Quote of the Day -- Memorial Version

(Click on picture for easier reading).

Rest in peace, Representative Lewis. 

You've certainly earned it. 

We'll keep up the good fight.

We must.

What's happening in Washington right now

"The greatest tragedy is that we could balance the budget without placing this pain on millions of American families, if we only ask a wealthy few to pay their fair share. The people of this country need to understand what is happening here. A choice is being made by representatives you elected to sacrifice your well-being to preserve the profits of a wealthy few. You have the power to change that representation and you should. Make your voices heard."  --Rep. John Lewis

Quote of the day

"...Dr. King took a simple argument and said races don’t fall in love and get married. Individuals fall in love and get married. It’s not the business of the federal government, it’s not the business of the state government to tell two individuals that they cannot fall in love and get married. And so I go back to what I said and wrote those lines a few years ago, that I fought too long and too hard against discrimination based on race and color not to stand up and fight and speak out against discrimination based on sexual orientation." --US Congressman John Lewis

Funny, intelligent--but true--reasons for the health care reform we got

"That's how scared we are of the Republicans..."

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.