GOP Finds Ways to be Worse

It's not bad enough the Republicans tried to deny our entire presidential election---and some still are. It wasn't bad enough they then began attempts at vote suppression in Georgia and then took it to 47 other states. No, all that wasn't bad enough. Now they want to punish Americans for our First Amendment right of Free Speech, too. As always, click on picture for larger picture, easier reading.

We have got to, got to vote them out. We've got to vote them all out.

Missouri, Fairness and Justice in Today's New York Times

Yes, St. Louis County and so, Missouri and fairness and gross unfairness, all in today's, Sunday New York Times.

It's an important, if brief read. A real eye-opener and certainly not limited to just that area.

Policing for Profit in St. Louis County

And not just one article, one op/ed piece but two, originating out of Missouri politics and events lately. Here's the second. Also brief but, I think, again, important:

Beat the Press

"Gestapo"-like tactics from Big Ag in Right Wing, Conservative, Republican Southwest Missouri at Ozark Empire Fair

I found this post last evening on a friend's Facebook page. I believe it's true and if so, should make any red blooded, truly Conservative, Republican American extremely upset, if not angry.

Well, unless they support "Big Ag."

Like

The post:

By Susie Chasnoff - 

It looks like Big Ag is willing to employ unethical strong-arm tactics to get its way on Missouri’s Amendment 1.

The “Big Boys” Mean Business: Suppression Comes with the Territory

It looks like Big Ag is willing to employ unethical strong-arm tactics to get its way on Missouri’s Amendment 1. The Amendment, inaccurately described as the “right to farm,” is on the August 5 ballot in Missouri and would severely limit the people’s right to regulate farm practices. Its purpose, opponents say, is to leave industrial agriculture free to pollute, use unethical treatment of animals and plant GMOs without hindrance.
Earlier this week, Big Ag attempted to gag its opposition at the Ozark Empire Fair. The story is one of intimation and finally the arrest of one of those speaking against Amendment 1. It seems that fair-goers in Missouri are only allowed to hear Big Ag’s point of view. Here’s how the events unfolded:

On Monday, July 28, Susan Tolliver and William Hutcherson, strong supporters of NO on Amendment 1, put on their “Vote No on 1” t-shirts and headed for the Ozark Empire Fair.
Meanwhile, at a booth for Pensaroda Farm organic products, Mr. and Mrs. Len Pense were selling their wares with a helper, Laura Umphenour. Laura proudly sported her “Vote No on 1” t-shirt. The Penses proudly displayed a “Vote No on Amend 1” sign and were making literature available.

There had been some controversy the first three days of the fair, but all had been going well until that Monday, the fourth day, when the booth was paid a visit by several men from a food concession. Laura described their demeanor as intimidating. Eventually a man wearing a badge that identified him as the President of the Cattlemen’s Association came and attempted to redirect fair-goers away from the booth.
Laura registered a complaint at the Fair office requesting the men be asked to leave the vicinity of the Pensaroda Farm booth. Instead, Fair security visited the booth to inform Mr. Pense he had to stop talking to people about Amendment 1. Laura was told she could no longer assist him.

Susan and William received a distraught phone call from Laura as they pulled into the fairground. Ultimately all three ended up back at the Pensadora booth. Fair security approached and informed them that their every move was being watched on camera. Susan, William and Laura were advised to, “Watch it!” Security further cautioned them not to speak to anyone unless they were spoken to first.

Susan, Laura, and William began walking around, visiting other vendors. When asked questions about their t-shirts they were happy to take the time to explain that Amendment 1 is backed by Monsanto, BIG animal operations, and foreign corporations, most notably in China. They further explained that foreign corporations would be able to buy more Missouri farmland which will hurt small family farmers, organic growers and food safety.
Evidently security had been following the three of them, asking people with whom they spoke who had approached who first and exactly what was said. At one point William was speaking to workers at Freedom Riders’ booth. Susan joined and, assuming they were talking about Amendment 1 exclaimed, “I hope you’re voting no on 1.” It was twenty minutes later that Fair security asked them to leave.

Asking why they were being directed to leave, “No reason,” was the reply.

Two police officers arrived. After a brief debate it was decided that Susan, William and Laura had to leave the vendor area. They were escorted out to the Fair grounds where they were told they could remain.

As they walked outside a Channel 10 camera man was unloading his van. He asked what was going on and then interviewed Laura and William, but the interview was never aired.

Just as they finished, Fair security came back with the two officers and all three were banned from the premises. Their pictures were taken and they were told they’d be arrested if they returned.

The police escorted Susan, William, and Laura to a side gate where they exited.

In the meantime Mr. Pense, with the organic booth, continued to display a “Vote NO on 1” sign in his booth and continued to make literature available. On Thursday, July 31, fair officials demanded he remove the sign and literature, but he refused. Instead Mr. Pense insisted that Fair officials put their request in writing, which they refused to do.

Ultimately the Fair officials relented, allowing Mr. Pense to keep his sign, literature and even permitting Laura, wearing her ‘Vote No on 1” t-shirt back to assist him. As long as she did not approach anyone outside the booth about Amendment 1, she was allowed to return.

Despite this agreement, Laura was arrested for trespassing on Friday, August 1. The arrest took place in the vendors area, where Laura told (just the day before) she could be. She was taken to the police station, photographed and fingerprinted.

Susan had this to say, “Since the Cattleman Assoc. spends lots of money on fairs and events, as does the Farm Bureau and Monsanto, of course this turned into who has the money.

“Meanwhile the Cattlemen and the Puppy Mills are actively handing out their baloney. But I think these strong-arm tactics may backfire. I'm a 70 year old grandmother. I know people in surrounding booths were appalled.

Fortunately, the local paper, the Springfield News-Leader did, in fact, cover the story:

Right to Farm opponent arrested at Ozark Empire Fair

Apparently, as long as it's for "Big Business", it's okay to keep people from having free speech rights in America, huh?

And even the local police will support the whole charade.

Police, supporting "Big Ag" against one person and her First Amendment Rights. 

Nice.

Welcome to Amerikuh.

Right here in very Right Wing, Conservative, "small government", Republican Southwest Missouri.

Yeehaw.

Going on in Washington right now -- and how it effects you

I believe most Americans don't know what's going on right now in Washington and worse, far worse, they don't know how it will effect them.

The issue is referred to as 'net neutrality, short for internet neutrality. What's happening is that the Federal Communications Commission--the FCC--is deciding if corporations that supply the internet can charge more for faster speeds to certain customers willing to pay more.



Actually, Senator Al Franken has led an effort to fight the big media corporations and save net neutrality. He gives terrific, clear information on the fight here and what it means to and for us all:



There are at least three things wrong with this. Two big things.

First, it means those with money will get and have and keep more data. That is, more information. This is the equivalent of the old "separate but equal" theory from America's history that we decided was unconstitutional decades ago. It's just wrong.

Second, it means the corporations, especially, will have more and more power and control of that information. That wouldn't be good for us either economically or in terms of business. It's great for them, patently negative for the nation. It's worst of all for the people, for you and I.

The third thing very wrong with this is that, sadly, frustratingly and even destructively, it's being decided by, controlled by a person at the FCC who is originally from the very industry this ruling could help go the corporations' way:

Obama Nominates Cable Industry Lobbyist

Anyone who knows me knows I'm for most of the work of our current president but in this case, as in some others, Mr. Obama did "more of the same" instead of changing Washington. He appointed a lobbyist and campaign fund bundler for the cable industry to the head of the very powerful FCC, the very agency created to monitor these people.  To use a cliche', it's "a fox, guarding the henhouse."

Anyway, here's what's going on this week:

FCC and Net Neutrality: What You Need to Know Before Today's Big Meeting

The biggest Internet companies in the world are squaring off against the biggest ISPs in the country on this issue, which will dictate the future of the Internet.

On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to publicly release its proposed rules about the future of the "Open Internet."

I highly recommend you click on the article link above, go to the article and read just what all this is, what's going on, why you should care and what it all means. The future of the  internet and of information is being decided now.

Still Time to Speak Your Mind on Net Neutrality

Please go to at least one of these petitions, sign it, and help save net neutrality:

Petition | Save Net Neutrality | Change.org

Daily Kos: Campaigns: Sign the petition: Save Net neutrality

Additional links:

ACLU: Save Open Internet - ACLU.org‎

May 15th: Fight to Save the Internet | Free Press

MoveOn.org Civic Action: Save the Internet

PETITION TO CONGRESS: Save Net Neutrality

On free speech, reduced violence and our new police state

Two articles were brought to my attention, purely by chance, on Facebook today. The first points to statistics showing that the world is less violent today than we were in the past: ‘The Better Angels of Our Nature’ Believe it or not — and I know that most people do not — violence has declined over long stretches of time, and today we may be living in the most peaceable era in our species’ existence. The decline, to be sure, has not been smooth; it has not brought violence down to zero; and it is not guaranteed to continue. But it is an unmistakable development, visible on scales from millennia to years, from the waging of wars to the spanking of children. (Links to aticle and book, below). But at the same time as all this less violence and improvements in societies around the world are happening, the US is choosing to more and more militarize our police--and heavily so. Check out what happened just yesterday in Virginia at a women's protest for reproductive rights. Added to this, look at how the police were equipped to respond to these citizens of the state.

I ask you, does that not seem like a tremendous over-reach, on the part of the police and government? That's the first question. Then, secondly, whatever happened to the "people's right to protest" and the First Amendment and First Amendment Rights and First Amendment guarantee of Free Speech? Added to all this is the fact that the US House of Representatives has created HR 347 and it has passed through Congress. It states that the American people will no longer be allowed to peaceably assemble to petition the government when certain government officials are nearby, whether they know it or not. This is yet another abbreviation of our First Amendment Rights of Free Speech. Finally, there are two more bills proposed in Congress right now, HR 3166 and S. 1698 also known as the Enemy Expatriation Act, sponsored by Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Charles Dent (R-PA). This bill would give the US government the power to strip Americans of their citizenship without being convicted of being 'hostile' against the United States. In other words, you can be stripped of your nationality for 'engaging in, or purposefully and materially supporting, hostilities against the United States.' Legally, the term 'hostilities' means any conflict subject to the laws of war but considering the fact that the War on Terror is a little ambiguous and encompassing, any action could be labeled as supporting terrorism. Since the Occupy movement began, conservatives have been trying to paint the protesters as terrorists." Has our own US government become paranoid about its citizens having and keeping our First Amendment Rights of Free Speech? It seems like Congress and this administration, too, at times, is flipping out. My only point is to ask today and hopefully make people think and demand more--restraint in this case--of our government. Links: http://www.truth-out.org/propaganda-windfall-imperial-state-steven-pinker-decline-violence/1330875517; http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/06/books/review/the-better-angels-of-our-nature.html?pagewanted=all; http://www.amazon.com/Better-Angels-Our-Nature-Violence/dp/0670022950; http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/01/06/new-bill-known-as-enemy-expatriation-act-would-allow-government-to-strip-citizenship-without-conviction/

Brownback throws his staff under the bus

Great news this Monday morning--Shawnee Mission East High School has announced it will not require Emma Sullivan to apologize to Kansas Governor Brownback for her Twitter tweet last week in which she said he "sucks." Good call, East. Hopefully this directive was from the Topeka Capitol itself. This should now just go away. It was unfortunate and silly to the point of nearly stupid. Governor Brownback to a huge, negative public opinion beating for it, too, for good or ill, depending on your stance and/or political party. The great thing is that the Governor apologized. The bad news is that he made his staff the scapegoats on the matter. From The Star: "In a statement issued by his office, Brownback offered his own apology, saying his staff had 'over-reacted' to the tweet. 'Freedom of speech is among our most treasured freedoms,' the statement says. “I also want to thank the thousands of Kansas educators who remind us daily of our liberties, as well as the values of civility and decorum. Again, I apologize for our over-reaction.'” That rather stunk. He should have just said "I apologize," period, and left it at that but whatever. The Guv should now "lay low" for a few weeks--until Christmas, I'd say--and then come out with some magnanimous declaration or something about that holiday. Between being the only governor in the nation to kill his state's arts commission and now this--seemingly against First Amendment Rights of Free Speech--he needs a "win." Good luck on that one. Link: http://pvpost.com/2011/11/28/shawnee-mission-district-issues-response-to-sullivan-tweet-situation-says-it-wont-take-action-on-matter-7800; http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/28/3290553/kansas-teen-not-required-to-issue.html

Unsolicited advice to Kansas Governor Brownback

Governor, rescind any request--whether from your office or not--for Shawnee Mission East High School student Emma Williams to apologize to you and/or your office for what you apparently perceived as her slight with her "tweet" last week. Should she have shown more respect for you or the office of Kansas Governor? Sure, that could be argued. Does this student have and deserve protection under the First Amendment of our Constitution, the one that guards our Free Speech rights? You bet she does. Besides that very important point, you also look extremely petty and even foolish--you are taking a public relations beating for it, at least nationwide, if not, as I've learned, internationally. Even the State of Kansas has taken some hits because of this. Governor, for your own benefit, let this lie--let this die a quiet, ignominious death. Contact that same Shawnee Mission East High School principal you had contacted last week and tell her to let this go. It's for your own good as well as for Free Speech and the First Amendment. Do yourself the favor, Governor. The sooner it goes away for everyone, the better. You'll be glad you did. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/teen-tweeter-wont-apologize-kan-governor-230737888.html

Apparently the police state is also in Canada, as here

I put this up to point out, yes, that we've seem to become a police state here in the US but also to point out that this kind of thing happened to me, too, here in good ol' KCMO. I walked up, one night, to a police tape on Main Street and spoke to the officer standing there. He said if I said one more word to him, literally--he repeated it twice--that he would arrest me. "One more word." So much for "free speech." Or, in this young lady's case, so much for peaceful protest.

Excuse me?

This story broke today and seems to be all over the internets:

Dan Choi Beaten, Arrested At Moscow Gay Pride Parade

To which I say, excuse me? 

Where did you, Lt. Choi, think you were?

Did someone tell you the rest of the world was like the US, where, for the most part, you have free speech?

If you, Lieutenant, or anyone else thought this wouldn't/couldn't happen, all I can say is, wow.  

Is it right, that he got beaten and arrested?

No, certainly not, not if he were merely marching.

But the entire world isn't all "free speech" and "equality".

Heck, what am I saying?

Even the US isn't all about equality.

We never have been.

Quote of the day--on thinking and speaking

"Think before you speak. Read before you think."   —Fran Lebowitz



Please.



Have a great day, y'all.

Another significant reason Americans are angry

From the news this morning:
U.S. slips to historic low in global corruption index

BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States has dropped out of the "top 20" in a global league table of least corrupt nations, tarnished by financial scandals and the influence of money in politics, Transparency International said on Tuesday.

The United States fell to 22nd from 19th last year, with its CPI score dropping to 7.1 from 7.5 in the 178-nation index, which is based on independent surveys on corruption.

This was the lowest score awarded to the United States in the index's 15-year history and also the first time it had fallen out of the top 20.

We're sick of it, frankly.  We're sick of the rich guys and corporations winning and us losing.  We're sick of the money that's going into our politics.  We're sick of our politicians being bought.  It's all just too much.

So rather than just complaining, I propose, yet again, three solutions to our problems:

First, we need to get that ugly money out of our politics.  To do that, we need campaign finance reform so our representatives don't have to go begging to the rich, corporations and their lobbyists for money.  We need our government to pay for these stupid elections.  If we did this, the money would stop buying our officials and their votes because it would be illegal.

Second, we need to make our campaign seasons shorter--by law--so they don't need all this money.  And don't say it can't be done, either.  The British did it long ago, we could certainly do it.

Finally, we need to put the "Fairness Doctrine" back in our media and so, government, so at least two different sides would have to be discussed any time a political subject comes up on our airwaves.  It used to be the law of the land.  The Republicans took it out of our laws and we need to get it back.  This would take the vitriol and emotionalism and ugliness and bitterness out of our discussions.  It won't happen because Fox "News" and the Republicans and corporations and Right Wing wouldn't stand for it and would raise heck about it violating their First Amendment rights and "free speech", even though that's patently untrue.  They could still say whatever they want, it's just that the opposing view would have to also be aired.

It's too bad the above won't happen.  At least it won't until the American people rise up and demand it.  I hope it doesn't require a revolution to get us there.  

This used to be a far better country to live in than what we've got now.

And a lot of that is our own fault.

Links:  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-slips-to-historic-low-in-rb-3603521040.html?x=0;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_doctrine