What they said wasn't "the 'n' word"

As the now-old saying goes, let's not put lipstick on this pig.

I keep seeing references to the incident in Washington, DC this past Saturday wherein some "Tea-bagger" Republican protester shouted an epithet at Represenetative John Lewis and it's irritating me.

I keep seeing it referred to as this ignorant person yelling "the 'n' word."

And I want to say stop.

Let's stop calling it that.

Let's stop making this nice. Or pretty. Or politically-correct.

Because it absolutely isn't any of those things.

Whoever that person was called Representative John Lewis--longtime civil rights activist and now legislator--a nigger.

The word isn't nice.

This is racism of its near-worst form.

The only thing worse, after this, is physical violence, let's be clear on this.

That word--nigger--is the worst thing a white person can call an African-American yet that's what this person did.

And then someone spat on our own Kansas City, Missouri Representative Emanuel Cleaver.

And then someone else, shortly thereafter, across Washington, called Representative Barney Frank a "homo."

Racism, homophobia and bigotry, all.

And stupid. And irresponsible. And hate-filled.

And it all has no place in any discussion or debate about health care.

And it has no place in America.

And it needs to stop.

And it needs to stop now.

If we call it something less than what it is, we're giving it a pass and that's not acceptable.

Congressional Filibuster Reform?

You know, we do need Congress to work, that's for sure.

It's getting to where we, as a country, can't any longer afford lawmaking logjams in the process.

It's ugly. It seems stupid and petty.

And we're all for having Congress in Washington go forward with progress and good, honest, intelligent legislation.

So when I read this that I just read "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pledges filibuster reform" , it gives me pause.

On the one hand, we do need to take our country forward.

But we need to do it as a group--as Americans, like it used to be. We can't have incessant infighting between Republicans vs. Democrats vs. Conservatives vs. Liberals vs. Independents vs. Libertarians vs. "Teabaggers", like we've been doing the last dozen or more years.

Yes, we need progress and yes, we need to do away with these, as I said earlier, logjams.

But do away with the possibility of the filibuster?

Be careful what you wish for, Senator Reid.

Be careful what you wish for, lest it's not an option for you and your Party, should you be out of power.

Let's have guts and show strength but let's do what's right and good for the country.

And be careful and wise about it.