household, depending on which report you believe. Who really owns all of ‘our’ stuff, and why is it so important that we have it? Currently, the richest 1% of people in the world receives as much as the bottom 57%, according to the University of California/Santa Cruz Atlas of Inequality. Is anyone else shocked by this statement?

‘It is saddening to tell you that you are the worst civilization witnessed by the history of mankind… let us not forget one of your major characteristics: your duality in both manners and values; your hypocrisy in manners and principles. All manners, principles and values have two scales: one for you and one for the others.’

-Osama bin Laden, 2002

(Full transcript available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver)

While I do love this country, I sometimes don’t like it. Our priorities are not in focus with what’s important elsewhere in the world- one can turn to almost any television program to see the inanity, the insanity of what we deem worthy. Media is a mirror and this reflection is beamed all over the planet. It was cute when it was simply Coca-Cola, blue jeans and rock ‘n roll. We are what we eat, but we’re also what we buy and frankly, most of it is garbage. Who am I, if I don’t consume?

‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ was an early consumer trap Americans embraced; it has since morphed into a desperate, vulgar grab for the newest, biggest, and shiniest. We eat like there’s no tomorrow yet take it for granted that when the knees give out or the blood pressure goes through the roof it’ll be magically fixed through medication or surgery. At times it seems it’s our right, as Americans, to take no responsibility for our health, our spending habits, our depletion of the planet’s resources in the name of immediate gratification.

Still, it’s an amazing time to live, and the United States is a Paradise for those who can afford it. At least for now. The 1950’s taught us to reach for more- and we did. Problem is, we’re drowning in it. What we discard daily would sustain other families for months. Empires do not last forever, and we can look to the ancient Egyptians, the Romans- hell, even the Third Reich- to bear this truth out.

I understand our ‘necessity’ to maintain our way of living (thereby keeping the politicians and bankers rich) and the need for security (never give the keys of the kingdom to the unwashed masses because they’ll fly airplanes into your skyscrapers) but oftentimes wonder how many of us truly understand the way in which other people live in other countries, and how completely different it is from our own way of life. It was a shock for me, as a child living in Asia, to watch what people ate and drank, how they bathed and where they slept. We flourish while others suffer, and if you don’t believe that you are casting a blind eye about you. We practice noblesse oblige only when it benefits our own blueprint.

Ultimately, bin Laden’s message was about respect, responsibility and accountability. I am not a radical Muslim- I’m not even a ‘good’ Catholic. Bin Laden did not speak for all of Islam. We are good people who sometimes behave badly because we do not have the facts, and we cannot depend upon the media or the government to inform us. Sorry, but Fox News doesn’t cut it, and if you’re watching that rubbish then you really have no idea what’s happening in the world. ‘Patriot’ is a strong word, loaded with meaning, but in the end it means honoring and defending one’s country. If in fact our lives have ‘gone global’, doesn’t that at least suggest a sense of responsibility to and for others? Sure, we write the checks- but if we continue to consume and subsume everything under the sun, what’s left for anyone else?

The Twin Towers are gone; perhaps there are plans for another sort of attack. We need to remain vigilant and aware. We can, in the meantime, begin to examine how we interact with each other, what values we possess and teach our young. We can ensure our inclusiveness and acceptance of those different from us. We can start by spending time with our kids, by skipping the mall and the squawking television set with its gratuitous violence and casual sex. In short, we- you and me, our friends and families, our neighbors, co-workers- even our ‘Facebook Friends’ –can change. Because by helping others we help ourselves, and through this, hate is dissolved into love.

Only then will the question, ‘why do they hate us so much’ have lost its meaning.

For Darin, who says I haven’t griped enough lately.

So the Republicans just filibustered against a bill to give health-care to 9/11 first responders. I find this super-duper interesting for a couple of reasons, but first, let’s play a game.

Honor our Troops

First, let’s pretend like there is a country who is mighty and powerful in the size and scope of its military. Now, let’s pretend that the citizens of that country LOVE to shout and slap on bumper stickers that say HONOR OUR TROOPS, THESE COLORS DON’T RUN, FREEDOM ISN’T FREE and THANK A SOLDIER.

Okay, got that make-believe scenario in your head? Good, now, let’s pretend that HALF of those citizens believe in the following four things:

1. We should only send our brave soldiers, into harms way, after every other option has been attempted. 2. We should never send those troops in without proper gear and a game plan. 3. We should always make sure that putting their lives in danger is based on facts that are true and not based on fear and hate. 4. Honoring these troops should also include if they are black, gay or come home missing limbs or suffering from mental issues.

Now, let’s pretend the other half of the citizens believe in the following four things:

1. We should strike fast and strike hard, and let god sort them out. 2. Our military leaders should never be questioned and our soldiers are exceptional and can work with whatever they have. 3. Questioning our government or leadership is akin to treason (unless you didn’t vote for them). 4. A soldier should always be honored, unless he is gay, then he just needs to be sent home because everyone knows a gay soldier is more trouble than they’re worth.

So as a visitor to this country, which of these two groups would you say HONORS OUR TROOPS, and which one, though they like to slap on the same bumper stickers, are saying one thing but doing the opposite? Yup, I agree.

Death to Smoochie

When Obama was pushing forward on health-care reform, the term ‘death panels’ came up from TV celebrities like Sarah Palin. They took a simple statement in the bill that said that doctors and the patients could ‘discuss’ their options, to mean that somehow the doctors were given the power to decide you are going to die. Anyone with half a brain-cell, who read a tad further, saw that what it was actually saying was that the doctor and the patient could discuss treatment in the form of more radical means, or perhaps a simpler way to let things take their course, in palliative care.

Of course, the teabaggers and GOPers decided that reading and understanding was a waste of time, and signs, marches and shouts of death panels criss-crossed our land. Of course, there are no death panels, there never were.

Except, well, in Arizona.

Republican Governor Jan Brewer has decided to remove the option of low-income citizens, who are on AHCCCS, from receiving life-saving organ transplants. This move will save 1.4 Million dollars, exactly 1/10 of 1% of our deficit. Over 95 people are on that list, two have already died. So what we are seeing is a Government entity deciding WHO LIVES and WHO DIES based on their personal justifications. Isn’t this what the same GOP and teabaggers were screaming about being so horrible with health-care reform? Funny, not a peep from any of them.

Again, we all ask, were you mad at the ‘death panels’ or the black guy in the White House? It just seems odd how you only get mad ‘sometimes’. Just saying, we all find it interesting.

On a side note, Brewer has approved 10 Million dollars to ‘secure our border’. So that’s 10 Million to keep brown people from mowing our lawns and nothing for poor people to actually stay alive. Got it. She also was proud to say she was ‘appointed by God’, which can only mean she is completely psychotic…or God is. You decide.

Heroes Schmeroes

After the twin towers fell, thousands of firemen, cops and citizens rushed to the site to help save survivors. It was not the National Guard, the Army, the Marines or the Boy Scouts who jumped in there, it was New Yorkers, citizens, their neighbors who put their lives in danger to do what was right.

Then, one political party used the fear and hate from 9/11 to not only start a war based on revenge and a war based on lies, but also used 9/11 to re-elect a comedian-in-chief and control their followers by feeding the notion that we are all under threat from ‘them’, meaning non-Americans, Muslims, Islam or whoever else they could muster up the courage to hate. They talked, screamed and cried about the victims of that day, the brave soldiers who have died as a result, and especially the HEROES of 9/11. We called potatoes Freedom Fries, we dumped out good wine and we decided the world was For Us or Against Us, all based on that horrible day in American history.

A Day We Can Never Forget

Well, sort of never forget, because now, the GOP is fighting tooth and nail to make sure those same HEROES don’t get any free health-care, as they die from diseases they contracted ONLY because they were trying to help their fellow Americans. As Jon Stewart said today, ” A new rule for Republicans: block health care for 9/11 first responders, and you don’t get to exploit 9/11 for political gain anymore. Period.”

I wonder how many Republicans, who are blocking helping these HEROES, will use the hate and fear of 9/11 in our next election cycle? I’m gonna say somewhere between all and every one of them. Let’s pretend like we’re shocked when it happens.

The Great Satan

While we’re here, let’s clear up one more hypocrite-conservative-thingy. It’s simple. If you are asked in your Republican debate how many of you believe in Evolution, and NONE of you raise your hand, then let’s go ahead and make some rules. If you don’t believe in Evolution, that means you don’t believe the world is older than 4,000 or maybe 20,000 years old, dinosaurs didn’t really exist, blah blah blah, got it.

Now, science has shown us that the oil underneath the ground is made of FOSSILS (thus, called fossil fuel) that takes around 650 million years to form. So they must be fake, right? Then why are you not only profiting off of these fuels, giving tax breaks to the companies making billions off these fuels, taking kick backs from the lobbyist who represent these fuels and fighting to keep anyone from regulating the business practices of those who drill for the fuels? That seems like a lot of work for something that doesn’t really exist, or perhaps it is one of these two options:

1. You believe in Evolution, and are willing to profit from it, but you are also willing to lie to your bible-thumping voters on national television, in order to win their votes. Which makes you a jerk. Or,

2. You really do believe that the earth was made by intelligent-design, which means that fossils and such are all attempts by Satan to ‘make humans question’ the work of the lord, and thus, you are profiting off the work of the Great Satan. Which makes you, well, an evil-profiteer. You decide.

Honor our troops, death panels, 9/11 heroes and intelligent design. Keep up the good work. Happy Holidays.

Let’s play a game. A shoe, in Italy, is called a scarpa. It is still a shoe; in fact, it is probably a better shoe than you could ever get in America, because the Italians are masters of shoe creations.

Now, let’s say you go to France and you want to buy a book, you’ll often see it written as livre. Does that mean it’s not a book? Any chance you will go to a library in France and ask for a livre and you will be handed a jacket, a spatula or a plate full of liver?

Probably not.

By: Vince Yanez

So, now that you’ve gotten how foreign languages work, let’s try something else. What do you think the word mosque means? Well, the literal translation is a place for prostration, meaning the place you go to worship. So a mosque is a place you go to worship, interesting, that’s almost exactly what we call a church, right?

Now, the person in the mosque, who leads these prayers, is called an Imam. We, using our own language, do not call him an Imam. Since we don’t speak Arabic, instead, we say pastor, a father or perhaps a priest. Yup, same person, same job, different word, in fact, in France they say pretre. I’m almost 100% sure that though the French are using a different word, they are most likely not associated with the devil, terrorism or some sort of Axis of Evil. In fact, it’s more than likely they are just using a foreign word that is actually not foreign to them, being that they are, well, French.

So, bear with me, I’ve got one more. Ready?

Allah.

There it is. Now, why am I doing this?

Because, in Phoenix, just off the I-10, a building is under construction that contains within its architecture, a dome (did you gasp!). Yes, a building is being built with a dome, much like St. Peters, where the pope lives, has a dome. Much like the beautiful dome in Florence (built by Brunelleschi),but with one little difference; this dome is being built in our United States of America.

Who cares? Well, apparently a wide range of Arizonans have shared that they are very worried that this dome, this round structure atop this building, could possibly be the signs of…..A MOSQUE!!!! (Did you gasp again?).

So they have been calling, asking and even protesting what could possibly be a mosque (remember that word means a house of worship), run by an Imam (yes, that still means a person that leads the prayer), all in an attempt to pray to Allah. Oops, did you already guess that Allah means God?

Right again, that would be the SAME God that Christians and all other God-worshiping people pray to, it’s that whole ‘foreign language’ thing sneaking up on us again.

So what we have are Christians who go to church (with also means mosque), led by their priests (which almost means Imam), protesting against a group of people who are praying to the same God (which can also be called Allah).

Odd isn’t it? So I wonder, if you aren’t really angry at the building, what the building is used for, who leads the ceremony or who they are praying to, (since you are doing the EXACT SAME THING), one must ask, what exactly are you protesting against?

Let me make some wild guesses.

Could it be the location? I mean, it is 2,148 miles from Ground Zero, is that the new definition of ‘too close’?

Could it be the people? They do dress differently (sometimes), could you be self-righteous when it comes toward clothes that aren’t made in China and sold at Wal-Mart? They eat different food, could it be that you are mad that they aren’t eating the same hormone-filled crap you stuff into your face? Could it be that they speak a different language? I suppose that could be part of it, but of course, most of them speak English, so that’s not really a valid point. Could it be that they look different from you? I mean, they ARE from a different country and ethnic group, so the tint of their skin is sometimes darker than yours.

That can’t be it, can it?

The same people who were protesting the mosque in Manhattan screamed they weren’t racist, or in this case, ethnically discriminatory. I mean, this isn’t New York, this is  Arizona, it’s not like you are protesting against things like an African-American in the oval office, a day to honor one of the greatest civil rights leaders of our time or have shown yourselves to use lies, hate and fear to attack those in our state who are browner than you.

Oh wait, oops, I almost forgot you have actually been against all three of those things. But you aren’t racists, and you swear it has nothing to do with color, so it can only mean you are…?

The word you are looking for at this time is inculte, look it up.

So in response to these protesters, the builders of the dome put up a sign that states they are not building a mosque, they are building a Christian house of prayer. Their sign actually says, ‘If you think we are different you are wrong. We are building a Christian house of prayer’.

Fascinating, because it should actually read, ‘If you think we are different, why is that such a problem? Aren’t we all God’s Children?’ I mean, it should, shouldn’t it? But, sadly, it doesn’t.

Instead, it makes sure to point out that it isn’t one of those different people, but instead it comforts you in making sure you know it is one of you and on your side of the religious war. The war that consists of two sides who are praying to the same God, who both teach peace and love as the way to salvation and despite the fact that sometimes crazy fringe groups cause problems, (terrorists, KKK, suicide bombers, creepy molesting priests, hijackers, gay haters) like to say things like ‘We are all God’s children’.

I looked in every bible I could get my hands on, I asked my friend who is a leader of a Christian house of worship and I looked all over the internet, and no where could I find a little asterisk next to that phrase that said *except for gays, atheists, Muslims or socialists.

We are all God’s children, really? In Italian the word is ipocrita…look it up.

Here is where the Democrats screwed up.

First of all, in the election of 2008, the grassroot efforts by the Democrats motivated 23 million young people to vote. The largest number of youth votes in the history of elections. In these 2010 elections, only 9 million of those same youth showed up. Once Obama took office, this grassroot movement was left to wonder, what now?

Second, even if you make the greatest movie in the world, you aren’t going to get any audience without a good marketing strategy. The Obama Administration has passed up, time and time again, amazing opportunities not only to show why the things they have achieved are far and beyond what has been accomplished since FDR, but they have also failed to explain, educate and motivate the public on where we are and where we’re going.

Third, Obama has worked on an intellectual plain that I believe is far and above what Americans are willing or able to understand. He has stood by his notion that if you treat others with respect, if you invite them to participate and if you compromise to find the middle ground, great strides can be made. We saw it happen with Clinton and Newt’s Congress, but sadly, we have yet to see anything nearing cooperation or even general respect from the GOP of today.

With the shouting of ‘You Lie’, with the voting of ‘NO’ for everything and with the constant attacks against his birth status or religious convictions, the Republican Party has shown they are, as I’ve said many times, more than willing to put their PARTY before their COUNTRY.

John Boehner, the man in orange, did two things in one day to show what a failure he is as a leader of the GOP.

First, he cried. He cried because of all the tough jobs he had and the struggles he faced as he worked his way toward this life of golfing, drinking and tanning. He cried, but just a few weeks ago, he voted against giving tax breaks to small businesses who are trying to survive. He voted against extending unemployment benefits of Americans who are victims of his parties idiocy and he has shouted against reform for healthcare, credit cards, bank reform and wall street reform, all institutions that are causing Americans to lose their homes, their savings and even their lives.

He cried about how hard he had it, but finds no tears for anyone out there who is the victim of his own voting record.

Then, after this election, Agent Orange said that the President needs to realize that because a Republican majority has been voted into the House, that the American people have SPOKEN and it would be wise of him to realize that Americans are not supporting his AGENDA and want this country to go in a new direction. He offered the advice that the president should take this movement seriously and RESPECT THE WISHES of the voters.

He forgot one thing

In 2008, the Republicans had lost the Oval Office along with the House and Senate. In 2008, the American people came out in RECORD NUMBERS to tell the Republican Party, and especially the Genius-in-Chief, that we were not willing to put up with their AGENDA any longer. The American people SPOKE with our VOTES that we wanted a new direction.

So what happened? Boehner and his group of sore losers, in lock step, for TWO YEARS did everything they could to vote NO, disrupt and corrupt what the AMERICAN PEOPLE had told them they wanted done. So you see, when YOU are told what those patriotic Americans WANT, but you don’t agree with it, then you do whatever it takes to disrupt the process. Because you were never there to heed the wants of the public or to serve the people, your only focus for two years was to keep the democratically-elected president from succeeding so that you could hope to run/rule/ruin the country in four, short years.

You chose to vote against healthcare for dying Americans, healthcare for dying children, healthcare for dying 9/11 responders, credit card reform, bank reform, mortgage company reforms, to give gays the honor they deserve  in the military and you shouted against a stimulus that has kept the recession (you caused) from becoming a depression. But that was the plan all along. If we could keep the country from improving for four years, they’ll vote Obama out of office.

So you telling Obama he needs to HEED the voice of the American people? Why? You have done the exact opposite for two years? That makes you, tan man, a hypocrite.

So to the new Speaker of the House, the only reason tears should be rolling down those orange cheeks of yours is the fact that you have no memory, no integrity and little moral character.

And now, some fun facts for those who like to shout VICTORY

Fact #1: The Republican base that voted in this last election was no bigger than the numbers who voted in 2006 or 2002. It was not the American people ‘rising up’ to say anything, it was just the usual percentage of conservatives voting in the midterm the way they always do. What made the big difference was the LACK of involvement from the Liberals, as the numbers of minority and youth voters was much less than normal.

Many poles showed that these groups felt that, by trying so hard to work with the Party of No, Obama had let them down. I, personally, never understood why he would give these immoral, fake patriots the time of day.

Fact #2: Many of those Democrats who almost destroyed major healthcare reform, known as Blue Dog Democrats, were sent packing by their Liberal constituents. The people who had voted them in were not willing to give them even more opportunities to vote against a president they are supposed to be helping achieve Liberal goals while in office. So in many districts, when your choice is a Blue Dog who will act like a Conservative, or a Conservative who acts like a Conservative, many people chose to stay home.

Fact #3: Midterm elections do not often see much involvement from minorities, young people and women. It’s just the way it’s always been, at least for the last 30 years. So what you have is a majority of midterm voters being old, white people. And unless you just arrived to America yesterday, you and I both know who the majority of candidates old, white people will often vote for. Yup, good guess.

Fact #4: The party in power, especially when it controls the Oval Office and the Congress, almost always loses to the opposing party. It happened to Clinton and to Bush as well.

However

If the GOP winning more seats means they are willing to do what they weren’t willing to do for the last two years, God bless you for finally choosing your Country over your Party (but I’m not holding my breath). And if the Democrats losing power means you’ll stop acting like a bunch of idiots and actually agree enough to make things happen, then God bless you (but I’m not holding my breath).

Most likely we’re just going to see business as usual, for another two years, then all cringe as Palin becomes the Republican nominee for president. And as she winks her way into the White House, destroys the integrity of our country within days, replaces the Oval Office furniture with lawn chairs then decides to declare war on Finland, we will look back at these times of negative ads, orange cry-babies and empty threats, fondly remembering them as The Good ‘Ol Days.

Image via Wikipedia

Gila County Election Results   November 2010

The Gay Agenda

I love those words. It makes you think of some backroom of a billiard hall, a bunch of guys in wrinkled suits, two-day stubble and cigars, writing a secret agenda to further the movement of homosexualizing (I made up that word) the innocent and unsuspecting non-gays of America. (Of course, this group would be in the back of an art cafe, wearing nicely-pressed Stafford dress-shirts, clean shaven and smoking Benson and Hedges 100′s, because come on, THEY ARE GAY after all).

The Gay Agenda was originally revealed in 1992, when the Family Research Council released a series of videos about the Gay Agenda in America. In those videos, besides spreading hate and fear based on ignorance, they also spread the horrible lies that 75% of gay men ingested feces and 70% or more have STD’s. Yup, those were considered actual scientific facts.

The Family Research Council is a Christian Conservative group formed in 1981. They were designed to be a lobbying group in D.C. to help push the agendaof the God-fearing, tax-hating, freedom-loving patriots of America. They were part of Focus on the Family, an Evangelical Christian Conservative group who supports school prayer and capital punishment, but rails against homosexuality, gambling, pornography, abortion and all sexual activity outside of marriage. (Yes, they just alienated every person in America, except the hypocrites).

Let’s just be friends

Focus and FRC separated in 1992, and that same year the FRC decided to focus more on the Gay Agenda and the homosexual threat to America. So here we have a group, based on changing the political landscape, who is focused on fighting against what they see as living a lifestyle that cannot be condoned in our God-fearing United States.

They are against the very thing the Gay Rights Groups are fighting for.  You know, stuff like marriage equality, the right to adopt, military participation, ending discrimination in the workplace, enacting hate-crime laws and a few more things. Oh, and they also blame gays on wanting to ruin the Sanctity of Marriage, even though heterosexual marriage has a 50% divorce rate. Apparently the word Sanctity means different things when you’re straight.

Sitting in front of the gay bus

By: Vince Yanez

Now here is what is interesting. In these United States, not too long ago, a black person was not allowed to marry a white person (or vice-versa), a black couple could not adopt a white baby, a black soldier was not allowed to serve his country (and when he was, he was put in black regiments), a black man was discriminated not only in the workplace, but at the lunch counter, buses, trains and even at water fountains. A black human being could be beaten or murdered and a jury could not decide the crime was a hate crime, because that was just a ridiculous notion in this God-fearing country.

Once upon a time in the country, a woman could not divorce her husband, a single woman was not taken seriously to buy things like a home or land, a woman could not volunteer for combat, a woman was discriminated in the workplace, sexually discriminated in the streets and had no real recourse should she find herself physically, mentally or even sexually abused in her own home.

Today, because of the hate, ignorance, fear, stupidity and immorality of whites against blacks, and of men against women, we have groups like the National Women’s Association, NAACP and the ACLU. We have laws against discriminating or harassing against sex or race. We have things like Affirmative Action to force those who are too stupid to do what is right, to do what is right in terms of education and job hiring. I suppose, in a way, you can say the blacks, the women and now those suffering age discrimination, created an AGENDA to make sure they were treated like human beings.

So there is a Gay Agenda?

I guess you are correct. An entire group of people are being told they do not have the rights of everyone else in America. Not because of their color, not because of their sex or even because of their age…but because of who they have chosen to love.

Today we have Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals, we have Gay and Lesbian Cruises, we have Gay and Lesbian fraternities and sororities, we have Gay and Lesbian book clubs, night clubs, bike rides and parades.

Soon we are going to have Affirmative Action for gay teens to make sure they aren’t denied an education and for adults to make sure they aren’t denied a job based on their sexuality. We’re going to have laws that will allow gay marriage, gay adoption and gladly accept honorable gay-Americans who want to serve the country they love.

Why your stupidity is cool

You see, when you attack a group of people that you don’t like, you just create a stronger group. If you had just said I Don’t Approve of the Gay Lifestyle (then tried real hard not to do gay stuff, cuz that would make you a hypocrite), that’s great, that is your right. But Nooooooo, you had to try and force THEM to abide by YOUR rules, YOUR morals and YOUR misguided values. Problem is, your rules, morals and values are based on hate, fear, ignorance and a complete misunderstanding of both the Constitution and the Bible.

And the result?

Well, I suppose we should thank you for creating a movement of Americans who are going to stand up and fight for their rights and an even larger group who are willing to stand at their side. See, you are making what was once just a bunch of people willing to live and let live, into a mobilized force who are willing to fight, tooth and nail, to create an America that not only ACCEPTS them, but RESPECTS them.

Don’t you get it?

The harder you push to force your hate and fear on others, the more you are creating a world that you hate and fear so much. So here’s my request. For the Christian Conservatives out there who want to make our country a more religiously intolerant, English-speaking, Immigrant-free land from sea-to-shining-sea…keep it up. And please, I ask that you also target Climate Change, Gun Laws, Health care and Religious Freedom.  Shout from the rooftops and do your best to get your way, because the end results fascinate the rest of us.

Yes, I’m asking that you keep poking the dragon with a stick. Because your inability to learn anything, every time he burns you in the butt, is moving our country forward in leaps and bounds.

by Darin Lowery

… a beggar could ride. My mother quoted this on the days I wanted something which was never going to happen. The shorthand version was ‘Fat chance, Buster’. Wishing was an outlet, albeit an empty one. This realization forced me to stop dreaming and look realistically at what I wanted; to set goals and deadlines, and to review my life often and with honesty.

Wishing didn’t work then and it doesn’t now, but sometimes it can be a catalyst for deciding what’s important and what’s not; idle musings can occasionally prompt me to get off my butt and push me to focus on a task at hand or an idea which I know to be doable. Or at times to throw my hands into the air, beat my chest and simply try to accept things as they are.

It is with this in mind that I present the following. I wish…

CELEBRITIES WEREN’T ‘ROLE MODELS’… While it’s true there are personalities out there who’ve made a difference- Sean Penn, with his tireless work in Haiti, for instance- the bulk of what the tabloids print don’t impress. What is the purpose of emulating someone else’s bad behavior? And why is it rewarded? While I think someone like Lindsay Lohan is attractive and talented, the woman is a train wreck, her career in shreds. Personal responsibility has disappeared: it’s one thing to face the music, do the time and straighten up- but to litter magazine pages with excuses and accusations is pathetic. On the other hand, she’s young. She could end up starring in The Mother Theresa Story on HBO.

MUTUAL RESPECT WOULD RETURN… If in fact we must have role models- and we need them, especially if we’re under ten years of age- then when will the adults act like adults? Politics in particular have turned into a blood sport- witness irresponsible comments by the lovely yet delusional Sarah Palin, such as ‘Don’t retreat- reload!’ The only people who listen to the ranting of a lunatic are other lunatics. Reasonable persons, on the other hand speak in measured tones and think about what they say- the ramifications, the interpretation- before a word is uttered. Contemplation and care used to be considered a virtue, but I suppose a sputtering, vitriolic sound bite is more important to advertisers. Wingnuts such as Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh (respectfully said, of course) lack the nuance to be truly interesting speakers. The media has done much to encourage a national game of Dodgeball in the political arena, and if it doesn’t stop no one will remain standing.

GREED WAS ‘BAD’, AND MEASURED GROWTH WAS ‘GOOD’… We were asked to feel sympathy for those who lost fortunes by scammers such as Bernie Madoff but really, aren’t his ‘victims’ to blame as well? How is it possible to expect exorbitant returns year after year and not have any questions for your investment guy? And why were all of their eggs in one Bernie-basket? It’s greed, pure and simple, and begs the obvious question of how much is enough? Not too many years ago a man was lucky to have a pair of trousers and a couple of shirts; a Sunday suit if he was lucky. Lots of homes built a hundred years ago didn’t even have closets. Today we have racks of clothes, all made overseas, and we toss them when new styles are introduced. I’m all for ambition and wanting to feed your family- and maybe even take them to Disney World- but a nation built of McMansions rests on slopes of sand. Likewise, our growth seems to be measured by how large (and therefore, congested) our communities can become, rather than focusing on balance, need and sustainability.

AGING AND WISDON WERE APPRECIATED… I love being middle-aged. If we were all, like, seventeen, where is the variety? Lots of things are no longer important (gossip, the perfect haircut) because they’ve been replaced by a higher goal- trying to live as long as possible before my savings run out. While I personally am more of a wiseguy than a Wise One, there are things in life which were formerly mysterious and now- voila!- make sense. Stuff like sex, interest rates, and how to properly use power tools. For those who choose an escape from aging via injected botulism- go for it! - but I’ll stick with the fine lines and emerging liver spots. These give me character and scare the kids into silence.

A wish isn’t necessarily a desire- it can also be a command. Perhaps this ‘wish list’ can be a call to arms. We can will ourselves to be more respectful, to hear the other guy out, to not demonize and antagonize. Even though it’s fun to do so sometimes.

Maybe we can teach our kids some real values, such as that once your name is shot, your reputation ruined, one has to fight like hell to prove oneself all over again: it’s important to have a good name, to be trusted, to accept responsibility and to be accountable. Without a return to white bucks and white gloves, let good manners and common courtesy take center stage again- because it’s the proper thing to do, and it brings out the best of what separates us from the animals.

And finally, we need to realize when enough is simply enough. Too much food has made thirty-four percent of us obese. The housing market tanked because too many of us thought a castle was better than a bungalow. Our friends and our family are the most important pieces of the puzzle that is life. It’s time to get along with each other, rather than getting along to get along.

Congresswoman Honored for Protecting Greater Arizona Jobs, Fighting Tax on Local Businesses

PRESCOTT, AZ – Today, Ann Kirkpatrick received a “Job Saver” Award for her successful work to help protect more than 47,000 jobs in Arizona by standing up to her party’s leadership. Pat Nackard, President of the family-owned Nackard Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company, presented her with the award at his Prescott facility to thank her for protecting the employees at their Prescott and Flagstaff plants.

The award was given by the American Beverage Association for Ann’s effort to block a burdensome tax on sugar sweetened beverages that would have threatened Nackard Pepsi, small grocers and retailers and ultimately would have raised prices for consumers. Ann was one of just 11 members of Congress who successfully pushed House leadership not to move forward with this new tax on our businesses.

“On behalf of everyone at Nackard Pepsi, I want to thank Ann Kirkpatrick for fighting so hard to protect the company and our jobs. We need more representatives in Congress as committed to serving local businesses as Ann,” said Pat Nackard, President of the Nackard Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company.

This effort is a good example of Ann’s efforts to aid local businesses by getting the government out of their way—she has also supported tax cuts for small business start-ups and a capital gains tax cut for investors in small businesses.

Throughout her first term in Congress, Ann Kirkpatrick’s top priority has been saving and creating good-paying jobs in Greater Arizona at little or no cost to the taxpayer. That includes empowering small businesses by removing burdensome taxes and regulations as well as low-cost job creation projects like the Copper Basin Jobs Project [link], the Four Forest Restoration Initiative [link] and the National Scenic Area designation for the Sedona Red Rocks [link]. Ann has also delivered critical federal support for infrastructure, renewable energy and rural health care projects in a transparent and accountable manner, and she has consistently pushed to protect Arizona families by voting to close tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping their jobs overseas.

“Ann Kirkpatrick always has and always will work tirelessly for the people of Greater Arizona, and creating and saving jobs in this district is her first priority,” said Kirkpatrick campaign manager Carmen Gallus. “She was proud to stand up for this long-standing local business and family-owned businesses like it across the country. Her dedication to protecting Arizona jobs is just one of many reasons that District One’s working families are rallying behind her.“

Senate hopeful, Rodney Glassman, met with San Carlos Tribal Chairman Wensler Noise

If Rodney Glassman has his way, he will be the State’s first Democratic Senator since DeConcinni won the seat in 1977.

He is on a tour of 50 communities in 30 days in the final weeks before voters go to the polls and hopes his message of “Turning the Page” on business as usual will help him defeat Arizona’s 4th term Republican Senator: John McCain.

He spent time with Globe’s Mayor, Fernando Shipley and Gila County Supervisor Shirley Dawson on Monday and made stops at Vida e Cafe in downtown Globe and in San Carlos where he met with Tribal Chairman, Wensler Noise.  Although the Rasmussen poll has McCain as the Senate choice with 54 percent to 33 percent for Glassman, with 8 percent undecided, he points to the couple he met outside of the coffeehouse who came up to talk to him. They said, “We can’t vote for you because you’re a Democrat and we won’t vote for McCain.”  He is hoping they, and others like them, will listen to his message which centers on education and job creation and consider putting someone in office who, as he says, will work for Arizona.

Glassman has served as Vice-Mayor of Tucson and holds a Ph.D in Arid Land Resource Sciences from the University of Arizona. He currently serves as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserves at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. He’s been endorsed by the Sierra Club, Tucson Chamber of Commerce, the Tucson Association of Realtors and the Pima Area Labor Foundation.

Glassman, with Gila County Supervisor Shirley Dawson

Gila County Supervisor, Shirley Dawson spoke to him about the proposed Job Corp program which she says is needed in the area because the suicide rate on the San Carlos Reservation is among the highest in the nation. The program would be under the US Forest Service and operated by a private company. Dawson points to the two Job Corp facilities in the state which are in Phoenix and Tucson, and says they have 2-300 more applicants than they have room. It was nearly two years ago that representatives from Washington were in the area to look at the possibility of placing a Job Corp in Gila County.  Glassman says he is here to listen to what the elected officials in Gila County consider important. On the issue of a private prison being located in the Globe area, Glassman said he didn’t really know the particulars of the Globe proposal, but he did say when asked about the private prison industry in Arizona that he “…finds it atrocious that we can spend 30 billion dollars training Afghanistan soldiers but we can’t run our own prisons. That is why I’ve been endorsed by the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association.” And of course, “If you improve education and jobs…you have fewer people in prisons.”

Glassman, along with wife Sasha, are expecting their first child in Novembe. He says he will be a strong advocate for education as a first term Senator and father. “I will be a customer of the education system. It’s frustrating to see 35 kids in a kindergarten class. That’s too many.”

Related articles

• Rodney Glassman vs. John McCain: A David and Goliath Senate Fight in Arizona (politicsdaily.com)

In the attacks on 9/11, just under three thousand people died in the World Trade Center.

Three thousand people in one day. A day that has become not only a national anniversary of sorrow, but was also a call to war on those who claimed to be involved, and on others who had nothing to do with it. We were an angry nation.

Three thousand people died and almost five thousand U.S. Troops and over one million civilians have died as a result. Our entire country, and world of nations, has been forever changed by the deaths of three thousand people in one day.

Even Worse

By the year 2035, the entire city of New York and the entire city of Houston, Texas will have died due to something just as horrible. By the year 2035, the entire population of the state of Alabama and the state of Arizona will have died due to a different sort of ‘attack’. Within 25 years from now, the city of Chicago and the entire state of Virginia will have completely been destroyed in another way.

In the next 25 years, 10 million people will be dead. This is the equivalent of  two attacks on the World Trade Center, every week of the year, for the next 25 years. This is bigger than an Axis of Evil, this is deadlier than a man in a cave and this will be the costliest war this nation has ever seen.

In the next 25 years, 10 million women will have died from Breast Cancer.

3000 deaths in one day has motivated an entire  nation to declare war against an enemy that was destroying its citizens. Can you imagine, if we had two 9/11 attacks every week, what that would do to this country? Well, it’s already happening, and it has to stop.

Wearing pink is great, changing your Facebook status is fine and buying products that give a portion of proceeds to research is wonderful…but there is something else.

From 2005 to 2008 I volunteered at the Climb for Cancer in Flagstaff. In 2009 I worked at a Run for Cancer in Phoenix and in 2010 I worked at the Walk for Cancer in Globe. The people I met there were the most amazing, wonderful people you could ever want to meet.

They were cancer survivors, people currently in the battle and people who had lost loved ones. Their were families, office groups, church groups and individuals who came out for the cause. But one thing has always bothered me about these days set aside to raise awareness. Where was everyone else?

Don’t get me wrong, there were MANY groups who are doing what they can to help make a difference, many individuals who are working day and night to find a cure and make a difference and millions of Americans who are donating time and money to end this nightmare.

But…

But, when I think about the population of Globe and think about the amount of people I saw during my 12 hours there, it didn’t really add up.

When I think about the population of Phoenix and saw how many were running or supporting, the numbers weren’t that amazing. When I think of how many people in Northern Arizona will gather for a beer festival or a rock concert, and then remember how many were climbing the hill that day, it seemed a little sad.

A majority of people at these events were either survivors, families of survivors, families of victims, coworkers of victims or were in the middle of their own battle. There was an extremely amazing portion of people there who were there to lend their support not because they have been personally affected, but because they understand the enormity of the situation.

I loved that so many of them came out, but it was not enough.

It was not enough, because if I told you that a 9/11 would happen, two times a week for the next twenty five years in every town and city in America, you would not stand for it. If I told you that 10 million would be dead in 25 years, or that 5 million would be dead in 12 1/2 years or that in just over six years from today, around 2.5 million people will be dead from breast cancer…do you really think this isn’t going to touch your life someday?

Why wait?

One more thing.

I have only been talking about Breast Cancer. I didn’t even give you the numbers for cancers of the lung, brain, liver, colon, stomach, blood and on and on. If you would rather go that direction, around 1,500 people die in ONE DAY in this country.

That is a 9/11 attack happening every TWO days in this country. How many people would sit by if that was happening?

It’s happening.

Eventually, we are ALL going to be INVOLVED in this one way or another, why not do it voluntarily, so that some day you won’t do it as a statistic?

Get involved.

http://ww5.komen.org/

http://www.cancer.org/